Beth Tabler's Blog, page 169
August 9, 2022
Review – A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms by George R.R. Martin, Gary Gianni
George R.R. Martin may finish THE WINDS OF WINTER and the rest of A SONG OF ICE AND FIRE but like winter itself, it’s coming but hasn’t arrived yet. In the meantime, though, we have the excellent FIRE AND BLOOD history novel plus A KNIGHT OF THE SEVEN KINGDOMS. This is a compilation of three novellas set in the Targaryen dynasty’s height and considerably lighter and softer.
At seventeen years old, almost seven-foot-tall, strong, and with weight and reach in his favor, Dunk is a formidable hedge knight or lordless knight. Basically, a knight errant or ronin without the romanticism. Essentially, Dunk is a knight who travels throughout the Seven Kingdoms doing jobs he deems true and honorable for coin. Dunk is as true and decent as any Knight you would have read about in A Song of Ice and Fire and there is a fan theory that Brienne is a descendant of his and I can totally believe that.
We are presented the tale from his mind, and he talks himself down over explaining his stupidity. I never really saw him as being dim. He can’t read, he has never kissed a girl and he doesn’t really have people skills but some of the supporting cast and villains who can and have done these come across as more vile and horrid when reflected against Dunk’s honesty, loyalty and general goodheartedness.
Egg is an amazing character. Even though he has Targaryen purple eyes he shaves his head, so his gold/silver hair doesn’t make it completely obvious regarding his lineage. And he has a silly straw hat! He is as wise as a maester but still only ten. He knows the history of the majority of the nation’s houses and can name who someone is just by seeing the paintwork on their shields. He is also quick of tongue sometimes to his detriment, especially when these three novellas often discuss the Targaryan Blackfyre rebellion and hints at seeds of which are still spread throughout the land.
Of the three novellas, as follows: THE HEDGE KNIGHT is an excellent story that nicely deconstructs chivalry in a reversal of how it usually is done in Martin’s stories. We see how utterly screwed up the system becomes if you do follow your vows to protect the innocent. THE SWORN SWORD is the best of the bunch with an analysis of how war can become very complicated even when it’s over almost nothing. THE MYSTERY KNIGHT is a shift from the other stories and touches on the more complicated politics the main series is known for.
I read this after I read GRRM’s Fire and Blood and the knowledge I gained regarding the Targaryan’s there did enhance my experience although it isn’t truly necessary to read in that order. I think this could be thoroughly enjoyed by someone who has not yet read the main series. It’s not all pretty and it does feature numerous deaths, violence, and backstabbing but from Dunk’s perspective, these stories present a lot more hope and goodness than we are accustomed to from a typical Westeros tale.
When I read this, I had had one of the worst weeks of my life. If I believed in guardian angels, I would think that mine made me pick up this book at this time instead of the other 1000 books on my to-be-read list. This story was exactly what I needed. Interesting, funny, about friendship with elements of trust, mystery, and excitement. I’ve always looked down upon reviewers who rate a book 6/5 as I think it makes no sense. After this scenario and how this book has helped me recover then this is the closest I will ever get to giving that rating. It’s the best novel I’ve read this year, and I can’t wait to read about more Dunk and Egg.
Read More of Our ReviewsReview -The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter
Review – A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow
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Those Are The Last Days by Bjørn Larssen
by Bjørn Larssen | 1912 Words
Our hydrangeas died the day London was burning, July 19th, which was also the 19th day of the first drought. On the 21st it began to rain, and it rained all day, and then it didn’t again, and I started counting the days anew. Otherwise I would have to admit the drought was not over. That it just took a pause to regroup. The numbers would get too big. Intimidating. It is very good holiday weather, they say. I think of food.
Day 1 of the second droughtIt is a strange summer; strange droughts. It hasn’t been hot (except the day London was burning). I know dry heat, yes. Very good holiday weather that won’t stop confuses me. Our hibiscus is dying of thirst. Grasses are dying of thirst. Flowers the name of which I have forgotten are dying of thirst. We water them in the evening. It is still legal, now. Those are the last days. But not tonight, not yet. Soon.
The cherry tree is dead. Internet says it should have been planted March-April, after the frosts ended. We planted it in November and the frosts came in March-April. We probably overwatered it during the drought, says the gardener who sold it to us. I hope it comes back to life next year, I say to Husby. It will not, he says.
I pray for rain.
A few years ago Husby would have said “it’s good for the plants” during every downpour, and there were many, and I would huff “I’ll appreciate that when I’m a plant,” and now he doesn’t say it, and I wish he had a chance. It is good for the plants. Hydrangeas, hibiscus, harvests.
Day 6 of the second drought
Phillippa Fox, the general manager of New Zealand’s Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment, declares the climate change has “insufficient weight.” There is a photograph of Phillippa Fox on her Facebook. There is no photograph of the climate change.
