Helen Lowe's Blog, page 74
October 28, 2018
What I’m Reading: “Sparrow Hill Road” by Seanan McGuire
Genre: Fantasy/Urban Fantasy
Story Form: Novel; 302 pp
First Published: 2014; Revised 2018 — DAW Books
I hesitated over the genre for Seanan McGuire’s Sparrow Hill Road because primarily it’s a ghost story—or a series of linked ghost stories, in fact, tied together into novel form. Yet the story of restless ghost, Rose Marshall, is definitely set in the contemporary urban America—albeit from the 1950s to the present—of highways, truck stops, and diners. So in that sense it’s Urban Fantasy.
Bu...
October 24, 2018
A Geography of Haarth: Red Keep
The Wall of Night Series map; design by Peter Fitzpatrick
The A Geography of Haarth post series traverses the full range of locales and places from The Wall Of Night world of Haarth.
From January 25, 2013 to November 25, 2014, the series explored locations encountered in The Heir Of Night and The Gathering Of The Lost.
Now it’s returned to gazette the geography of Daughter Of Blood (The Wall Of Night Book Three.) The new series comprises updates of previous entries as well as new listings.
—...
October 21, 2018
Having Fun With Epic Fantasy Tropes #11: The Mentor
The “mentor” or “wise guide” is a time-honored aspect of epic tales so it was unquestionably remiss of me to contemplate a post series on tropes that did not include it. 
October 17, 2018
About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players in “The Wall Of Night” Series — Meet Falath
USA
UK/AU/NZ
Last year, I resumed my “About the Characters” post series that focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daugh...
October 14, 2018
OK, OK, I Give In — You “Shall” Have More Fun With Epic Fantasy Tropes
Hill Tower, Jaransor; art by Peter Fitzpatrick
Not too many, though! 
October 10, 2018
A Geography of Haarth: Port Farewell
“The Heir Of Night” map: artist, Peter Fitzpatrick
The A Geography of Haarth post series traverses the full range of locales and places from The Wall Of Night world of Haarth.
From January 25, 2013 to November 25, 2014, the series explored locations encountered in The Heir Of Night and The Gathering Of The Lost.
Now it’s returned to gazette the geography of Daughter Of Blood (The Wall Of Night Book Three.) The new series comprises updates of previous entries as well as new listings.
—
Port F...
October 7, 2018
What I’m Reading: “All Systems Red” by Martha Wells
Genre: Science Fiction
Story Type: Novella
First Published: 2017 by TOR.com
Awards: Nebula Award 2017 for Best Novella; Hugo Award 2018 for Best Novella
Science Fiction covers a broad spectrum and Martha Wells’ novella, All Systems Red, lies at the “Space Opera” end, with an overlap to Military SciFi.
Just so you know what I mean by “space opera”, to me it means adventurous (or even swashbuckling) stories set in futuristic or “alternative universe” space settings, where the emphasis is more...
October 3, 2018
On Supernatural Underground Now: Halloween Is Coming!
Yes, it is! Albeit at the end of the month, but hey—best to be prepared right?! (Correct answer: Correct!
September 30, 2018
Resuming A Long Abandoned Quest for the Orange Cake Grail
The first orange cake
Lateish in 2015, I embarked on Quest For the Holy Grail—of orange cakes! “Which,” I pondered, “was the Best and Greatest?” The only way, I thought, was to make/bake the recipes and find out…
Orange cake, the second…
So in my mind, I had done a whole sequence of posts on this topic before being distracted by Other Life Matters, including the imminent release of Daughter Of Blood, as I recall. In the end, therefore, there were only ever two posts:
September 26, 2018
About The Characters: Meet The Minor Players in “The Wall Of Night” Series — Meet Erron
UK/AU/NZ
Last year, I resumed my “About the Characters” post series that focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, because:
“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”
Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter...
