Stuart Aken's Blog, page 240

Publishing an Epic Fantasy Trilogy.

Placing an epic fantasy trilogy with a publisher is never easy: for a writer with no track record in the genre, it’s all but impossible. But I was determined to try the route. Apart from any other considerations, I wanted to ensure the work was properly edited. I was also concerned to have a professionally designed cover that could be carried through the whole series. And the maps needed to be made accessible to readers. Finally, and most importantly for me, the expertise that a publisher can bring to marketing and sales is something I just don’t possess.
The books I’ve self-published have been universally admired by those who’ve read them, but sales have been disappointing. This in spite of extensive work in social networking and the other areas of marketing I can afford. So, clearly, there’s some element missing from the promotion activity. My suspicion is that, in common with a lot of writers, I lack the hard-nosed confidence of the salesman and this is reflected in my own efforts at marketing. A publisher can provide the effort and conviction needed for sales.
The following interview between myself and Dan Grubb of Fantastic Books Publishing should explain why I’m delighted and excited that this independent publisher has taken me on.

SA: At a time when many writers are turning to self-publishing, Dan, can you detail the advantages of publishing with Fantastic Books Publishing?
Dan:  Professional editing/proofreading, professional covers on both e, print and eventually audio versions. A publisher ISBN (as opposed to a bought one) and registration of your work in all professional databases including the British library.SA: What stages do your books go through prior to publication?
Dan: Editing, editing and editing. These three are probably the most important! Then off to the proofreaders and then on to a collection of beta readers who will offer opinion/review from lots of different places globally. This gives us an indication of how popular your work may be and how to focus marketing efforts accordingly. These guys will also leave reviews on sites such as Goodreads and Amazon following release.
SA: My book, A Seared Sky: Joinings, is due for publication early next year. At what stage is the process for this book at present?
Dan: The editing is looking good. You're a very talented writer and as such there is really very little to do on the editing front. The proofreading is a 6 stage process involving professionals initially, followed by 5 straight read throughs by our team. The last read through I do myself before sending it off to ebook production and typesetting.
The cover, thanks to your beautifully drawn maps is reaching final stages and I should have a cover for you by the end of the month. (SA – It turned out I’d misunderstood the design concept: Doh! Dan and I discussed the beautifully designed original cover options and agreed on a slightly different approach, which has delayed the initial pre-Xmas launch. But we’re both happy with the new concept and, understanding the importance of book covers, are willing to accept the delay to get it right.) The cover will also give us some great marketing images to begin spreading around the internet.
SA: I know that you are very keen on audio presentation alongside the usual publication route. Can you explain the philosophy of Fantastic Books Publishingon this aspect of book production?
Dan: When we were growing up, audio books were cool. They were a way of 'reading' after lights out in bed and also a great way to enjoy our favourite books on the move. With today's resurgence of personal audio devices (ipods, phones, tablets, MP3 players), we think it's time to make audio books cool again. There are many worthy reasons beyond convenience that we feel audio books should come back to the forefront, the main one being making books accessible to the blind and partially sighted community but, beyond that, there are also many more people who can't enjoy the traditional reading experience such as dyslexic folks (who can alter ereader screens to be more accessible but perhaps would be able to enjoy the book much more as the fully immersive experience that an audio book provides). The target for audio books isn't always to help with medical problems though. I love to listen to audio books while stuck in traffic, training or out walking the dog. Another great benefit of audio books is for those who are temporarily hospitalised with, for example, back problems. It might not be comfortable/practical for them to be holding a book or an ereader for extended periods of time whereas they can just press play once on an audio book and enjoy hours of uninterrupted listening.
SA: Your terms for authors seem more generous than those offered by most publishers. Can you tell my readers about your concerns for your writers.
Dan: We were shocked to discover some of the royalty rates paid to some authors, especially those involved in huge 'string' deals where their first book has been accepted only on the understanding that their next 5 books are all given to the same publisher and the publisher sets the timeframe for their release. Here at Fantastic Books we understand that life can sometimes throw a spanner into the works and so we leave timeframes flexible. Imagine breaking a leg and, as well as dealing with loss of earnings and the inconvenience of being hospitalised/bedbound for a while, also finding yourself in breach of contract!

And so we decided that for every book sale, we would never make more than the author makes. Period.
We give 10% of operating profit to a charity of the author's choosing.
We NEVER ask for the rights to more than 1 book at a time. We want you to come back to us with your next book because we have done a good job, not because you are contractually obliged to.
Writers should be given the freedom to write, that's the guiding principle behind Fantastic Books Publishing.