I think of Surtr, the God whose fires will devour the world when Ragnarök comes. Phillippa Fox tells Surtr to put his sword away before he steps on the scale. She knows his tricks, she says. As the desk begins to smoulder underneath the flaming sword Phillippa Fox slowly shakes her head; makes tsk-tsk noises. His weight, Phillippa Fox declares, as Surtr’s shoulders drop and lip quivers, is insufficient. Phillippa Fox has no choice but to issue more permits, to search for more oil and gas, and more and more and more and more until Surtr’s weight is sufficient for him to be released into the world and end it.
It is Freyr, the God of good harvests, who will fight Surtr in Ragnarök. He will lose. He is already losing, even though Surtr’s weight is insufficient. There will be few good harvests this year, and those few will be destroyed.
Day 1 of the second drought
Here, in the West, Husby orders 15 kg of flour online. “It’s more expensive already,” he remarks. In the East, where my Mum lives, there is no flour or sugar in the shops. It’s only available on TVPropaganda, laughs Mum, same as coal. There will be lots of coal, promises the prime minister, actually too much coal, we don’t need Putin’s gas, we can buy coal from other countries. (Poland exports its coal.) I laugh too. We both remember communism, although she remembers more of it. We survived on laughter.
Putin agrees to a deal with Ukraine to allow grain exports. 12 hours later Odesa, Ukraine’s main port, is targeted with cruise missile strikes. I think about the crops. I remember getting up at five a.m. to stand in line to buy bread for Easter. I remember the bread ran out when there were just four more people in front of me. There was nowhere else to go. There was no flour. Even though nobody destroyed the grain on purpose.
The word “famine” appears somewhere as I doomscroll. Then the word “Africa.” I scroll faster.
Day 18 of the first drought
One day before our hydrangeas die, the day before London is burning, the Good Morning Britain weather forecaster Laura Tobin is accused of scaremongering and “weather propaganda” and called Dr Doom, and told she should be jailed over her climate warnings. Twitter decides the weather propaganda has to end. The next morning, angered Dr Doom uses her powers to give the London Fire Brigade their heaviest workout since World War II. (It is a quote.)
Surtr pleads with Phillippa Fox to give him a phone, so he can start a Twitter account. “Insufficient weight,” she says, and her voice is so cold Surtr unexpectedly shivers.
Day 6 of the second drought
We are having a barbecue. Husby watered everything thoroughly. The charcoal doesn’t produce sparks or flames, only ash. The temperature is 21 degrees in the shade and a bit more through the smog. We eat nice food now because soon it will not be there. Chicken burgers and beef burgers and a baguette and a salad.
Can we have a fire later, Husby asks, a small one?
I don’t feel great about it, I say.
Just kindling? he asks hopefully.
I assess the wind and our surroundings. I bring some kindling over and put it on top of the coals and set aflame. I guard each spark. A few ride on a gust of wind, head towards the open door of the shed. My gaze follows. There is sawdust on the floor. I announce the fire is over. There is no better food for sparks than sawdust. It’s dry. There is air. Everything fire needs to grow and multiply. Did you know the only reason why humans don’t consider fire a living being is that it has no DNA?
I wonder whether Surtr’s fire will consider humans a living beings even though they will have had DNA.
Day 7 of the second drought
Shell announces record earnings of $11.5bn in April-June. Shell’s chief executive, Ben van Beurden, says the company could not “perform miracles” to bring oil and gas prices down. “It is what it is,” says Ben van Beurden. Do not use His name in vain, for He is a being so powerful the Shareholders themselves bow to Him, as they await the dividends.
Every night we look at smallholdings for sale. A ritual. Make sure it’s not in Groningen, Husby says. There are earthquakes in Groningen because of fracking. “A lot of people don’t see the link between what they eat every day and what we as farmers do,” says an organic dairy farmer from Groningen. He was ordered to reduce his livestock number by 30% to lower emissions. It is what it is.
We eat nice food now because soon it will not be there.
Day 13 of the second drought
“Crucially, our powering progress strategy is delivering strong results for our shareholders on the back of years of portfolio high grading, combined with robust operational performance” says Ben van Beurden, and Shareholders applaud, for it means they will get $7.9 billion.
1 Some time later Shareholders tested Abraham. They said to him, “ Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
2 Then Shareholders said, “ Take your son, your only son, whom you love – Isaac. Then sacrifice him as a burnt offering on a hill we will show you, far away from our yachts and villas and private jets.”
3 When they reached the place Shareholders had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He laid his son on the altar, on top of the wood, and soaked it in Brent crude oil.
4 But the spokesperson of Shareholders called out to him from Internet, “ Abraham! Abraham!” “Here I am,” he replied.
5 “ You must pay for the Brent crude oil you poured on the wood.”
6 Abraham apologised profusely, paid $103.34 per barrel, then sacrificed his son, his donkey, his servants, the hill, his village, the villages surrounding it, the country, the continent, and himself.
7 “It is what it is,” said Shareholders and shared a $7.9bn dividend.
Day 14 of the second drought
0 mm in last 24 hours. None expected in next 10 days. Fuck you, Weather app, I used to say. That was before I found torpor.
