Joshua Palmatier's Blog, page 41
March 3, 2013
Book Review: "Dead Things" by Stephen Blackmoore
This is Stephen Blackmoore's second novel and it's unrelated to his first, City of the Lost, at least in terms of sequels or series. There are a few tenuous connections--such as the mysterious bar with multiple hard-to-find entrances, etc--but it's really a stand-alone novel. So if you've never read Stephen Blackmoore, feel free to pick this one up and start here.
The basic premise is that Eric Carter is a necromancer, someone who can see, talk to, and manipulate the dead. It's a power he was born with and after a sorcerer killed his parents, he fled Los Angeles and used his powers to make a living . . . so to speak . . . abandoning his sister in the process. Now, fifteen years later, he learns that someone has brutally murdered his sister, so he returns to L.A. to find her killer . . . and perhaps to take responsibility for the numerous mistakes he's made in his life, including running away in the first place. But of course, he stumbles into something much larger than his sister's death, and he may just be forced to deal with the responsibility of his own powers in the process.
I thought this was a good book. I'll repeat that I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy, so take that into account with this review. Stephen Blackmoore does some really cool stuff in this book. His idea of what necromancy is, and the ways in which his character uses those powers, has been taken to a whole new level here. It's dark and gritty and definitely not nice, which is the way necromancy should be. But his main character--while rough and tough and deadly--also has a "good" side. You can see his humanity and you can see his struggle dealing with his own power. He's been traumatized and burned by his power often, but he's still fighting to remain "normal" in some sense. So the world set-up and the characters in the book are great.
However, I thought the plotline wasn't as strong as it needed to be. It didn't quite hang together as strongly as it could have and there were a few "loose ends" that I didn't quite believe. In essence, Eric Carter came across as smarter than he behaved at certain points. I thought some of the clues about what was really going on were rather obvious and Eric should have picked up on them much, much earlier. If he had, it would have forced the plotline to become more complicated (unless the book was going to end rather abruptly and be a novella instead). And that's what was missing. The "complications" in the plot felt a little forced, brought on by the inability of the main character to see what was happening, and this made the plot feel weak and loose to me. If more time had been spent on the plot, if it had been developed more, the book would have been much, much stronger. The world and characters could certainly have supported it.
So, a good book, but not as strong as Stephen's first book. Certainly entertaining, but I thought it could have supported a much stronger, more complicated plot.
The basic premise is that Eric Carter is a necromancer, someone who can see, talk to, and manipulate the dead. It's a power he was born with and after a sorcerer killed his parents, he fled Los Angeles and used his powers to make a living . . . so to speak . . . abandoning his sister in the process. Now, fifteen years later, he learns that someone has brutally murdered his sister, so he returns to L.A. to find her killer . . . and perhaps to take responsibility for the numerous mistakes he's made in his life, including running away in the first place. But of course, he stumbles into something much larger than his sister's death, and he may just be forced to deal with the responsibility of his own powers in the process.
I thought this was a good book. I'll repeat that I'm not a huge fan of urban fantasy, so take that into account with this review. Stephen Blackmoore does some really cool stuff in this book. His idea of what necromancy is, and the ways in which his character uses those powers, has been taken to a whole new level here. It's dark and gritty and definitely not nice, which is the way necromancy should be. But his main character--while rough and tough and deadly--also has a "good" side. You can see his humanity and you can see his struggle dealing with his own power. He's been traumatized and burned by his power often, but he's still fighting to remain "normal" in some sense. So the world set-up and the characters in the book are great.
However, I thought the plotline wasn't as strong as it needed to be. It didn't quite hang together as strongly as it could have and there were a few "loose ends" that I didn't quite believe. In essence, Eric Carter came across as smarter than he behaved at certain points. I thought some of the clues about what was really going on were rather obvious and Eric should have picked up on them much, much earlier. If he had, it would have forced the plotline to become more complicated (unless the book was going to end rather abruptly and be a novella instead). And that's what was missing. The "complications" in the plot felt a little forced, brought on by the inability of the main character to see what was happening, and this made the plot feel weak and loose to me. If more time had been spent on the plot, if it had been developed more, the book would have been much, much stronger. The world and characters could certainly have supported it.
