Beth Tabler's Blog, page 184

#SPFBO8 Review and Cut – There’s Magic between Us by Jillian Maria

 

“I also really enjoyed the humour that was embedded into the chapter titles, something small but I felt like it really added to the overall atmosphere of the book.”

 

What is There’s Magic Between Us About?

A diehard city girl, 16-year-old Lydia Barnes is reluctant to spend a week in her grandma’s small town. But hidden beneath Fairbrooke’s exterior of shoddy diners and empty farms, there’s a forest that calls to her. In it, she meets Eden: blunt, focused, and fascinating. She claims to be hunting fae treasure, and while Lydia laughs it off at first, it quickly becomes obvious that Eden’s not joking—magic is real.

Lydia joins the treasure hunt, thrilled by all the things it offers her. Things like endless places in the forest to explore and a friendship with Eden that threatens to blossom into something more. But even as she throws herself into her new adventure, some questions linger. Why did her mom keep magic a secret? Why do most of the townspeople act like the forest is evil? It seems that, as much as Lydia would like to pretend otherwise, not everything in Fairbrooke is as bright and easy as a new crush…

 

My Thoughts

There’s Magic Between Us is written in the first person from the perspective of Lydia. Lydia is a sixteen-year-old girl from the big city who goes to visit her grandma in the countryside. Except on the property, there is a forest that everyone seems to be afraid of, but it draws Lydia in. There is a bit of an element of mystery to the forest, which I liked though predictable.

The story moves quite quickly and it’s easy to finish in a matter of hours. I also really enjoyed the humour that was embedded into the chapter titles, something small but I felt like it really added to the overall atmosphere of the book.

For me, YA isn’t what I typically read and I had a really hard time relating to the angsty teenager in Lydia at all. It felt like she had a lot of pent-up rage but it was overdone in my opinion. I did really enjoy the forest atmosphere though, and Lydia did see some character growth throughout but was still an overly stereotypical teenager.

If you’re on the hunt for an LGBTQ YA fantasy romance, definitely give this one a read, but overall, this is a cut of There’s Magic Between Us.

Read There’s Magic Between Us

#SPFBO8 Review and Cut – Come Hell and High Water: A Ye Olde Time Religion Novel by W.B. Biggs

The post #SPFBO8 Review and Cut – There’s Magic between Us by Jillian Maria appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

Interview with Author Josh Winning

I am beyond thrilled to have the opportunity to talk with Josh Winning, author of the wonderful, nostalgia-filled fantasy adventure, The Shadow Glass.

Hello, Josh! Thank you for joining Before We Go Blog to talk about The Shadow Glass!

Thanks so much for having me! I’ll try not to mess with any of the nice things you have in here.

You don’t need to worry about ruining nice things, I like to talk with my hands while holding a full coffee mug. It is not pretty.

I’ll just pop on my waterproofs, give me a sec!

I enjoyed every nostalgic moment of The Shadow Glass. Will you tell readers a little bit about it?

That makes me so happy! The Shadow Glass is my debut novel and a love letter to 80s fantasy films like The NeverEnding Story, Labyrinth and The Dark Crystal. It’s about the son of a movie director who goes on a real-world quest with the puppets from his father’s 1980s movie flop, The Shadow Glass.

I was ready to start the book again the second I finished the last word. You had me cheering (and yes, tearing up a bit at parts). How did you balance the fun adventure with the deeper themes found in The Shadow Glass?

Cheering and tearing up are absolutely the two big things I hoped readers would get out of this book! I think that the great thing about those 80s fantasy films is the way they balanced adventure with grown-up themes – Labyrinth is all about a teenager coming of age, The NeverEnding Story is about grief and self-actualization. The best I could do with The Shadow Glass was try to capture a smidge of that same magic. For me, it’s all about emotional honesty, leaning in to the tough feelings and working through them with fun japes along the way.

You definitely did that! I loved how Jack’s anger and regret were directed onto Iri and The Shadow Glass. His grief seemed to be sort of reflected back with Zavanna’s own grief. Was that planned from the get-go?

Absolutely. Because Jack is sort of in denial, it just felt right that he should encounter somebody who has also lost a loved one (and, of course, the fun part is that that “somebody” is a puppet). Jack is forced to finally confront head-on his own loss and pain. I think it ties in with what we were saying about 80s fantasy films – the main character always learns something after going on their quest. Jack learns how to process that anger and regret, and he creates something positive out of that.

Many 80s fantasy movies take place in other worlds, but you brought Iri into the “real world”. What made you decide to bring the fantastical into the modern world?

The whole reason I wrote this book is because I love puppet fantasies, and I loved the idea of puppets coming to life in the real world. It felt like a fun spin on the fish-out-of-water trope – a little bit Small Soldiers, a little bit Jumanji. It also allowed me to be more satirical in tone. Even though the book is very much a fantasy, it’s also a commentary on fandom, pop culture and found families. It would have been quite difficult to explore all of that in any world other than our own!

Now I have to know: what did you think of the recent Dark Crystal show?

I. LOVED. IT. It got everything right! In general, I’m not a fan of prequels, but I felt like The Dark Crystal: Age of Resistance dodged a lot of the “prequel pitfalls”, partly because it introduced such a fantastic cast of new characters, but also because Thra has such a huge and fascinating lore to explore, it felt fresh and loving the whole way through. I loved going back to that world. (And any show that gives us a ton of Fizzgigs, plus Aughra being a badass, gets a huge tick in my book!)

