This interview first appeared at Suite101 in 2004. I’m sharing it again because she is a wonderful fantasy author.
Laura J. Underwood is a Fantasy author of many talents. She is a librarian as well as a writer. Her many skills include being a former fencing champion and a harpist too. Ms. Underwood uses her many talents to provide entertaining Fantasy short stories and novels. The main worlds her stories are set in include Keltora and the harper mage world of Annwynn Baldomere. Her short stories can be found in different anthologies and magazines, while the books include: Ard Magister, Dragon’s Tongue and others.
More information can be found at her web site: http://www.sff.net/people/keltora
Debbie Ledesma: When did you decide to become a writer?
Laura Underwood: I’m not so sure that I ever really decided that for myself. Seems like I have always been writing down my fantasies from the time I could hold a pencil. I was one of those children whose imaginations always ran wild. I was reading on my own by the time I was three, which always amazed my parents. They thought I was mimicking the books they read to me, but one day I picked up a newspaper and started pointing to words and sounding them out. I was the only child in my first grade class who could read when I started school.
Because I was a rather solitary child (in spite of having siblings) I used to
daydream a lot. Put myself into the stories that I liked best, and I talked to myself a lot. I did a speech recently where I blamed my fantasy writing career on Mighty Mouse, because when I was little, I used to talk to Mighty
Mouse. My poor mother was under the impression in those days that talking to yourself was a sign of insanity, and she tried to discourage it because she worried what people would think (and there were those d 3ays, like when I made the bus driver stop the bus to let Mighty Mouse on, and I told the ladies at the church Sunday School that I needed an extra cookie and orange juice for Mighty Mouse--I honestly think those poor church ladies thought I was possessed...), so I started writing down my imaginings so I could read them to myself.
Of course, it is obvious that I was not willing to give up my imaginary worlds that easily. The only difference is these days, the talking to myself takes place on a laptop, and I call it storytelling. And because I keep getting those stories published, my mother thinks it’s pretty cool.
DL: Do you prefer writing short stories or novels?
LU: As a teenager, I thought I _was_ writing novels, though I suspect they were just novellas. :-) In fact, my efforts at mystery writing were all novels.
But when I started to sell my fantasy fiction, I wrote short fiction, mainly
because I could produce more of it at a greater speed. But I love novels for the scope they allow. It’s the difference between a short sprint and lengthy marathon race. Both can leave you short of breath. One just takes longer than the other. I’m what one might call a “sneezing” writer (my friend David B. Coe always teases me about that). I literally toss everything on the page at a rapid pace and then clean it up in the editing phase.
DL: What authors influence your writing?
LU: Well, if we start with the earliest influences, those would be anyone who wrote fairy tales. When I was six, my great aunt gave me a beautifully
illustrated book of fairy tales (The Golden Book of Fairy Tales by Adrienne Segur who illustrated it as well) that I still have. It’s rather moth eaten and fragile, and my evil younger brother drew all over the pictures, but I did manage to find a reprint of it recently. I also read a lot of Greek and Roman mythology. I used to be able to recite nearly every story from
Bulfinche's and D’Aulaire versions of mythology. And of course, I fell madly in love with Kipling and must have reread The Jungle Book over and over.
As for specific authors, Edgar A. Poe, Fred Fields, Shakespeare, but then I
advanced to Lloyd Alexander and George MacDonald and C. S. Lewis and Alexander Key in my teens. At that point, I actually switched to reading mystery novels and was a long time fan of Ngaio Marsh, Peter Lovesey, Dick Francis and many others. Then somewhere along the way in my early twenties, I rediscovered fantasy with Andre Norton, Marion Zimmer Bradley and Fritz Leiber. Barbara Hambly and Teresa Edgerton are now my biggest influences, though I am also fond of Lynn Flewelling, Esther Friesner and a host of other authors who write really good fantasy.
Surprising to most people is that I did not read any Tolkein before the movies came out. Now, of course, I see what I missed since I have gone back and read the books. They always seemed to wordy to me when I was a teenager and a librarian handed them to me, but now I can see a lot of the poetry in the work...I can also see the sources Tolkein drew from.
DL: Do you use any mythology sources in your writing?
Celtic mythology plays a strong part, but not the stuff you usually see in the
D&D manuals (I really have a long rant there that I won’t go into here), but I
do mix a touch of Anglo-Saxon lore and old Norse lore in from time to time. Since my days of reading fairy tales and Greek and Roman mythology, I got into folklore, and have been an avid reader of older texts that were gathered in the 18th century. But I am also interested in Native American mythology (being part Choctaw and Cherokee), in English folktales, Scandinavian lore, and in the mythologies of India.
DL: Most of your stories are centered in two worlds- the Harper Mage and Keltora. Which world do you find easier to write about or prefer?
LU: That’s a hard one. I find both worlds easy to work in, though sometimes have to remind myself that they are not the same. Keltora is just part of the world of Ard-Taebh which is my “grand scheme of things” epic fantasy world. It’s a world where mages are genetic and magic essence is in everything, and mageborn are able to tap this essence so they don't drain their own essence casting spells. And it’s getting more complex by the day. My latest project has put me in a position of taking a hard look at the history of Ard-Taebh and realizing that the part I write now is just one era of an even bigger milieu.
The Harper Mage world is one where the gods choose who will have the power, and then it is up to the mage to make the right sacrifice to release the power. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the power, and to have that power, one must give up one of the five senses. Oddly enough, it started out as a novel, and then I started writing the short stories, and the late Marion Zimmer Bradley started buying them. I would offer her other things, but she always asked for more Anwyn and Glynnanis stories, and as a result, the world has grown legs based solely on the short fiction. Anwyn is a fun character because he is always at odds with himself and his legacy. Makes for some serious angst. I still get requests from readers as to when I plan to write a novel telling the origin of his power. I have also written one novel where we learn the history of Rhystar and how he came to his power.
Of course, these days I admit that I have grown fond of writing in Selina
Rosen’s Bubbas of the Apocalypse Universe because I get to apply the mythology of my Appalachian roots.
DL: Who is your favorite character?
LU: That’s like asking who is your favorite child among the many you have given birth to. Probably depends on the project, but I will admit that I have a lot of fondness for Conor Manahan. That amuses me since the real focus of those stories is supposed to be Rhoyd who is the Ard Magister. But Conor sort of takes over when he opens his mouth, and it’s hard not to follow him around. There are times I want to be Eithne, except I doubt I would have her patience. :-)
DL: What do you think is the important function of a Fantasy novel?
LU: To keep opening our eyes to the wonders of a world that "might have been." I'm of the opinion that fantasy helps us to keep the storytelling techniques of our ancestors alive and well. Giving credence to things that never were can be fun. Fantasy allows us to tell and retell the favorite stories in a new way. If we can enjoy ourselves on the journey, all the better. If we can make the material seem fresh and new, it becomes even more "fantastic." As a writer, I tend to write the tales I have always wanted to read, and the reward is hearing readers tell me that they think my worlds and characters are very real to them.
DL: With the success of the "Lord of the Rings" movies, do you think any of your stories would make a good movie?
LU: I think all of them would, but that is probably because I am a very visual writer and very fond of my own work. *g* I see scenery being played out in my head. I get up and practice fight moves from time to time. By now most people know that I am a former fencing champion and fencing coach who now does fencing demonstrations for the SFWA Emergency Medical Fund.
I would seriously love to see any of my books turned into a movie. Or a
miniseries. In fact, I think there are a lot of authors now who are holding up their hands in hopes of getting the attention of Peter Jackson. But if I had to pick only one, I suspect I would hold up my current projects Dragon’s Tongue and Wandering Lark because they have the sort of depth (at least I hope they have the sort of depth) that Jackson could have a field day with.
But of course, because I am a practical sort of person by nature, I won't hold my breath. *g*
DL: What other stories are you working on for the future?
LU: I just finished editing Wandering Lark, which is the sequel to Dragon’s Tongue (a novel that will be coming out from Meisha Merlin some time later in 2004). I also recently finished a “collective novel” called Shadow Song, which is set in Anwyn’s world and essentially ties together what happened to that message he carried that I mentioned in “Harper’s Moon” and “The Black Tower.” Of course, I don’t have a publisher for that one yet, but it's the book Marion was always pushing me to write.
I’m currently working on a couple of short stories that I have been asked to provide for future anthologies, and because everyone keeps asking me “What happens next? after Ard Magister, I am working on the further adventures of Conor, Eithne and Rhoyd under the tentative title of Box of Bones. It takes place about three years later. Rhoyd is getting close to preteens mage-wise, and he’s a lot bolder and more trusting of his own power, but there are times when the little boy in him gets in the way. It brings back characters like Michan (From Chronicles of the Last War) and mentioned “The Demon-Bound” as well as the late Fenelon Greenfyn.
Selina Rosen and I just finished collaborating on a “gonzo” mystery novel we’re calling Bad Lands that we are seriously hoping will become a series. I have a soft spot for mysteries still, and writing this book was like going back to my roots of writing mysteries. Plus the characters are a hoot.
I am also hoping to get around to editing Anwyn’s first novel one day and
marketing it and a couple of independent novels set in Ard-Taebh. I have a book about Ginny and Manus (who appeared in a number of my Sword and Sorceress stories) that I am calling The Hounds of Ardagh that is almost ready to submit.
Of course, what I actually get into working on for publication next (besides
the short stories) is probably going to depend on how well my novels Dragon’s Tongue and Wandering Lark do when they come out. (An author’s career is only as good as their numbers.) There’s a trilogy that follows those two books that deals with how Keltora took the High King’s crown and another trilogy in the works dealing with Rhoyd’s Aunt Genna. Plus one day, I want to go back and write something in the time of the Shadow Lords. There are a lot of places in my own worlds that I have not begun to explore. So who knows what stories are hiding there?
DL: Do you have any advice for aspiring writers?
LU: Keep writing, rewriting, revising and resubmitting. And keep reading as well--everything you can get your hands on, be it history, biography, folklore, archaeology, letter and memoirs as well as what you want to write. You can't learn to write if you can't take time to read. And you can't write well if you don't read broadly enough.
Above all, never give up. I see so many beginners who want instant success, and I can tell you after thirty years of writing, there is no instant success. Not without hard work. It's something you earn by taking the steps of the ladder to publication one rung at a time. Too often, aspiring writers will think there is a secret they are missing out on. A handshake, a wink, a password. Trust me. If they existed, I would have found them and bottled them and made myself rich by now. *g* As one of my own mentors would have said, "It takes time to become an overnight success..."
Personally, I'm still waiting. *g*
DL: Thank you very much for the interview.
Friday, August 05, 2011
Friday, July 22, 2011
Patricia McKillip
Do you like riddles? Mysteries? Patricia McKillip is a fantasy author that can evoke these things and leave a reader wishing for more. She has written many novels with great depth and realistic characters. Her deft, poetic use of language in her novels leaves memorable images in the reader's mind for years. Many of her books have created outstanding, unforgettable fantasy worlds.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a sorceress, her strange pets and her learning to deal with humanity. Sybel grows up alone in a magical castle with only the animals in her strange menagerie for company. When Coren enters her life, her world is turned upside down. This book is a moralistic story with a legendary quality and surprised people by winning the World Fantasy Award in 1975. It foreshadowed the talent of her next endeavor.
The Riddle Master trilogy ( The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind ) is a wonderful epic fantasy bordering on true originality. These books are full of riddles and complex human characters. Morgon of Hed is a simple man, coming from an agricultural community, who likes riddles. Radearle is an independent woman seeking her destiny. Together they embark on a tale of adventure, mystery and fulfillment that doesn't end as readers would expect. Along the way we are treated to a story which requires thoughtful reflection after reading the books.
Ms. McKillip turned to science fiction for a time, but eventually returned to fantasy with The Sorceress and the Cygnet and The Cygnet and the Firebird. The author demonstrates her gift for evoking powerful images and stories with language in these books. Readers are presented with a mystical world of constellations that are gods, which mingle with quirky humans. These fantasy worlds are full of wonder and striking beauty.
She wrote a book based on Brian Froud's art work of fairies. In In Something Rich and Strange, two human characters deal with encounters from fairy folk of the sea. This book is illustrated with beautiful art work that inspires a quest story full of strong images of the ocean. A person feels like they are there. Though a hard book to find, it is a treasure to read.
Patricia McKillip has created fantasy worlds that readers will enjoy for many years to come. Every new book by her adds to the Fantasy genre stories of depth, emotion and wonder. Her lyrical forays into Fantasy should not be missed by lovers of the genre.
Other books by Patricia McKillip:
The Changeling Sea
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Winter Rose
Song for the Basilisk
Riddle-Master- - The trilogy in one book.
Alphabet of Thorn
Solstice Wood
Ombria in Shadow
Od Magic
The Bells at Sealy Head
Bards of the Bone Plain
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a sorceress, her strange pets and her learning to deal with humanity. Sybel grows up alone in a magical castle with only the animals in her strange menagerie for company. When Coren enters her life, her world is turned upside down. This book is a moralistic story with a legendary quality and surprised people by winning the World Fantasy Award in 1975. It foreshadowed the talent of her next endeavor.
The Riddle Master trilogy ( The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind ) is a wonderful epic fantasy bordering on true originality. These books are full of riddles and complex human characters. Morgon of Hed is a simple man, coming from an agricultural community, who likes riddles. Radearle is an independent woman seeking her destiny. Together they embark on a tale of adventure, mystery and fulfillment that doesn't end as readers would expect. Along the way we are treated to a story which requires thoughtful reflection after reading the books.
Ms. McKillip turned to science fiction for a time, but eventually returned to fantasy with The Sorceress and the Cygnet and The Cygnet and the Firebird. The author demonstrates her gift for evoking powerful images and stories with language in these books. Readers are presented with a mystical world of constellations that are gods, which mingle with quirky humans. These fantasy worlds are full of wonder and striking beauty.
She wrote a book based on Brian Froud's art work of fairies. In In Something Rich and Strange, two human characters deal with encounters from fairy folk of the sea. This book is illustrated with beautiful art work that inspires a quest story full of strong images of the ocean. A person feels like they are there. Though a hard book to find, it is a treasure to read.
Patricia McKillip has created fantasy worlds that readers will enjoy for many years to come. Every new book by her adds to the Fantasy genre stories of depth, emotion and wonder. Her lyrical forays into Fantasy should not be missed by lovers of the genre.
Other books by Patricia McKillip:
The Changeling Sea
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Winter Rose
Song for the Basilisk
Riddle-Master- - The trilogy in one book.
Alphabet of Thorn
Solstice Wood
Ombria in Shadow
Od Magic
The Bells at Sealy Head
Bards of the Bone Plain
Patricia McKillip
Do you like riddles? Mysteries? Patricia McKillip is a fantasy author that can evoke these things and leave a reader wishing for more. She has written many novels with great depth and realistic characters. Her deft, poetic use of language in her novels leaves memorable images in the reader's mind for years. Many of her books have created outstanding, unforgettable fantasy worlds.
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a sorceress, her strange pets and her learning to deal with humanity. Sybel grows up alone in a magical castle with only the animals in her strange menagerie for company. When Coren enters her life, her world is turned upside down. This book is a moralistic story with a legendary quality and surprised people by winning the World Fantasy Award in 1975. It foreshadowed the talent of her next endeavor.
The Riddle Master trilogy ( The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind ) is a wonderful epic fantasy bordering on true originality. These books are full of riddles and complex human characters. Morgon of Hed is a simple man, coming from an agricultural community, who likes riddles. Radearle is an independent woman seeking her destiny. Together they embark on a tale of adventure, mystery and fulfillment that doesn't end as readers would expect. Along the way we are treated to a story which requires thoughtful reflection after reading the books.
Ms. McKillip turned to science fiction for a time, but eventually returned to fantasy with The Sorceress and the Cygnet and The Cygnet and the Firebird. The author demonstrates her gift for evoking powerful images and stories with language in these books. Readers are presented with a mystical world of constellations that are gods, which mingle with quirky humans. These fantasy worlds are full of wonder and striking beauty.
She wrote a book based on Brian Froud's art work of fairies. In In Something Rich and Strange, two human characters deal with encounters from fairy folk of the sea. This book is illustrated with beautiful art work that inspires a quest story full of strong images of the ocean. A person feels like they are there. Though a hard book to find, it is a treasure to read.
Patricia McKillip has created fantasy worlds that readers will enjoy for many years to come. Every new book by her adds to the Fantasy genre stories of depth, emotion and wonder. Her lyrical forays into Fantasy should not be missed by lovers of the genre.
Other books by Patricia McKillip:
The Changeling Sea
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Winter Rose
Song for the Basilisk
Riddle-Master- - The trilogy in one book.