I used to think about Shareholders, Greta, Personal Responsibility (marketing concept invented by British Petroleum). I used to snap at people who neglected their Personal Responsibility. I stopped eating beef for a few months because of Bolsonaro’s politics. (This did not change Bolsonaro’s politics.) I did not buy a car, a motorbike, or a private jet. I used to retweet important statistics. (Okay, I still do that. Grief is not a linear process.) I felt powerless. Like I didn’t matter. Like nothing I did mattered.
It is true and now I am free.
When I stand next to a waterfall, or a mountain, or a great forest, I feel like a dot. I will be gone, I think, all of us will be, even horsies and doggos and bunny rabbits, but Earth will remain. This waterfall will still roar, or maybe it will not, replaced with a volcano or turning into a canyon for nobody to admire. The mountains, sprinkled with ash from the forest, the red-grey sky will be inherited by creatures able to adapt, such as salamanders and Shareholders.
Ben van Beurden did not give me $7.9bn in dividends. He gave me something that has no price: understanding and acceptance of my dot-ness. “It is what it is,” I repeat every time anger threatens to break my faith in Stockholders’ wisdom and kindness. Torpor brings peace, relief, and joy. You too can find torpor in those last days. Repeat: “it is what it is” over and over, until you no longer know what it means and what you mean, and then you shall see the meaning of your life is meaninglessness. Enjoy your last days, always remembering Personal Responsibility.
Now (whenever)
I have more last days left than most others. I live in a rich country and I have air conditioning. I don’t have as many last days left as Shareholders, but more than people of Pakistan or India, and horsies and doggos and bunny rabbits, and our hibiscus. I avert my gaze when it pleads silently. News: the water level is so low ships are getting stuck. There is no need to worry about drinking water, says News, then specifies: for people. Those are the last days of our hibiscus.
I wish I took a photo of the cherry tree. I did not know those were its last days. Our tomatoes beg and Husby sneaks outside with a watering can. Courgettes, I think in a whisper, lettuce, brambles, strawberries. Livestock, Odesa shelling, chicken burgers, sunflower oil. Flour. Sugar.
Coal.
Are you sure it won’t rain, Husby asks. I look at him blankly. Those clouds are really dark, he says. His voice is husky. Throat – dry. Quietly, he wastes more litres of water on the pear tree. It’s almost ready for harvest. Just a few more days.
0 mm in last 24 hours. None expected in next 10 days.
My lips move in prayer even though I know nobody important is listening.
Soon
“You are free to go,” says Phillippa Fox.
Surtr’s blank eyes meet her smiling gaze.
“Your weight is now sufficient,” Phillippa Fox clarifies.
“There’s nothing left for me to do,” Surtr says.
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#SPFBO8 Review and Cut – The Night Comes Alive by Ross Hughes
The adage “no one reads the same book” is definitely true, and I would recommend this book to others. I am glad that I was able to read this book and discover a new to me author.
What Is The Night Comes Alive About?Beware the night and those who roam it with fangs and eyes of the brightest blue …
On the cusp of maturity at the age of twelve, Spot de León has the innocence to see what others cannot.
Piercing the veils of illusion woven all around him, he soon realizes the world is not at all as he had thought.
A secret centuries-old war is being waged in the streets.
The damned stalk the night, draining the blood of innocents, and the mysterious Crows are the only ones who seem to know.
Beware the city of Justiqua, where even Knights are not safe from nightmares, a city bankrupted by Crusades, where poverty and crime are rife and a plague cripples the populace.
Beware the city of Vampyres, where the Old One lurks in catacombs deep underground.
Beware when the night comes alive …
My Review:
I enjoyed reading through this book! While there were really slow aspects, and it almost felt like you were being given too much information, the story still came together very well. I will admit to having a soft spot for vampires.
The characters are well rounded, and the story has some POW aspects as well. There are times that you are almost holding your breath at times as you turn the page to see what will happen next. There is a battle between good and evil, and you will be reading as fast as you can to discover what happens next!
As I said, I loved the book, but I felt some things could have been better. I found a few typos throughout the book. The biggest takeaway for me was the areas where it just lagged. I felt as though I was slogging through those pages, waiting for the tempo to pick back up, and I didn’t feel as though this would stand up against some of the other books. So, while I enjoyed the read, I am cutting this one from the contest.
The adage “no one reads the same book” is definitely true, and I would recommend this book to others. I am glad that I was able to read this book and discover a new to me author.
Check Out Some of Our Other Reviews#SPFBO8 Review and Cut – Honor For The Dead by Connor Ludovissy
#SPFBO8 – Review and Cut – Debunked by Dito Abbott
Buy The Night Comes Alive from Amazon
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August 8, 2022
Review – The Fires of Vengeance by Evan Winter
Whew, this was a rideeeeee. I felt so many emotions during this story and I read until late into the night to finish it. Usually when I’m reading a book that I enjoy this much, and I use my tabbing system, my green tabs run out first (the ones that represent enjoyment) but this time, I ran though an entire new pack of orange tabs (frustration/anger/eye-rolling), but amazingly this didn’t lessen my enjoyment of this story. In my first review I mention Tau was an extremely stubborn main character that is frustrating to read about, but that aspect of his character is absolutely necessary for the plot of this book and for his relationship to the other characters. That doesn’t change in this book and honestly he is frustratingly oblivious; though that does lead to some extremely funny situations throughout.