So, a good book, but not as strong as Stephen's first book. Certainly entertaining, but I thought it could have supported a much stronger, more complicated plot.
March 1, 2013
New DAW Books!
I've just posted the new releases from DAW for March over at the DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! Check out new Seanan McGuire, Marion Zimmer Bradley & Deborah J. Ross, and Julie E. Czerneda! Plus, the latest Foreigner book from C.J. Cherryh in paperback and an omnibus edition of two of Mickey Zucker Reichert's books.
dawbooks
)! Check out new Seanan McGuire, Marion Zimmer Bradley & Deborah J. Ross, and Julie E. Czerneda! Plus, the latest Foreigner book from C.J. Cherryh in paperback and an omnibus edition of two of Mickey Zucker Reichert's books.February 20, 2013
Book Discussion: "The Silent Dragon" by Irene Radford
I've posted the next book discussion for the DAW Book February releases over at the DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! We're discussing Irene Radford's return to the Dragon Nimbus universe, The Silent Dragon, the first book in a new series called Children of the Dragon Nimbus. Swing on by and check it out and leave a comment if you've read this book or any of the books in the Dragon Nimbus world!
dawbooks
)! We're discussing Irene Radford's return to the Dragon Nimbus universe, The Silent Dragon, the first book in a new series called Children of the Dragon Nimbus. Swing on by and check it out and leave a comment if you've read this book or any of the books in the Dragon Nimbus world!Book Review: "False Covenant" by Ari Marmell
Just finished False Covenant, the second Widdershins novel, which I read immediately after receiving it since I liked the first book, Thief's Covenant. These are YA books, which I don't normally read, but the first sounded interesting (kind of like my own Throne of Amenkor series) so I decided to check them out. I'm glad I did.
The premise of this book is that Widdershins, a thief in the city of Davillon, has taken control of her friend's bar and is discovering that it isn't as easy to run as she thought it would be. Part of this is her own lack of experience running a bar, but most of it is because the Church has declared Davillon off limits to traders and travelers because of the recent murder of the visiting archbishop. The city is in desperate need of an economic boost. Unfortunately, after fending off a summoned demon the year before, another supernatural creature has begun stalking the streets, preying on everyone but targeting children in particular. And it appears that Widdershins and her own personal god Olgun may be the only ones capable of stopping its reign of terror. But Widdershins is distracted by a budding romance with a local guardsman . . . and an aristocrat and excellent duelist intent on killing her for a crime against his family.
As you can see, lots going on, and Widdershins quick wit and sparkling personality is still front and center here. She's one of the best parts of these books, but in this case I'd have to say the creature that's stalking the city steals the limelight. It's what snags your attention in this novel and keeps you reading. It's cruel and deadly and the fact that it's main focus is stalking children (not to mention all of its physical features and voice) is downright creepy as well as horrific. I'm sure that it will haunt some readers' dreams, even though this is a YA book.
That said, this wasn't as intense in terms of horror as the first book, and it certainly didn't feel as fast paced. It rockets right along, but still felt somewhat relaxed. One aspect that has also changed is that there aren't multiple timelines with the author having us jump from one to the other. In the first book, this was rather distracting, honestly, so the linearity of this book was better. But somehow it didn't have the same impact as the first. It just wasn't as . . . gritty and dirty and rough as the first. I rather enjoyed that roughness.
So, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't as satisfying as the first (even factoring in the sometimes confusing time jumps in the first). This book was more tame in comparison. A fun read--Widdershins and her antics with her personal god are always fun--and with a goodly touch of horror with the creature stalking the streets, but just not as satisfying as the first.