I agree! I thought it was cool that the world and lore just grew while keeping the feel of the original. I am also so glad they didn’t go the CGI route. Also-and this is weird- I loved seeing that adult Toby Froud was involved (although his wardrobe was significantly less “Where’s Waldo”). Incidentally, did a certain character’s name come from baby Toby?

Oh yes! I sprinkled quite a few easter eggs throughout the book, and the biggest one was naming a character Toby. I couldn’t resist!

You included the most loveable band of fans! I liked that they had their own brand of family, something that I’ve been privileged to discover in my own fandoms. Was that based on your own experience in any way?

Well, I am a fan, and pretty much everybody I know is a fan of something nerdy and awesome, so it wasn’t a huge stretch for me to come up with the fans in the book. It’s funny, the Shadow Glass Guild came to me 100% complete when I first sat down to write them, and their chapters have barely changed since the first draft. I could write them for days, they were so great to hang out with.

Did you have a favorite character or part to write?

I’m more interested to know who your favorite character was! Honestly, I love all of the characters equally, but there’s definitely a special place in my heart for the villain, Kunin Yillda. She was just SO FUN to write. I love a baddie who is unapologetically evil, and it was so liberating to really dig into the grotesqueries of that character, without feeling like I had to dumb her down at all.

Kunin Yillda was such a great baddie! I liked that you had this flat-out evil character, but I honestly felt a little sorry for Cutter. He was an easy villain to pity.

I’m glad! I wanted Cutter to be complicated. I didn’t want the reader to necessarily know exactly how they felt about him – he does some despicable things but there is an inherent sadness to him, too. He’s clearly miserable! As much as I love an all-out evil baddie, I also love a baddie who’s emotionally and psychologically complex. With this book, I decided to do both!

My favorite character is a toss-up between Toby (I just loved his excitement, and he reminded me a little of a friend of mine) and Jack. Jack’s character development was through the roof! I love watching characters evolve, so he was a joy to read about.

That’s great to hear. I was worried that Jack would turn readers off at the start of the book, because he’s so bitter and dismissive. I’m glad that you enjoyed watching him evolve. I worked really hard on that!

Where any of your characters inspired by people you know (hopefully not Kunin Yillda)?

The lub is loosely inspired by my cat, Penny, who is both cute and deadly. The name of the Guild is inspired by my boyfriend’s cousins, who are really close and call themselves the “Guild”, too. (I know, adorable, right?) That’s about it. I try not to write characters who are too close to people I know IRL, as I’d hate to upset them! (Though I have, unfortunately, met a few Kunin Yilldas in my time…)

Such great inspirations (yes, the “Guild” is adorable)!

They’re as lovely in real life as they are in the book!

What was the most challenging part to write?

The Comic-Con chapters! There were SO many moving parts and pieces in that sequence. Pretty much every single character is present, plus there’s a huge room full of cosplayers, PLUS the baddies. Then when you throw in the idea of mind control and fighting… it was A LOT to get my head around. But I’m super proud of that sequence and so happy that it finally works.

One of my favorite recent book quotes takes place during the Con.. I did not expect to get a little choked up reading about a Comic-Con.

Well now I want to know what the line is!

“This wasn’t about using nostalgia as a shield, it was about celebrating the things that defined them, the characters that spoke to their heart’s truth, the things that made them different and unique and powerful in their own special way. It united them.”

I really, really loved that entire paragraph. It was wonderful.

Oh brilliant. I genuinely believe that nostalgia and fandom can be twin forces for good. And nostalgia is nothing new – just think about your grandparents getting misty-eyed over the days before cell phones. Everybody is nostalgic for something. I just happen to be nostalgic for puppets!

Would you like to see The Shadow Glass made into a movie?

Heck yes! That would be unbelievable. I wrote The Shadow Glass because nobody is making those great puppet fantasy films anymore, so if my book inspired a little genre resurgence (in the name of Jim Henson, of course), I would be very happy indeed!

If I found the last VHS store left, what are your must-watch 80s movies?

Oh wow, how much time do you have?! The main three I mentioned earlier are absolute must-watches – Labyrinth, The NeverEnding Story and The Dark Crystal. Other fantasy films I love from the 80s are Who Framed Roger Rabbit, Willow and Teen Witch (which is absolutely insane). Then there’s Gremlins, Back to the Future (the whole trilogy), The Goonies. And we haven’t even gotten to the John Hughes movies…

Labyrinth is one of my all-time favorite movies! I haven’t seen Teen Witch, though. I’ll need to fix that.

Oh, Teen Witch isn’t good! [laughs] But it’s VERY entertaining, and sort of a prototype for Sabrina the Teenage Witch. It totally does its own batshit thing, and I can respect that. Also the ‘Top That’ musical moment is jaw-dropping and must be seen by ALL.

Do you have any plans to write a sequel?

Not at the moment. I wrote The Shadow Glass as a standalone, so I have no sequel notes written down anywhere. There are a few little ideas percolating in the back of my brain, though, so if enough people demand it, I’m not sure I could resist reuniting with these characters for one more adventure. After all, I lub Iri!

Well, put me on the list of demanding people (usually, I prefer to avoid being demanding)!

Demanding can be good!

Do you have anything exciting in the works?