Alphabet of Thorn
Solstice Wood
Ombria in Shadow
Od Magic
The Bells at Sealy Head
Bards of the Bone Plain
The Forgotten Beasts of Eld is a story about a sorceress, her strange pets and her learning to deal with humanity. Sybel grows up alone in a magical castle with only the animals in her strange menagerie for company. When Coren enters her life, her world is turned upside down. This book is a moralistic story with a legendary quality and surprised people by winning the World Fantasy Award in 1975. It foreshadowed the talent of her next endeavor.
The Riddle Master trilogy ( The Riddlemaster of Hed, Heir of Sea and Fire, and Harpist in the Wind ) is a wonderful epic fantasy bordering on true originality. These books are full of riddles and complex human characters. Morgon of Hed is a simple man, coming from an agricultural community, who likes riddles. Radearle is an independent woman seeking her destiny. Together they embark on a tale of adventure, mystery and fulfillment that doesn't end as readers would expect. Along the way we are treated to a story which requires thoughtful reflection after reading the books.
Ms. McKillip turned to science fiction for a time, but eventually returned to fantasy with The Sorceress and the Cygnet and The Cygnet and the Firebird. The author demonstrates her gift for evoking powerful images and stories with language in these books. Readers are presented with a mystical world of constellations that are gods, which mingle with quirky humans. These fantasy worlds are full of wonder and striking beauty.
She wrote a book based on Brian Froud's art work of fairies. In In Something Rich and Strange, two human characters deal with encounters from fairy folk of the sea. This book is illustrated with beautiful art work that inspires a quest story full of strong images of the ocean. A person feels like they are there. Though a hard book to find, it is a treasure to read.
Patricia McKillip has created fantasy worlds that readers will enjoy for many years to come. Every new book by her adds to the Fantasy genre stories of depth, emotion and wonder. Her lyrical forays into Fantasy should not be missed by lovers of the genre.
Other books by Patricia McKillip:
The Changeling Sea
The Book of Atrix Wolfe
Winter Rose
Song for the Basilisk
Riddle-Master- - The trilogy in one book.
Alphabet of Thorn
Solstice Wood
Ombria in Shadow
Od Magic
The Bells at Sealy Head
Bards of the Bone Plain
Friday, July 08, 2011
Review: _American Gods_ by Neil Gaiman
Shadow waits to get out of prison and be with his wife in a new life. Shortly before his release, he receives tragic news and goes home. On the airplane home he meets a mysterious man named Mr. Wednesday who draws him into a battle of the gods. Neil Gaiman’s beginning of his Fantasy novel American Gods draws readers into a mythic Contemporary Fantasy with a dark edge. The book has a lot to offer readers with its well developed characters, realistic setting and, intricate plot and theme.
Mr. Gaiman is a master in developing characters. The characters of this book are well developed and realistic. It begins with the main character Shadow in prison. He waited for his release, just wanting to go home to have a normal life with his wife. Events and encounters with gods change him as the book proceeds. Wednesday-Odin is a tricky, crusty old man trying to save his fellow gods from oblivion. Other gods are quirky or dangerous from various mythology backgrounds. The new gods such as the one of the Internet and Media fit their roles completely. Their lives are sad because they are forgotten, desperate to survive at any cost.
Set in the United States of today, the realistic setting gives the story an immediate feeling of suspense. Mr. Gaiman moves the story all over America to familiar places and rare strange ones. Traveling with Mr. Wednesday, Shadow visits new places touched by magic or strangeness. For example, Lakeside is a small town of the North Woods. It is a perfect place with no crime, but with a dark side. One child disappears every year to mar the perfection. The author’s descriptions of the setting are vivid and memorable, making it very familiar for readers and bringing the plot to the forefront.
Finally, the intricate plot and mythic themes gives the book a deeper meaning that touches something in ourselves. This is the tale of a broken mortal human caught up in a war of god Ãs. Shadow just wants his life back. He is at the mercy of Odin, a brutal desperate god. His sojourn throughout the land changes him. Mr. Gaiman blends the heroic myth with elements of horror expertly to produce a memorable affecting novel. The author makes the reader see a darker side to America which most people would not consider possible.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a brilliant mythic Contemporary Fantasy. Well developed characters, a realistic setting and, intricate plot and mythic theme makes this a memorable book that is hard to put down. The vivid descriptions and horror stay with you for a long time. This book is not so much read as experienced. It is no wonder. American Gods has won awards. It has won the 2001 Bram Stoker Award for Horror and the 2001 Locus Award for Best Fantasy novel. It is nominated for the 2002 Mythopoeic Award and others too. Do not miss this complex novel. It will leave you thinking about it for some time.
ALERT: American Gods has been picked up to be made into a TV series in the future. It will be interesting to see.
Mr. Gaiman is a master in developing characters. The characters of this book are well developed and realistic. It begins with the main character Shadow in prison. He waited for his release, just wanting to go home to have a normal life with his wife. Events and encounters with gods change him as the book proceeds. Wednesday-Odin is a tricky, crusty old man trying to save his fellow gods from oblivion. Other gods are quirky or dangerous from various mythology backgrounds. The new gods such as the one of the Internet and Media fit their roles completely. Their lives are sad because they are forgotten, desperate to survive at any cost.
Set in the United States of today, the realistic setting gives the story an immediate feeling of suspense. Mr. Gaiman moves the story all over America to familiar places and rare strange ones. Traveling with Mr. Wednesday, Shadow visits new places touched by magic or strangeness. For example, Lakeside is a small town of the North Woods. It is a perfect place with no crime, but with a dark side. One child disappears every year to mar the perfection. The author’s descriptions of the setting are vivid and memorable, making it very familiar for readers and bringing the plot to the forefront.
Finally, the intricate plot and mythic themes gives the book a deeper meaning that touches something in ourselves. This is the tale of a broken mortal human caught up in a war of god Ãs. Shadow just wants his life back. He is at the mercy of Odin, a brutal desperate god. His sojourn throughout the land changes him. Mr. Gaiman blends the heroic myth with elements of horror expertly to produce a memorable affecting novel. The author makes the reader see a darker side to America which most people would not consider possible.
American Gods by Neil Gaiman is a brilliant mythic Contemporary Fantasy. Well developed characters, a realistic setting and, intricate plot and mythic theme makes this a memorable book that is hard to put down. The vivid descriptions and horror stay with you for a long time. This book is not so much read as experienced. It is no wonder. American Gods has won awards. It has won the 2001 Bram Stoker Award for Horror and the 2001 Locus Award for Best Fantasy novel. It is nominated for the 2002 Mythopoeic Award and others too. Do not miss this complex novel. It will leave you thinking about it for some time.
ALERT: American Gods has been picked up to be made into a TV series in the future. It will be interesting to see.
Sunday, June 26, 2011
On Vacation
Sorry I didn't post an article on Friday, June 24, 2011. I'm on vacation out of town and don't have access to my laptop. There will be a new article on Friday, July 8,2011.
Best wishes,
Debbie
Best wishes,
Debbie
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Tamora Pierce
With the huge popularity of the Harry Potter, young adult Fantasy has exploded. More publishers are publishing books for the young adult reader, introducing new voices to the genre or exposing older authors to new audiences. Tamora Pierce in one such author. She writes entertaining books with strong characters and interesting plots. Adult readers can enjoy her many books also. Ms. Pierce sets most of her stories in her Fantasy world of Tortall.
Her first book series is the Song of the Lioness quartet. The books tell the story of adolescent Alanna and her quest to become a knight in a world that does not allow women warriors. Alanna: The First Adventure finds her traveling through the forest, dressed as a boy on her way to the castle to train for a knight. She encounters the Goddess who aids her with her destiny. The second book, In the Hand of the Goddess, continues Alanna’s story as she becomes squire of the young king. In the third book, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Al ¿anna spends time in a desert kingdom doing further growing and training three children in the use of their magic gifts. Alanna must save her nation from a war by going on a quest in the last book Lioness Rampant. She is a great character to follow through the four books.
Ms. Pierce’s next four book series is called The Immortals. This series follows the character of Daine. She is a girl with the wild magic talent to talk with animals and change her shape. The books follow Daine through several adventures as she grows and uses her powers to save her kingdom from threats to it. Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, The Emperor Mage and The Realm of the Gods are the books in this series.
The Circle of Magic books is a series of loosely connected stories of four young people with magic talent. They all go to a temple that trains each one in the use of their particular magic. Each book tells the story of the one ˇof the four characters as they grow and join together in friendship with their training. Magic Circle: Sandry’s Book covers the story of Sandry master of needlecraft and fabrics. Magic Circle: Tris’s Book tells the story of Tris who controls storms. Daja is a smith mage and her story appears in Magic Circle: Daja’s Book. The last book is Magic Circle: Briar’s Book, which follows the story of the thief Briar and his plant magic. These books are entertaining for young readers.
Keladry wants to be a knight. She takes advantage of the law allowing women to become warriors by entering training. The Protector of the Small series follows her through her training years. In the first book, First Test, Keladry must undergo a year’s probation and finds friends before entering training. In Page she spends time overcoming the grueling training by demanding teachers. Squire prepares her for the final test before becoming a knight while dealing with problems like bullies. Lady Knight has Keladry wanting a combat post, but put in charge of a refugee camp instead. The series is an entertaining story of a young girl’s dreams.
Favorite characters from a previous series return in the loosely connected Circle Opens series. Sandry must train a young boy with magic talent and they must save the city from a brutal killers in Magic Steps. Briar, the streetwise boy, returns in a new book trying to thwart an evil woman killing off the gangs in Street Magic, which has a lot of action. Cold Fire features the return of Daja as she settles in a northern city with her mentor for winter. There she encounters twins with magic talent and an arsonist burning the city. Shatterglass concludes the series with the story of Tris who must try to capture a serial killer. The book is mostly a mystery with interesting magic and strong characters.
Her most recent series focuses on the daughter of Alanna through her coming of age. Alianne wants to be a spy but her parents will not let her. Trickster’s Choice follows her as she is kidnapped and becomes a slave on far away islands. Trickster’s Queen returns to Alianne’s story as she helps the rebellion to end slavery. These books are filled with the author’s usual entertaining combination of a strong female character, interesting plot and vivid action centered on the theme of racism.
Tamora Pierce is the author of several young adult Fantasy books. She explores her created world of Tortall with young characters that have inner strength and various talents. Each of her series are coming-of-age tales set in different parts of her fantasy world. Adult readers will enjoy her books too. She is a good author to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter book. More information can be found on the author’s web site at: http://www.tamora-pierce.com
Her first book series is the Song of the Lioness quartet. The books tell the story of adolescent Alanna and her quest to become a knight in a world that does not allow women warriors. Alanna: The First Adventure finds her traveling through the forest, dressed as a boy on her way to the castle to train for a knight. She encounters the Goddess who aids her with her destiny. The second book, In the Hand of the Goddess, continues Alanna’s story as she becomes squire of the young king. In the third book, The Woman Who Rides Like a Man, Al ¿anna spends time in a desert kingdom doing further growing and training three children in the use of their magic gifts. Alanna must save her nation from a war by going on a quest in the last book Lioness Rampant. She is a great character to follow through the four books.
Ms. Pierce’s next four book series is called The Immortals. This series follows the character of Daine. She is a girl with the wild magic talent to talk with animals and change her shape. The books follow Daine through several adventures as she grows and uses her powers to save her kingdom from threats to it. Wild Magic, Wolf-Speaker, The Emperor Mage and The Realm of the Gods are the books in this series.
The Circle of Magic books is a series of loosely connected stories of four young people with magic talent. They all go to a temple that trains each one in the use of their particular magic. Each book tells the story of the one ˇof the four characters as they grow and join together in friendship with their training. Magic Circle: Sandry’s Book covers the story of Sandry master of needlecraft and fabrics. Magic Circle: Tris’s Book tells the story of Tris who controls storms. Daja is a smith mage and her story appears in Magic Circle: Daja’s Book. The last book is Magic Circle: Briar’s Book, which follows the story of the thief Briar and his plant magic. These books are entertaining for young readers.
Keladry wants to be a knight. She takes advantage of the law allowing women to become warriors by entering training. The Protector of the Small series follows her through her training years. In the first book, First Test, Keladry must undergo a year’s probation and finds friends before entering training. In Page she spends time overcoming the grueling training by demanding teachers. Squire prepares her for the final test before becoming a knight while dealing with problems like bullies. Lady Knight has Keladry wanting a combat post, but put in charge of a refugee camp instead. The series is an entertaining story of a young girl’s dreams.
Favorite characters from a previous series return in the loosely connected Circle Opens series. Sandry must train a young boy with magic talent and they must save the city from a brutal killers in Magic Steps. Briar, the streetwise boy, returns in a new book trying to thwart an evil woman killing off the gangs in Street Magic, which has a lot of action. Cold Fire features the return of Daja as she settles in a northern city with her mentor for winter. There she encounters twins with magic talent and an arsonist burning the city. Shatterglass concludes the series with the story of Tris who must try to capture a serial killer. The book is mostly a mystery with interesting magic and strong characters.
Her most recent series focuses on the daughter of Alanna through her coming of age. Alianne wants to be a spy but her parents will not let her. Trickster’s Choice follows her as she is kidnapped and becomes a slave on far away islands. Trickster’s Queen returns to Alianne’s story as she helps the rebellion to end slavery. These books are filled with the author’s usual entertaining combination of a strong female character, interesting plot and vivid action centered on the theme of racism.
Tamora Pierce is the author of several young adult Fantasy books. She explores her created world of Tortall with young characters that have inner strength and various talents. Each of her series are coming-of-age tales set in different parts of her fantasy world. Adult readers will enjoy her books too. She is a good author to read while waiting for the next Harry Potter book. More information can be found on the author’s web site at: http://www.tamora-pierce.com
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Review: _Highwayman_ by R.A. Salvatore
Like action? Want to read a good story? Readers will find this in the stand alone Fantasy novel The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore. A veteran author of the genre, Mr. Salvatore provides an entertaining book for readers. The book has an action plot, sympathetic characters and interesting setting.
The setting of the book is the world of Corona, the place for previous books of the author. In the land of Honce, there are several lairds ruling their respective holdings. Goblins and Powries, dwarves that kill people and dip their berets in the blood, prowl the land. Two religions vie for dominance in getting the peasants to believe in each of them. It is a place due for change. Far to the south is another country that has a different culture. Mr. Salvatore’s interesting setting helps create an interesting world for the characters to play out their stories.
Next, sympathetic characters draw the reader into the story. The main character is Bransen, a young boy born with severe handicaps. He is bullied and ostracized by the other villagers. Only Cadayle, a young woman he grew up with in the village, helps him and is friends with him. With his love for his foster father and Cadayle’s support, Bransen discovers ways of overcoming his handicaps to find justice for himself. Cadayle must overcome her troubles to find happiness too. Garibond is a loyal man that loves Bransen and protects him from the religious zealots. These characters are realistic due to the author’s talent for description that allows readers to identify with them.
Finally, Mr. Salvatore’s action plot brings it all together for an exciting read. The book starts with the tragic story of Bransen’s parents. Bran Dynard returns with his wife Sen Wei to his homeland, bringing new teachings to enlighten his religious colleagues of the church of Blessed Abelle. Bransen is born to be raised by Garibond. He finds himself caught between the struggles of two religions while a war rages through the land. Laird Prydae has trouble with a bandit called the Highwayman who is like Robin Hood, helping the people to survive the vicissitudes of war. All of the plot elements blend together to create a story with a lot of action. Mr. Salvatore is a master at describing battle scenes and sword fights.
The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore is an exciting stand alone Fantasy novel. An interesting setting, sympathetic characters and action plot blend together to create a very entertaining book to read. There is also a bonus Drizzt story for fans of that character. It is a good book by a talented author of Fantasy books with plenty of action.
The setting of the book is the world of Corona, the place for previous books of the author. In the land of Honce, there are several lairds ruling their respective holdings. Goblins and Powries, dwarves that kill people and dip their berets in the blood, prowl the land. Two religions vie for dominance in getting the peasants to believe in each of them. It is a place due for change. Far to the south is another country that has a different culture. Mr. Salvatore’s interesting setting helps create an interesting world for the characters to play out their stories.
Next, sympathetic characters draw the reader into the story. The main character is Bransen, a young boy born with severe handicaps. He is bullied and ostracized by the other villagers. Only Cadayle, a young woman he grew up with in the village, helps him and is friends with him. With his love for his foster father and Cadayle’s support, Bransen discovers ways of overcoming his handicaps to find justice for himself. Cadayle must overcome her troubles to find happiness too. Garibond is a loyal man that loves Bransen and protects him from the religious zealots. These characters are realistic due to the author’s talent for description that allows readers to identify with them.