The premise of this book is that Widdershins, a thief in the city of Davillon, has taken control of her friend's bar and is discovering that it isn't as easy to run as she thought it would be. Part of this is her own lack of experience running a bar, but most of it is because the Church has declared Davillon off limits to traders and travelers because of the recent murder of the visiting archbishop. The city is in desperate need of an economic boost. Unfortunately, after fending off a summoned demon the year before, another supernatural creature has begun stalking the streets, preying on everyone but targeting children in particular. And it appears that Widdershins and her own personal god Olgun may be the only ones capable of stopping its reign of terror. But Widdershins is distracted by a budding romance with a local guardsman . . . and an aristocrat and excellent duelist intent on killing her for a crime against his family.
As you can see, lots going on, and Widdershins quick wit and sparkling personality is still front and center here. She's one of the best parts of these books, but in this case I'd have to say the creature that's stalking the city steals the limelight. It's what snags your attention in this novel and keeps you reading. It's cruel and deadly and the fact that it's main focus is stalking children (not to mention all of its physical features and voice) is downright creepy as well as horrific. I'm sure that it will haunt some readers' dreams, even though this is a YA book.
That said, this wasn't as intense in terms of horror as the first book, and it certainly didn't feel as fast paced. It rockets right along, but still felt somewhat relaxed. One aspect that has also changed is that there aren't multiple timelines with the author having us jump from one to the other. In the first book, this was rather distracting, honestly, so the linearity of this book was better. But somehow it didn't have the same impact as the first. It just wasn't as . . . gritty and dirty and rough as the first. I rather enjoyed that roughness.
So, I enjoyed the book, but it wasn't as satisfying as the first (even factoring in the sometimes confusing time jumps in the first). This book was more tame in comparison. A fun read--Widdershins and her antics with her personal god are always fun--and with a goodly touch of horror with the creature stalking the streets, but just not as satisfying as the first.
February 18, 2013
New Book Discussion!
I've posted the newest DAW Books book discussion at the DAW Books blog (
dawbooks
)! We're discussing Stephen Blackmoore's latest novel, Dead Things. Swing on by and check out Stephen's second novel and leave a comment if you've read it already!
dawbooks
)! We're discussing Stephen Blackmoore's latest novel, Dead Things. Swing on by and check out Stephen's second novel and leave a comment if you've read it already!February 17, 2013
Book Review: "Under the Dome" by Stephen King
I have to say I really enjoyed Under the Dome. It had all of the elements of a Stephen King novel that I love--lots of characters, people to root for, people to hate, an interesting set-up, and of course a horrific conclusion.
The basic premise behind the book is that the little town of Chester's Mill, Maine (of course) is suddenly and inexplicably placed under an invisible (at first) and seemingly indestructible dome. Air and water can pass through it somewhat, but for the most part the townspeople are cut off from outside help and are forced to rely on their own resources in order to survive. Initially, this isn't a problem. The Dome doesn't appear to do anything except cut them off, and so people simply go on living while the government tries to figure out how to save them. But of course, people being people, as all attempts to break the Dome fail, the calm, collected, and rule-abiding society within the Dome begins to come apart and the real monsters (mainly our true selves) begin to come out.
The best part of the book is the unraveling of the well-ordered society and the revealing of the true nature of some of the townspeople as things go from odd to desperate. Stephen King excels at these kinds of stories. And what I love about this book is that--even though the Dome is mysterious and otherworldly--the story is NOT about the Dome, it's about the people trapped inside of it and how they react to it. Some of them retain their humanity and fight to survive. Others allow their base nature, their inner selves that they hide beneath the veneer or everyday life, to come to the fore. The slow degradation of the society, how it inevitably begins to fall apart as resources begin to become scarce and fear sets in, is the true horror of this novel, not the Dome.