I’m very excited for my next book, Burn the Negative, which is being published by Putnam in the US in summer 2023. It’s another movie-themed novel, except this time it’s pure ’90s horror. The story is about a journalist who is sent on assignment to LA to write about a new streaming series, but when she gets there, she discovers the series is based on the cursed horror movie she starred in as a child. I can’t wait for people to read it! After that, well, if I told you, I’d have to kill you. Watch this space!

Read The Shadow Glass

The post Interview with Author Josh Winning appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

Graphic Novel Review – Revival, Vol. 1: You’re Among Friends by Tim Seeley

 

“And now the power of Christ is gonna compel you…to choke on my motherfucking dick.”

 

About Revival Vol. 1

“Subtitle to the book is “A rural noir by Tim Seeley + Mike Norton”

For one day in rural central Wisconsin, the dead came back to life. Now it’s up to Officer Dana Cypress to deal with the media scrutiny, religious zealots, and government quarantine that has come with them. In a town where the living have to learn to deal with those who are supposed to be dead, Officer Cypress must solve a brutal murder, and everyone, alive or undead, is a suspect. The sell-out hit series created by NYT Bestselling author TIM SEELEY and Eisner winning artist MIKE NORTON is collected with bonus material!”

My Thoughts

Revival is one of those odd little gems that you accidentally discover while searching for something to read. I started it on a whim and knew absolutely nothing about it.

It is gorgeous.

It calls itself a “rural noir,” it has hometown secrets and pain. It has zombies. It could be so much less than it is had Seeley taken the easy way out when creating it. I am so thankful he didn’t. Because in reality, this is a complex story about people put into unusual circumstances. Zombies sound trite. The stuff of B-rated movies with Shuffling dead people who want to eat your braaaaaains. But, give this a chance. Because zombies are just a vehicle for the excellent noir to ride atop but there are still plenty of chills and shivers here and there.

“We stood up on two legs
And raised our heads above golden grass
He was there

We sharpened stone and steel
Used tools to harvest grass, beast and brother
He was there

We clustered together
In brick and mud swarming with rats and plague
He was there

We built nations and mistrust
Our fingers hovered over the red button
He smiled

Still we build
To rise above the golden grass
Away from the reach of his scythe

When he will harvest no more”
― Tim Seeley, Revival, Vol. 1: You’re Among Friends

 

Shudder-inducing panel.

Fair warning, this is a very adult, very very graphic novel where lack of blood and splayed organs are not an issue.

Read Revival, Vol. 1

Graphic Novel Review – The Sandman Preludes – Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman

 

The post Graphic Novel Review – Revival, Vol. 1: You’re Among Friends by Tim Seeley appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

Review – Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk

“I don’t want to die without any scars.”

 

About Fight Club

Chuck Palahniuk showed himself to be his generation’s most visionary satirist in this, his first book. Fight Club’s estranged narrator leaves his lackluster job when he comes under the thrall of Tyler Durden, an enigmatic young man who holds secret after-hours boxing matches in the basement of bars. There, two men fight “as long as they have to.” This is a gloriously original work that exposes the darkness at the core of our modern world.

My Thoughts

Even though the first and second rule of Fight Club is to not talk about Fight Club, you’ve probably still heard of it. Nevertheless, I’ve found a surprising number of people familiar with the 1999 film directed by David Fincher remain woefully unfamiliar the 1996 novel written by Chuck Palahniuk.

The novel generally follows the same premise and beats as the movie. Our insomniac of a narrator struggles to find meaning or purpose in a life of consumerism, constant travel, and forgettable interactions. This all changes when he comes across Tyler Durden, a soap salesman and part-time movie theatre projectionist with a penchant for chaos. Through his affiliation with Durden, our narrator finds himself embroiled in a world of underground boxing rings and further mayhem.

The book is brilliant. If I can get anything across to you in the review, it’d be that. Chuck Palahniuk has one of the strongest narrative voices of any author I have come across. Love it or hate it, his nihilistic, dry perspective on life, in all of its existential mundanity, drips from nearly every line of prose. In a mere 221 pages, Palahniuk manages to pull the reader deep into the mind of our narrator—whether they like it or not.

I’ve found that many people (usually those that haven’t read or seen it) think of Fight Club as being a superficial story about a bunch of hypermasculine guys who beat each other to bloody pulps. Though there are certainly scenes that have that feel to them, this view overlooks the more philosophical and satirical elements of Palahniuk’s debut novel. Though Palahniuk himself denies being a nihilist, his characters certainly explore, if not outright embrace, this cynical mode of thinking. Characters espouse these views through lines such as, “You’re the same decaying organic matter as everything else. We’re all part of the same compost heap. We’re the all singing, all dancing crap of the world.” The novel itself is not a treatise on nihilism, nor does it invite its reader to adopt such views, but it does ask the reader to grapple with these concepts and reflect on how to find meaning in our modern world.

Much of the depth of this novel stems from how it satirizes contemporary consumerist society. Poignant lines illustrate this, including Durden’s notorious “Then you’re trapped in your lovely nest, and the things you used to own, now they own you” (this one was slightly altered for the movie). Such musings and critiques of consumerism remain pertinent, and perhaps even more relevant 26 years later. Particularly, those who find themselves identifying with the minimalist movement associated with Joshua Fields Millburn and Ryan Nicodemus may enjoy these aspects of the novel.