SA: I expect any writer reading this will fully understand why I'm so pleased with the publishing deal. I'd like to take this opportunity to publicly thank Dan for his time and understanding.
Dan gave a really interesting talk on marketing to my writing group. Click here for a link to a post about that.
I wrote a previous post about the early stages of the publishing process, which you can access here.

November Was NaNoWriMo Month: So What?

The major project for November was the completion of the first draft of book 3 of the fantasy trilogy, A Seared Sky. The book stood at 111,079 words when I set out on the NaNoWriMo journey and it ended up at 194,352 words. That’s 83,273 words during the month, though I actually completed the book on 21st November.
I accompanied my wife to the frozen north to visit her relatives and friends for the pre-Xmas get-together and that took a few days out of the month. I read 4 books and reviewed 3 of them; the last one was reviewed in December. And I completed 4 blog posts. I also wrote a couple of poems I’m intending to submit to contests this month. So, all in all, a pretty satisfactory month’s writing.
The end of NaNoWriMo generally leaves a void to be filled. I’ve been pretty busy with other things, so it’s only today that I’ve started feeling the need to create again. Lots of ideas for short stories, and there’s a novel brewing somewhere in the back of my mind.
The 1stvolume of the fantasy trilogy was supposed to be published this month, but, as can happen in the publishing world, a technical issue has delayed that. No-one’s fault: just one of those irritating things that sometimes occur. Because we’ll miss the Xmas window, we now intend to publish in Spring 2014. So, the marketing and pre-launch activity I was expecting to participate in is no longer necessary and I find myself with a small spell of spare time. Those poems, stories and the novel start to beckon. And, I think I might put one of my ebooks out as a paperback: possibly The Methuselah Strain. There are still large numbers of people who don’t yet have the facilities or the desire to go digital and it seems a shame to exclude them from the circle of readers.

The pie chart shows how my time has been spread over the month. I urge you to do something similar, especially if you have a tendency to procrastinate; and what writer doesn’t? Keeping a record of time spent on the various aspects of your writing activities can be surprisingly informative and sometimes a little alarming!Related articles NaNoWriMo, Part 2 Looking Back At NaNoWriMo 2013 NaNoWriMo, Don't Stop Now NaNoWriMo Is Over. The Real Work Begins Now. NaNoWriMo - I Did It!

My Writing Process - Blog Tour

Today is Blog Tour Day where authors answer questions about their writing process. Linda Acaster, novelist, writing tutor, and professional editor, posted last week, and I thank her for my invite. Check out her writing process here: 