I think what's scariest about the book is how real everything is, another aspect that King excels at. Everything that happens in this book (aside from the strangeness of the Dome itself) is totally believable. You can see these people reacting and behaving in this way. And unlike many of the novels out there, simply being a "good guy" doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to survive. In fact, I think most people reading this book would be shocked at just how many of the "good guys" don't make it, for various reasons. I know that my limits were pushed in this regard, although even as I felt that pressure I realized that that was the whole point. You're supposed to feel desperate, just like the characters. You're supposed to feel a sense of hopelessness at points. You're supposed to ask, "Aren't the good guys going to catch a break?" And of course sometimes they do catch that break . . . but sometimes they don't, just like real life.
In the end, I couldn't find any issues with this book at all . . . well, perhaps one. The final explanation for the Dome itself pushed my believability a little. Not much, because the point behind it, King's focus for the book, fits in perfectly with that explanation. I don't want to say anything about what caused the Dome, since that would be a plot spoiler (and I hate those), but if I had to pick out one thing to quibble over, that would be it. But it would be a minor quibble. Because again, the book is not about the Dome. It's about the people trapped inside it.
An excellent book. One of King's best in my opinion, even with that minor quibble. Highly recommended.
The basic premise behind the book is that the little town of Chester's Mill, Maine (of course) is suddenly and inexplicably placed under an invisible (at first) and seemingly indestructible dome. Air and water can pass through it somewhat, but for the most part the townspeople are cut off from outside help and are forced to rely on their own resources in order to survive. Initially, this isn't a problem. The Dome doesn't appear to do anything except cut them off, and so people simply go on living while the government tries to figure out how to save them. But of course, people being people, as all attempts to break the Dome fail, the calm, collected, and rule-abiding society within the Dome begins to come apart and the real monsters (mainly our true selves) begin to come out.
The best part of the book is the unraveling of the well-ordered society and the revealing of the true nature of some of the townspeople as things go from odd to desperate. Stephen King excels at these kinds of stories. And what I love about this book is that--even though the Dome is mysterious and otherworldly--the story is NOT about the Dome, it's about the people trapped inside of it and how they react to it. Some of them retain their humanity and fight to survive. Others allow their base nature, their inner selves that they hide beneath the veneer or everyday life, to come to the fore. The slow degradation of the society, how it inevitably begins to fall apart as resources begin to become scarce and fear sets in, is the true horror of this novel, not the Dome.
I think what's scariest about the book is how real everything is, another aspect that King excels at. Everything that happens in this book (aside from the strangeness of the Dome itself) is totally believable. You can see these people reacting and behaving in this way. And unlike many of the novels out there, simply being a "good guy" doesn't necessarily mean that you're going to survive. In fact, I think most people reading this book would be shocked at just how many of the "good guys" don't make it, for various reasons. I know that my limits were pushed in this regard, although even as I felt that pressure I realized that that was the whole point. You're supposed to feel desperate, just like the characters. You're supposed to feel a sense of hopelessness at points. You're supposed to ask, "Aren't the good guys going to catch a break?" And of course sometimes they do catch that break . . . but sometimes they don't, just like real life.
In the end, I couldn't find any issues with this book at all . . . well, perhaps one. The final explanation for the Dome itself pushed my believability a little. Not much, because the point behind it, King's focus for the book, fits in perfectly with that explanation. I don't want to say anything about what caused the Dome, since that would be a plot spoiler (and I hate those), but if I had to pick out one thing to quibble over, that would be it. But it would be a minor quibble. Because again, the book is not about the Dome. It's about the people trapped inside it.
An excellent book. One of King's best in my opinion, even with that minor quibble. Highly recommended.
Movie Review: A GOOD DAY TO DIE HARD
I went to see A Good Day to Die Hard yesterday. I'm a fan of the "Die Hard" movies, although the first movie is by far the best in the series so far. It had a rock solid plot and worked in the family relationships perfectly. It was an action movie, but the character development wasn't compromised either. It will always be one of my all-time favorite movies. So I was excited to learn that there was a fifth movie coming out and of course had to see it opening weekend.