It seems as though it would be remiss for me to refrain from explicit comparisons between the book and the film. Despite some key differences between the movie and the novel, many of the most poignant and famous lines from the film are lifted word-for-word from the novel. Sure, there is something extra that comes across when the lines are delivered either through Edward Norton’s detached tone or within the context of Brad Pitt’s charismatic speeches. But how can any book compete with that level of acting? While there are some benefits to reading the book that is not present in the movie (primarily you get more depth regarding say-to-day life for our characters), I do personally prefer the film to the book—which is rare for me. There are two primary reasons why I feel this way. The first reason is that the extremely memorable introduction to Tyler Durden in the movie is comparatively non-miraculous meeting in the book. For those familiar with the film, the interaction on the airplane where Tyler becomes the narrator’s “most interesting single-serving friend” through an intriguing conversation is supplanted by an unmemorable moment on a beach. The second, and most prominent reason why I enjoy the film more is the ending. The ending of the novel is different from the movie, and in my opinion the incredibly cinematic scene that concludes the film far surpasses the book’s final moments.

In all, I highly recommend Fight Club, and I feel as though it’s worth reading, even if you’ve already watched the hugely popular film inspired by it. It’s a great introduction to Palahniuk’s work, and it can help you get a sense of if you enjoy his writing style enough to delve into his other novels, which have not been adapted to films. If so, I’d suggest his second novel, Survivor, as a good next step into the world of Chuck Palahniuk.

Read Fight Club

Guest Post  Game Review of The Stanley Parable

Review – Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

The post Review – Fight Club by Chuck Palahniuk appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

Indie Military Science Fiction and Space Opera Books – 2

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above the world so high, looking down upon us as we die. When the blazing sun is gone, when the nothing shines upon, then you show your little light. Twinkle, twinkle in the eternal night.”

 

 

As my friend CT Phipps said in his Part 1 of this list, the Indie scene has created some great opportunities for new voices to create some fantastic new worlds. It’s a sci-fi nerd’s dream come true, honestly, and as a sci-fi nerd, I heartily enjoy this new trend. With that said, here are my additions of what I consider must-reads in Mil Sci-Fi and Space Opera.

 

Salvage Marines by Sean-Michael Argo

In a universe run by corporate oligarchs, the have-nots live a dreary existence with no chances for advancement unless they are willing to take some insane risks. This is where Samuel Hyst finds himself. Married, working in a dead end low pay job, to be able to support his family, he signs up for the Salvage Marines, a quasi-military corporate force who’s job it is to salvage scrap and equipment left from space and planetary battles in what is known as Necrospace. It’s a better living, but with inadequate equipment and training, facing off against other corporations salvage marines, pirates and even legit militaries is not what he expected when he signed up. It’s a great combo of mil sci fi and space opera, with a dystopian future that hopefully never comes to pass.

Atlas by Isaac Hooke

In a future North America, the US has taken drastic steps to reduce illegal immigration. If you’re caught, you get drafted into the US military to earn citizenship. With a far-flung group of space colonies and need to defend them against the Chinese/Korean alliance, the military machine needs bodies. This is where Rade Galal finds himself. After getting caught crossing the border, he and his friend are drafted into the military, and they both volunteer for the MOTHs, the successor to Navy SEALs. And after a grueling training program, they get stationed with a line unit, facing down threats to the US’s colonies. When they discover a new alien threat, it’s up to Rade and his fellow MOTHs to be the tip of the spear in trying to defeat this dire new threat.

Lucifer’s Star by CT Phipps

This one is kind of a cheat since it is one my partner in lists books, but since I was a fan of his writing before I even met him, I figure it’s OK. It doesn’t hurt it’s a fantastic start to a series.

Cassius Mass is an officer on a smuggling ship. Running from his past as a commander and Noble in the fallen Crixus Military, he’s just looking to keep his head down and stay out of prison, or the gallows. When it turns out his ship is something other than it appears, and has a completely different mission than just smuggling, Cassius and his crew mates are caught between duty and freedom, with consequences for the galaxy at large. With the usual dollop of snark and action, this is an excellent addition to any space opera library.

Secret King: Lethao by Dawn Chapman

This is one of those book that combines various elements of sci-fi and creates something wholly its own. When I first read it, I thought it took all the good parts of stuff like Battlestar Galactica, mixed in some Game of Thrones dynastic drama, and added the epic scale consequences of something like Kevin J. Anderson’s Saga of Seven Suns series to create a wonderful story of loss, betrayal, desperation and hope for survival.

That opinion has only solidified, as the story of Kendro, King of the Aonise people, desperately trying to save as much of his population as possible as the planet is destroyed, and then are chased across the galaxy by their ancient alien enemies bent on genocide of the Aonise, just really resonates. The lengths he’ll got to protect his people are inspiring, and the dangers he faces both outside and inside the refugee fleet could derail all his plans to save his people by escaping to a primitive planet across the galaxy: A blue planet third in orbit from its sun.

The Adventures of Kirk Rogers Inside the Moon by C.J. Boyle

The Kirk Rogers books are a refreshing change from a lot of space opera out today. Its much more a throwback to golden era pulp space opera of the kind Burroughs used to write. Chock full of sci-fi easter eggs (as the name of the main character should indicate), this story about a group of people ending up on the moon in the secret center really draws the reader in to the secret history of the human race. It’s definitely a fun ride, with action, adventure and some great characters. There’s even a touch of romance to round things out.