The expansion of the magic system and it’s integration with the training sequences led to some really interesting plot developments. I’m very much intrigued to see where Winter goes with it in the next book.
This book doesn’t hold back on its violence but it’s violence with a purpose. It really shows how blazing a road to vengeance sends ripples out into the world and has horrific consequences in kind. I also think this second book did a fantastic job of expanding the cast of characters. I cared very deeply for multiple people in this book and it was nice to not have to focus all my energy on Tau. I loved Queen Tsiora’s “handmaidens” and Themba, and I was also living for Uduak and Hadith. Having a more diverse cast with women and lgbtq characters was a refreshing addition to this second installment.
Honestly, it’s been a really long time since a book gripped me enough to keep me reading until 4am so on that alone, this book has to get a stellar rating.
4.5/5 stars.
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#MusicMonday – Sea Lion by Sage Francis
Force of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
I must have listened to this song a thousand times this year. The smoothness of the voice sets it off. If you dig it, listen to “The Best of Times.” Let me know what you think!
Sea Lion by Sage Francis
Force of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
When singer can be among song
Force of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
When singer can be among songMa, Ma, look what I did, Ma
Look what I did to my hands, I broke em
You gave me the stone, gave me the chisel
Didn’t say how to hold em
Didn’t say give away every piece of the puzzle
Till I was left with nothing
But I took it upon myself to crush it up and distribute the dust
Get in the bus, hop in the van
Jump in the water, crawl to the land
Build another castle out of the sand
Break it down and then I get into the saddle again
Going city to city I’m already lost, tell the boss
Who is new in town; I’m-a ride this horse till it bucks me off
And I’m forced to shoot it down
I’m-a take him out for some gasoline
I’m-a trade this cow for some magic beans
Make Mom proud of the deals that I’ve made
‘Cause I’m just a modern day Johnny Appleseed
But I’m glad that I never passed the genes
And I never put down the axe
Piano Man got a checkered dance floor
To grace and the painful look on his face
‘Cause the crowd is packed and the louder they clap
The less he is able to make the connection
Between what he sees when he hears certain notes
And the hurt that is shown in his facial expression
I don’t need your go-ahead to go ahead
No, I know no one said it was gonna be easy
But sweet Jesus, who wants to sleep with me?
Way too many moves to learn
But not enough people to put em on
Lookit, Mom, no hands
I built this suit of armor with wooden arms
Force of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
When singer can be among song
Force of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
When singer can be among songOh God I think I’m dead
I can’t see outside my head
Brains and bloods and cryptic gang men
Czars and warlords breaking bread
Thoughts are thought
What’s said is said
I thought that ‘fore you said it
I didn’t mean to think out loud
My tongue slipped but who let it?
Let it be, let me be, let me go, nah let me out
My manhood nods and whispers when my father screams and shouts
Dear dad I’m sad you’re dead
A new man standing in the pulpit
He bows before a wooden cross and forces praise the culprit
I’m a tenor in the choir but I sing a different song
Of how the where’s and why’s of now all prove I don’t belong
But I’m staying I’ve planted seeds and plan to watch them grow
I’ve watered all my wishes dreams fulfilled more seeds to sow
And I promise to learn to love the way I’ve learned to fear
To unknot all the inhibitions tangled in my hair
To let my ego mound in piles around the barber chair
And make a graceful exit from my vexed and troubled years
I’ve decided I’ve been invited to my own resort
Where knights can leave their armor neatly piled by the door
And every woman, child, and man will gather by the shore
And study how sea lions swim in cursiveForce of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
When singer can be among song
Force of my love was strong
The sea lion laying down long
A song in the air
Why should singer care
When singer can be among song
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#SPSFC Interview with Benjamin J. Roberts Author of A Star Named Vega
BWG: What do you think makes a good story?
All good stories have at least one major explosion. A Star Named Vega has three major explosions, which is why it made it to the Finals of the SPSFC.
BWG: How did you get into writing? Were there any catalysts in your life that set you on your path to loving the written word?
I used to fill notebooks with stories when I was very young. Then the summer of 2000 saw the release of The Goblet of Fire and The Amber Spyglass. That was the summer I started writing novels.
BWG: What comes first for you, the plot or the characters, and why?
I love it when everything ties up at the end with a big thematic payoff. You really need to plan that stuff ahead. Then I bully my characters into following my plan. If they step out of line, I cut them in the next draft. Your characters should fear you.
BWG: How was your first SPSFC? If you have other books, Do you think you will submit them to future contests?
Following the SPSFC on Twitter was great fun, and it was amazing to have my work read by so many passionate reviewers and bloggers. That said, spending an entire year wondering when you’ll get cut is pretty exhausting. I don’t know if I could do it again!
BWG: What was the best part of the SPSFC experience?