As for my post: welcome. Can’t get many of you in here; the box room of a small bungalow isn’t big enough to house all my books, desk and equipment, never mind a group of interested visitors. One day I’ll get that house with a view over the sea, a large study and the antique desk I deserve. Until then, perhaps best if we continue to meet in the virtual world, or I might be accused of emulating the Black Hole of Calcutta!
1) What am I working on?
Last month, I took part in the NaNoWri Mo challenge (if you’re not familiar with it, have a look at the November posts for info). My project was the completion of the 1st draft of book 3 of the fantasy trilogy I’ve been writing for a while. Now I’m about to start the lengthy and involved process of editing that raw draft to make it into a piece of writing that people will want to read. It currently stands at around 195,000words. Whether it will grow or shrink depends on what I decide to exclude and how much further description I include. Whilst I’m doing a first draft, I tend to concentrate on story and leave the details of setting and atmosphere until I start the editing stage. I think that’s one of the reasons I enjoy editing almost as much as the initial creation. I am also working on other writing projects: a novel in embryonic form, still growing in the subconscious; short stories, and I’m exploring poetry as a way of expressing some of my emotional responses to injustice, beauty, environment and other issues that arouse my passions.
2) How does my work differ from others of its genre?
Genre? Did someone say ‘genre’? I’m all for rules, when essential, but the idea that a book can be somehow labelled in any sort of precise way is anathema to me. Yes. Works of art can be pigeon-holed as ‘portrait’, ‘landscape’, ‘abstract’, ‘figurative’, etc. But I don’t think anyone would then subdivide these identifying labels into ‘male portrait with feather in hat’, or ‘landscape painting including characters from a mythical scene taken from Greek legend’. Okay, I know I’m exaggerating a tiny weeny bit, but it seems to me that the simple labels, ‘Romance’, ‘Mystery’, ‘Thriller’, ‘Crime’, ‘Historical’, ‘Sci-fi’ and ‘Fantasy’ ought to be enough for most purposes. The rest is just an effort to encourage readers to restrict themselves to very narrow forms of storytelling. And that is hardly healthy for readers, is it?
So, my work differs inasmuch as I stray outside the normal boundaries set by those who wish to attempt to restrict me to a specific genre. Breaking Faith is a romance featuring an element of the thriller and the mystery novel. My current fantasy trilogy, A Seared Sky, is an epic fantasy tale involving a quest within an invented world and all that implies, but including elements of the thriller, romance, crime and philosophy. Does that answer the question?  
3) Why do I write what I do?
My inspirations are multitude. My interests are wide. I’m a storyteller at heart, so I want to spread my imagination’s offspring to as wide an audience as possible. I write because I’m compelled by some weird internal guiding entity to express myself in the written word. My mind is full of ideas, characters, thoughts and questions and, since they excite, delight and intrigue me, I hope I can share those emotions with readers as I marshal them onto the page in the form of stories.
4) How does your writing process work?I’m one of those writers for whom plot is a cage, so I write by the seat of my pants. For short works, I sit down at the keyboard and write. Usually, a story emerges. Sometimes, that story is usable, after a bit of editorial work to smooth the raw edges. If it isn’t, I discard or completely re-write it. With longer works, I am visited by an idea that demands attention. This can be something as simple as a question that floats out of the ether at a particular time. For example, Breaking Faitharose from a simple question that entered my mind as I stared into the depths of a slightly sinister natural hole in the ground: ‘What if there was a woman’s body down there?’ I’ve no idea where this came from, or why. But it was the trigger for the story. I generally start with interesting characters I’ve devised in advance. Then I work out a very, very loose framework on which I can hang challenges for my characters to face. I generally know the end, but I never know the journey I will take to reach that destination. I think it’s this lack of pre-ordained form and structure that prevents me entering the lucrative world of crime writing. That requires an approach that involves the solving of puzzles and the laying of false and true evidence along a trail. And that is too much planning for the way I work.The current trilogy came out my questioning why it is that religion, as a general rule, is so fixated on sex and nudity and why, since most worshippers seem to be generally good people, those in charge are so often very far from good. But, avoiding the urge to preach my own version of what should be believed, I’ve turned the themes into a story that moves through landscapes and entangles many disparate characters into its multiple threads to take the reader on a ride that I hope will make them gasp, sigh, laugh and cry. Emotion, after all, is what reading is all about, so it is also what writing must be all about, too.
Monday 9th December: a very different author explains her writing process: Lynne Constantine is co-author of Circle Dance, a novel about two Greek-American sisters thrust into life-changing circumstances. There should have been two more authors to continue this tour from here, but, well, authors can be dreadfully unreliable you know!Lynne Constantine’slove of the written word began early. An avid Nancy Drew reader in elementary school – the highlight of her week was going to the store with her father and buying the next book in the series. When the day arrived that she was able to solve the mystery half way through – she reluctantly set them aside and moved on to other books. For as long as she can remember, she has been prodded to “get her nose out of the book” when vacationing with friends. Her love of mystery and suspense is as strong today as it was back then and she is a voracious reader of thrillers and suspense. She wrote her first book, Circle Dance, with her sister Valerie. Circle Dance was a legacy of love fueled by the desire to pass on to their children the traditions and experiences unique to them as second generation Greek Americans. Lynne was raised in a close-knit family surrounded by extended family and “adopted” family through the Greek community. Both she and her sister wanted to leave a legacy for their children and future generations of a bygone era.Lynne attended Hellenic College where she earned her undergraduate degree in Human Development. She went on to earn her masters degree in Business Administration at Johns Hopkins University. She has an extensive marketing background and over eighteen years of business experience. She left the corporate world in 2000 to pursue her writing full time. She has written for magazines and journals but her true passion is fiction.A native of Baltimore, Maryland, Lynne relocated to the New York area with her husband and children. In addition to her writing, she is active in her church and local community. She serves on the board of her town’s Women’s League – a philanthropic organization dedicated to helping women and children. She is passionate about education, reading, health, and wellness. She enjoys traveling, spending time on the beach and talking walks with her family and their adorable golden retriever. Lynne is currently finishing up her next novel – a thriller. Related articles My Writing Process - Blog Tour The Writing Process Blog Tour My Writing Process Blog Tour

Digging Deep, by Boyd Lemon, Reviewed.