Starcaster by J. N. Chaney and Terry Maggert

This is one of the newer books on my list, but is very deserving of being on the list. Taking a very different direction in its Journey, this one involves a humanity on the ropes against a superior alien foe that has the use of magic. Humans need to develop their own magic to have a chance to survive, and this is where Thorn Stellars comes in with a unique type of magic, helping lead his team of magic users to fight and potentially save humanity.

Big Red by Damien Larkin

This one is one of those that mixes the best of military sci-fi and space opera. Starting with the aftermath of a mission on Mars gone bad, it follows Irish soldier Darren Loughlin as he recovers from his return from that mission, memories fragmented, and his recollections of the disaster on the Mars colony as his memories return. Dealing with elements of consciousness transfer, time travel, and some alternate history, with a deeper conspiracy to boot, it’s definitely a page turner that will keep you guessing until the very end.

Tartarus Gate by Matthew Gilbert

This one has a lot of cool elements. An empire falling to a monstrous foe, it’s leadership all killed, and all the colonies cut off to fend for themselves. This is the situation Josiah Bleys, who definitely gives off Han Solo vibes, finds himself in, as the smuggler is held up on a prison planet as the universe turns into a dumpster fire. Being drafted by the warden, he and some marines guards must try and wrangle up supplies to live, and that’s where they run into a murderous AI running a retirement planet, and we see some wild action as the two must join forces if they expect their groups to survive the threat.

The Fall of Rho-Torkis by Tim C. Taylor

In a far future, a galactic federation is facing danger to it’s existence as a coordinated rebellion is coming closer than ever to creating anarchy. Left to stop them are the legion and militia, supposedly both protectors of the federation, but with much different methods, and enemies to each other. When a surprise attack on the planet Rho-Torkis takes down the federation forces, a group of legion and militia are thrown together on a secret mission to get information to the federation vital to it’s survival, all while trying to not kill each other or be killed by the rebels. This one just hooks you and won’t let go.

Legionaire by Jason Anspach and Nick Cole

The Galaxy is a Dumpster Fire, and this is where Victory Company of the Confederation Legion finds themselves. The planet Kublar is a world on the edge of rebellion, and when the natives join with the mid core rebellion, and all of Victory Company’s support is killed in an attack on their base, Kublar finds out why the reputation of the Legion is not an exaggeration. When a military service has an unofficial motto of Kill Them First, or KTF, their enemies may want to reevaluate their life choices, and update their wills.

Forging Zero by Sara King

Imagine if in Ender’s Game the aliens didn’t show up to kill all humanity, but instead offer the wonders of the universe to humanity. All for the low price of 98% of humanity’s children age 5-12 being drafted into the alien army. When an overwhelming force shows up, thats exactly what happens. Now imagine that instead of uber-competent and mature Ender and his companions, we have regular 5-12 year olds, with all the immaturity and inability to follow instructions that entails. It’s a brutal, violent experience as they are forced to grow up and become soldiers for the Galactic Congress.

The post Indie Military Science Fiction and Space Opera Books – 2 appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

#SPFBO8 Review and Cut – Come Hell and High Water: A Ye Olde Time Religion Novel by W.B. Biggs

Overall, if you’re on the hunt for a quick action read with some neat monsters, I’d check this one out.

 

What it is about?

An unnatural storm strikes New Orleans bringing with it rising waters and aquatic nightmares. A plot to free a horrific god from Hell covers a darker purpose. Come Hell and high water, Father Eli, a Catholic priest, and magic-user will attempt to protect his city from the horrors that seek to destroy it.

 

My thoughts

Come Hell and High Water is an urban religious fantasy, it takes place in New Orleans during a hurricane-level storm event. The main character is a priest and is defending the city because this storm is not just a storm, it’s an invasion from hell (presumably).

From the very first chapter of the book, there was non-stop action. I got the sense that the entirety of the book would take place over this one storm event taking place. This book was quite choppy, it was heavy on fairly simplistic dialogue, which didn’t aid the flow of the story. The chapters were only two or three pages on an e-reader which is quite short and didn’t allow the reader to get into the story.

I think one of the most interesting aspects of the book was that the priest himself was the only one who could see the invasion for what it was. He was arrested for killing a man early on in the book because the rest of the world perceived the beings from hell as humans. It is a really interesting take on playing with different characters’ perceptions.

Overall, if you’re on the hunt for a quick action read with some neat monsters, I’d check this one out. But this is a cut of Come Hell and High Water.

Read Come Hell and High Water: A Ye Olde Time Religion Novel

#SPFBO8 Review – The Seventh Cadence by Jim Wilbourne

 

The post #SPFBO8 Review and Cut – Come Hell and High Water: A Ye Olde Time Religion Novel by W.B. Biggs appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

Review – The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu

I’ve found a new all-time favorite in this book, and I have very high hopes that this will turn into a favorite series.What it is about?

Wily, charming Kuni Garu, a bandit, and stern, fearless Mata Zyndu, the son of a deposed duke, seem like polar opposites. Yet, in the uprising against the emperor, the two quickly become the best of friends after a series of adventures fighting against vast conscripted armies, silk-draped airships, and shapeshifting gods. Once the emperor has been overthrown, however, they each find themselves the leader of separate factions—two sides with very different ideas about how the world should be run and the meaning of justice.