There was something special about making it to the Semi Finals. It was the highest “Total Buzz” of the competition, given the number of authors still in the running. And those 30 books really did represent the best of indie science fiction (more so than the finalists, in my opinion). Among my favourites were Mazarin Blues by Al Hess, and ARvekt by Craig Lea Gordon.
BWG: For readers unfamiliar with your work, can you tell us about your SPSFC entry?
Aster is a Martian teenager with spray-painting fingernails, and she’s moving to the Vega System with her dad. Rel is a genetically engineered supersoldier with organic insect armour and a liquid metal hammer, and he’s on a mission to intercept their voyage. Things escalate from there.
BWG: Where did you get the idea for your book?
I was a bit tired of all the gloomy dystopian stories that were so popular a decade ago. For me the future has always been shiny and awesome, with flying cars and cool robots and free cake. I wanted to write that future.
BWG: What was your most brutal scene to write, and why?
Rel has a handful of brutal scenes. Lots of horrific injuries and emotional torment. His suffering was meant to counterpoint Aster’s awesome life, but maybe I was a bit too tough on the guy. Sorry, Rel.
BWG: What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?
The story took me six years to complete, with too many drafts and rewrites to count. Almost everything has changed since that first draft, save for the image of a space pirate rescuing a girl on a ship.
BWG: There is usually research of some form when writing a Sci-fi novel. Were there any exciting bits of research or rabbit holes you went down writing the book?
The characters and themes are all based on the prophetic books of William Blake (try Googling “Fuzon”)
BWG: What do you have coming up in the future?
I’m not entirely sure, writing is difficult. I might try blacksmithing next.
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August 6, 2022
Book Review: That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon by Kimberly Lemming
The title lets you know right away what you’re in for, and That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon delivers the promised goods in this playful fantasy romance perfect for the beach or the couch. If you’re looking for deep lore and wildly innovative fantasy elements, look elsewhere. But if you want “fantasy that fucks,” as Lemming’s author catchphrase puts it, you’ve come to the right place.
The story begins, not surprisingly, with the protagonist, Cinnamon Hotpepper (even the names are funny) accidentally saving a demon during a night of debauchery. She comes from a family of spice merchants (another wink to the intended audience), and it turns out that cinnamon repels demons, more or less, though Cin herself clearly attracts Fallon (the demon) from the get-go. The plot involves a lich everyone thinks is a goddess, and Cin agrees to help Fallon destroy her.
There’s plenty of old-school D&D-style questing and fighting, which is all well and good, but it’s Lemming’s signature irreverence that makes the fantasy plot enjoyable. There’s even a delightful little nod to D&D:
We’re going to need to write some kind of monster manual so I can keep all this stuff straight.
The characters speak in vernacular English with a lot of cursing, and Cin’s interior monologues are particularly humorous:
The apple-embroidered curtains lit up with morning light while songbirds mocked me with their optimistic greeting of the day. A fucking demon attacked me last night, and the day had the audacity to shine as if nothing happened?
Rude.
Cin’s family is a bickering, loving bunch, and the family scenes are a delight, with heaps of food served with a side of familial sass. Food remains a theme throughout the book, and one of my favorite scenes (besides the sex scenes, but we’ll get to that) involves her catching and cooking up a mess of crayfish for Fallon with her signature spice blend. I can feel the love in the family and the food scenes, and I’d bet you dollars to donuts that the author is a great cook as well.
Speaking of feeling the love, this book has many nods to romance books, which will surely please readers of the genre. I had a hard time picking my favorite, but I’m going with this gem:
Brie flipped through the page of her romance novel from her spot on the love seat. She’d been helping me pack and watching me bicker with my new travel companion all morning. “Honestly,” she began, adding more sugar to her coffee. “I think you two need to bone.”
Oh, did someone say boning? This book has plenty, and the author’s love for these scenes shines in language that goes from full-throated explicitness (sorry, can’t share that here—you’ll have to read the book for those) to hilarious:
I could die from this. They’ll have to write “fucked into oblivion” on my tombstone. But glory, glory, what a hell of a way to die.
Or this gem:
He tore my blouse off like it personally offended him.
But there are lyrical moments as well:
It was almost like catching rapture in a bottle, its euphoric softness, a kind of aching desperation to feel it again.
The sex scenes involve some BDSM and the like, which is always a nice bonus, and there are content warnings in the book, so kudos for that. But the author shows the beauty of the power play dynamics as well:
I loved the greedy and possessive way Fallon touched me. It made me feel like a feast set in front of a starving man.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book, which was a bit outside my usual comfort zone—I often don’t do well with humor, but the light-heartedness of this book was such a breath of fresh air that I couldn’t put it down, and the spice was right up my alley. If you’re looking for a fantasy romance that’s heavy on spice and sass and doesn’t take itself too seriously, That Time I Got Drunk and Saved a Demon absolutely the book for you. And the second book is called That Time I Got Drunk and Yeeted a Love Potion at a Werewolf. Who wouldn’t want to read that?