Finally, Mr. Salvatore’s action plot brings it all together for an exciting read. The book starts with the tragic story of Bransen’s parents. Bran Dynard returns with his wife Sen Wei to his homeland, bringing new teachings to enlighten his religious colleagues of the church of Blessed Abelle. Bransen is born to be raised by Garibond. He finds himself caught between the struggles of two religions while a war rages through the land. Laird Prydae has trouble with a bandit called the Highwayman who is like Robin Hood, helping the people to survive the vicissitudes of war. All of the plot elements blend together to create a story with a lot of action. Mr. Salvatore is a master at describing battle scenes and sword fights.
The Highwayman by R.A. Salvatore is an exciting stand alone Fantasy novel. An interesting setting, sympathetic characters and action plot blend together to create a very entertaining book to read. There is also a bonus Drizzt story for fans of that character. It is a good book by a talented author of Fantasy books with plenty of action.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Commentary on Popular Fantasy
There are some voices grumbling about the Fantasy genre. They complain about how books are like junk food, plenty of calories, but not enough substance. These voices complain that commercial or popular Fantasy is ruining the genre. This is not true. Without the proliferation of popular Fantasy works, the genre would inhabit a minor niche in the world’s literature. Popular or commercial Fantasy is important to the genre because it brings new voices to the genre with different viewpoints, acts as a measure to judge the merits of books, and it brings in new readers to the genre.
The publishing of popular Fantasy books brings new voices with different viewpoints to the genre. It is always good to have different viewpoints from new people. Without fresh, new voices, the genre would stagnate. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings opened up the Fantasy genre to the publishing of many books. The genre grew from this to what it is today. On any given week there is at least one book on the Bestseller lists. Perhaps many books are just rehashes of ground covered by Tolkien, but readers can find something appealing in the latest Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, etc. Without books being published by new authors, there would not be any new voices to add their take on the genre. For example, readers would have missed the depth and characters of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. Or, they would not have discovered the exotically different story to be found in Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells. New voices need to be heard to keep the genre bright.
Additionally, popular Fantasy acts as a measure to judge the merits of books. Author Theodore Sturgeon’s law states: “That ninety percent of anything is crap.” By this rule, only ten percent of the books published are good and literary in quality. All of the books in Fantasy range from media tie-ins to role playing rehashes to books of excellent quality and literary merit. Books fall into every place along that range. The merits of every book gets judged along the way by readers, reviewers and academics. Judging the merits of books is hard, but are measurable by those books that remain in people’s minds and become timeless. Lord of the Rings is such a book along with many others. It is necessary to give books time to see if they develop into a classic. That takes a reading audience that finds a book worthwhile to read over again through many years.
Lastly, popular Fantasy brings in new readers to the genre. Any genre needs new readers to keep it viable and strong. When the audience ages or books dwindle in publishing, the readers find something else. Also, detractors of the commercialization of Fantasy complain of a lack of books with depth or literary qualities. These critics forget an important point: Readers in general are looking for entertainment. Most are not interested in books with messages or that aspire to literature. There are many books that should be read, but the quest for literary recognition can lead to elitism. The search for such prestige can cause a defection of readers that could ruin the genre.
Fantasy is a large genre with room for all kinds of books. Popular books might not be literary greats, but they keep the genre prominent by bringing in new authors, acts as a measure for books and brings new readers into the genre. Readers must have a choice of books to choose from for their tastes. Most of the time a reader wants something for entertainment only. Other times, a reader wants something with more depth and powerful themes. There is a necessity for both kinds of books. We can not become narrow minded about books for that leads to the ruin of a wonderful genre.
The publishing of popular Fantasy books brings new voices with different viewpoints to the genre. It is always good to have different viewpoints from new people. Without fresh, new voices, the genre would stagnate. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings opened up the Fantasy genre to the publishing of many books. The genre grew from this to what it is today. On any given week there is at least one book on the Bestseller lists. Perhaps many books are just rehashes of ground covered by Tolkien, but readers can find something appealing in the latest Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Mercedes Lackey, etc. Without books being published by new authors, there would not be any new voices to add their take on the genre. For example, readers would have missed the depth and characters of George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series. Or, they would not have discovered the exotically different story to be found in Wheel of the Infinite by Martha Wells. New voices need to be heard to keep the genre bright.
Additionally, popular Fantasy acts as a measure to judge the merits of books. Author Theodore Sturgeon’s law states: “That ninety percent of anything is crap.” By this rule, only ten percent of the books published are good and literary in quality. All of the books in Fantasy range from media tie-ins to role playing rehashes to books of excellent quality and literary merit. Books fall into every place along that range. The merits of every book gets judged along the way by readers, reviewers and academics. Judging the merits of books is hard, but are measurable by those books that remain in people’s minds and become timeless. Lord of the Rings is such a book along with many others. It is necessary to give books time to see if they develop into a classic. That takes a reading audience that finds a book worthwhile to read over again through many years.
Lastly, popular Fantasy brings in new readers to the genre. Any genre needs new readers to keep it viable and strong. When the audience ages or books dwindle in publishing, the readers find something else. Also, detractors of the commercialization of Fantasy complain of a lack of books with depth or literary qualities. These critics forget an important point: Readers in general are looking for entertainment. Most are not interested in books with messages or that aspire to literature. There are many books that should be read, but the quest for literary recognition can lead to elitism. The search for such prestige can cause a defection of readers that could ruin the genre.
Fantasy is a large genre with room for all kinds of books. Popular books might not be literary greats, but they keep the genre prominent by bringing in new authors, acts as a measure for books and brings new readers into the genre. Readers must have a choice of books to choose from for their tastes. Most of the time a reader wants something for entertainment only. Other times, a reader wants something with more depth and powerful themes. There is a necessity for both kinds of books. We can not become narrow minded about books for that leads to the ruin of a wonderful genre.
Friday, April 29, 2011
Review: _The Company of Glass_ by Valery Leith
Nine years have passed. The floating city of Jai Pendu comes close to Everien again. Tarquin the Free rides toward the citadel to warn the king of an invading army from Pharice. This is how The Company of Glass by Valery Leith begins the first book of the Everien trilogy. The author brings this different Epic Fantasy to life through its characters, setting and plot.
The book revolves around two main characters of different backgrounds. Tarquin is a jaded, tormented warrior once known as Quintar who blames himself for a failed quest eighteen years before that resulted in the loss of his Company of men. He tries to right a grave wrong from the past. Istar is the daughter of one of the lost company. She wants to prove her worth as a warrior and leader of men by going on a deadly quest. Quintar is a loner, running into different characters throughout the book but with few friends. Istar has the help of her companions Kassien, Pallo, Xiriel and Pentar who aid her through her growth. Ms. Leith crates memor ˇable characters through action and dialogue.
Next, the setting of the book helps to give it suspense. Everien is a land consisting of mountains and a high plateau. The people are made up of separate clans devoted to totemic animals such as bear, wolf, deer and others. Each clan has its own fighting style with their own weapons. Ancient ruins from the vanished Everien civilization are everywhere, giving the clans knowledge to explore. Pharice is a decadent empire bordering on Everien. This leads to trouble with other creatures. The author brings the setting to life with vivid descriptions that enhance the suspense of the book.
Ultimately, the plot of the book makes it an exciting read. The clans have been threatened for years by a species called the Sekk. These creatures enslave clan warriors making them slay their people in berserk massacres. A woman clan warrior unites them and becomes the queen. She seeks out the technology from the vanished Everien race to protect the clans from the Sekk. Her quest to J 8ai Pendu gained her entry to the ancient citadel of Jai Khalar. Nine years later she sends Quintar and his company to Jai Pendu, which gave them access to the Eyes to protect the land. Unfortunately that quest ended tragically with the mysterious loss of the Company except Quintar. Jai Pendu returns again. Istar wants to take her companions there to get new technology because the Eyes are failing. Quintar is drawn in again on a wild journey of redemption. All the elements of this plot are deftly put together by Ms. Leith providing a suspenseful, graphic adventure.
The Company of Glass by Valery Leith is a grand start to a different type of Epic Fantasy trilogy. Ms. Leith creates an exciting novel through her characters, setting and plot. This book is different because the characters do not win easily and the quest for Jai Pendu causes a lot of suffering. Interesting images remain with readers such as Jai Khalar’s shifting rooms and characters having to find a new route to places within the citadel. The book is an unforgettable beginning to be followed by The Riddled Night.
The book revolves around two main characters of different backgrounds. Tarquin is a jaded, tormented warrior once known as Quintar who blames himself for a failed quest eighteen years before that resulted in the loss of his Company of men. He tries to right a grave wrong from the past. Istar is the daughter of one of the lost company. She wants to prove her worth as a warrior and leader of men by going on a deadly quest. Quintar is a loner, running into different characters throughout the book but with few friends. Istar has the help of her companions Kassien, Pallo, Xiriel and Pentar who aid her through her growth. Ms. Leith crates memor ˇable characters through action and dialogue.
Next, the setting of the book helps to give it suspense. Everien is a land consisting of mountains and a high plateau. The people are made up of separate clans devoted to totemic animals such as bear, wolf, deer and others. Each clan has its own fighting style with their own weapons. Ancient ruins from the vanished Everien civilization are everywhere, giving the clans knowledge to explore. Pharice is a decadent empire bordering on Everien. This leads to trouble with other creatures. The author brings the setting to life with vivid descriptions that enhance the suspense of the book.
Ultimately, the plot of the book makes it an exciting read. The clans have been threatened for years by a species called the Sekk. These creatures enslave clan warriors making them slay their people in berserk massacres. A woman clan warrior unites them and becomes the queen. She seeks out the technology from the vanished Everien race to protect the clans from the Sekk. Her quest to J 8ai Pendu gained her entry to the ancient citadel of Jai Khalar. Nine years later she sends Quintar and his company to Jai Pendu, which gave them access to the Eyes to protect the land. Unfortunately that quest ended tragically with the mysterious loss of the Company except Quintar. Jai Pendu returns again. Istar wants to take her companions there to get new technology because the Eyes are failing. Quintar is drawn in again on a wild journey of redemption. All the elements of this plot are deftly put together by Ms. Leith providing a suspenseful, graphic adventure.
The Company of Glass by Valery Leith is a grand start to a different type of Epic Fantasy trilogy. Ms. Leith creates an exciting novel through her characters, setting and plot. This book is different because the characters do not win easily and the quest for Jai Pendu causes a lot of suffering. Interesting images remain with readers such as Jai Khalar’s shifting rooms and characters having to find a new route to places within the citadel. The book is an unforgettable beginning to be followed by The Riddled Night.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
Book Review: _Dragoncharm_ by Graham Edwards
Fantasy authors create many imaginative worlds to set their stories in. They add different types of creatures to their worlds to convey their plots and themes in a place far distant from our reality. Dragoncharm by Graham Edwards is such a book. It combines elements of Epic Fantasy and Animal Fantasy to produce an entertaining book.
The book opens in a world of dragons. There are no humans or any other types of intelligent beings on this world. Two types of dragon inhabit the world; the Charmed dragons who possess magic and the Naturals, large fierce dragons with no magic. Their world is on the brink of destruction, giving the main characters a quest to accomplish.
Fortune is the main character. He is a young Natural dragon frightened by events occurring among his fellow dragons. There is a growing madness in the naturals. They want to destroy the Charmed ones living in the caves out of fear of the Charmed's magic. Fortune meets the Charmed dragon Cumber and they watch as their settlement is destroyed. Cumber and Fortune flee toward the large dragon city of Covamere.
Though dragons, all of the characters are given realistic traits by Mr. Edwards. Fortune is a brave, innocent hero. His love, Gossamer, is a loyal, courageous female with great strength. Wood loves his father, but realizes his mistakes. Cumber discovers that magic isn’t as important as friendship. The insane Charmed black dragon Wraith and mad Natural dragon Shatter are excellent villains. These wonderful characters bring the story to life.
The characters and plot help the themes to give the book a lot of adventure and action. With the world on the edge of destruction, the dragons must overcome great obstacles to save it. Wraith is in a struggle with the old leader of the Charmed dragons for supremacy. The Natural dragons are at war with the Charmed. Madness has destroyed most of the dragons. Winter is closing in on the end. Through all the book runs the themes of good versus evil, change, innocence and love. Edwards weaves these themes into a powerful story.
Dragoncharm by Graham Edwards is a good Fantasy book about dragons. The author creates an imaginative world inhabited only by dragons out to save their world. Plot, characters and themes combine to provide readers with a powerful story full of adventure and heroes. This book is the beginning of a trilogy. The other books are: Dragonflame and Dragonstorm
The book opens in a world of dragons. There are no humans or any other types of intelligent beings on this world. Two types of dragon inhabit the world; the Charmed dragons who possess magic and the Naturals, large fierce dragons with no magic. Their world is on the brink of destruction, giving the main characters a quest to accomplish.
Fortune is the main character. He is a young Natural dragon frightened by events occurring among his fellow dragons. There is a growing madness in the naturals. They want to destroy the Charmed ones living in the caves out of fear of the Charmed's magic. Fortune meets the Charmed dragon Cumber and they watch as their settlement is destroyed. Cumber and Fortune flee toward the large dragon city of Covamere.
Though dragons, all of the characters are given realistic traits by Mr. Edwards. Fortune is a brave, innocent hero. His love, Gossamer, is a loyal, courageous female with great strength. Wood loves his father, but realizes his mistakes. Cumber discovers that magic isn’t as important as friendship. The insane Charmed black dragon Wraith and mad Natural dragon Shatter are excellent villains. These wonderful characters bring the story to life.
The characters and plot help the themes to give the book a lot of adventure and action. With the world on the edge of destruction, the dragons must overcome great obstacles to save it. Wraith is in a struggle with the old leader of the Charmed dragons for supremacy. The Natural dragons are at war with the Charmed. Madness has destroyed most of the dragons. Winter is closing in on the end. Through all the book runs the themes of good versus evil, change, innocence and love. Edwards weaves these themes into a powerful story.
Dragoncharm by Graham Edwards is a good Fantasy book about dragons. The author creates an imaginative world inhabited only by dragons out to save their world. Plot, characters and themes combine to provide readers with a powerful story full of adventure and heroes. This book is the beginning of a trilogy. The other books are: Dragonflame and Dragonstorm
Saturday, April 02, 2011
Book Review: _The Hallowed Isle_ by Diana L. Paxson
The King Arthur legend is ingrained in our imagination. In every generation some author writes an Arthurian novel, adding new perspectives to the story. Fantasy author Diana L. Paxson recently added her contribution with The Hallowed Isle. Consisting of four books, Paxson wrote a Historical Fantasy about King Arthur. She blended historical material with the legend to creat a story filled with realistic characters, a vivid setting and strong themes.
The first book, The Book of the Sword, starts the story before King Arthur's birth. It sets the stage for the birth of Arthur by telling the story of Merlin. The priestesses of the goddess guard an ancient sword of power. Artoria Argantel, the high priestess, leaves to marry Amlodius to fulfill a prophecy. Her sister is kidnapped by a wild man and after being rescued bears Merlin. He grows up, learns magic and later helps Uthir conceive Arthur. Paxson incorporates the historical details of a Britain after the Roman Empire abandoned it, giving the book a grim reality.
The Book of the Spear revolves around Artor's early years of reign and dealing with the Saxons. Oesc is the grandson of Hengest. He joins his father in Britain. Years after his father's death he becomes a prisoner of Artor. During those years, Oesc's enmity turns to friendship. Eventually he returns to his people and finds his destiny. Throughout this book the reader sees the growth of Artor into kingship. The second book adds new aspects of historical Britain and a growth in the characters. This sets up the third book.
Artor's life and his marriage to Guendivar is the focus of The Book of the Cauldron. Told from the point of view of Guendivar and other women, this book tells the story going on among the women in Artor's life. They strive to protect or possess the mystic cauldron of the pagan goddess, a powerful artefact of healing and magic. Guendivar is a woman gifted with power, but untrained in its use. She is uncertain about being a queen. Morgause, Artor's sister, causes problems with the marriage in her ambition for power. She wants the cauldron to give her even greater power. This book adds an interesting touch to the legend of the Holy Grail and has a conclusion that neatly sets up the last book.
The Book of the Stone concludes the series with the final chapter is Artor's life. Medraut, Artor's son from Morgause, joins his father after his mother joins the priestesses on the Isle of Maidens. Artor has a dream to bring peace to Britannia, so he takes his army to help the Britons settled in Brittany. While he's gone, Medraut seizes power and Qyeen Guendivar. The book proceeds to a satisfying conclusion of this Arthurian tale.
The four books of The Hallowed Isle adds a realistic, mystical story to the Arthurian legend. Diana Paxson created a Historical Fantasy of vivid images, memorable characters and strong themes. The fantasy elements add a special touch to the historical period. One day this series might become a classic in Arthurian literature.