My Thoughts

I’ve found a new all time favorite in this book, and I have very high hopes that this will turn into a favorite series.
If you don’t like slow-burn, large scale, political fantasy, then this book is not for you, but GOD DAMN was this book for me. The Grace of Kings is told from a bird’s eye point of view at first as we get to know the lay of the land, who is warring with who, and the political factions at play. For those that are used to a more personalized writing style, it may feel a bit jarring at first, but I recommend sticking with it as the individualized narratives take center stage a bit later. All of the information you learn is useful later, so it is certainly not wasted page time.

We follow Kuni Garu-a roguish con-artist- and Mata Zyndu- a fearsome warrior-on their paths as they collide and change the course of history. I delighted in the foreshadowing and intricate plot points carried though this story; the political machinations are off the charts. The country of Dara is going through a technological revolution; airships, gliders, and bombs are starting to emerge on the battlefield, making warfare a new frontier. Liu takes the time to make sure the reader knows the intricacies of said technology, so that all actions/consequences on the field of battle are fully understood-he trusts his readers to put the pieces together. The combination of this new emerging technology, as well as each character’s ability to play to their own strengths made for a fascinating combination.

Also, the WOMEN. The women in this series are proof that Liu defies the adage “men can’t write women.” All of them are multifaceted, intricate characters that have their own moral compass and act in ways that consistently drive the plot forward. I’ve heard this pattern of fascinating female characters only gets better as the series continues, which has me extremely excited.

I’m terrified of The Wall of Storms as I have a feeling that Liu is going to pit all the characters I’ve come to love against each other, and I’m not sure if my heart can take it. But I’ll be picking it up soon regardless.

5 stars. Audiobook.

Check Out Our Interview With Ken Liu

Read The Grace of Kings

The post Review – The Grace of Kings by Ken Liu appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

Review – The Black Coast by Mike Brooks

I will now make it my mission to have as many people read this as possible.

 

What is it about?

The Black Coast is the start of a series filled with war-dragons, armoured knights, sea-faring raiders, dangerous magic and battle scenes.

When the citizens of Black Keep see ships on the horizon, terror takes them, for they know who is coming: for generations, Black Keep has been raided by the fearsome clanspeople of Iwernia. Saddling their war dragons, the Naridans rush to defend their home only to discover that the clanspeople have not come to pillage at all. Driven from their own homeland by the rise of a daemonic despot who prophesies the end of the world, they have come in search of a new home. Meanwhile, the wider continent of Narida is lurching toward war. Black Keep is about to be caught in the cross-fire of the coming war for the world – if only its new mismatched society can survive.

 

 

 

My Thoughts

This book is SO GOOD. Brooks uses three distinct societies to demonstrate how those seemingly diametrically opposed to each other can reconcile differences if the proper effort is put forth. We follow an adopted son of a lord, a raider chief, a god-king’s sister, and a street-smart thief as they navigate a world that pushes them out of their comfort zones. Throw in a world populated by dragons reminiscent of How to Train your Dragon, and fantastically written battle scenes, and this book was just a joy to consume.

Outside of this main theme of intercultural connection, the political machinations and moving pieces put in place for book two have me so excited to continue this series!

The finale of this book was a little too perfectly tied up for my taste, but that one flaw wasn’t enough to take away from the other 600 pages of pure enjoyment I got from this book.

I will now make it my mission to have as many people read this as possible.

Read The Black Coast

Review – Among Thieves by M.J. Kuhn

The post Review – The Black Coast by Mike Brooks appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

#BookCook Sweeney Todd – “More hot pies! More hot pies! – Part 1”

Is that a pie fit for a king? Such wondrous Sweet and most particular thing?

Sweeney Todd – God that’s Good

A few years ago I set a goal for myself that I was going to learn to cook pies.. ahem bake pies. You see my problem here. I set a goal of 50 pie recipes for myself to bake that year and set to work. I was a frigging fool.

“Making pie is hard ,” she whines.

Seriously, I am physically incapable of doing anything small, makes me ill. Must go big or GTFO. So fifty. le sigh. I made 25 that year. I learned a lot, and can make killer apple/almond pie and a coconut pie that would make you want to “slap yo mama.” All courtesy of this fabulous cookbook Sweetie-licious Pies: Eat Pie, Love Life

However, there is something I have always been a little fascinated with. The weird pie. Well, the weird food anything… Taking something that one would not associate with yummy pie deliciousness, and turning it into something delectable. So in my quest for the weird pie, I have made a pie out of vinegar, one out of avocados, and one out of buttermilk. Now it is time to experiment with meat. I am going to make a classic mincemeat pie. As in a dessert pie with meat and I am going to force-feed it to my family and friends. I am feeling so medieval at the moment.

“[Toby]
Well, ladies and gentlemen
that aroma enriching the breeze,
is like something compared to its succulent source
as the gourmets among you will tell you, of course.
Ladies and gentlemen you can’t imagine the rapture in store,
just inside of this door!
There, you’ll sample Mrs.Lovett’s meat pies.savory and sweet pies,as you’ll see.
You who eat pies Mrs. Lovetts meat pies conjure up the treat pies used to be!
[Customers]”

Sweeney Todd – God that’s Good

The recipe I found (after much digging) is one from the 1861 volume Mrs Beeton’s Book of Household Management and was a feature in Saveur magazine. The article can be found Here.

