Robin Burrows's Blog, page 9

A Grimm New Season (contains spoilers)

The tv show, Grimm, had a lot to prove during its first season. Cop/detective shows with a quirky supernatural element are everywhere these days.

At first I was disappointed with season 1 because it was mostly the “monster”/murder of the episode for a good portion of the season. That said, I must add that I prefer shows with a longer-running, more consecutive plotline.

However, I have been very impressed with season 2 of Grimm! Of course there is the murder of the episode, but it is more of a background plot, or the murder relates to the bigger story plot.

It also helps that the “sleeping beauty” plotline for the season has added lots of tension. I love that Hank, the partner finally finds out about the supernatural – and just in time, too. With all of the bad guys this season, our hero is going to need a few more allies.

The police chief is a very intriguing character. I wasn’t sure if he was a bad guy or a good guy. Obviously he is trying to use the Grimm for his own purposes. But I think on some level he also genuinely likes our hero. I’m hoping he becomes one of the “good guys” by the end of the season; though if his identity as the prince is discovered, that might not happen.

There are lots of mysteries hinted at this season. And a budding romance between our favorite furry characters! I have been very impressed with season 2 and can’t wait to watch more. If you got tired of the murder-of-the-week episodes in season 1, come back and give Grimm a second chance because so far season 2 is excellent!

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Books in a Series or Stand-Alone Books?

I hope everyone had a lovely Labor Day. I did. I can’t believe the summer is almost over. This summer, most of my reading involved one series, The Sookie Stackhouse Series by Charlaine Harris. Many of you may be familiar with the HBO tv series, True Blood, which is based (loosely) on the books.

A number of authors I love have released books recently. My reading list is growing longer, not shorter. Yet, I feel compelled to finish the series I’m currently reading before I start a new book or series.

That makes me wonder how many people feel the same way. Do you prefer series or stand-alone books? And will you stop in the middle of a series to read something by one of your favorite authors?

I prefer series, but with a good conclusion to each book. Familiar and lovable (or hatable) character pull me into the 2nd+ books in a series. I absolutely must know what happens to the characters, and I usually feel compelled to read an entire series without reading other books.

However, I hate it when the breaks between books in a series are artificial. “Let’s take an epic adventure and chop it into 3 parts to improve sales…” That’s one of the worst things that can happen to a good series. I see this most often with trilogies. The first and/or second book end in the middle of the conflict and as a reader, I feel like nothing is resolved. Not to mention the time wasted reading something that leaves you hanging.

Now, let me clarify. I don’t mind cliffhanger endings that foreshadow the next book. But please have a distinct purpose for each book, and make the overarching plot more of a background plot thread until the book where it is resolved. If I know that the purpose of the book is to find the artifact that will later be used to save the wold, then when the book ends before the hero saves the world I was expecting it and as still satisfied. Yet too many series resolve very little and break the plot at convenient printer breaks.

That said, I still prefer series over stand-alone books. It takes me longer to be drawn into a stand-alone book – even one by one of my favorite authors. If I’m not already familiar with the characters or setting, I don’t have anything to keep me reading if the first chapter doesn’t appeal to me. Plus my reading list is so long, why bother with books that don’t hook me?

Anyway, so I was wondering what do you prefer…a series or stand-alone books?

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Writing Conferences and Events In and Around Arkansas

Late summer and fall is writing time in and around Arkansas. Here are a few of the upcoming events:

The White County Creative Writers Conference is September 1st. Deadline to register is August 25. Deadline to enter the contests has already passed.
The Arkansas SCBWI will have a retreat October 5-7 in Fort Smith, AR. An agent will be at this retreat. The deadline to register is September 7, but this fills up quickly, so register early if you’re interested. This is primarily for members of the organization, but I think non-members can register for an additional cost.
The Ozark Creative Writers Conference is October 11-13. Deadline to enter the contests is August 31, but you can still register for the conference after that date. There will be an agent at the conference taking pitches (but you have to sign up for those early to get a spot).
October 20 is Poetry Day. The deadline to enter the contests has already passed, but you can still attend the event in Benton, AR. It is sponsored by the Poets Roundtable of Arkansas.
November 6 is the Ozarks Writers League Conference in Branson, MO. Deadline to enter contests is September 1. I think you have to be a member to participate.