Subtitled, ‘A Writer Uncovers His Marriages’, this piece of autobiography is a fascinating and compelling insight into the mind and spirit of an American writer.
A reader from outside the sometimes insular and self-congratulatory arena of the USA, I found this memoir accessible, moving, entertaining and surprisingly informative about more than just the author and his wives. The reader is taken deep into the lives of the subjects. All are flawed and most reflect the human condition that prevents us from learning by our own mistakes, let alone those of others. The repeated patterns of ill-advised behaviour echo the lives of so many.
That the author was the instrument of his own downfall is the superficial judgment that first surfaces. But, as he digs deeper and reveals more of his early life, it becomes apparent that he, and almost certainly his wives, suffered from the consequences of inadequate parenting. The account recalled to mind an excellent book on that topic: everyone should read ‘They F**k You Up’, but that’s a different review.
Boyd Lemon is frank, courageous and surprisingly honest about his relationships with women, treating his wives and girlfriends with the unconscious disdain engendered by the values and traditions of the far right. He loathes his job, but is too much in love with the money and what it can buy to break out of the cycle that traps him in unhappiness. Living the American Dream, he is initially blind to the true consequences of an existence led in pursuit of material benefits intended to impress his peers. Does he finally discover the reality? You’ll need to read the book to find out.
There is intimate detail here; the emotional, physical, spiritual and philosophical threads that are woven into his life are untwined and laid before the reader to inspect and examine. I suspect the act of writing this autobiography has been deeply cathartic for him. As a reader, I felt involved, intrigued, irritated, exasperated, excited, hopeful and joyful by turns. This is a ride that takes you high and low and hides none of the ugly details, whilst showing you the delights and wonders life can bring.

I’ve had the book on my Kindle for a while and finally got around to reading it as it popped up next on the list. Although unable to read it all in one go, I was driven to return to it whenever an opportunity presented itself. Anyone interested in the lives of others, curious about writers, involved in a difficult relationship, unsure of their place in the world of work, or simply intrigued by what drives individuals to make the choices they make, will enjoy this book. I recommend it without reservation.Related articles Author Interview with Boyd Lemon:

Back to Creative Writing School, by Bridget Whelan, Reviewed.

A writing manual that sets out to encourage and inspire, but that also gives the reader tools to use, examples to learn from, and exercises that will help embed the lessons. As a writer of some experience, I generally don’t gravitate toward books on basic technique. I’m pleased I made this one an exception.
Concise, witty, informed and accessible, this is a book that guides would-be writers through the skill sets and pitfalls of creative writing. Bridget Whelan’s writing style is inviting and friendly without straying into the uncomfortable intimacy that a casual approach can sometimes involve. She presents her lessons in small chunks of entertainingly written advice gleaned from experience of writing and of teaching writing students. And she provides exercises that are well thought out and manageable whilst retaining a challenging element designed to make the reader really consider what it is they are being asked to do.
Set out in 3 ‘Terms’, each split into 10 ‘Lessons’, the text takes the reader through those elements of creative writing that most matter. Whilst each subject and topic is dealt with seriously, the writing style allows her sense of humour to come through and engage the reader in a way that makes the whole easily managed.
I particularly liked her sections on humour: in fact parts of it had me laughing out loud. Her sections on horror give a real feel for the genre. The selected samples used to illustrate certain points are always clear and pertinent, showing the best, or the worst, of writing style.

This is a book that will gently and surely lead the would-be writer through the process of approaching and creating imaginative writing. I thoroughly recommend what is an enjoyable, encouraging and inspiring read. And, now, if you don’t mind, I’ll end this review so I can get on with some of the stories that are currently fighting for my attention, having been inspired by this book!Related articles Breaking news! BACK TO CREATIVE WRITING SCHOOL is out on Amazon

The NaNoWriMo Experience Fulfilled.

In common with many of my fellow writers, I started the project to complete the 1st draft of a novel NaNoWriMo (National Novel Writing Month, which ought to be renamed International Novel Writing Month, except that InNoWriMo somehow doesn’t have the same cachet), is a motivational project aimed at moving the writing along.during the month of November.