Gratuitous picture of Johnny Depp as Sweeney Todd. He was frigging brilliant.

MAKES ONE PIEFor the Filling2 cups finely chopped beef suet3⁄4 cup currants3⁄4 cup finely chopped rump steak (about 3 oz.)1⁄2 cup raisins1⁄2 cup packed dark brown sugar2 tbsp. brandy1 1⁄2 tsp. chopped candied citron peel1 1⁄2 tsp. chopped candied lemon peel1 1⁄2 tsp. chopped candied orange peel1 tsp. fresh lemon juice1⁄4 tsp. grated nutmeg1 1⁄2 granny smith apples, cored and finely choppedGrated zest of 1⁄2 lemonFor the Crust Pie Dough InstructionsIn a bowl, combine beef suet, currants, rump steak, raisins, brown sugar, brandy, citron peel, lemon peel, orange peel, lemon juice, nutmeg, apples, and lemon zest. Mix well.Transfer mixture to a 1-qt. jar. Cover and refrigerate for 2 days to 2 weeks.Make dough, prepare pie crust, and add filling. Heat oven to 350º. Bake until golden, about 1 hour.I am of the impatient disposition, so the (incubation? infiltration? saturation?) period on this pie’s filling will probably be 3 days instead of the 2 weeks. yeesh. I will post lovely, artsy, and  beautifully photographed pictures of my pie-wreck when finished. I feel there will be much schadenfreude from my friends and family after this little experiment.

The post #BookCook Sweeney Todd – “More hot pies! More hot pies! – Part 1” appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.

SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ZAMIL AKHTAR

 

Six Elementals Author Interviews will introduce prospective readers to some of the best writers in their genre you may, or may not, have heard of, via a series of six questions. I encourage you to check out the work of these phenomenal creatives! Links to their websites and purchase links will always appear, accompanying the interview. Check them out!

SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW – MICHELE QUIRKE

SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH T.L. COUGHLIN

SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW- LUCIEN TELFORD

SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW ​WITH ​EVE KOGUCE

Today I get the treat of speaking to one of the huge rising stars in grimdark fantasy, Zamil Akthar! Zamil’s currently published works include: Death Rider; Gunmetal Gods; Conqueror’s Blood, and Lightblade.

P.L.: So honoured to be able to interview you, Zamil, for Six Elementals Interviews! Gunmetal Gods was one of the first books I read in 2022. I know it may sound premature (being VERY early in 2022), but I predict it will make my list of top ten books of the year! It was simply fantastic! It’s getting a lot of buzz, including earning you a semi-finals berth in the recent Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off (SPFBO 7). Congratulations! One of the truly engaging aspects of your book, for me, was your incredible characterization. I was riveted by the stories of the main POVs, Kevah and Micah. They were so well-drawn. Many authors, I’ve found, have a little bit of themselves placed inside their principal characters. Is there a little bit of your personality or traits, in either Kevah and Micah, or in any other characters in the book? Can you tell us about that please?

Zamil: I feel all the doubts of my characters more acutely than any other emotion. I am rarely as motivated as they are, but when it’s time to write about how much they are second-guessing themselves, how much they just want to run away and escape, that’s when my own inner voice takes over. I’ve never been sure of my path in life and have changed paths more times than I can count. For example, I used to work in Marketing, then I taught English for a while, then I switched to working for NGOs, then I went into real estate, and now I’m a semi full-time writer! I’ve also moved around a lot, not just in country, but across the world. So when Kevah decided to walk away from everything, move hundreds of miles from home, and become a blacksmith, I knew I was writing about myself.

P.L.: It’s always so incredible when authors put a part of themselves in their work, and I believe it truly adds something special to a book. Religious fervor, religious intolerance, spirituality, mysticism, apathy or outright animosity towards the clergy and the structure that surrounds organized religions, capricious gods, these are just some of the compelling themes in Gunmetal Gods. Can you speak to the significance of these topics surrounding spirituality and religion in your book?

Zamil: Every character in the book has a unique approach to faith. Micah loves his faith and finds beauty in it, but also hates the hypocrisy of the clergy, and hates even more the hypocrisy he sometimes notices in his own heart. Kevah, meanwhile, turns to faith to give meaning and poetic expression to his sorrows, but in the same breath curses God for not answering his prayers. Despite the nuances, they’re both swept up in these zealous tides, fighting on behalf of countries that are trying to expand or defend their respective territories in the name of religion. They are expected to put aside their personal feelings toward the divine and follow the rigors of organized religion, but being headstrong, they both chafe at this. Micah, in particular, prefers to remake things in his own grand image, guided by his personal ideas of faith, rather than toe the line that the priests have set out.

Anyone who has spent considerable time in a church, mosque, or temple will know that people practice and think about faith very differently even within the same sect, despite what the priest or imam at the pulpit is saying. One of the most interesting things about faith are its varieties of expression. But when people of faith line up against each other to do battle, which is what Gunmetal Gods is about, variety is exactly what each side is trying to destroy.

P.L.: Religion is such a fascinating topic, especially when considering the overall human condition. I found your book to be gritty, extremely realistic, fascinating, and dark! There are some challenging scenes in the book that were brilliantly done, handled with appropriate care, that I don’t doubt were difficult to write! How do you cope with writing heart-wrenching scenes, and why did you think it was important to have these types of scenes in your book?