Happy writing!

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What Gives a Story Soul?

What gives a story soul? I asked this question a year ago, and the answers varied.

As you may have guessed from my previous post, I recently started watching Glee. What does that have to do with the infinite search for the soul of stories?

In one episode, the Glee students write songs. Their first attempts are soulless songs. The songs didn’t “say anything,” or maybe what I’m really trying to say is the songs didn’t say anything that I would care about. Of course, Rachel Berry is probably the only person who would care about an ode to her head band or her hair brush.

Sometimes we write things for ourselves, and that’s perfectly okay. But if we want to write something that other people will appreciate, the story needs to say something. And it has to be something that will matter to someone besides you. Your target audience doesn’t have to be large, but your message has to matter to your audience.

Think of all of the people you know in your life. Those closest to you are the ones who show you part of their souls; the ones with similar passions; the ones with a deep connection to you. As humans we crave that deeper connection in life.

Yet, I’m sure you know a few people who rarely or never show their souls. They could be friendly people. You may even be friends with them. But they will never be one of your closest friends. They always talk about “safe” topics (not necessarily the weather, but things that matter in the big picture about as much as the daily weather). They never talk about anything that matters to you. Perhaps everything they say is important to them, but your soul doesn’t feel connected to what they are trying to express. Someone might, but not you.

Although people who don’t share their souls exist in real life, they could be detrimental to a story.

Perhaps to give a story a soul, first we must make sure our characters show their souls to the readers (even if they hide it from the other characters). Then, we must make sure the character’s message resonates with the souls of the readers we want to reach. A character becomes vulnerable when they say something that matter to them. But it also makes the character more human; more soulful.

What do you think gives a story soul?

What I Have Learned About Writing From the TV Show, Glee

Each week, the Glee Club performs a series of songs. Some of the students in the Glee Club are better than others. The stars like to shine. But the advisor of the Glee Club ensures that all of the member get their chance to be a star. The best singer isn’t the only person to get solos. This can be applied directly to writing.

When you write a scene, your protagonist is the focus, but don’t overlook the side-characters. They each have their own special talents, and they need the chance to shine. The mischievous character should cause trouble. The grumpy character should complain. The depressed character should mope.

Don’t let the sidekicks be silent background characters (unless of course if they physically can’t talk  -  in which case make their actions speak as their words). When you give each character its voice, the story becomes a beautiful chorus. The protagonist is still the star of the show, but giving the side-characters a few solos, makes the story all that much better. The protagonist isn’t the only character who should “have a life”.

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Ponderings on Post-Apocalyptic and Dystopian Literature

Every culture and religion seem to have their own story about the end of the world. People seem to be strangely fascinated with potential end-of-the-world theories. Take the Mayan calendar, for example. Their calendar ended when the stars were in the same position in the sky as when the calendar started – one complete cycle; not the end of the world. Yet people have turned it into one of the biggest end-of-the-world stories of our time.

This obsession with the end of the world as we know it also spills over into our literature, movies, and television. I could name dozens of stories and shows that include this theme. I have written several of my own.

Dystopian stories are also popular; especially dystopian stories with a post-apocalyptic setting. What is dystopian fiction? It is a story about a society in a repressed or controlled state. According to this blog dystopian stories are more popular than they have been in 50 years. Does that also correlate to the current surge in popularity of post-apocalyptic fiction? Why do you think society tends to gravitate to these types of stories?

Not sure if a story is dystopian or post-apocalyptic? Here is a handy flow-chart.

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Science Fiction (#scifi) and Fantasy TV Shows for 2012-2013 (Possible Spoilers)

Wondering what science fiction (scifi) and fantasy tv shows will be on the air in the 2012-2013 season? Me too. So I have compiled a list with plot summaries and my personal notes. I hope you find something fantastic to watch in the upcoming year!

