Helen Lowe's Blog, page 217
June 27, 2013
A Geography Of Haarth: Emaln
The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick
The A Geography of Haarth series is traversing the full range of locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth. This week features the first entry for “E.”
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Emaln: a city of the River, best known for feuding with its neighbour, Sirith
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‘The sergeant shrugged. “The quarrels between Emaln and Sirith seem to escalate every year, as well as trade disputes between any number of other cities. But these new folk from the north are th...
June 26, 2013
“Insightful” Interview With Author, Kristin Cashore, On “Bitterblue” Republished in China
Last year I had the very great privilege and pleasure to interview Kristin Cashore about her latest novel Bitterblue. This interview was also one of my “most-read” posts for 2012.
Recently, I was thrilled to receive a request from GaeaBooks in Taiwan to republish the interview, described as “insightful”, to support the release of Bitterblue into the Chinese market—and naturally I was very pleased to say “yes.”
I am also very appreciative that GaeaBooks have provided a copy of the translated int...
June 25, 2013
Just Arrived: “The Ocean At the End Of The Lane” by Neil Gaiman
This is the book that everyone seems to be talking about right now and it’s on my TBR table: w00t!
Here’s what the backcover blurb says:
“It began for our narrator forty years ago when the family lodger stole their car and committed suicide in it, stirring up ancient powers best left undisturbed. Dark creatures from beyond the world are on the loose, and it will take everything our narrator has just to stay alive: there is primal horror here, and menace unleashed – within his family and from th...
June 24, 2013
Tuesday Poem: More About Sparrows—An Excerpt from “Thornspell”
“… He turned away, kicking through a deeper drift, and saw
that there was a girl standing beneath the bare crown of an
elder tree. A sparrow fluttered into the branches, followed
by another, and then a third, until there was a small flock of
them preening and fluttering their feathers above her head.
Her chemise and skirt, brown as the sparrows, blended with
the dreary colors in the garden”
~ from Thornspell, Knopf, 2008
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I have been posting few poems on sparrows since I completed the ekphrastic poet...
June 23, 2013
A New Review For “The Gathering Of The Lost”: 10 Out Of 10 Stars!
USA
UK/AUS/NZ
Reviews can be few and far between at the best of times, but even more so when the writer is out on the vasty deeps between books—so I’m very pleased to be able to refer you to a new review for The Gathering Of The Lost, The Wall of Night Book Two.
The review appeared on the Founding Fields site last week, with the review posted by “Shadowhawk”, who also reviewed The Heir Of Night last year.
Here’s his summary comment for The Gathering Of The Lost:
“A brilliant sequel to a brilliant...
June 22, 2013
A Book Quote For Sunday: from Robert Heinlein
“Man is not a rational animal, he is a rationalizing animal.”
~ Robert Heinlein, Assignment in Eternity (1953)
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There’s a lot in Heinlein I can take or leave, but this has always struck a chord.
June 21, 2013
Pear, Chocolate & Almond Cake — for Nicola Griffiths & All of You :)
As many—but perhaps not all—of you may know, I am a foodie as well as (per the ‘legend’ above!) a novelist, poet, interviewer and blogger. 
I also love SFF and an SF novel I very much enjoyed is Nicola Griffiths’ Ammonite–which you will also see listed on my recent post: Women Write Science Fiction: Yes, We Do!
So when I saw Nicola tweeting about almond croissants (a favourite!) and also chocolate, I had to advocate for this Pear, Chocolate & Almond Cake—and having first tantalized, promised t...
June 20, 2013
A Geography Of Haarth: Dunmuir Slough
The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick
The A Geography of Haarth series is traversing the full range of locales and places from The Wall of Night world of Haarth. This week we have our one and only—so far!—entry for “D.”
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Dunmuir Slough: an extensive wetland area in the Emerian Hills
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“The brown bull of Barrowdun driven off and harried to its death in Dunmuir slough,” Hirn said, his eyes fixed on the Castellan. “Hillholt’s swiftest horses found hamstrung and gutted by the Stan...
June 19, 2013
What I’m Reading: “Battle Of the Birds” By Lee Murray
Battle of the Birds (Te Pakanga O Nga Manu), by Tauranga author, Lee Murray, won the Sir Julius Vogel Award for Best Youth Novel in 2012, so as you can tell this is a long overdue read—but a fun one.
Lee’s novel is Junior fiction, and I am enjoying its weaving together of traditional Maori folklore and New Zealand’s natural history, into an adventurous story involving three young protagonists, Annie, Moana, and Kahurangi. There is also a nice overlay into North Amercian folklore associated wit...
June 18, 2013
Big Worlds On Small Screens: Rebecca Fisher Discusses “Avatar: The Last Airbender—Season One”
Hello again, this is Rebecca Fisher, here as promised last week to bring you a series of posts focusing on the enjoyment, creativity and imaginative power of fantasy/sci-fi film and television. Up first is Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of my very favourite animated shows. Because it’s such a rich and multifaceted program this post will concentrate mainly on season one, and the best way to introduce you to it is to describe how I was introduced to it.
Avatar, Season One
I was baby...