The premise of this fifth movie is that John McClane has learned that his son has been arrested for killing someone in Russia and even though they've had a rocky relationship and a falling out (they haven't spoken to or seen each other in years), he heads to Russia. Meanwhile, there's a political controversy brewing in Russia between the current leader and a political prisoner who's about to go to trial. We learn pretty fast that John McClane's son, Jack, is somehow mixed up in this trial. Of course, as soon as John arrives, things start exploding and he gets caught up in whatever his son is mixed up in. And of course, it's about more than just politics as the plot begins to twist and turn, as "Die Hard" plots are wont to do.
First off, the good stuff. If you're going to see this because you like explosions and chases and gun fights and some interesting plot twists and turns, then you're in luck. I thought the plot of the movie was great. It snaked through the usual betrayals and sudden revelations as Jack and John fight to stay alive and figure out what the hell is going on, as their initial assumptions are shot to hell around them. It's a plot in the grand "Die Hard" tradition. One of the best things about this franchise is the way the plots start off being about one thing, but morph into another along the way in a believable way. (I am willfully ignoring the plot of the second movie here . . . and to some extent the fourth.) I'm not saying the plot was rock solid, but it was cleaner than many other action movies out there.
The plot was the best part of the film. I had major problems with the father-son relationship. Basically, I just didn't buy into it at all, at any point during the movie. The scenes between John and his son Jack were awkward and sometimes painful. There was maybe one or two sections that felt genuine (like the time his son overheard John talking to the guy their attempting to keep alive, and perhaps the moment near the pool), but pretty much I squirmed in my seat during all of the other "touching moment/reconciliation" scenes. The good news is there weren't many. In fact, the best family characterization scenes were those involving John's daughter (who reconciled with him in the fourth movie). THOSE scenes felt real, even the one at the end. Unfortunately, the daughter was only featured in two scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end (plus a phone conversation early on, but that doesn't really count). In any case, the family dynamic and characterizations in that respect fell flat for me.
Another issue I had was with the plot (yes, even though I said it was a good plot earlier on): mainly, the plot wasn't set up as well as it could have been. I felt the first part of the movie was far too rushed and that a few key scenes here and there would have gone a LONG way in establishing things before they all started going to hell. I'm not talking big things, but the first "Die Hard" movie took its time setting things up--how McClane got there, what the relationship with his wife was like, how the bad guys seized control, etc. This movie didn't do that. Some of the plot turns early on were not fleshed out and explained as much as they should have been. It was mostly a problem with clarity. The essential pieces of the plot and why it turned are there, but they aren't set up and explained well enough. For example, at one point Jack and John's hiding place is found. If you watch closely and pay attention, you can piece together that the bad guys have discovered John is there and is involved and that they tracked his cell phone to find them. But all of those connections are left up to the viewer, and even though the pieces are there, it would have taken a couple of second of (perhaps great) conversation between John and Jack to establish those connections. This issue happened early on in the movie, but lessened as it progressed. The movie was only about an hour and forty minutes; they could have spent 10 more minutes at the beginning giving us just a little more in the set-up and the rest of the movie would have worked much better.
And lastly, John's reactions to many of the events in the movie were just . . . off. He wasn't acting like the John McClane we know and love from the first movie. I'd say Bruce Willis phoned this in, but I don't think he did. Any scene that was longer and involved decent screen time with him was good. But many of the connecting scenes involving action were not. We didn't get to see the great facial expressions of "Oh, shit!" and such that were such a part of the other movies.
So, some issues with the movie, yes. But overall I did enjoy seeing the movie and would recommend it to those who just want to see John McClane in action, with an emphasis on the action, rather than thought or family drama. I can see why this movie wasn't released over the summer blockbuster season--it isn't really a blockbuster--but it was still great entertainment.
The premise of this fifth movie is that John McClane has learned that his son has been arrested for killing someone in Russia and even though they've had a rocky relationship and a falling out (they haven't spoken to or seen each other in years), he heads to Russia. Meanwhile, there's a political controversy brewing in Russia between the current leader and a political prisoner who's about to go to trial. We learn pretty fast that John McClane's son, Jack, is somehow mixed up in this trial. Of course, as soon as John arrives, things start exploding and he gets caught up in whatever his son is mixed up in. And of course, it's about more than just politics as the plot begins to twist and turn, as "Die Hard" plots are wont to do.