Read my review of Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
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Review – THE THIEF WHO PULLED ON TROUBLE’S BRAIDS – by Michael McClung
My July TBR included some of the books who were annual champions in Mark Lawrence’s Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off (SPFBO). “The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids”, Book #1 in “Amra Thetys”, is one such novel.
At less than two hundred pages, this was a little book that could, taking out other typical fantasy behemoth-sized contenders to snag the title in the inaugural SPFBO, year 2015. After reading it, I can see why it fared so well in the contest.
Taking place in a grim, bleak, and dangerous urban setting called Lucernis, in a populated northern continent of McClung’s imaginary world, the story of “The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids” unfolds.
The guts of the plot is rather straightforward, and may sound familiar. Thief is down on their luck, and does not have the most savoury of friends. Thief’s rakish, charming fellow miscreant friend and occasional business partner, is mixed up with bad people who owe him.
Charming reprobate friend asks thief to hold onto friend’s dog, because friend is going to meet with the bad people who owe him, and is not entirely optimistic that he will survive the meeting. Coincidentally, friend also wants thief to stash an artifact for him, that it likely not worth all the trouble it will undoubtedly bring the thief’s way. Against better judgement and because she’s got a soft spot for reprobate, thief agrees to keep both mutt and merchandise. Friend says if he does not return in a day or so, that he’s likely been murdered. Sure enough, this is exactly what happens.
Thief is intially pegged for the murder, but with the assistance and intervention of the victim’s brother, a powerful but cynical mage who is a regular ally of the thief, and some other interesting characters who are not necessarily very moral, upright, or upstanding citizens, thief manages to begin the search for the real killer, determined to avenge her slain charming reprobate friend.
It all starts with the characters for me, and McClung shines here. The thief, Amra, is definitely shaded in grey, but tough, determined, resourceful, snarky, and ultimately a loyal and dedicated friend. She exhibits a lot of integrity, and a refusal to give up, or give in, and bow down to superior forces. She’s at the bottom of society, but refuses to act completely like someone who is downtrodden. She’s caring and empathetic, willing to be vulnerable, and the reader will find herself rooting for her. What I also loved is that her inner beauty surpasses her outer beauty, and she feels very real and fleshed out.
Holgren is also an awesome character. His appearance is innocuous, but he is completely bad-ass, and with a ready quip, a handy spell, or gob-smacking display of power, he’s a great sidekick for Amra. He’s obviously very intelligent, and he believes in Amra. His trust inspires the reader to believe in her too.
The murder mystery element is very well done, with plenty of guts, gore, and thrilling fight sequences. There’s also plenty of wit and sarcasm, which is also fantastic, with plenty of out-loud chuckle inducing moments. Amid the frivolity interspersed with the stabby moments, mysterious and malevolent soft magic mingles in nicely with the action.
There are capricious and callous gods (love this element), haunted blades, bloodwitches, monsters,
daemonists, mages, and a surprisingly detailed backstory, religions, and worldbuilding for such a short book (overview, history, explanation of the various ages noted at the rear of the novel).
Themes of loss, friendship, betrayal, jealousy, greed, poverty, desperation, and yet hope can be found in the book. Lucernis is a place where the vast majority of the populace exist, rather than thrive. There is plenty of economic disparity, crime, and preying on the less-fortunate. People do what they can to survive, and Amra is no different. But she does not succumb to despair, nor completely give into her worst impulses.
This book was headed towards a solid four-star read for me, until the last 30 pages. Something in McClung’s smooth and accessible prose, and where he took some of the themes at that juncture of the book, completely raised the bar, touched my soul, and elevated this book to something very special.
“A tool that cannot be reliably taken in hand, fit for no useful purpose: Was it even a tool, in any rational sense of the word?…’A workman relies on his tool to do the job at hand. His skill, his hand, guides the tool. A tool that turns in his hand should be discarded.’…’But no responsible craftsman would leave a dangerous tool lying around for any fool to pick up. Even swords, meant only for killing, come with scabbards.'”
“The Thief Who Pulled on Trouble’s Braids” is a dark, fast-paced, and yet very rich and complete-feeling story, that seems very self-contained, while leaving plenty of room for interesting sequels.
4.75 stars for this excellent book, no doubt worthy of the first SPFBO championship.
Buy from Amazon
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An interview with #SPSFC Finalist T.A. Bruno Author of In the Orbit of Sirens
Check out our continuing series featuring authors from the finalist competition of The Self Published Science Fiction Contest.
An Interview with #SPSFC Finalist Cameron Coral of Steel Guardian
An Interview with SPSFC finalist G.M Nair of Duckett – Dyer: Dicks For Hire
BWG: What do you think makes a good story?
TB: Hi Beth, thanks for having me! Great question right out the gate. I find myself drawn to stories with unique worlds and loads of adventure. I like to feel like I’ve covered a lot of ground from the beginning of the book to the end. The weirder the adventure, the better. I have a pretty broad scope when it comes to reading, but that description fits my favorites.
BWG: How did you get into writing? Were there any catalysts in your life that set you on your path to loving the written word?