666 Park Avenue – Premiers on Sundays, Fall 2012 on ABC

This show is about The Drake – which is THE place to live in New York. I don’t know much about this show, but based on the trailers, something supernatural is taking place at The Drake. There are also hints of ghosts, and the implication that the owner might be the devil or possessed by a demon.

Alphas - Season 2 starts Monday, July 23 on Syfy

Given all of the cancellations this past year, I was surprised Alphas was renewed. I liked it, but I didn’t love it. It involves a lot of political maneuvering and I prefer relationship or character-oriented shows. It got better towards the end of season 1, and they are bringing in a lot of actors from other shows for appearances in season 2. The show is basically about people born with special super-human powers (Alphas). It focuses on a small group of Alphas that help capture dangerous Alphas for the government. There is a renegade group of Alphas called Red Flag, and there is a lot of intrigue and conspiracy between the two groups. At the end of season 1, the leader of our group of Alphas reveals the existence of Alphas to the world. That will likely lead to some very interesting situations in season 2.

Arrow – Premiers October 10, 2012 on CW

This show is about the comic book character Green Arrow. It sounds like it might be a spin-off of the CW superman tv show, Smallville - which was so successful on CW. But sadly, the actor who played Oliver McQueen/the Green Arrow on Smallville is not playing the character in this new show. :(

Beauty and the Beast - Premiers October 11, 2012 0n CW

We all know the story of Beauty and the Beast. So why watch this reboot of the 80′s tv show? Two words: Kristen Kreuk. She played Lana Lang on Smallville. I have been waiting for her to come back to US tv. I would watch the show just for her. Obviously this story is an epic romance, but we all care about the details and the journey. Kristen plays Catherine Chandler who witnessed her mother’s murder and was almost killed herself, but something or someone saved her. She always thought it was a human, but the cops told her it was an animal. Now Catherine is a homicide detective obsessed with finding the men who murdered her mother. It sounds like this show will take the popular cop/detective dram formula and add the supernatural aspect (of the beast) to it. That formula has been successful for a number of recent shows. Anyway, this is one show I can’t wait to watch!

Being Human - Season 3 starts on January 14, 2013 on Syfy

A vampire, a werewolf, and a ghost share a house and try to be human. There is a UK and a US version of this show. I’ve only seen a bit of the UK show and I found it slow. But I’ve heard the US version revamped the show to make it appeal more to US audiences. It’s on my list of show to eventually try.

Cross Bones – Premiers March 2013 on NBC

It’s 1715 and the golden age of pirates. Tom Lowe, and assassin, is sent to kill Blackbeard, but his task isn’t as straight-forward as it seems.

Defiance - Premiers April 2013 on Syfy

This show is “trying to be innovative”. It is both a tv show and a computer game. Major events in the tv show affect the computer game, and major events in the game affect the tv show. While I like the concept, it sounds more like an advertising ploy than a long-term show. The background story for the show is: An alien race seeks refuge on Earth. When the humans refuse the request, the aliens attack, and also start terraforming the Earth to better fit their living conditions. Ten years later, there is finally a cease-fire, as both races struggle to survive. That’s where the tv show/computer game begins.

Do No Harm – Premiers mid-season 2012-13 on NBC

This is a modern Dr Jekyll / Mr Hyde story. Dr Jason Cole is a successful neurosurgeon during the day, but at night he becomes a completely different person: Ian Price.

Drop Dead Diva – Currently airing: Season 4 started June 3, 2012 on Lifetime

This doesn’t sound like a fantasy or scifi tv show, you might say. That’s what I thought at first, too. Based on the title, I thought it would be yet another retelling of the Devil Wears Prada / Ugly Betty plot. And although it does have similarities to those plots, it also adds a supernatural aspect; the main character is dead. Get the title now? Once I knew that, I was hooked. The story is all about a supermodel who dies (Deb), but instead of going to heaven, she ends up in the body of an attorney (Jane) – who looks nothing like a supermodel, but starts acting like one. Oh and the supermodel’s boyfriend works at the same law firm as Jane, but Deb isn’t allowed to tell Grayson that she’s in Jane’s body. This is basically an epic romance setup as a legal drama, with a supernatural twist. But so many of the characters are quirky that it’s really a fun watch. In season 4, Deb/Jane thinks she has finally moved on from Grayson, but Grayson finally starts to notice her and some of the coincidences between Deb’s death and Jane.