First off, the good stuff. If you're going to see this because you like explosions and chases and gun fights and some interesting plot twists and turns, then you're in luck. I thought the plot of the movie was great. It snaked through the usual betrayals and sudden revelations as Jack and John fight to stay alive and figure out what the hell is going on, as their initial assumptions are shot to hell around them. It's a plot in the grand "Die Hard" tradition. One of the best things about this franchise is the way the plots start off being about one thing, but morph into another along the way in a believable way. (I am willfully ignoring the plot of the second movie here . . . and to some extent the fourth.) I'm not saying the plot was rock solid, but it was cleaner than many other action movies out there.
The plot was the best part of the film. I had major problems with the father-son relationship. Basically, I just didn't buy into it at all, at any point during the movie. The scenes between John and his son Jack were awkward and sometimes painful. There was maybe one or two sections that felt genuine (like the time his son overheard John talking to the guy their attempting to keep alive, and perhaps the moment near the pool), but pretty much I squirmed in my seat during all of the other "touching moment/reconciliation" scenes. The good news is there weren't many. In fact, the best family characterization scenes were those involving John's daughter (who reconciled with him in the fourth movie). THOSE scenes felt real, even the one at the end. Unfortunately, the daughter was only featured in two scenes, one at the beginning and one at the end (plus a phone conversation early on, but that doesn't really count). In any case, the family dynamic and characterizations in that respect fell flat for me.
Another issue I had was with the plot (yes, even though I said it was a good plot earlier on): mainly, the plot wasn't set up as well as it could have been. I felt the first part of the movie was far too rushed and that a few key scenes here and there would have gone a LONG way in establishing things before they all started going to hell. I'm not talking big things, but the first "Die Hard" movie took its time setting things up--how McClane got there, what the relationship with his wife was like, how the bad guys seized control, etc. This movie didn't do that. Some of the plot turns early on were not fleshed out and explained as much as they should have been. It was mostly a problem with clarity. The essential pieces of the plot and why it turned are there, but they aren't set up and explained well enough. For example, at one point Jack and John's hiding place is found. If you watch closely and pay attention, you can piece together that the bad guys have discovered John is there and is involved and that they tracked his cell phone to find them. But all of those connections are left up to the viewer, and even though the pieces are there, it would have taken a couple of second of (perhaps great) conversation between John and Jack to establish those connections. This issue happened early on in the movie, but lessened as it progressed. The movie was only about an hour and forty minutes; they could have spent 10 more minutes at the beginning giving us just a little more in the set-up and the rest of the movie would have worked much better.
And lastly, John's reactions to many of the events in the movie were just . . . off. He wasn't acting like the John McClane we know and love from the first movie. I'd say Bruce Willis phoned this in, but I don't think he did. Any scene that was longer and involved decent screen time with him was good. But many of the connecting scenes involving action were not. We didn't get to see the great facial expressions of "Oh, shit!" and such that were such a part of the other movies.
So, some issues with the movie, yes. But overall I did enjoy seeing the movie and would recommend it to those who just want to see John McClane in action, with an emphasis on the action, rather than thought or family drama. I can see why this movie wasn't released over the summer blockbuster season--it isn't really a blockbuster--but it was still great entertainment.
February 15, 2013
Book Discussion: "Sword-Bound" by Jennifer Roberson
OK, I FINALLY got my DAW Books for February in the mail, so it's time for the first book discussion for the February books! The hardcover release this month is Jennifer Roberson's Sword-Bound, the seventh book in the Sword-Dancer saga. If you haven't read this series yet, you can catch up by getting the omnibus editions of the first six books in the series. I haven't read any of Jennifer Roberson's books, although I have read her contribution to the collaborative novel The Golden Key and loved it. What about you guys? Who's been waiting for Jennifer to return to this universe? Which book in the series if your favorite so far?