TB: Ever since I was a kid, I was writing little comic books for my third-grade class. I’ve been chasing that dopamine hit ever since. Multiple times throughout my childhood and schooling, I had attempted to create a novel, sometimes side-stepping writing in favor of other mediums because I wasn’t confident in my skills. It was only after I was outlining a short animated film that was initially going to be In the Orbit of Sirens that I realized I finally had enough meat there to do something bigger. It was not going to fit into a snug 5-minute short. I convinced myself it was worth it to try, even if I could fail. I buckled up and began outlining. I have now finished my trilogy, and people are enjoying the world I built, so I am delighted I pushed myself to try.
BWG: What comes first for you, the plot or the characters, and why?
TB: I’m a plot first guy. I outline the flow of the story first, what needs to happen to the world, then I go back over it and learn what my characters might learn about themselves or the world during those events. There are Pantsers and Plotters, but I consider myself a Gardener. I plan the field to sow, but what grows is natural. When I am finally in the thick of writing, I have all my pieces in the right places, and my characters still surprise me when confronted with the situation I laid out. I do this to have a complex plot and get the most impact from my characters.
BWG: How was your first SPSFC? If you have other books, Do you think you will submit them to future contests?
TB: I loved my experience with the SPSFC. I was convinced I’d be eliminated within the first round when it began. I was thrilled I made it to the semi-finals, then floored when I became a finalist! In the Orbit of Sirens ended up placing 5th, and I couldn’t be prouder! If other authors are reading this, I highly recommend joining if you can. The exposure was great, my sales increased, and I met many other excellent authors and bloggers. Seriously, I wish I had more books so I could enter it again, but I wish the best of luck to SPSFC2’s contestants.
I look forward to seeing it play out without the pressure of hoping to win.
BWG: What was the best part of the SPSFC experience?
Getting to meet other bloggers and authors. I feel like my writing sphere got larger. It was also fascinating seeing all the reviews from the judges. Just overall a positive experience.
BWG: For readers unfamiliar with your work, can you tell us about your SPSFC entry?
In the Orbit of Sirens
The Song of Kamaria Trilogy, Book 1
by T. A. Bruno
THE LAST FRAGMENTS OF THE HUMAN RACE ARE FORCED TO ADAPT TO A DANGEROUS NEW WORLD OR FACE EXTINCTION.
When starship mechanic, Denton Castus, is caught in the destructive path of a devastating war, he abandons his home and seeks refuge on a distant planet. However, this new safe haven has undiscovered threats of its own. Eliana Veston, a scout preparing the planet for the refugees, struggles with a deadly pandemic that is killing off colonists. The hunt for a cure unleashes a new threat to humanity—the Sirens—mysterious beings with incredible powers and a deep hatred for invaders.
BWG: Where did you get the idea for your book?
TB: In the Orbit of Sirens is a culmination of decades of ideas spinning around in my head. I mentioned before that I used to make comic books for my third-grade class. That was the initial “brain bug” that I occasionally developed throughout my life. Sure, almost nothing survived from that initial comic book, but it got the gears churning. In college, I tried the comic book again, this time with a lot more skill. I made the mistake of attempting to “Pants” it, just plow into it and see where it goes, but my ideas were too complex to just ramble through. I put it aside until years into my career. I tried to once again write it and failed. 6 years ago, I decided to try outlining the damn thing, and finally, it had legs. I wrote it to make the 3rd-grade version of myself happy.
BWG: What was your most brutal scene to write, and why?
TB: oof! This is a tough one to answer because my readers know I can be pretty mean to my characters. I’m going to answer as broadly as possible and say, “ALL of At the Threshold of the Universe (Song of Kamaria #3) is the most brutal scene.” Which is unfair, but that’s what I’m going to roll with.
BWG: What is a significant way your book has changed since the first draft?
TB: In the Orbit of Sirens was originally about double the length in the first draft. I had started my story in the wrong place, and there was too much “shoe leather” in the book. The characters didn’t make it to Kamaria until part 2. It wasn’t until my last beta reader suggested, “Hey, why not start the book on Kamaria with Eliana?” I churned that idea in my head and realized it was brilliant and not-to-be-ignored. I rewrote it, saving Denton and Eliana’s first interaction for part 2 instead of having Eliana and John Veston on the Telemachus with everyone. I feel like it worked. We’re all on Kamaria from page 1, which changed Eliana’s story’s flow to be way more interesting. Beta Readers are heros!
BWG: There is usually research of some form when writing a Sci-fi novel. Were there any exciting bits of research or rabbit holes you went down writing the book?
TB: Oh, for sure. I am an avid watcher of nature documentaries and a lover of trivia. Basically, anything I saw in those documentaries, I asked myself, “how would Kamaria do that?” Kamaria is “Earth-Like” but also 5 steps removed from what we understand.
If we’re talking serious research, On the Winds of Quasars (Book 2) features characters from the Deaf Community. I reached out to people in that community to help me create authentic characters and bring Sol-Sign, an adaptation of American Sign Language, to the story. I had a Deaf Consultant as well, and their involvement was amazing. I learned so much about their community and unique culture, and people seem to love the characters birthed from that process. It made the world feel more beautiful.