The first book, The Book of the Sword, starts the story before King Arthur's birth. It sets the stage for the birth of Arthur by telling the story of Merlin. The priestesses of the goddess guard an ancient sword of power. Artoria Argantel, the high priestess, leaves to marry Amlodius to fulfill a prophecy. Her sister is kidnapped by a wild man and after being rescued bears Merlin. He grows up, learns magic and later helps Uthir conceive Arthur. Paxson incorporates the historical details of a Britain after the Roman Empire abandoned it, giving the book a grim reality.
The Book of the Spear revolves around Artor's early years of reign and dealing with the Saxons. Oesc is the grandson of Hengest. He joins his father in Britain. Years after his father's death he becomes a prisoner of Artor. During those years, Oesc's enmity turns to friendship. Eventually he returns to his people and finds his destiny. Throughout this book the reader sees the growth of Artor into kingship. The second book adds new aspects of historical Britain and a growth in the characters. This sets up the third book.
Artor's life and his marriage to Guendivar is the focus of The Book of the Cauldron. Told from the point of view of Guendivar and other women, this book tells the story going on among the women in Artor's life. They strive to protect or possess the mystic cauldron of the pagan goddess, a powerful artefact of healing and magic. Guendivar is a woman gifted with power, but untrained in its use. She is uncertain about being a queen. Morgause, Artor's sister, causes problems with the marriage in her ambition for power. She wants the cauldron to give her even greater power. This book adds an interesting touch to the legend of the Holy Grail and has a conclusion that neatly sets up the last book.
The Book of the Stone concludes the series with the final chapter is Artor's life. Medraut, Artor's son from Morgause, joins his father after his mother joins the priestesses on the Isle of Maidens. Artor has a dream to bring peace to Britannia, so he takes his army to help the Britons settled in Brittany. While he's gone, Medraut seizes power and Qyeen Guendivar. The book proceeds to a satisfying conclusion of this Arthurian tale.
The four books of The Hallowed Isle adds a realistic, mystical story to the Arthurian legend. Diana Paxson created a Historical Fantasy of vivid images, memorable characters and strong themes. The fantasy elements add a special touch to the historical period. One day this series might become a classic in Arthurian literature.
Saturday, March 19, 2011
Michelle West
Fantasy authors create imaginative worlds and populate them with interesting characters. Readers flock to these worlds in great numbers to get away from reality for a short time. One Fantasy author that creates intriguing worlds and cultures is Michelle Sagara West. She brings her works to life with vivid, detailed prose that captures the imagination. Her books have strong themes and not everything is black and white. The books and stories are entertaining, but leave you thinking.
Ms. West wrote her first Fantasy series as Michelle Sagara. The series of The Sundered starts with Into the Darklands. This tells of the battle between the forces of the Bright Heart and the Dark Heart. Erin is a warrior of the Bright Heart and Sarillon or battle leader of the army. She is defeated and captured by Stefanos of the Dark Heart. Renamed Sara, she carries on a strange romance with him. By the end of the book, Stefanos places her in an enchanted sleep. Children of the Blood picks up many years later. Sara awakens from her sleep. She and a boy, Darin, are the only ones left with the powers of Light. They must try to survive in Stefanos’s empire. The third book Lady of Mercy shifts its focus to other characters. Sara and Darin meet a rogue and another man who might have magic that is not of the Light or Dark. Chains of Darkness, Chains of Light brings the series to a conclusion when Sara and King Renar must venture into the Dark Empire to save the last source of the Light.
Her next series is the duology of The Sacred Hunt written as Michelle West. This takes place in a different world. In one kingdom there lives the Hunter Lords. Each Hunter Lord has a companion that follows him. The Hunter Lords and their Huntbrothers must submit themselves once a year to be hunted by the Hunter god. One pair is always sacrificed. Hunter’s Oath is the story of street orphan Stephen who becomes a Huntbrother to Ghilliam of Elseth. Ms. West further deepens the story and adds a new culture in the second book Hunter’s Death. Stephen and Ghilliam must risk breaking their oath when they travel to another city. They face a battle with the evil god Allasakar. The book is full of interesting characters and conflicts with various gods. A lot of court intrigue adds to the story.
Ms. West’s recent series is the Sun Sword. These books focus on the culture and some of the characters from her last book. The Broken Crown takes place fifteen years later and introduces Diora. She possesses the forbidden magical talent of influencing people with her voice. This sets into motion events which might free Allasakar. In the next book, The Uncrowned King, we get the story of Valedan of the Dominion and his struggle against the evil god. Jewel of House Terafin returns in The Shining Courts where she and Avander must face Allasakar too. The latest book, Sea of Sorrows, brings all the characters together from the previous books. They must embark on a quest to find help in the battle against Allasakar that keeps building. All the books contain detailed images and imaginative plots. There should be one more to complete the series.
From the beginning, Michelle Sagara West has been an entertaining author to read. She writes books of involving plots. likable characters and powerful themes with considerable talent. Her works have become increasingly complex and vivid with each new book. Ms. West’s Fantasy worlds are wonderful. Readers will continue to watch her grow for years to come.
Ms. West wrote her first Fantasy series as Michelle Sagara. The series of The Sundered starts with Into the Darklands. This tells of the battle between the forces of the Bright Heart and the Dark Heart. Erin is a warrior of the Bright Heart and Sarillon or battle leader of the army. She is defeated and captured by Stefanos of the Dark Heart. Renamed Sara, she carries on a strange romance with him. By the end of the book, Stefanos places her in an enchanted sleep. Children of the Blood picks up many years later. Sara awakens from her sleep. She and a boy, Darin, are the only ones left with the powers of Light. They must try to survive in Stefanos’s empire. The third book Lady of Mercy shifts its focus to other characters. Sara and Darin meet a rogue and another man who might have magic that is not of the Light or Dark. Chains of Darkness, Chains of Light brings the series to a conclusion when Sara and King Renar must venture into the Dark Empire to save the last source of the Light.
Her next series is the duology of The Sacred Hunt written as Michelle West. This takes place in a different world. In one kingdom there lives the Hunter Lords. Each Hunter Lord has a companion that follows him. The Hunter Lords and their Huntbrothers must submit themselves once a year to be hunted by the Hunter god. One pair is always sacrificed. Hunter’s Oath is the story of street orphan Stephen who becomes a Huntbrother to Ghilliam of Elseth. Ms. West further deepens the story and adds a new culture in the second book Hunter’s Death. Stephen and Ghilliam must risk breaking their oath when they travel to another city. They face a battle with the evil god Allasakar. The book is full of interesting characters and conflicts with various gods. A lot of court intrigue adds to the story.
Ms. West’s recent series is the Sun Sword. These books focus on the culture and some of the characters from her last book. The Broken Crown takes place fifteen years later and introduces Diora. She possesses the forbidden magical talent of influencing people with her voice. This sets into motion events which might free Allasakar. In the next book, The Uncrowned King, we get the story of Valedan of the Dominion and his struggle against the evil god. Jewel of House Terafin returns in The Shining Courts where she and Avander must face Allasakar too. The latest book, Sea of Sorrows, brings all the characters together from the previous books. They must embark on a quest to find help in the battle against Allasakar that keeps building. All the books contain detailed images and imaginative plots. There should be one more to complete the series.
From the beginning, Michelle Sagara West has been an entertaining author to read. She writes books of involving plots. likable characters and powerful themes with considerable talent. Her works have become increasingly complex and vivid with each new book. Ms. West’s Fantasy worlds are wonderful. Readers will continue to watch her grow for years to come.
Saturday, March 05, 2011
Review: _Owlflight_ by Mercedes Lackey
Valdemar is one of the most popular worlds of the Fantasy genre. Author Mercedes Lackey has written many novels set in this world of her creation. Many novels have centered around the Heralds and their magical Companions. Owlflight is the first book of a trilogy that focuses on different cultures of Valdemar through the eyes of new characters. This book is entertaining because of its sympathetic characters, suspenseful plot and a vivid setting.
Ms. Lackey has a talent for creating interesting characters. The characters in this book are very sympathetic, making them likable. Darian is an orphaned teenager living in the village of Errold’s Grove. He is rebellious because the villagers treat him like an outcast. Apprenticed to the old mage Justyn, Darian must grow through his pain. Help comes from a young Hawkbrother named Snowfire who befriends Darian. Several other characters such as the griffin Kelvrin and others round out a group that keeps readers interested in the plot. The author has interesting nonhuman characters as well with the deer-like dyheli and intelligent lizards called the hertasi.
The suspenseful plot begins with an attack by Northern barbarians on the village. Young Darian flees into the forest followed by some of the raiders. Snowfire saves him and brings Darian to his camp. While Darian slowly makes friends, the small contingent of Hawkbrothers must decide how to save the villagers. The barbarians have a powerful mage working for them while the Hawkbrothers have little access to magic because of the Mage Storms. In the end, it comes down to Darian making important decisions to save his people. Plot elements are woven by the author into - the story of a troubled young boy to create a plot that keeps readers turning pages.
Finally, Ms. Lackey’s vivid setting brings the story to life with realistic descriptions. The forest world of the Hawkbrothers is fascinating with their culture. They have large hawks, owls, falcons and other birds that bond with them. A reader can imagine the great forest trees surrounding them like Darian. Descriptions of the village and the Hawkbrother camp are detailed, making the story more suspenseful with them.
Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey is another entertaining addition to the Fantasy world of Valdemar. Sympathetic characters, a suspenseful plot, and a vivid setting hooks the reader into the interesting story of Darian as he comes of age. This book is a good beginning to another trilogy of Valdemar.
Ms. Lackey has a talent for creating interesting characters. The characters in this book are very sympathetic, making them likable. Darian is an orphaned teenager living in the village of Errold’s Grove. He is rebellious because the villagers treat him like an outcast. Apprenticed to the old mage Justyn, Darian must grow through his pain. Help comes from a young Hawkbrother named Snowfire who befriends Darian. Several other characters such as the griffin Kelvrin and others round out a group that keeps readers interested in the plot. The author has interesting nonhuman characters as well with the deer-like dyheli and intelligent lizards called the hertasi.
The suspenseful plot begins with an attack by Northern barbarians on the village. Young Darian flees into the forest followed by some of the raiders. Snowfire saves him and brings Darian to his camp. While Darian slowly makes friends, the small contingent of Hawkbrothers must decide how to save the villagers. The barbarians have a powerful mage working for them while the Hawkbrothers have little access to magic because of the Mage Storms. In the end, it comes down to Darian making important decisions to save his people. Plot elements are woven by the author into - the story of a troubled young boy to create a plot that keeps readers turning pages.
Finally, Ms. Lackey’s vivid setting brings the story to life with realistic descriptions. The forest world of the Hawkbrothers is fascinating with their culture. They have large hawks, owls, falcons and other birds that bond with them. A reader can imagine the great forest trees surrounding them like Darian. Descriptions of the village and the Hawkbrother camp are detailed, making the story more suspenseful with them.
Owlflight by Mercedes Lackey is another entertaining addition to the Fantasy world of Valdemar. Sympathetic characters, a suspenseful plot, and a vivid setting hooks the reader into the interesting story of Darian as he comes of age. This book is a good beginning to another trilogy of Valdemar.
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Review: _The Dark Glory Wary_ by Michael Stackpole
Becoming an adult in the modern world is easy by turning eighteen. There are no ceremonies to the process. In the fantasy realm of Oriosa, young people are given a moon mask and must pass a month of initiation into adulthood. Four young men face this in The Dark Glory War by Michael Stackpole, which changes their lives forever. Readers will find this book suspenseful from the characters, plot and themes.
The characters in the book help create suspense due to likability. Told in the first person point of view, readers are introduced to the main character of Tarrant Hawkins. He is a young man undergoing his month to adulthood. Tarrant is a loyal friend and level headed person that undergoes severe trials that change him. His closest friend is Leigh, the son of a noble. Leigh is flamboyant and brave, tempered by Tarrant’s friendship. A third friend is Nay, the calm, steady smith with quiet strength. Mr. Stackpole brings these characters to life in a timely fashion that gets readers to sympathize with them, which creates suspense through their experiences.
Next, the author creates a strong action plot full of suspense. Tarrant and his friends are taken out of the city for an initial trial. They end up in a fight for survival with a dangerous monster. This experience propels them into adulthood quickly by being included in a trip to the capital city to warn the queen of the monsters. On their journey they fight a desperate battle in the ruins of an ancient city where Tarrant meets the elf Resolute. From there, the young men find themselves quickly becoming warriors in the war against the evil empress Chytrine of Aurolan as she invades the realms of the south. The author weaves an engaging plot through tight, vivid descriptions that keeps readers turning pages.
Finally, the themes of the book create suspense because readers can relate to them. The characters must face their coming-of-age. In their society, they where masks at different stages of life. Every experience adds to the mask. Each character faces events that change them. Loyalty is another theme of the book. Tarrant, Leigh and Nay remain loyal to each other despite strains on their close friendships. Mr. Stackpole weaves these themes subtly into the book through the vivid incidents and characters’ reactions, which makes it have more tension.
The Dark Glory War by Michael Stackpole is an action packed novel full of suspense. Characters, plot and themes make the book suspenseful and ultimately entertaining. Mr. Stackpole is an excellent Fantasy author that uses his experiences to create books that keep readers hooked until the end. This book is a prequel to the Dragoncrown trilogy, which continues the story of some of the characters begun here.
The characters in the book help create suspense due to likability. Told in the first person point of view, readers are introduced to the main character of Tarrant Hawkins. He is a young man undergoing his month to adulthood. Tarrant is a loyal friend and level headed person that undergoes severe trials that change him. His closest friend is Leigh, the son of a noble. Leigh is flamboyant and brave, tempered by Tarrant’s friendship. A third friend is Nay, the calm, steady smith with quiet strength. Mr. Stackpole brings these characters to life in a timely fashion that gets readers to sympathize with them, which creates suspense through their experiences.
Next, the author creates a strong action plot full of suspense. Tarrant and his friends are taken out of the city for an initial trial. They end up in a fight for survival with a dangerous monster. This experience propels them into adulthood quickly by being included in a trip to the capital city to warn the queen of the monsters. On their journey they fight a desperate battle in the ruins of an ancient city where Tarrant meets the elf Resolute. From there, the young men find themselves quickly becoming warriors in the war against the evil empress Chytrine of Aurolan as she invades the realms of the south. The author weaves an engaging plot through tight, vivid descriptions that keeps readers turning pages.
Finally, the themes of the book create suspense because readers can relate to them. The characters must face their coming-of-age. In their society, they where masks at different stages of life. Every experience adds to the mask. Each character faces events that change them. Loyalty is another theme of the book. Tarrant, Leigh and Nay remain loyal to each other despite strains on their close friendships. Mr. Stackpole weaves these themes subtly into the book through the vivid incidents and characters’ reactions, which makes it have more tension.
The Dark Glory War by Michael Stackpole is an action packed novel full of suspense. Characters, plot and themes make the book suspenseful and ultimately entertaining. Mr. Stackpole is an excellent Fantasy author that uses his experiences to create books that keep readers hooked until the end. This book is a prequel to the Dragoncrown trilogy, which continues the story of some of the characters begun here.
Friday, February 04, 2011
Book Review: _The Winter Rose_ by Patricia McKillip
A young woman runs wild through the woods and stops to sit by a hidden well overgrown with roses. One fine summer day as she sits by the well, she sees a strange young man step out of the sunlight. He looks otherworldly. His arrival begins events that will change lives. The Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip is a beautifully written fairy tale Fantasy of mysteries, change and winter. Memorable characters, a vivid setting and mystery plot makes the book on entertaining story of wonder.
Memorable characters gives readers focus points and interesting people to stay with the book until the end. Rois is the youngest sister of two with a caring father who is a farmer. She spends most of her time wandering the forest barefoot, exploring and collecting medicinal plants. Her family gets exasperated with her wild ways. Gifted with a strange magic, Rois can see things which drives her restless spirit, especially in winter. Laurel is the older sister, practical and engaged to be married. She is the foundation of her family that keeps them balanced. These two sisters encounter Corbet Lynn who affects their lives in different ways. He arrives in the village with a troubled past linked to an old mystery. The author makes these characters believable and sympathetic with her descriptive talent.
Next, Ms. McKillip creates a vivid setting for her story that gives it a strong sense of wonder. This book is set in a quiet farming village near a secretive forest. The forest has many secret places like the hidden well surrounded by roses, which leaves a strong image for readers. Also, the two rooms of Lynn Hall with its things like the magical tapestry seems real. Changing seasons play an important role in the setting too. The story begins in spring, but it is the images of winter that leaves a stronger impression. With added descriptions of the fairy other world, the setting brings the book to life.