The South was Tiger's home. Left as a infant to die in the desert, his real origins were unknown. Slaying a deadly sandtiger won him his freedom from the tribe that had enslaved him, and he joined the elite brotherhood of Southron sword-dancers. Trained at the great Southron school of Alimat, Tiger swore a lifelong oath to abide by their code of honor, or die.
Del was a woman of the North. She had seen her family brutally murdered and her youngest brother carried away to the South to be sold into slavery. Motivated by revenge, she studied with the greatest of Northern sword masters and became the most deadly sword-singer in the North.
Together these two legendary fighters had forged an unlikely partnership of equals, sharing adventures, danger, and eventually love. But when Tiger forfeited an important dance to rescue Del, he broke his sworn code of honor--and his sentence was death.
Fugitives from both the North and the South, Tiger and Del fled to the distant island of Skandi. But this island nation was not to be the sanctuary they sought. Abducted by priest-mages, altered in mind and body, Tiger was forced to acknowledge that he possessed his own special brand of magic. A personal magic that carried a heavy price: madness and early death.
But Tiger and Del were never without resources, and though Tiger's long-dormant power began to manifest, they managed to escape. Desperate to rid himself of the magic that promised to sap his sanity and shorten his life, he performed a ritual to transfer his powers into his sword, then smashed his weapon, thus freeing himself.
However Tiger is still an outcast from the brotherhood of sword-dancers for breaking the oaths and honor codes of Alimat, and now his deadly brethren seek to kill him . . . all but one, a young man, Neesha, Tiger's grown son.
Finally, Tiger, Del, and Neesha find safety in the remote canyon where Tiger smashed his sword, and just in time--for Del is pregnant. In the relative safety of this secluded desert canyon, Tiger and Del settle to raise their child, a girl they name Sula, and train all those who manage to find them, thus forming their own school of sword-dancing. Now, two years later, Tiger and Del enjoy a settled, if somewhat less exciting, life raising their daughter and training Tiger's son and other students. But the manhunt for Tiger has not ended, and to add to the threats, an old enemy, Umir the Ruthless, has offered a substantial bounty for anyone bringing Tiger to him alive. For Umir possesses a powerful grimoire--a book of spells that Tiger locked by magic--and he is determined to use any means at his disposal to force Tiger to unlock this deadly book.
The South was Tiger's home. Left as a infant to die in the desert, his real origins were unknown. Slaying a deadly sandtiger won him his freedom from the tribe that had enslaved him, and he joined the elite brotherhood of Southron sword-dancers. Trained at the great Southron school of Alimat, Tiger swore a lifelong oath to abide by their code of honor, or die.
Del was a woman of the North. She had seen her family brutally murdered and her youngest brother carried away to the South to be sold into slavery. Motivated by revenge, she studied with the greatest of Northern sword masters and became the most deadly sword-singer in the North.
Together these two legendary fighters had forged an unlikely partnership of equals, sharing adventures, danger, and eventually love. But when Tiger forfeited an important dance to rescue Del, he broke his sworn code of honor--and his sentence was death.
Fugitives from both the North and the South, Tiger and Del fled to the distant island of Skandi. But this island nation was not to be the sanctuary they sought. Abducted by priest-mages, altered in mind and body, Tiger was forced to acknowledge that he possessed his own special brand of magic. A personal magic that carried a heavy price: madness and early death.
But Tiger and Del were never without resources, and though Tiger's long-dormant power began to manifest, they managed to escape. Desperate to rid himself of the magic that promised to sap his sanity and shorten his life, he performed a ritual to transfer his powers into his sword, then smashed his weapon, thus freeing himself.
However Tiger is still an outcast from the brotherhood of sword-dancers for breaking the oaths and honor codes of Alimat, and now his deadly brethren seek to kill him . . . all but one, a young man, Neesha, Tiger's grown son.