BWG: What do you have coming up in the future?
TB: At the moment, I just released At the Threshold of the Universe (Book 3) a few months ago, and I’m tapped out of energy. I have some brainstorms on the horizon, things that involve Kamaria but won’t require reading the trilogy to understand in case new readers want to hop in elsewhere, but so far, those are just rumblings of ideas. Until the right story finds me, I’m keeping busy digitally sculpting all of the creatures and characters in the trilogy to create a companion book. A cool little art book/nature document that fans can explore and refer to remember all the cool natural elements of Kamaria. I don’t know when I will have that ready, it might be a far way off because the art involved takes time to do right. But it’s been fun!
Thank you for having me on your blog. I really enjoyed this interview—excellent questions!
Cheers,
—TA
Buy In the Orbit of Sirens from Amazon
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The post An interview with #SPSFC Finalist T.A. Bruno Author of In the Orbit of Sirens appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.
August 4, 2022
Review: Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent
Daughter of No Worlds could be considered a fantasy romance or a romantic fantasy, depending on who’s describing it. The line between these two subgenres is a nebulous one, and in truth it’s more of a continuum. They say if you can take out the fantasy and you still have a love story it’s fantasy romance, and if you can remove the romance and still have a fantasy story it’s romantic fantasy. There are rare books that perfectly straddle the line between these two genres, where the fantasy and the romance are two halves of one seamless whole, interdependent, almost symbiotic.
Daughter of No Worlds by Carissa Broadbent is just such a book, a flawless symphony of immersive fantasy and enthralling romance, tied together by prose that is by turns gorgeous and profound. It easily cracks my top 10 books I have ever read, in any genre, and I urge you to pick it up and begin reading it today.
The first thing that drew my attention was the prose. Broadbent’s writing shows passion, insight, and fine attention to detail. I stopped highlighting passages in the book because I found myself highlighting entire paragraphs on page after page. Some, just because the language was beautiful:
Shadow doused the hard panes of his face, but his features were so sharp that they sliced through the dusk, meeting mine with equal determination and wary curiosity.
Others because they hit my feels like a freight train:
I didn’t make myself all of these terrible things—a whore, a killer, a traitor—just to be ignored and discarded before it could be worth something.
And some just because they made me laugh:
I quickly learned that Max was apparently only “made for” an exceptionally narrow set of environments, temperatures, activities, and interactions.
I also noted something I don’t see very often in books: the perfect mastery of sentence variation. I know, it’s a writer-nerd thing to say, but many writers lean heavily into either exceptionally tight or exceedingly flowery prose. Broadbent threads the needle, keeping her sentences short and punchy when necessary, but she’s not afraid to let loose with her considerable linguistic firepower when the occasion calls for it. This speaks to discipline, and the result is a book that’s eminently readable, despite its rather chonky length.
The characters are beautifully rendered and heartbreakingly real, especially Tisaanah, whose reaction to her considerable past trauma is to fight to make the world a better place. The trauma is on the page, present in her thoughts and reactions, but her character is not defined by it. She uses her experience to become more effective, more insightful, and stronger. Yes, she has rage—understandable given what she’s been through—but she’s more than just a reaction to her trauma. She’s a whole person who uses her experience to learn and understand, then takes that knowledge and puts it into action.
Max is a delight as well, with layers of complexity beneath his sugary, sarcastic exterior. He has a troubled history as well, which is revealed in perfectly balanced stages as Tisaanah’s bullheaded tenacity cracks his silky-smooth veneer. You can’t help but root for these two, but BOY HOWDY is this a slow burn. I’m not complaining (much) because the author makes us suffer and pine in such delightful ways, and isn’t this half the reason we read romantic stories?
The fantasy story, and the magic in particular, includes some common tropes that Broadbent breathes new life into, as well as some totally innovative stuff that caught me by surprise. The main antagonist, for lack of a better word, is a unique creation that I absolutely can’t tell you more about, but it’s what you come to fantasy for: magical beings like you have never seen before. I’ll be honest: I came to the book because of the romance, but the fantasy story is first-rate.
But back to the romance. I mentioned that it’s a slow burn, which is not always my first choice, but it’s truly earned. Both characters’ experience with trauma renders them unwilling to let anyone else in, which—okay, you might think you’ve seen that before, but not like this. It’s not the usual bad-boyfriend/girlfriend-scarred-me-for-life story. It’s more than that, with layers upon layers, and the fantasy story is all tied up in the romance in all the best possible ways. And when the sainted moment finally arrives, Broadbent delivers the goods with a perfect mix of heat and emotion. The intimate scenes are gorgeous, just spicy enough but not at all mechanical, giving you everything you need while leaving you begging for more.
Daughter of No Worlds should be considered a classic of modern fantasy, and it’s a must-read for fans of slow-burn romance as well.
Forget your TBR. Your next read has arrived.
Review: A Mirror Mended by Alix E. Harrow
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