Zamil: I don’t have any difficulty writing utterly horrifying scenes because as the writer I know I’m making it all up! However, most of the bloodiest scenes in Gunmetal Gods are inspired by actual historical events, such as the conquest of Jerusalem during the First Crusade, and it’s not always easy to read some of these accounts, especially when it describes the brutal killing of children.

I wanted my readers to feel this same sense of horror and discomfort from the events of Gunmetal Gods as I did when I read those historical accounts. And not only that, I wanted readers to feel what it would be like to commit such acts of brutality, as well as to be on the receiving end. I wanted readers to wonder if they, given a different circumstance, would be capable of dehumanizing and hurting others.

Ultimately, I wanted to deal with the theme of dehumanization as truthfully as possible, showing the reader things that happened and are still happening, to this day, because of religious extremism or nationalism or plenty of other ideologies where dehumanizing the other side is common. Growing up in the Middle East, I’m all too familiar with seeing people dehumanized in war, and I can’t help but write about the things that weigh upon my heart.

P.L.: Sadly dehumanization takes place in all parts of the world regardless of culture or ethnicity, etc.  Yet, speaking of the Middle East, your worldbuilding in Gunmetal Gods is phenomenal. Middle Eastern-inspired, lush, epic. As I said in my Goodreads review of the book, I felt like I was sitting beside Kevah, smelling the pipe smoke, listening to him recite Taqi, savouring a fig. Or on the battlefield, or in a yurt, or a palace, any other setting in your world. What kind of research went into creating such a world, vivid, replete with different cultures, customs, religions, gods, weapons, and everything else that made it so amazing?

Zamil: The worldbuilding was my favorite part of writing this book. It was pretty much a love letter to Middle Eastern history, mythology, and culture. I absolutely wanted the reader to feel immersed like you did, and spent excruciating hours trying to make the world pop and bring it to life. The time I spent researching the history of the Ottoman Empire, for example, were just an absolute joy because I could paint so much of what I learned onto my world. I also think this is what makes Gunmetal Gods unique — the world isn’t drawing from the same references as 99% of fantasy stories; it’s something I custom built, using pieces inspired by different eras and events in Middle Eastern history that I painstakingly researched.

I mostly researched a period in history known as the Gunpowder Empires period, in which three massive empires — the Ottomans, Persian Safavids, and Indian Mughals — dominated their respective spheres with early gunpowder technology, in the 16th and 17th centuries. It was the last time when the Middle East was the most wealthy and powerful region in the world, before Europeans became dominant. So I had to do a lot of research about technology, how governments worked, and how society functioned during this period — very challenging, because many sources haven’t been translated into English. Expanding on the world I built based on this period, and continuing to do research on it, is my primary motivation to write more books in the Gunmetal Gods Series!

P.L.: Well, all your amazing research has definitely paid off! Besides your fantastic Gunmetal Gods Series, can you please speak to any other projects you are working on, or plan to publish?

Zamil: I’m working on Lightblade right now, which is Book 1 of a new progression fantasy series that I’m launching soon. It’s very different from Gunmetal Gods, as the world has more of a science-fantasy and cyberpunk vibe. It’s also not as dark of a tale. The worldbuilding does draw heavy inspiration from Middle Eastern and South Asian history and myths, so I hope my Gunmetal Gods readers will come over!

P.L.: Of that I have no doubt! What are some of the authors that have inspired you? Who are some of your favourite authors?

Zamil: George R. R. Martin, Saladin Ahmed, Arundhati Roy, Haruki Murakami, Cixin Liu. In particular, Saladin Ahmed inspired me because he was the first Middle Eastern author writing about Middle Eastern inspired fantasy worlds that I knew of. He showed me you could succeed doing it, and I’m a huge fan of his short stories and his novel, Throne of the Crescent Moon.

P.L.: Those are some amazing authors! I have a feeling that, without your talent, you will be mentioned in the same breath as those incredible writers one day very soon! Zamil I have truly enjoyed our chat!I truly appreciate you joining me on Six Elementals Interviews! Thank you so much!

Contact Zamil

Website: ZamilAkhtar.com
Email: Zamil@ZamilAkhtar.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/zamakhtar
FB: https://www.facebook.com/zamakhtar1
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zamilakhtarauthor/

Buy Gunmetal Gods here https://www.amazon.com/Gunmetal-Gods-Zamil-Akhtar-ebook/dp/B08KRHBB6Z/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=gunmetal+gods&qid=1644153700&sr=8-1

Buy Conqueror’s Blood here https://www.amazon.com/Conquerors-Blood-Dark-Fantasy-Gunmetal-ebook/dp/B096Q8LYJ9/ref=sr_1_1?crid=GL644MG6IPCI&keywords=conqueror%27s+blood&qid=1644153724&sprefix=conqueror%27s+blood%2Caps%2C129&sr=8-1

Buy Death Rider here https://www.amazon.com/Death-Rider-Dark-Fantasy-Gunmetal/dp/B09JJGRNJM/ref=sr_1_4?crid=25G0OHLVQ4K18&keywords=death+rider&qid=1644153745&sprefix=death+rider%2Caps%2C141&sr=8-4

Buy Lightblade here

 

The post SIX ELEMENTALS AUTHOR INTERVIEW – ZAMIL AKHTAR appeared first on BEFOREWEGOBLOG.