Finally, the mystery plot blended with fantasy elements keeps the reader anxiously reading. Rois sees Corbet some out of sunlight one day by the well. She is uncertain about what she saw. Corbet’s appearance brings up the old mystery of his grandfather and the curse upon his family to the villagers. This creates a lot of speculation and sets the whole tale in motion. Rois is attracted to Corbet and becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of his life. Laurel falls in love with Corbet even though she is engaged and pines away for him. All these events dovetail neatly into a satisfying climax with the author’s subtly vivid descriptions.
To conclude, The Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip is a wonderful fairy tale Fantasy that is very thoughtful and full of wonder. The memorable characters, vivid setting and mystery plot makes the book an entertaining read that stays with the reader. Ms. McKillip is an excellent Fantasy author of many thought provoking, descriptive works. Most readers will not be disappointed with this or any other of her books.
Memorable characters gives readers focus points and interesting people to stay with the book until the end. Rois is the youngest sister of two with a caring father who is a farmer. She spends most of her time wandering the forest barefoot, exploring and collecting medicinal plants. Her family gets exasperated with her wild ways. Gifted with a strange magic, Rois can see things which drives her restless spirit, especially in winter. Laurel is the older sister, practical and engaged to be married. She is the foundation of her family that keeps them balanced. These two sisters encounter Corbet Lynn who affects their lives in different ways. He arrives in the village with a troubled past linked to an old mystery. The author makes these characters believable and sympathetic with her descriptive talent.
Next, Ms. McKillip creates a vivid setting for her story that gives it a strong sense of wonder. This book is set in a quiet farming village near a secretive forest. The forest has many secret places like the hidden well surrounded by roses, which leaves a strong image for readers. Also, the two rooms of Lynn Hall with its things like the magical tapestry seems real. Changing seasons play an important role in the setting too. The story begins in spring, but it is the images of winter that leaves a stronger impression. With added descriptions of the fairy other world, the setting brings the book to life.
Finally, the mystery plot blended with fantasy elements keeps the reader anxiously reading. Rois sees Corbet some out of sunlight one day by the well. She is uncertain about what she saw. Corbet’s appearance brings up the old mystery of his grandfather and the curse upon his family to the villagers. This creates a lot of speculation and sets the whole tale in motion. Rois is attracted to Corbet and becomes obsessed with solving the mystery of his life. Laurel falls in love with Corbet even though she is engaged and pines away for him. All these events dovetail neatly into a satisfying climax with the author’s subtly vivid descriptions.
To conclude, The Winter Rose by Patricia McKillip is a wonderful fairy tale Fantasy that is very thoughtful and full of wonder. The memorable characters, vivid setting and mystery plot makes the book an entertaining read that stays with the reader. Ms. McKillip is an excellent Fantasy author of many thought provoking, descriptive works. Most readers will not be disappointed with this or any other of her books.
Sunday, January 23, 2011
_A Cavern of Black Ice_ by J.V. Jones
I apologize for the lateness of this entry. Friday sneaked up and passed me before I realized it. Sorry. On to the entry.
A Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones is the first book of a new fantasy trilogy called "Sword of Shadows." The author's writing is impressive about a fantasy world with dark edges and deep themes. The book is full of interesting characters, a good plot and different magic system.
Characters in the book are well-developed with powerful conflicts. Raif Severance belongs to a clan of people in the North. He is horrified by a terrible event his clan commits, leaving him an outcast from clan and family. Asharia (Ash) is a foundling orphan frightened by physical changes of her body and the motives of her foster father. She struggles to be free of him and her awakening power. The villains in this book have motivations for their evil and are not cardboard characters.
The realistic characters help a good plot move along quickly. It starts out in the far North with the men of the Blackhail Clan on a hunt. Raif Severance and his brother are off fooling around. When they return to the camp, they find their father and everyone else dead. On returning to the clan hold, they discover another member survived the attack. Raif doesn't trust or like this clan member. Things move from there. Ashe's story is told separately until she teams up with Raif and his uncle.
Ms. Jones has created an intriguing magic system for this book. Magic has a price to the user, often embarassing and weakening. People can fight against the magic if they know what is happening to them. Ash is the inheritor of the even stranger magic of being a Reach. Another group of people, the Sul, have their own magic that I hope will be explored in the next book.
A Cavern of Black Ice is not to be missed. Many plot ends are left open to intrigue the reader waiting for the next book. Hopefully the author will explore some other cultures like the Sul in the forthcoming books. If you like serious fantasy with a dark edge, read this book. You won't be disappointed.
A Cavern of Black Ice by J.V. Jones is the first book of a new fantasy trilogy called "Sword of Shadows." The author's writing is impressive about a fantasy world with dark edges and deep themes. The book is full of interesting characters, a good plot and different magic system.
Characters in the book are well-developed with powerful conflicts. Raif Severance belongs to a clan of people in the North. He is horrified by a terrible event his clan commits, leaving him an outcast from clan and family. Asharia (Ash) is a foundling orphan frightened by physical changes of her body and the motives of her foster father. She struggles to be free of him and her awakening power. The villains in this book have motivations for their evil and are not cardboard characters.
The realistic characters help a good plot move along quickly. It starts out in the far North with the men of the Blackhail Clan on a hunt. Raif Severance and his brother are off fooling around. When they return to the camp, they find their father and everyone else dead. On returning to the clan hold, they discover another member survived the attack. Raif doesn't trust or like this clan member. Things move from there. Ashe's story is told separately until she teams up with Raif and his uncle.
Ms. Jones has created an intriguing magic system for this book. Magic has a price to the user, often embarassing and weakening. People can fight against the magic if they know what is happening to them. Ash is the inheritor of the even stranger magic of being a Reach. Another group of people, the Sul, have their own magic that I hope will be explored in the next book.
A Cavern of Black Ice is not to be missed. Many plot ends are left open to intrigue the reader waiting for the next book. Hopefully the author will explore some other cultures like the Sul in the forthcoming books. If you like serious fantasy with a dark edge, read this book. You won't be disappointed.
Friday, January 07, 2011
Review: _Quatrain_ by Sharon Shinn
Sharon Shinn is an author who has written may books. She writes fantasy and some science fiction, mixing the genres is some of her stories. She has created interesting worlds with memorable characters. Her book Quatrain contains four long stories set in four of her popular worlds.
“Flight” occurs in her world where angels interact with humans. Women are attracted to the angels and want to have one as a lover. Salome, the main character, is an ex-angel seeker. She lives quietly on a farm with her niece determined to keep her away from angels because she doesn’t want her niece’s life to be ruined. Part of Salome’s attitude is driven by betrayal of angels she once knew and loved. The story comes to a satisfying ending due to the interesting characters.
In “Blood,” Kerk is a gulden (golden skin color) man who moves to the city. He wishes to find his mother and sister after seventeen years of separation. The gulden culture possesses a strong oppression of women and their rights. Jalci, an indigo (blue skin color) woman, strikes up a friendship with him while helping him with his search. Such relationships are not heard of between the two cultures. The story has an interesting conflict of characters that leads to a satisfying conclusion.
Next, “Gold” is set in the world of Castle Auburn. Princess Zara is sent away to Alora for safety since the kingdom is under attack from a rival army. Alora is a forest kingdom of a magical race that lives on the fruits provided by nature. The Alorans have a pleasurable magical affect on humans when they touch them. Few humans want to leave the kingdom once they experience this affect. Zara must struggle against the lure of Alora and her desire to return to her family. This is an entertaining story about love and responsibility.
Finally, “Flame’ is the story of the fire mystic Senneth. Mystics are feared by the members of the normal population because of their magic. Senneth, who is a loner, makes some new friends in a village. Someone is starting fires in the town and she is blamed. Senneth must fight the suspicious citizens while she tries to find the real culprit. This is a nice story with memorable characters and an intriguing world.
Overall, the book is very entertaining. Each of the stories in the book revolves around the themes of love, independence and determination among other things. The characters in the stories are realistic and memorable along with the imaginative settings. Ms. Shinn provides more thought provoking stories to her various worlds. This book would be a good introduction to the author’s works for readers who have never read her books.
“Flight” occurs in her world where angels interact with humans. Women are attracted to the angels and want to have one as a lover. Salome, the main character, is an ex-angel seeker. She lives quietly on a farm with her niece determined to keep her away from angels because she doesn’t want her niece’s life to be ruined. Part of Salome’s attitude is driven by betrayal of angels she once knew and loved. The story comes to a satisfying ending due to the interesting characters.
In “Blood,” Kerk is a gulden (golden skin color) man who moves to the city. He wishes to find his mother and sister after seventeen years of separation. The gulden culture possesses a strong oppression of women and their rights. Jalci, an indigo (blue skin color) woman, strikes up a friendship with him while helping him with his search. Such relationships are not heard of between the two cultures. The story has an interesting conflict of characters that leads to a satisfying conclusion.
Next, “Gold” is set in the world of Castle Auburn. Princess Zara is sent away to Alora for safety since the kingdom is under attack from a rival army. Alora is a forest kingdom of a magical race that lives on the fruits provided by nature. The Alorans have a pleasurable magical affect on humans when they touch them. Few humans want to leave the kingdom once they experience this affect. Zara must struggle against the lure of Alora and her desire to return to her family. This is an entertaining story about love and responsibility.
Finally, “Flame’ is the story of the fire mystic Senneth. Mystics are feared by the members of the normal population because of their magic. Senneth, who is a loner, makes some new friends in a village. Someone is starting fires in the town and she is blamed. Senneth must fight the suspicious citizens while she tries to find the real culprit. This is a nice story with memorable characters and an intriguing world.
Overall, the book is very entertaining. Each of the stories in the book revolves around the themes of love, independence and determination among other things. The characters in the stories are realistic and memorable along with the imaginative settings. Ms. Shinn provides more thought provoking stories to her various worlds. This book would be a good introduction to the author’s works for readers who have never read her books.
Friday, December 24, 2010
RA Salvatore Interview
Born in Massachusetts in 1959, Robert Salvatore’s love affair with fantasy, and with literature in general, began during his sophomore year of college when he was given a copy of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings as a Christmas gift. He promptly changed his major from computer science to journalism receiving a Bachelor of Science Degree in Communications from Fitchburg State College in 1981, then returned for the degree he always cherished, the Bachelor of Arts in English. He began writing seriously in 1982, penning the manuscript that would become Echoes of the Fourth Magic.
His first published novel was The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988. Since that time, Robert has published numerous novels, including the New York Time bestselling The Halfling’s Gem, Sojourn, and The Legacy. Robert held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990. Over three million R.A. Salvatore novels have been sold with many translated into different languages and audio versions. CrossGen will be releasing his latest graphic novel, DemonWars volume 2: Eye for an Eye, later this year.
In the fall of 1997, Robert’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers were donated to the R.A. Salvatore Library at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. When he isn’t writing, Robert attends his three children’s hockey games, horse shows, and fencing events. His gaming group of 18 years still meets on Sundays to play everything from Nintendo 64 to the AD&D game, and even set up its own company: Seven Swords. His hobbies include softball, hockey, and music, particularly a good blast of Mozart while tooling down the highway. He makes his home in Massachusetts, with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin, their dog, Puddles, and a calico cat named Guenhwyvar.
More information about his books can be found at his web site: http://www.rasalvatore.com
Debbie Ledesma: How long have you been writing? Was it difficult getting published?
R.A. Salvatore: I started writing in 1982. I finished my first novel in the spring of 1983. I wasn't planning on publishing the book; I just wanted something to distinguish me from the other "Social Security numbered" working stiffs. I wanted something my kids would someday show to my grandkids.
Well, friends read it and loved it and said I should publish it. So I tried - and got hammered with rejection letters. That just made me more determined, though. If you tell me I can't do something, I get very stubborn and work hard to prove you wrong. I landed my first book contract in 1987.
DL: Do you find writing books based on role playing games easier to write then your own creations?
RAS: No. In both cases, these are my own creations. In both cases, it's the scope of the book itself, not the amount of world building I need to do or the amount of world research I need to do, that determines the difficulty of the book. One of the most difficu lt books I've written was Sojourn because I had to bring the Drizzt story in line with a previously written work, namely The Crystal Shard.
If you look at my work in the Realms, you'll see that I've spent a great amount of time finding places to stay out of other peoples' way. Icewind Dale is my creation, as much as is Corona of the Demonwars saga. Same with Menzoberranzan - using the mythologies of Gary Gygax and others instead of the real-world mythologies I used in the Corona setting.
Working in a shared world can be frustrating of course, as when things are printed that affect your work and for which you were not consulted. It can also be incredibly rewarding, like when Ed Greenwood and I shared ideas of what Longsaddle should look like.
DL: Do you have ideas for any other books besides your current series?
RAS: At this point, I don't even know where my current series is going! I do hav eon other book that I'm planning to write, but I'm not starting it un Átil next year and I won't talk about it, because when it comes out, it will be under a pen name. I don't want anybody reading it with any preconceived notions.
DL: One of your most popular characters is Drizzt. What do you think readers find appealing about him? Who is your favorite character to write?
RAS: Drizzt is a classic romantic hero. Misunderstood, often wrongly persecuted - sounds like High School, right? Add to that his indomitable spirit and high moral code and his ability to kick some butt and you have someone who offers hope to people who feel powerless.
That's what I think, but I honestly don't KNOW why Drizzt has become such a huge popular hit.
My favorite character to write? That changes all the time. Marcalo De'Unnero from DemonWars would be up there, as would Bruenor and Drizzt. Pikel Bouldershoulder is a blast, but Oliver deBurrows of the Crimson Shadow books takes the prize for comedy, with Pikel and Thibbledorf Pwent coming in at a second-place tie.
DL: How is The Highwayman different from your other books?
RAS: First of all, it's a stand-alone novel. You don't have to read anything before it or after it. It's a book, not a piece of a larger series, and that seems unusual in fantasy these days. This has been my plan since I started DemonWars: I wrote seven books to define the boundaries - magical, social, geographical and political - of the world and now I can go there and just tell stories.
Second, I made The Highwayman>/u> more human-centered than anything I've ever done. There are non-human monsters, but every named character is human, and some, like Bransen, are very, very human. I wanted the book to be accessible to people who don't read fantasy; the book a Drizzt reader can give to his girlfriend who keeps asking him what he's reading.
DL: What authors do you enjoy reading?
RAS: I'm all over the place with my reading. Generally these days I stay out of the fantasy genre altogether. I do enjoy David Gemmell and Terry Brooks.
Currently I'm devouring political books. We've got an important election coming up and I want to be as informed as possible. Right now I'm slogging through the Tom Clancy/Anthony Zinni collaboration. It's slow going.
DL: What do you think are the reasons for the popularity of Fantasy?
RAS: Because the world is dangerous and times are tough and the News makes a point of being depressing ("blood leads") and scary. Because work, for most people, is mundane and boring and overwhelming. Fantasy is the ultimate escapist fiction, and "escapism" isn't such a bad word to so many people.
Also, between Harry Potter and the Jackson "Lord of the Rings" movies, fantasy has been thrust into the imaginations of many, many more people.
DL: Could you give some advice to aspirin æg writers?
RAS: Sure: if you can quit then quit. I mean that with all my heart and soul. If you can walk away from this ugly business, then don't walk, run!
If you can quit, then quit, and if you can't quit, you're a writer. You don't
write to get published or to get rich and famous (because few writers get
published and a tiny speck of a percentage become rich and an even tinier speck of a percentage become famous). You write because you have stories clawing at the inside of your skin, desperately trying to tear free.
Once that question is settled, my advice would be to study the business of
writing as well as studying literature. Go to the library and look in "The
Writer's Market" or "The Literary Marketplace." Find out how to submit your
work, to whom and in what format. Every little piece is important.
DL: What books are you working on now?
RAS: None! I'm on vacation for the first time in 16 years. I'll start a new
Forgotten Realms book featuring Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle later this summer.
DL: Thank you very much for the interview Mr. Salvatore.
His first published novel was The Crystal Shard from TSR in 1988. Since that time, Robert has published numerous novels, including the New York Time bestselling The Halfling’s Gem, Sojourn, and The Legacy. Robert held many jobs during those first years as a writer, finally settling in (much to our delight) to write full time in 1990. Over three million R.A. Salvatore novels have been sold with many translated into different languages and audio versions. CrossGen will be releasing his latest graphic novel, DemonWars volume 2: Eye for an Eye, later this year.