I had a go at this in 2011 and completed over 110k (the official target for the month is 50k), but ditched the result due to an insurmountable flaw in the plot. This time, I used the motivational aspect to hurry me through the final half of the 1stdraft of book 3 of my fantasy trilogy. I expected to add about 110k to what I’d already written. But, as so often happens when you write by the seat of your pants, the story took a slightly different turn from that expected and came to a natural end a little earlier. In the end, I had only to complete another 83k words, and I did that on Thursday. The book now stands at around 194k words.
So, my NaNoWriMo experience is complete for this year. This doesn’t mean the book is finished, of course. In fact, it’s only just begun. The real work will come in the editing, which I’ll start in a couple of weeks, once I’ve done other stuff that will let me come to it more or less fresh.
But there’s no doubt that this publicly undertaken exercise does wonders for self-discipline and motivation. At the rate I was writing before November, I’d have been completing the book by the end of December. A worthwhile effort, I think. I’d definitely encourage anyone to have a go. And for those would-be writers who have difficulty completing anything, this is an ideal exercise as it encourages you to just write, without ever stopping to edit along the way.

I strongly advise writers to try this. Too late for this year, of course. But next year might be the time you finally get that novel actually written instead of just talking about it.Related articles Day 22 - NaNoWriMo: Have you developed your own voice? Just Say No To NaNoWriMo: Part 25 ways to survive the NaNoWriMo homestretch NaNoWriMo Tip #15: Listen to the Advice of the National Book Awards Nominees

NaNoWriMo Progress into the Third Week.

The first draft of volume 3 of A Seared Sky: Convergence, is going apace. I started the NaNoWriMo process when the MS was at 111,079 words and it’s now at 181,684 words, which means I’ve averaged 3922 words a day so far during November.
Believe it or not, I’ve lived a life at the same time. It hasn’t been easy, turning out this number of words each day, but the public nature of the target does concentrate the mind and helps prevent prevarication and distractions. I know that, once this draft is finished, I’ll have some serious editing to do. But the story, the essence of the novel, will be complete. I’ll have all the twists and turns in place, all the characters where intended, and all events covered.
Along the way, I’ve had to introduce new characters, of course. I made this easier for myself by creating a list of possible names for future use before I started on book 1. I also have a character template and a collection of around 1,000 assorted photographs of people, so I can hang the description onto an image of a real person. I find this helps me develop the character more fully. Some events have occurred quite unexpectedly, as characters take on more importance than I originally envisaged or as favourite characters get into situations it’s impossible for them to survive. I don’t like killing off characters, but it has to be done, of course.
And now? Well, my guess is that around 20,000 words will complete the book. I’m working on the denouement, putting each of the three groups of individuals into those situations that will close their parts in the story. There’ll inevitably be a few loose ends, with a cast of over 90 named players, but all the main characters will end up with a satisfactory conclusion to their specific tales.
I’m looking forward to the appearance of book, Joinings. FantasticBooks Publishing are currently waiting for their designer to complete the cover design. And the book should be available before Xmas. I’m excited about the publication, of course. But, for the moment, I’ll continue to use NaNoWriMo as a way of ensuring that volume 3 gets completed. At least those who buy volume 1 will then know that they won’t be let down by an author failing to complete a trilogy; something that happens far too often, unfortunately.

Watch this space for further news.Related articles Halfway Through NaNoWriMo2013 NaNoWriMo Has Me - Part 2 Halfway into NaNoWriMo and I'm Rebelling NaNoWriMo NaNoWriMo

Bristol Short Story Prize Anthology Vol 4, Reviewed.

Collections are often a mix of good with poor, but this anthology of prize-winners and near misses is actually quite consistent in terms of quality. It features the top 3 prize-winning stories along with 17 shortlisted entries to the 2011 contest. As an entertainment, it provides a series of interesting reads.

There are a few too many urban grit stories for my personal tastes, but that doesn’t detract from the overall quality of the offering. Interestingly, many of the stories are written in the present tense, a technique that lends urgency and immediacy to the tales.
Just one of the stories (I won’t name it) was disappointingly peppered with typos and grammatical errors, but one out of twenty is pretty good, I suppose. It does, however, cause the reader to wonder why it made the short list. In general terms, the selection does give some idea of what judges might be looking for when faced with selecting winners for short story competitions. Unfortunately, such hints are notoriously unreliable, since each set of judges seems to have its own ideas of what is or isn’t desirable in short fiction. And even the same judge can change opinion from contest to contest, so very little help to be found by reading the winners.
For the writer who may want guidance about such entries, however, it is clear from the anthology that a degree of literary merit is valued over formulaic or genre specific approaches. Good use of language, well-developed characters and interesting themes seem to win over plot-driven and fast action tales.