Finally, Tiger, Del, and Neesha find safety in the remote canyon where Tiger smashed his sword, and just in time--for Del is pregnant. In the relative safety of this secluded desert canyon, Tiger and Del settle to raise their child, a girl they name Sula, and train all those who manage to find them, thus forming their own school of sword-dancing. Now, two years later, Tiger and Del enjoy a settled, if somewhat less exciting, life raising their daughter and training Tiger's son and other students. But the manhunt for Tiger has not ended, and to add to the threats, an old enemy, Umir the Ruthless, has offered a substantial bounty for anyone bringing Tiger to him alive. For Umir possesses a powerful grimoire--a book of spells that Tiger locked by magic--and he is determined to use any means at his disposal to force Tiger to unlock this deadly book.
February 13, 2013
Contest Winners Announced!
Earlier this month, we had a contest here where readers could win an autographed copy of The Silent Dragon by Irene Radford, the first book in her new series The Children of the Dragon Nimbus. Irene has just gotten in touch with me to announce the two winners! Here's the official word from Irene:
Congratulations to "Lightofthemoon12" aka Frances Tinney and
jollymoon aka Ed Parton for being first in with all the correct answers to the treasure hunt on Irene Radford's website. I have already contacted the winners to arrange delivery of the autographed books.
Thanks to all who entered We'll try something similar with my next book. The Broken Dragon, Children of the Dragon Nimbus #2" by Irene Radford due out in about a year from DAW Books.
Congratulations, Frances and Ed! Stop on by after you've read the book and let us know what you thought of it! The book discussion for this book will be going up shortly.
Congratulations to "Lightofthemoon12" aka Frances Tinney and
jollymoon aka Ed Parton for being first in with all the correct answers to the treasure hunt on Irene Radford's website. I have already contacted the winners to arrange delivery of the autographed books.Thanks to all who entered We'll try something similar with my next book. The Broken Dragon, Children of the Dragon Nimbus #2" by Irene Radford due out in about a year from DAW Books.
Congratulations, Frances and Ed! Stop on by after you've read the book and let us know what you thought of it! The book discussion for this book will be going up shortly.
February 6, 2013
Contest: Win an Autographed Copy of "The Silent Dragon" by Irene Radford!
One of the new releases from DAW this month is The Silent Dragon by Irene Radford, the start of a new series called Children of the Dragon Nimbus. Many fans have been waiting for Irene to return to this world, so I'm certain a ton of you are excited about this release. Well, Irene has decided to host a little contest!
To enter the contest, all you have to do is search through Irene's webpage at www.ireneradford.com for the answers to the following five questions. The first two people who respond to Irene at ramblinphyl AT gmail DOT com will win an autographed copy of The Silent Dragon. Unfortunately, the contest is only open to those with US mailing addresses. Here are the questions:
1. Who came to dinner on my back deck?
2. Where was the last picture of my mother taken?
3. What is the first workshop listed?
4. What are my firsts 2 non-fiction titles?
5. What are the 2 small presses I edit for?
So head on over to her website and find those answers! And check out her books while you're there, of course. If you'd like to know more about The Silent Dragon, you can also check out this book trailer on YouTube, or check out an interview Irene did with Mike Zipster of Fast Forward. Good luck!
To enter the contest, all you have to do is search through Irene's webpage at www.ireneradford.com for the answers to the following five questions. The first two people who respond to Irene at ramblinphyl AT gmail DOT com will win an autographed copy of The Silent Dragon. Unfortunately, the contest is only open to those with US mailing addresses. Here are the questions:
1. Who came to dinner on my back deck?
2. Where was the last picture of my mother taken?
3. What is the first workshop listed?
4. What are my firsts 2 non-fiction titles?
5. What are the 2 small presses I edit for?
So head on over to her website and find those answers! And check out her books while you're there, of course. If you'd like to know more about The Silent Dragon, you can also check out this book trailer on YouTube, or check out an interview Irene did with Mike Zipster of Fast Forward. Good luck!