In the fall of 1997, Robert’s letters, manuscripts, and other professional papers were donated to the R.A. Salvatore Library at his alma mater, Fitchburg State College in Fitchburg, Massachusetts. When he isn’t writing, Robert attends his three children’s hockey games, horse shows, and fencing events. His gaming group of 18 years still meets on Sundays to play everything from Nintendo 64 to the AD&D game, and even set up its own company: Seven Swords. His hobbies include softball, hockey, and music, particularly a good blast of Mozart while tooling down the highway. He makes his home in Massachusetts, with his wife Diane, and their three children, Bryan, Geno, and Caitlin, their dog, Puddles, and a calico cat named Guenhwyvar.
More information about his books can be found at his web site: http://www.rasalvatore.com
Debbie Ledesma: How long have you been writing? Was it difficult getting published?
R.A. Salvatore: I started writing in 1982. I finished my first novel in the spring of 1983. I wasn't planning on publishing the book; I just wanted something to distinguish me from the other "Social Security numbered" working stiffs. I wanted something my kids would someday show to my grandkids.
Well, friends read it and loved it and said I should publish it. So I tried - and got hammered with rejection letters. That just made me more determined, though. If you tell me I can't do something, I get very stubborn and work hard to prove you wrong. I landed my first book contract in 1987.
DL: Do you find writing books based on role playing games easier to write then your own creations?
RAS: No. In both cases, these are my own creations. In both cases, it's the scope of the book itself, not the amount of world building I need to do or the amount of world research I need to do, that determines the difficulty of the book. One of the most difficu lt books I've written was Sojourn because I had to bring the Drizzt story in line with a previously written work, namely The Crystal Shard.
If you look at my work in the Realms, you'll see that I've spent a great amount of time finding places to stay out of other peoples' way. Icewind Dale is my creation, as much as is Corona of the Demonwars saga. Same with Menzoberranzan - using the mythologies of Gary Gygax and others instead of the real-world mythologies I used in the Corona setting.
Working in a shared world can be frustrating of course, as when things are printed that affect your work and for which you were not consulted. It can also be incredibly rewarding, like when Ed Greenwood and I shared ideas of what Longsaddle should look like.
DL: Do you have ideas for any other books besides your current series?
RAS: At this point, I don't even know where my current series is going! I do hav eon other book that I'm planning to write, but I'm not starting it un Átil next year and I won't talk about it, because when it comes out, it will be under a pen name. I don't want anybody reading it with any preconceived notions.
DL: One of your most popular characters is Drizzt. What do you think readers find appealing about him? Who is your favorite character to write?
RAS: Drizzt is a classic romantic hero. Misunderstood, often wrongly persecuted - sounds like High School, right? Add to that his indomitable spirit and high moral code and his ability to kick some butt and you have someone who offers hope to people who feel powerless.
That's what I think, but I honestly don't KNOW why Drizzt has become such a huge popular hit.
My favorite character to write? That changes all the time. Marcalo De'Unnero from DemonWars would be up there, as would Bruenor and Drizzt. Pikel Bouldershoulder is a blast, but Oliver deBurrows of the Crimson Shadow books takes the prize for comedy, with Pikel and Thibbledorf Pwent coming in at a second-place tie.
DL: How is The Highwayman different from your other books?
RAS: First of all, it's a stand-alone novel. You don't have to read anything before it or after it. It's a book, not a piece of a larger series, and that seems unusual in fantasy these days. This has been my plan since I started DemonWars: I wrote seven books to define the boundaries - magical, social, geographical and political - of the world and now I can go there and just tell stories.
Second, I made The Highwayman>/u> more human-centered than anything I've ever done. There are non-human monsters, but every named character is human, and some, like Bransen, are very, very human. I wanted the book to be accessible to people who don't read fantasy; the book a Drizzt reader can give to his girlfriend who keeps asking him what he's reading.
DL: What authors do you enjoy reading?
RAS: I'm all over the place with my reading. Generally these days I stay out of the fantasy genre altogether. I do enjoy David Gemmell and Terry Brooks.
Currently I'm devouring political books. We've got an important election coming up and I want to be as informed as possible. Right now I'm slogging through the Tom Clancy/Anthony Zinni collaboration. It's slow going.
DL: What do you think are the reasons for the popularity of Fantasy?
RAS: Because the world is dangerous and times are tough and the News makes a point of being depressing ("blood leads") and scary. Because work, for most people, is mundane and boring and overwhelming. Fantasy is the ultimate escapist fiction, and "escapism" isn't such a bad word to so many people.
Also, between Harry Potter and the Jackson "Lord of the Rings" movies, fantasy has been thrust into the imaginations of many, many more people.
DL: Could you give some advice to aspirin æg writers?
RAS: Sure: if you can quit then quit. I mean that with all my heart and soul. If you can walk away from this ugly business, then don't walk, run!
If you can quit, then quit, and if you can't quit, you're a writer. You don't
write to get published or to get rich and famous (because few writers get
published and a tiny speck of a percentage become rich and an even tinier speck of a percentage become famous). You write because you have stories clawing at the inside of your skin, desperately trying to tear free.
Once that question is settled, my advice would be to study the business of
writing as well as studying literature. Go to the library and look in "The
Writer's Market" or "The Literary Marketplace." Find out how to submit your
work, to whom and in what format. Every little piece is important.
DL: What books are you working on now?
RAS: None! I'm on vacation for the first time in 16 years. I'll start a new
Forgotten Realms book featuring Artemis Entreri and Jarlaxle later this summer.
DL: Thank you very much for the interview Mr. Salvatore.
Friday, December 10, 2010
Book Review: _The Kingless Land_ by Ed Greenwood
Aglirta is a kingdom without a king. The king sleeps an enchanted sleep hidden by magic. Only the magical world stones can awaken him, and everyone wants them for their own power. This is the main premise of the Adventure Fantasy book The Kingless Land by Ed Greenwood. Its interesting characters, action plot and recognizable themes makes it an entertaining book for readers.
Readers need interesting characters they can sympathize with to engage them in a book. The four main characters of this book are interesting because of their backgrounds and personalities. Hawkril is a tall, strong warrior who does not talk very much, but extremely loyal to his friends. Craer is Hawkril’s friend and has a sense of humor as well as being clever. Lady Embra Silvertree, a powerful s orceress, wants friends, working to keep the band together despite her problem. The healer Sarasper gravitates from gentle concern to a hard man. Mr. Greenwood brings all of these characters to life through their actions and dialogue. They work together to keep the plot moving at a fast pace.
Action is an important aspect of the plot of an Adventure Fantasy. This book has a strong action plot that keeps a reader hooked for every chapter of the book. The action is nonstop from the beginning when Hawkril and Craer break into Castle Silvertree to steal a bejeweled gown from Lady Embra. They get caught in the act by the lady who is a powerful magic worker. She asks them to help her escape from her ruthless father instead of imprisoning them. They flee, hounded by her father’s wizards sending monsters to stop them. Helped by Sarasper, they join together to start a quest for the magic stones to free the sleeping king. Aglirta is a chaotic kingdom run by various barons that are constantly at war with each other. Th e bards have hidden motives too. All of these plot threads are deftly woven together by Mr. Greenwood to provide a vivid, fast paced book that is entertaining.
Themes are important to books to give them meaning and a connection for readers. The recognizable themes in The Kingless Land keeps the book entertaining. Friendship and loyalty are two themes that bind the plot together. Four different people forge friendships under difficult conditions. They remain loyal to each other. Readers can identify w °ith this since everyone makes friends and wishes them to be loyal in their lives. Another theme for this book is the quest. The four main characters search for the world stones to help Sarasper and save Lady Embra from a life threatening problem. All the themes form strong connections for the reader.
The Kingless Land by Ed Greenwood is an excellent Adventure Fantasy for readers. The interesting characters, action plot and recognizable themes make this an entertaining book to read. It starts out with a lot of action and continues throughout the book, making it hard to put down. This is the first of the Band of Four series. Try it out for an enjoyable read.
Readers need interesting characters they can sympathize with to engage them in a book. The four main characters of this book are interesting because of their backgrounds and personalities. Hawkril is a tall, strong warrior who does not talk very much, but extremely loyal to his friends. Craer is Hawkril’s friend and has a sense of humor as well as being clever. Lady Embra Silvertree, a powerful s orceress, wants friends, working to keep the band together despite her problem. The healer Sarasper gravitates from gentle concern to a hard man. Mr. Greenwood brings all of these characters to life through their actions and dialogue. They work together to keep the plot moving at a fast pace.
Action is an important aspect of the plot of an Adventure Fantasy. This book has a strong action plot that keeps a reader hooked for every chapter of the book. The action is nonstop from the beginning when Hawkril and Craer break into Castle Silvertree to steal a bejeweled gown from Lady Embra. They get caught in the act by the lady who is a powerful magic worker. She asks them to help her escape from her ruthless father instead of imprisoning them. They flee, hounded by her father’s wizards sending monsters to stop them. Helped by Sarasper, they join together to start a quest for the magic stones to free the sleeping king. Aglirta is a chaotic kingdom run by various barons that are constantly at war with each other. Th e bards have hidden motives too. All of these plot threads are deftly woven together by Mr. Greenwood to provide a vivid, fast paced book that is entertaining.
Themes are important to books to give them meaning and a connection for readers. The recognizable themes in The Kingless Land keeps the book entertaining. Friendship and loyalty are two themes that bind the plot together. Four different people forge friendships under difficult conditions. They remain loyal to each other. Readers can identify w °ith this since everyone makes friends and wishes them to be loyal in their lives. Another theme for this book is the quest. The four main characters search for the world stones to help Sarasper and save Lady Embra from a life threatening problem. All the themes form strong connections for the reader.
The Kingless Land by Ed Greenwood is an excellent Adventure Fantasy for readers. The interesting characters, action plot and recognizable themes make this an entertaining book to read. It starts out with a lot of action and continues throughout the book, making it hard to put down. This is the first of the Band of Four series. Try it out for an enjoyable read.
Friday, November 26, 2010
Interview with Sharon Green
I did this interview with Ms. Green a few years ago, but it still has good information.
Sharon Green is the author of several Fantasy novels full of strong women characters and understanding men characters. She writes many romantic adventure Fantasies that are infused with romance, a lot of action and subtle themes. Many of her books have shapeshifters and other interesting magical systems. Though she writes Science Fiction too, her Fantasy novels are entertaining. Her first foray into Fantasy came with The Farside of Forever about the sorceress Laciel. This was followed by Hellhound Magic. Later, she wrote the beginning of a five book sequence starting with Silver Princess, Golden Knight. These books involve the stories of people that are shapechangers in their cultures and the problems this entails. There have been other novels in between, but her most recent popular series is the “Blending.” The se novels are about a world where everyone has magical powers tied to the five elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit. Five very different characters must learn to blend their powers into a powerful force to save their world. Convergence, Competitions, Challenges, Betrayals and Prophecy. These books are followed by a new trilogy in the “Blending” beginning with Intrigues and Deceptions, which was published this month. She has new novel coming out in May 2001 that she is publishing herself. It’s called Silver Bracers, an omnibus of previously published Lady Blade, Lord Fighter and new part called The Argent Swords. It is available through her web site at http://www.integritytech.com/sharong.htm .
Debbie Ledesma: Why did you become a writer?
Sharon Green: I've always been involved with writing, but when I was married I was very unhappy and needed an escape badly. So I began to visualize other places and people, and the need to write about those places and people got me started. I think I ought to mention that my initial efforts were really *bad*. It takes practice - of the right things - for your writing to be readable.
DL: It seems all sorts of things can trigger you into writing. I started one day because I was bored at work. What direction did your first published books take?
SG: My first published book, The Warrior Within, was written in response to something I read - one of the Gor books - that made me hit the ceiling and bounce. I felt that John Norman had missed on all counts: not only didn't he understand that there are women who won't *allow* themselves to be made slaves, he even got the "h ®elpless" kind of woman wrong. The Warrior Within was meant to show what a three-dimensional "helpless" woman would be like, and The Crystals of Midas, my second book in print, showed the other side of the coin: a woman not helpless in the least. “The Warrior” series eventually grew into an effort to show how only you can keep yourself from being "helpless," and even having really strong abilities doesn't do any good unless you have the right attitude to go along with the abilities.
DL: Why did you pick the Fantasy genre to write in?
SG: I started out as a science fiction writer, which is what I consider
myself. I got an idea for a fantasy so I wrote it, and that became The
Far Side of Forever. After that I was offered contracts only for
fantasy, so that's what I'm now writing. I should mention that I'm also
looking for a science fiction publisher, since I have a lot of unwritten
ideas that don't fit in 7to fantasy.
DL: It was a good thing for readers that you branched out into Fantasy. The definition of what Fantasy is is always under debate. What is your definition of Fantasy?
SG: For some reason the basic, original definition has been lost along the way. The definition I learned years ago goes as follows: if what you write can happen in this, our universe, without changing any natural laws, then you're writing science fiction. If you have to change a natural law in any way at all, you're writing fantasy. For my own stuff, I should add that if it *looks* as though you're changing a natural law, these days it's also considered fantasy.
DL: How do you approach world building in your Fantasy books?
SG: My answer to this question is going to be very unsatisfactory. I've heard the term "world-building" quite a lot during the past years, but have never engaged in the practice myself. I usually start with a character and/or a situation, and then think about the circumstances the two would fit into. That gives me the kind of world my characters and situation need, without having to sit down and visualize a world. The world comes with the package, so to speak.
The most important thing to me is the people who are caught in some kind of situation. How they interact with their world is more important than what the world is; the nicest or most horrible of worlds can be the worst or best environment, depending on what's expected of you in those places. Humans have the ability to cope with and overcome he most trying of hardships, and then trip and fall over something some would never even notice. Most writers seem to use the idea of an ordinary person being thrust into a situation where he or she has to strive to become a he
ro. I prefer to use a hero who runs into something he or she can't handle, something that an ordinary person might have no trouble with. If you're really good and know it, you also know, on a subconscious level, that you'll never find a situation that you can't handle. If you *do* find a situation like that, you just aren't prepared to cope with it. Makes for an interesting story, I tend to think.
DL: I find Fantasies that have a mythic underpinning very memorable. Do you use mythological themes or sources in you books?
SG: Not deliberately, but the subconscious can't be trusted. Mine tends to steal from everywhere and anything, and I have to be careful about making sure I'm not treading on toes that have walked the trail before me. But I'm also one of those people most others won't play Trivial Pursuit with because I tend to remember the most useless, obscure things I come across. I've been exposed to a good deal of mythology, of course, so you never know when one bit or another will surface - usually changed in some way.
DL: Your women characters have changed over the years with your new books. Do you find a lot of gender stereotypes in Fantasy?
SG: There are gender stereotypes everywhere, and I've noticed something strange: if I'm not mistaken, books with "helpless" characters, both male and female, seem to be more popular; the bigger the "fraidy-cat," in effect, the better the sales. I have a weird theory to cover the
trend, but I'm not quite sure how sound the reasoning of the theory is.
The situation links into the very popular "sitcoms" on tv these days, I
think, which makes the theory even more convoluted. If you'd like me to
go into the theor ùy, let me know. It isn't a short explanation.
Other than that, I have to say that my personal taste in characters is
tired to death by the "young, inexperienced beginner" too many people
use as major characters. That kind of character also seems to be part of
the trend toward using the helpless as role models, and I'm afraid I
can't connect to it. I like to see people who already know what they're
doing tackling a bad situation, not someone groping through the time
making it up as she/he goes. The second *can* be entertaining and
riveting, but most writers don't seem to be able to handle the
crossover. Does that make any sense?
DL: Maybe beginning writers have trouble with the second kind of character because they don't feel experienced enough to write them. Tell us about your theory?
SG: To state the theory as briefly as possible, we have too many nonfighters in this country today. Nonfighters can't cope with a situation the way a fighter can, nor should they be expected to... See, I can't be brief. There are two kinds of people in the world: fighters and nonfighters. The fighter carves out of the wilderness a place that people can call home, and then defends the area against anyone trying to take it. The nonfighter then builds on the land and makes the "home" comfortable. Fighters and nonfighters *should* be partners because neither can go forward without the other, but our weird situation in this country has changed that state for the worse. Nonfighters call fighters "warmongers," and fighters call nonfighters "peaceniks" and "wooses." Did you know that after a war, the birth rate of male children goes up? It's an established fact, and shows that Mother Nature is trying to replace the males who were killed in the war. The trend continues until the population is balanced again. Now, think back to how long it's been since we had a war “ ON OUR OWN SOIL. That, I think, is very much a part of the need for a change. We haven't had a war in this country in many years, so Mother Nature thinks we need fewer fighters - and therefore causes less of them to be born. That leaves much too large a preponderance of nonfighters, which explains why our reps in the government are trying to legislate everyone into safety instead of doing something more direct - and more effective.