In spite of the lean towards urban grit and present tense, I enjoyed this collection and happily recommend it.Related articles Prestigious Bristol Short Story Prize Now Open

This NaNoWriMo Lark.

We’re a little over a third of the way through the challenge to complete 50,000 words in the month of November. Those of us who’ve grasped the nettle, begun to climb the greasy pole, entered the race, and any one of a number of clichés you care to attach to the venture, are well into the project.
Me, I joined in order to concentrate my mind on a specific task. I’m currently writing volume 3 of a fantasy trilogy. Volume 1 is due to be published by Fantastic Books Publishing before the end of the year. Look out for news of that event here and on the social networks I dabble in. I started off the NaNoWriMo challenge with a MS at 111,079 words and I expect it to be around 210,000 when complete. Though, that is a moveable feast, of course. Who knows how long a book will be whilst actually writing it?
Does it work? Well, here’s the evidence. In the 17 days prior to my summer break, I averaged 1,566 words a day, which, I know, isn’t actually a bad result. When I returned from holiday, I re-read the words already strung together on the page and joined NaNoWriMo to see if I could up the ante. In the 11 days so far covered, I’ve averaged 3,835 words per day, something over double the earlier rate. I think that speaks for itself. But it only worked because I set myself a very specific target. I was, and remain, determined to complete the first draft before the end of November. That way, I can take December off as a rest period from the fantasy and start on revision and editing in the New Year with some distance between creation and the more detailed work of honing those words.
Now, this is obviously working for me; concentrating the mind and disciplining me to work consistently because I’ve publicly declared my intention. That doesn’t mean it would work as well for every writer, of course. For some, the very idea would be anathema. For others, the thought of having to write a minimum number of words each day would actually paralyse their creative spirit. And for yet others, existing commitments would render the challenge insurmountable.
But, for those who have the ability, need and freedom to accept the challenge, I suggest you have a go. This year’s too late, of course. But perhaps consider it for next year. It’s a superb way to defeat that curse of all writers; the temptation of procrastination. When that target beckons and you know all your peers are going to be able to measure your output at the end of each day, it has a remarkable effect on your self-discipline.

I’d be fascinated to learn the experience of others who’ve tried this challenge. Place your comments below and let’s see what secrets emerge from the revelations, eh?Related articles 30 Questions To Ask Yourself During NaNoWriMo-Day 7 Lessons on NaNoWriMo 2013 NaNoWriMo Tip #6: Don't Think Like an Editor (Yet) Project NaNoWriMo: It Has Begun NaNoWriMo Day 9: Writing Marathon 2013

Blood Song, by Anthony Ryan, Reviewed.

Blood Song, the first in a fantasy series titled Raven’s Shadow, takes the reader on a trip through the intricacies of a world of wars, interfaith conflicts, intrigue and battle. The societies, geography and political structures developed by the author are all very believable.

As regular readers of my reviews will know, I care deeply about character in fiction. This book does not let the reader down. The characters, and there are many, live. All are flawed in their own ways; all are individuals. No stereotypes here.
For reasons I won’t bore you with, I was unable to read this book in a short time. The extended time period was nothing to do with the book but only reduced my enjoyment in the sense that I found myself impatient to get back to it as soon as I was able. The story certainly held my attention.
This is a book that will suit those who like their fantasy to involve battles, unusual friendships, a background love story, minor references to a form of magic and details of fights and weapons. But it has an added theme that interested me a great deal: the book examines religion and its association with various gods. It analyses faith and hints strongly at the lack of validity in many claims made by religions. This is done through story, rather than through the less attractive type of proselytising sometimes evident in books that touch on religious matters. So, it’s thought-provoking as well as entertaining.
I found I grew more and more attached to the main protagonist as he fought his way through the many barriers placed in his way. The pace is good throughout and description is generally limited to those aspects that require explanation. There are many evocative scenes and a great deal of variety in location and setting, making the journey both interesting and engaging.

I enjoyed the read. It’s a long book, typical of the genre in the sheer volume of words and pages. Good value for money. I recommend it to all who love fantasy and suggest those who have so far avoided this genre might try this as an introduction to how good such storytelling can be.