Now, too many of the nonfighters are unhappy with their jobs and their lives. They're afraid to lose their job because they don't know if they can get another, so they swallow down their unhappiness and don't dare to say "boo" in their places of work. But when they get home they watch sitcoms, because then they can laugh at the fools in the program WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT BEING SAFE. The fool on the screen can't hurt them, and certainly can't take their job away. They can't tell fools off in their lives, so they laugh at the fools on dtv.
To extend the idea, the nonfighter reader can most easily identify with the helpless character. They know they would be just as helpless in the same situation, so identification is easiest. Phew! Does any of that make sense to you? There's more, but I won't go into it now.
DL: That is very interesting. So, how do you come up with characters? Which are easier for you to write male or female characters?
SG: To take the second part of your question first, females are easier for me to write than males because *I'm* female. I've had enough close male friends in my life to have learned that men and women may look at the same thing, but they're not *seeing* the same thing. I don't understand the male point of view more than distantly and from the outside, so I have to fake it as best I can. My male fans sometimes tell me if I'm doing a good enough job, and I've been told that I'm getting closer...:] Now, how do I come up with characters... Sometimes I have the character first, and then think about a situation that will give her/them the most trouble. Sometimes I have a situation, and think about what kind of person would have the most difficulty with that situation. But then, sometimes the two come together at the same time, and all I have to do is write it down.
DL: What authors influenced your writing?
SG: The very first s.f. book I ever read was at the age of 12, and the book was Wild Talent by Wilson Tucker. The book grabbed me so hard that the fact I couldn't understand what was going on didn't matter. After that I started to read juveniles, went through them fast, then continued with more adult fare. (Ahem) After having been exposed to most of the writers of the day, my favorite was - and still is - Robert Heinlein.
Even back then I noticed that Heinlein didn't just tell a good story - with a writing style that to this day I can't copy - but he also included excellent advice for living. For instance, I picked up what I consider my most important rule of life: honor is an individual thing. It doesn't matter what anyone else in the world does, you're responsible only for yourself. If you lie a znd cheat and steal, what you're doing is announcing to the world that you can't get what you have *without* lying, cheating, and stealing. Even if no one else in the world is honest, that doesn't matter. Only what you do matters, so whether or not you behave honorably is entirely up to you.
Wow. I'd never had things explained like that before, and I knew Heinlein was right. I decided to live my life as honorably as possible, and also try to show characters who do the same. In addition I also try to pass on what I consider good advice. And, hopefully, tell a good story at the same time.
Over the years, I've realized that what Heinlein said was that we need heroes. We don't have enough heroes in our culture, so I do what I can to add to the numbers.
DL: We certainly need heroes now. Do you think September 11 will change the genre? Has it affected your writing?
I think people will just go back to their old ways of looking at things as September 11 fades in their memories. Too many people still think that trouble will disappear if you ignore it, which is what made the trouble to begin with. But fearful people don't understand that point, and truthfully they shouldn't have to. It's something that fighters ought to be facing, not non-fighters, but we have too many non-fighters around these days due to the lack of wars in our own country. Are you aware of the fact that after a war more boy babies are born than girl babies? It's an established fact; nature is trying to correct the imbalance that death in war brings. It's my theory that the same happens with fighter and non-fighter kids. If there are wars, more fighter babies are born. If there are no wars, more non-fighter babies are born. Since we've had no wars in our country in a very long time, the number of fighters in our popul Íation is way down. September 11 will likely change that, but not in time to do much good. Seeing tv commercials against "violence" gets me very upset. The various stars come on and state that there's never a need for violence. Excuse me? What world do they live in? You might want to hope that violence will never be necessary, but in the real world violence is always there and waiting to pounce. The only way to cope with that is to be prepared, not pretend it will never happen. I raised my sons (fighters, like me) with the attitude that's proper for fighters: you don't start it, but if someone else does the starting you do your best to finish it. One more comment and I'll get off the soapbox. Isn't it about time that people were told the truth about school - and "otherwhere"
- bullies? Bullies aren't fighters; they're non-fighters who are being hurt elsewhere, probably at home. If you hurt a fighter kid, that kid will get even with you even if he or she has to wait until you sleep or he/she grows up. If you hurt a non-fighter child, that child is too afraid of you to do anything to you, so he/she looks for someone weaker to pass the hurt along to. A true fighter will never pick on a non-fighter; there's no challenge in besting someone who doesn't want to fight in the first place, and the only name you get from that isn't a nice one. If we make sure to raise our fighter kids in the proper way, no non-fighter will have to fear them. Right now our fighter kids are being penalized for being what they were born to be, and that's a recipe for trouble if there ever was one. As far as my writing goes, it will stay the same as it's always been. I've been on this soapbox for quite some time.
DL: There are a lot of books by authors like Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Terry Goodkind, etc. that are popular. Do you find a lot of the Fantasy books hitting the bestseller lists derivative? Do you think they’re helpful to further the field?
SG: Most of the books that are really popular aren't derivative, but are new ways to look at old ideas. The only problem is, once something becomes popular too many editors want the same kind of thing rather than something else. Experienced editors know better, of course, but there are a lot of newcomers in the field these days. And what furthers the field is anything so well done that you can't put it down. That kind of book is welcome no matter what story line it has.
DL: The Harry Potter books have brought a lot of young readers into the genre. What do you think of this? Is it helpful to the genre?
SG: I haven't read the Harry Potter books, but anything that makes kids stretch their imaginations is a Good Thing. And once they're past the simple beginnings, they will probably move on to more mature efforts. I think that's what the Star Trek people are trying with Enterprise this season. The only problem with that idea is the much-too-PC characters and scripts being used. I watched the series with high hopes, but have since given it up. No one in their right mind would appoint an overgrown boyscout to command a star ship, but that's what's been done with both Enterprise and Andromeda. Too bad, too. They both had lots of promise.
DL: Movies are a different medium, but do you think any of your books would make a good movie?
A number of my books would make good movies, and apparently someone in Hollywood agrees with that. My agent there is working with a producer who wants to do Haunted House, my first Harlequin Intrigue, as a tv movie. It's the best mystery I've done so far, so I hope it does get made into a movie. After that I mean to try to interest them in The Far Side of Forever, which is a fantasy. The book is very visual, so it ought to translate really well to the big screen.
DL: What books will we see from you in the future?
That all depends on which proposal is bought next. I have a couple of science fiction ideas going around, a couple of fantasy ideas, a mystery, and a mainstream serial murderer novel.
DL: Thank you very much for your time. We’ll all look forward to your future endeavors.
Sharon Green is the author of several Fantasy novels full of strong women characters and understanding men characters. She writes many romantic adventure Fantasies that are infused with romance, a lot of action and subtle themes. Many of her books have shapeshifters and other interesting magical systems. Though she writes Science Fiction too, her Fantasy novels are entertaining. Her first foray into Fantasy came with The Farside of Forever about the sorceress Laciel. This was followed by Hellhound Magic. Later, she wrote the beginning of a five book sequence starting with Silver Princess, Golden Knight. These books involve the stories of people that are shapechangers in their cultures and the problems this entails. There have been other novels in between, but her most recent popular series is the “Blending.” The se novels are about a world where everyone has magical powers tied to the five elements of earth, air, fire, water and spirit. Five very different characters must learn to blend their powers into a powerful force to save their world. Convergence, Competitions, Challenges, Betrayals and Prophecy. These books are followed by a new trilogy in the “Blending” beginning with Intrigues and Deceptions, which was published this month. She has new novel coming out in May 2001 that she is publishing herself. It’s called Silver Bracers, an omnibus of previously published Lady Blade, Lord Fighter and new part called The Argent Swords. It is available through her web site at http://www.integritytech.com/sharong.htm .
Debbie Ledesma: Why did you become a writer?
Sharon Green: I've always been involved with writing, but when I was married I was very unhappy and needed an escape badly. So I began to visualize other places and people, and the need to write about those places and people got me started. I think I ought to mention that my initial efforts were really *bad*. It takes practice - of the right things - for your writing to be readable.
DL: It seems all sorts of things can trigger you into writing. I started one day because I was bored at work. What direction did your first published books take?
SG: My first published book, The Warrior Within, was written in response to something I read - one of the Gor books - that made me hit the ceiling and bounce. I felt that John Norman had missed on all counts: not only didn't he understand that there are women who won't *allow* themselves to be made slaves, he even got the "h ®elpless" kind of woman wrong. The Warrior Within was meant to show what a three-dimensional "helpless" woman would be like, and The Crystals of Midas, my second book in print, showed the other side of the coin: a woman not helpless in the least. “The Warrior” series eventually grew into an effort to show how only you can keep yourself from being "helpless," and even having really strong abilities doesn't do any good unless you have the right attitude to go along with the abilities.
DL: Why did you pick the Fantasy genre to write in?
SG: I started out as a science fiction writer, which is what I consider
myself. I got an idea for a fantasy so I wrote it, and that became The
Far Side of Forever. After that I was offered contracts only for
fantasy, so that's what I'm now writing. I should mention that I'm also
looking for a science fiction publisher, since I have a lot of unwritten
ideas that don't fit in 7to fantasy.
DL: It was a good thing for readers that you branched out into Fantasy. The definition of what Fantasy is is always under debate. What is your definition of Fantasy?
SG: For some reason the basic, original definition has been lost along the way. The definition I learned years ago goes as follows: if what you write can happen in this, our universe, without changing any natural laws, then you're writing science fiction. If you have to change a natural law in any way at all, you're writing fantasy. For my own stuff, I should add that if it *looks* as though you're changing a natural law, these days it's also considered fantasy.
DL: How do you approach world building in your Fantasy books?
SG: My answer to this question is going to be very unsatisfactory. I've heard the term "world-building" quite a lot during the past years, but have never engaged in the practice myself. I usually start with a character and/or a situation, and then think about the circumstances the two would fit into. That gives me the kind of world my characters and situation need, without having to sit down and visualize a world. The world comes with the package, so to speak.
The most important thing to me is the people who are caught in some kind of situation. How they interact with their world is more important than what the world is; the nicest or most horrible of worlds can be the worst or best environment, depending on what's expected of you in those places. Humans have the ability to cope with and overcome he most trying of hardships, and then trip and fall over something some would never even notice. Most writers seem to use the idea of an ordinary person being thrust into a situation where he or she has to strive to become a he
ro. I prefer to use a hero who runs into something he or she can't handle, something that an ordinary person might have no trouble with. If you're really good and know it, you also know, on a subconscious level, that you'll never find a situation that you can't handle. If you *do* find a situation like that, you just aren't prepared to cope with it. Makes for an interesting story, I tend to think.
DL: I find Fantasies that have a mythic underpinning very memorable. Do you use mythological themes or sources in you books?
SG: Not deliberately, but the subconscious can't be trusted. Mine tends to steal from everywhere and anything, and I have to be careful about making sure I'm not treading on toes that have walked the trail before me. But I'm also one of those people most others won't play Trivial Pursuit with because I tend to remember the most useless, obscure things I come across. I've been exposed to a good deal of mythology, of course, so you never know when one bit or another will surface - usually changed in some way.
DL: Your women characters have changed over the years with your new books. Do you find a lot of gender stereotypes in Fantasy?
SG: There are gender stereotypes everywhere, and I've noticed something strange: if I'm not mistaken, books with "helpless" characters, both male and female, seem to be more popular; the bigger the "fraidy-cat," in effect, the better the sales. I have a weird theory to cover the
trend, but I'm not quite sure how sound the reasoning of the theory is.
The situation links into the very popular "sitcoms" on tv these days, I
think, which makes the theory even more convoluted. If you'd like me to
go into the theor ùy, let me know. It isn't a short explanation.
Other than that, I have to say that my personal taste in characters is
tired to death by the "young, inexperienced beginner" too many people
use as major characters. That kind of character also seems to be part of
the trend toward using the helpless as role models, and I'm afraid I
can't connect to it. I like to see people who already know what they're
doing tackling a bad situation, not someone groping through the time
making it up as she/he goes. The second *can* be entertaining and
riveting, but most writers don't seem to be able to handle the
crossover. Does that make any sense?
DL: Maybe beginning writers have trouble with the second kind of character because they don't feel experienced enough to write them. Tell us about your theory?
SG: To state the theory as briefly as possible, we have too many nonfighters in this country today. Nonfighters can't cope with a situation the way a fighter can, nor should they be expected to... See, I can't be brief. There are two kinds of people in the world: fighters and nonfighters. The fighter carves out of the wilderness a place that people can call home, and then defends the area against anyone trying to take it. The nonfighter then builds on the land and makes the "home" comfortable. Fighters and nonfighters *should* be partners because neither can go forward without the other, but our weird situation in this country has changed that state for the worse. Nonfighters call fighters "warmongers," and fighters call nonfighters "peaceniks" and "wooses." Did you know that after a war, the birth rate of male children goes up? It's an established fact, and shows that Mother Nature is trying to replace the males who were killed in the war. The trend continues until the population is balanced again. Now, think back to how long it's been since we had a war “ ON OUR OWN SOIL. That, I think, is very much a part of the need for a change. We haven't had a war in this country in many years, so Mother Nature thinks we need fewer fighters - and therefore causes less of them to be born. That leaves much too large a preponderance of nonfighters, which explains why our reps in the government are trying to legislate everyone into safety instead of doing something more direct - and more effective.
Now, too many of the nonfighters are unhappy with their jobs and their lives. They're afraid to lose their job because they don't know if they can get another, so they swallow down their unhappiness and don't dare to say "boo" in their places of work. But when they get home they watch sitcoms, because then they can laugh at the fools in the program WITHOUT WORRYING ABOUT BEING SAFE. The fool on the screen can't hurt them, and certainly can't take their job away. They can't tell fools off in their lives, so they laugh at the fools on dtv.
To extend the idea, the nonfighter reader can most easily identify with the helpless character. They know they would be just as helpless in the same situation, so identification is easiest. Phew! Does any of that make sense to you? There's more, but I won't go into it now.
DL: That is very interesting. So, how do you come up with characters? Which are easier for you to write male or female characters?
SG: To take the second part of your question first, females are easier for me to write than males because *I'm* female. I've had enough close male friends in my life to have learned that men and women may look at the same thing, but they're not *seeing* the same thing. I don't understand the male point of view more than distantly and from the outside, so I have to fake it as best I can. My male fans sometimes tell me if I'm doing a good enough job, and I've been told that I'm getting closer...:] Now, how do I come up with characters... Sometimes I have the character first, and then think about a situation that will give her/them the most trouble. Sometimes I have a situation, and think about what kind of person would have the most difficulty with that situation. But then, sometimes the two come together at the same time, and all I have to do is write it down.
DL: What authors influenced your writing?
SG: The very first s.f. book I ever read was at the age of 12, and the book was Wild Talent by Wilson Tucker. The book grabbed me so hard that the fact I couldn't understand what was going on didn't matter. After that I started to read juveniles, went through them fast, then continued with more adult fare. (Ahem) After having been exposed to most of the writers of the day, my favorite was - and still is - Robert Heinlein.
Even back then I noticed that Heinlein didn't just tell a good story - with a writing style that to this day I can't copy - but he also included excellent advice for living. For instance, I picked up what I consider my most important rule of life: honor is an individual thing. It doesn't matter what anyone else in the world does, you're responsible only for yourself. If you lie a znd cheat and steal, what you're doing is announcing to the world that you can't get what you have *without* lying, cheating, and stealing. Even if no one else in the world is honest, that doesn't matter. Only what you do matters, so whether or not you behave honorably is entirely up to you.
Wow. I'd never had things explained like that before, and I knew Heinlein was right. I decided to live my life as honorably as possible, and also try to show characters who do the same. In addition I also try to pass on what I consider good advice. And, hopefully, tell a good story at the same time.
Over the years, I've realized that what Heinlein said was that we need heroes. We don't have enough heroes in our culture, so I do what I can to add to the numbers.
DL: We certainly need heroes now. Do you think September 11 will change the genre? Has it affected your writing?
I think people will just go back to their old ways of looking at things as September 11 fades in their memories. Too many people still think that trouble will disappear if you ignore it, which is what made the trouble to begin with. But fearful people don't understand that point, and truthfully they shouldn't have to. It's something that fighters ought to be facing, not non-fighters, but we have too many non-fighters around these days due to the lack of wars in our own country. Are you aware of the fact that after a war more boy babies are born than girl babies? It's an established fact; nature is trying to correct the imbalance that death in war brings. It's my theory that the same happens with fighter and non-fighter kids. If there are wars, more fighter babies are born. If there are no wars, more non-fighter babies are born. Since we've had no wars in our country in a very long time, the number of fighters in our popul Íation is way down. September 11 will likely change that, but not in time to do much good. Seeing tv commercials against "violence" gets me very upset. The various stars come on and state that there's never a need for violence. Excuse me? What world do they live in? You might want to hope that violence will never be necessary, but in the real world violence is always there and waiting to pounce. The only way to cope with that is to be prepared, not pretend it will never happen. I raised my sons (fighters, like me) with the attitude that's proper for fighters: you don't start it, but if someone else does the starting you do your best to finish it. One more comment and I'll get off the soapbox. Isn't it about time that people were told the truth about school - and "otherwhere"
- bullies? Bullies aren't fighters; they're non-fighters who are being hurt elsewhere, probably at home. If you hurt a fighter kid, that kid will get even with you even if he or she has to wait until you sleep or he/she grows up. If you hurt a non-fighter child, that child is too afraid of you to do anything to you, so he/she looks for someone weaker to pass the hurt along to. A true fighter will never pick on a non-fighter; there's no challenge in besting someone who doesn't want to fight in the first place, and the only name you get from that isn't a nice one. If we make sure to raise our fighter kids in the proper way, no non-fighter will have to fear them. Right now our fighter kids are being penalized for being what they were born to be, and that's a recipe for trouble if there ever was one. As far as my writing goes, it will stay the same as it's always been. I've been on this soapbox for quite some time.
DL: There are a lot of books by authors like Robert Jordan, David Eddings, Terry Goodkind, etc. that are popular. Do you find a lot of the Fantasy books hitting the bestseller lists derivative? Do you think they’re helpful to further the field?
SG: Most of the books that are really popular aren't derivative, but are new ways to look at old ideas. The only problem is, once something becomes popular too many editors want the same kind of thing rather than something else. Experienced editors know better, of course, but there are a lot of newcomers in the field these days. And what furthers the field is anything so well done that you can't put it down. That kind of book is welcome no matter what story line it has.
DL: The Harry Potter books have brought a lot of young readers into the genre. What do you think of this? Is it helpful to the genre?
SG: I haven't read the Harry Potter books, but anything that makes kids stretch their imaginations is a Good Thing. And once they're past the simple beginnings, they will probably move on to more mature efforts. I think that's what the Star Trek people are trying with Enterprise this season. The only problem with that idea is the much-too-PC characters and scripts being used. I watched the series with high hopes, but have since given it up. No one in their right mind would appoint an overgrown boyscout to command a star ship, but that's what's been done with both Enterprise and Andromeda. Too bad, too. They both had lots of promise.
DL: Movies are a different medium, but do you think any of your books would make a good movie?
A number of my books would make good movies, and apparently someone in Hollywood agrees with that. My agent there is working with a producer who wants to do Haunted House, my first Harlequin Intrigue, as a tv movie. It's the best mystery I've done so far, so I hope it does get made into a movie. After that I mean to try to interest them in The Far Side of Forever, which is a fantasy. The book is very visual, so it ought to translate really well to the big screen.
DL: What books will we see from you in the future?
That all depends on which proposal is bought next. I have a couple of science fiction ideas going around, a couple of fantasy ideas, a mystery, and a mainstream serial murderer novel.
DL: Thank you very much for your time. We’ll all look forward to your future endeavors.
Friday, November 12, 2010
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
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
Friday, October 29, 2010
_Sometimes the Magic Works_ by Terry Brooks
This week’s article is a review of a book by Terry Brooks about writing. I thought I would share this review again since Nanowritmo is coming up. Enjoy.
Ever wonder where writers get their ideas, or how do they write books? Many people believe writing is easy and they can some day write a book too. Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks is a book that can answer these questions. The book is a combination of an autobiography about the author’s writing career and advice on writing books. Readers will get fascinating insights about the author. Writers will find a lot of good information about writing books.
Terry Brooks is a veteran Fantasy author with many books to his credit. He burst into the Fantasy genre with The Sword of Shannara and went on to publish several other books in the genre over the years. Once a lawyer, he became a full time writer after the success of his first book. In Sometimes the Magic Works, Mr. Brooks talks about the successes and failures in his career along with lessons he learned about writing and the publishing industry.
The opening chapters talk about Mr. Brooks’s early years. He explains how he was not all there, meaning he does a lot of daydreaming. This plays a lot into his writing. He talks of the importance of writers having to be in the real world and in whatever world they imagine to write about for their books. Another chapter covers his story about how publishing a book is partly luck. Readers learn that writing something is a major drive to a writer to produce works of enjoyment for the reading public as well as for their own pleasure.
Later chapters talk about the ups and downs in an author’s career. Mr. Brooks covers this with his experience with Hollywood in being asked to write a novelization for a movie. The entire experience is eye opening and leaves him frustrated. He learns excellent lessons that aspiring writers can heed for their careers.
Many other chapters provide valuable information for aspiring writers. Mr. Brooks covers the importance of outlining for some writers and thinking your novel or story completely through to the end before actually writing. He talks about beginnings and endings of novels. Talking about his time spent with his grandson, he tells the reader about the precious lessons to be learned from the imaginations of children. Writers should remember these lessons for their own creativity.
Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks is an enjoyably helpful book. Readers of Mr. Brooks’s books will learn some interesting things about this author’s life and career. Writers, whether beginning or accomplished, will gain considerable information about writing and the publishing industry. This small book is packed full with good information, humor and insights about writing. I highly recommend this book to Fantasy readers and aspiring writers.
Ever wonder where writers get their ideas, or how do they write books? Many people believe writing is easy and they can some day write a book too. Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks is a book that can answer these questions. The book is a combination of an autobiography about the author’s writing career and advice on writing books. Readers will get fascinating insights about the author. Writers will find a lot of good information about writing books.
Terry Brooks is a veteran Fantasy author with many books to his credit. He burst into the Fantasy genre with The Sword of Shannara and went on to publish several other books in the genre over the years. Once a lawyer, he became a full time writer after the success of his first book. In Sometimes the Magic Works, Mr. Brooks talks about the successes and failures in his career along with lessons he learned about writing and the publishing industry.
The opening chapters talk about Mr. Brooks’s early years. He explains how he was not all there, meaning he does a lot of daydreaming. This plays a lot into his writing. He talks of the importance of writers having to be in the real world and in whatever world they imagine to write about for their books. Another chapter covers his story about how publishing a book is partly luck. Readers learn that writing something is a major drive to a writer to produce works of enjoyment for the reading public as well as for their own pleasure.
Later chapters talk about the ups and downs in an author’s career. Mr. Brooks covers this with his experience with Hollywood in being asked to write a novelization for a movie. The entire experience is eye opening and leaves him frustrated. He learns excellent lessons that aspiring writers can heed for their careers.
Many other chapters provide valuable information for aspiring writers. Mr. Brooks covers the importance of outlining for some writers and thinking your novel or story completely through to the end before actually writing. He talks about beginnings and endings of novels. Talking about his time spent with his grandson, he tells the reader about the precious lessons to be learned from the imaginations of children. Writers should remember these lessons for their own creativity.
Sometimes the Magic Works by Terry Brooks is an enjoyably helpful book. Readers of Mr. Brooks’s books will learn some interesting things about this author’s life and career. Writers, whether beginning or accomplished, will gain considerable information about writing and the publishing industry. This small book is packed full with good information, humor and insights about writing. I highly recommend this book to Fantasy readers and aspiring writers.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Review of _Lord of the Isles_ by David Drake
A thousand years ago, an island sinks into the sea by magic. One sorceress saves herself by traveling to the future by her magic. She ends up on the island of Haft, setting dangerous events in motion. This is the beginning of an Epic fantasy series begun in Lord of the Isles by David Drake. Mr. Drake has written many books in both the Fantasy and Science fiction genres. His books are full of action and plenty of lively events. This book is entertaining because it has an action plot, interesting characters, and a grand setting.
Books of any genre need action in their plots to draw a reader into the story. Some Epic Fantasy books start out slowly, taking many chapters before the action begins. Lord of the Isles has an action plot that begins right away. Tenoctris, the sorceress from the past, is washed up on the beach of Barca’s Hamlet. Her presence triggers events that will change the lives of four young villagers. The King of the Isles’s rule is in jeopardy. His queen practices dark magic again st him. Magical forces are building toward a dangerous confrontation. Mr. Drake takes all of his plot threads and weaves them into an action story. Chapters change to different viewpoint characters as he tells the story of each character from their point of view. Each chapter leaves a character on a cliffhanger, adding to the suspense. Action is a major part of each chapter.
Another entertaining factor of the book is the interesting characters. Four young people have their lives change rapidly. They come from a small village of sheep herders and fishermen. Garric reads poetry while herding sheep. He discovers new fighting abilities after leaving the village. Cashel, Garric’s friend, grows with a new magical talent. His quiet strength helps him through many difficult situations. Sharina is the daughter of murdered nobles and embarks on a dangerous trip to her new destiny. Ilna is drawn into darkness with her talent of weaving. The hermit Nonnus is a loyal protector of Sharina with a dark past. All of these ch aracters have flaws and grow throughout the story. They contribute to the entertaining pleasure of the book with likable characters going through challenging events.
Finally, the book’s grand setting adds to enjoyment of reading it. The setting is a strong piece of world building. Mr. Drake created a world with a vast history and interesting cultures. This world is made up of islands that form one nation with a king. One of the intriguing cultures is the Floating Folk. They are tribes of people that live on :boats tied together on the sea. Wherever the currents take them, they go around in a yearly cycle. The Folk hunt whales for their food and building materials. Islanders live in cities that are thousands of years old, which the author makes you see with his vivid descriptions. This book’s descriptive setting brings the story to life. It helps increase the book’s entertainment high.
Lord of the Isles by David Drake is an entertaining Fantasy because of its action plot, interesting characters and grand setting. David Drake is an excellent Fantasy author with a good imagination and who creates an impressive secondary world. He delivers a gripping Epic Fantasy that is the beginning of a new series. I recommend this book to readers who love action and intrigue. Be sure to check out the other books in the series.
Books of any genre need action in their plots to draw a reader into the story. Some Epic Fantasy books start out slowly, taking many chapters before the action begins. Lord of the Isles has an action plot that begins right away. Tenoctris, the sorceress from the past, is washed up on the beach of Barca’s Hamlet. Her presence triggers events that will change the lives of four young villagers. The King of the Isles’s rule is in jeopardy. His queen practices dark magic again st him. Magical forces are building toward a dangerous confrontation. Mr. Drake takes all of his plot threads and weaves them into an action story. Chapters change to different viewpoint characters as he tells the story of each character from their point of view. Each chapter leaves a character on a cliffhanger, adding to the suspense. Action is a major part of each chapter.
Another entertaining factor of the book is the interesting characters. Four young people have their lives change rapidly. They come from a small village of sheep herders and fishermen. Garric reads poetry while herding sheep. He discovers new fighting abilities after leaving the village. Cashel, Garric’s friend, grows with a new magical talent. His quiet strength helps him through many difficult situations. Sharina is the daughter of murdered nobles and embarks on a dangerous trip to her new destiny. Ilna is drawn into darkness with her talent of weaving. The hermit Nonnus is a loyal protector of Sharina with a dark past. All of these ch aracters have flaws and grow throughout the story. They contribute to the entertaining pleasure of the book with likable characters going through challenging events.
Finally, the book’s grand setting adds to enjoyment of reading it. The setting is a strong piece of world building. Mr. Drake created a world with a vast history and interesting cultures. This world is made up of islands that form one nation with a king. One of the intriguing cultures is the Floating Folk. They are tribes of people that live on :boats tied together on the sea. Wherever the currents take them, they go around in a yearly cycle. The Folk hunt whales for their food and building materials. Islanders live in cities that are thousands of years old, which the author makes you see with his vivid descriptions. This book’s descriptive setting brings the story to life. It helps increase the book’s entertainment high.
Lord of the Isles by David Drake is an entertaining Fantasy because of its action plot, interesting characters and grand setting. David Drake is an excellent Fantasy author with a good imagination and who creates an impressive secondary world. He delivers a gripping Epic Fantasy that is the beginning of a new series. I recommend this book to readers who love action and intrigue. Be sure to check out the other books in the series.
Friday, October 01, 2010
Mermaids in Fantasy
They roam the seas of our imaginations. Half woman, half fish, mermaids are mythical denizens of the ocean. Their presence in our myths reflect our continued fascination and fear of the mystery of the sea. Mermaids, mermen and other mer-folk vary in their appearances in myths and folk tales. Some are helpful, saving lives. At other times they are dangerous, luring humans to their deaths with siren songs. Mermaids appear in Fantasy too in a variety of media.
One of the most famous stories of a mermaid is the fairy tale of “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Anderson. The mermaid falls in love with a human prince. She trades her voice to have legs on land, but can not tell the prince of her love. He marries another woman and she ends tragically like in many fairy tales. This story has inspired several retellings in different forms. Authors such as Charles de Lint use it to add a different twist to the story. Walt Disney Studios made it into a popular, animated musical movie a few years ago, though much of the power of the story is removed by this treatment.
Mermaid’s Song by Alida Van Gores is an Epic Fantasy of an undersea world. The Balance has been stable for years, guarded by the Seadragons. Now only two are left while evil is rising to destroy the sea world. A Between must be chosen to serve the dragons to help restore the Balance. Once the chosen were the Merra, but they are few in number due to an ancient betrayal. Elan is the young mermaid who must find her destiny and save the world. This book is a fascinating story of the ocean with magical creatures and a very different heroine.
Another book with mer-people is Poul Anderson’s The Merman’s Children. In this book the world of Fairy and humans interact closely. Four children of a merman seek their destiny by searching for their father to get some answers from him. It is a story about their lives and the destruction of Fairy at the end of the Middle Ages in Europe. They are persecuted by humanity as magic vanishes from the world. The author writes a strong tale of love and sorrow in a plain, but vivid prose. There is a powerful sense of poignancy in the book.
Mermaids have been the subjects of some popular movies too. Like Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Splash” was a funny romantic comedy some years ago. The mermaid fell in love with the character played by Tom Hanks. She follows on to land with some amusing scenes throughtout the movie. There is an old black and white movie about a mermaid also. “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” tells the story of a middle-aged man that finds a mermaid. He keeps trying to hide her from his wife and friends with many funny results.
Mermaids and their brethren are found in the mythology and folklore all over the world. Fantasy authors have used them to tell interesting stories of magical undersea worlds. Whether helpful or drawing people to their deaths, they express the human fear and awe of the mystery of the ocean. There are web sites where you can find more information and stories of mermaids. Go explore the undersea worlds.
Web sites:
http://www.seatails.com
http://users.javanet.com/~frodo/mermaids.html
http://mermaids.net
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/mermaids/homepage.html
One of the most famous stories of a mermaid is the fairy tale of “The Little Mermaid” by Hans Christian Anderson. The mermaid falls in love with a human prince. She trades her voice to have legs on land, but can not tell the prince of her love. He marries another woman and she ends tragically like in many fairy tales. This story has inspired several retellings in different forms. Authors such as Charles de Lint use it to add a different twist to the story. Walt Disney Studios made it into a popular, animated musical movie a few years ago, though much of the power of the story is removed by this treatment.
Mermaid’s Song by Alida Van Gores is an Epic Fantasy of an undersea world. The Balance has been stable for years, guarded by the Seadragons. Now only two are left while evil is rising to destroy the sea world. A Between must be chosen to serve the dragons to help restore the Balance. Once the chosen were the Merra, but they are few in number due to an ancient betrayal. Elan is the young mermaid who must find her destiny and save the world. This book is a fascinating story of the ocean with magical creatures and a very different heroine.
Another book with mer-people is Poul Anderson’s The Merman’s Children. In this book the world of Fairy and humans interact closely. Four children of a merman seek their destiny by searching for their father to get some answers from him. It is a story about their lives and the destruction of Fairy at the end of the Middle Ages in Europe. They are persecuted by humanity as magic vanishes from the world. The author writes a strong tale of love and sorrow in a plain, but vivid prose. There is a powerful sense of poignancy in the book.
Mermaids have been the subjects of some popular movies too. Like Disney’s “The Little Mermaid,” “Splash” was a funny romantic comedy some years ago. The mermaid fell in love with the character played by Tom Hanks. She follows on to land with some amusing scenes throughtout the movie. There is an old black and white movie about a mermaid also. “Mr. Peabody and the Mermaid” tells the story of a middle-aged man that finds a mermaid. He keeps trying to hide her from his wife and friends with many funny results.
Mermaids and their brethren are found in the mythology and folklore all over the world. Fantasy authors have used them to tell interesting stories of magical undersea worlds. Whether helpful or drawing people to their deaths, they express the human fear and awe of the mystery of the ocean. There are web sites where you can find more information and stories of mermaids. Go explore the undersea worlds.
Web sites:
http://www.seatails.com
http://users.javanet.com/~frodo/mermaids.html
http://mermaids.net
http://rubens.anu.edu.au/student.projects/mermaids/homepage.html
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