Dr. Who (2005) – Season 7 starts August 25, 2012

We are up to how many Dr’s now? This show is about a man who adventures through time in the TARDIS, a machine that looks a lot like a British phone booth. He usually ends up helping with supernatural problems everywhere he goes. I liked the season I watched, but I had trouble moving on to the next season when they changed companions. I’m sure I will eventually get back to this show though.

Elementary – Premiers on September 27, 2012 on CBS

Okay…technically this doesn’t fall into the scifi or fantasy categories…but it is based off an imaginary character. Does that count? This is basically a modern retelling of the Sherlock Holmes stories. Set in New York, Holmes is a recovering addict, recently released from a rehab center and forced to live with a “sober coach,” Dr. Joan Watson. The concept looks to add a bit of humor to the modern Holmes.

Falling Skies – Season 2 currently airing on TNT

Aliens invade Earth, destroying most of the major cities. They hunt the survivors and “harness” the children, turning them into little worker minions – both literally and physically. Falling Skies is about of group of human who fight back – The 2nd Massachusetts – and struggle to survive in the apocalyptic setting. In season 2, we learn more about the 2nd race of aliens who seem to be masters over the “skitters” – the aliens who invaded Earth. There are also rumors of an alien rebellion within the skitter ranks. Each episode gets better and better. If you like hard scifi, this is the show for you this summer.

Fringe – Fridays this Fall on FOX

This show has been renewed for a 5th and final season. It is about a group of agents who handle the “fringe” cases that outside of the norm. It also involves a parallel universe, and the connection between cases in both worlds.

Game of Thrones – Season 3 begins March 31, 2013 on HBO

If you haven’t read the books by George RR Martin, read them. This show is about the politic and intrigue in a medieval type society. Everyone wants power, and when the king dies, the nation divides under potential new kings. However, a greater issue is brewing. The long winter is coming, magic is awakening, and an enemy thought to be long dead, awakens to turn the world into a land of ice with their undead army. While the story is about the politics, it’s also about the characters. There are a lot of interesting characters. My favorite is the dwarf because of his quirky humor. Obviously, the books have been modified by HBO to make anything that would be slightly controversial in the books all that much more sensationalized in the tv show. It’s also a show full of death and war and nudity and sex. But if you don’t mind that, you will love (and hate) the characters and their stories.

Grimm – Season 2 starts Monday, August 13, 2012 on NBC

Take a police detective and make him a “Grimm” – a member of a family of monster-hunters. Then add a city/world full of mythical monsters, and you have the Grimm tv show. Season 1 started out as a “monster of the week” type detective show as the main character learned he was a Grimm and started to learn about the world as a Grimm. Over the course of the season, it became less episodic (which I liked) and added more intrigue between the various “monsters” in the city. There is a lot going on that our protagonist doesn’t know about, and I have high hopes that season 2 will continue the on-going plotlines and keep the monster/case of the day in the background of the episodes. There is so much I want to know about this series, which will hopefully be answered a little more in season 2.

Last Resort – Premiers Thursdays this Fall on ABC

This is about the crew of a submarine who refuse an order to attack Pakistan. They are fired upon and left for dead, so they setup their own sovereign nation (and still have their nuclear weapons). But it sounds like the real story if about them proving their innocence and finding out who set them up so they can go home.

Lost Girl - Season 3 beings January 14, 2013 on Syfy

I didn’t watch this show for a long time because the title and plot summaries I read were misleading. The main character, Bo, is not a girl. She is very much a woman in every way. She is also a sucubus. Bo grew up with a human family. (I think the title refers to how her location was lost when she was a baby.) She didn’t know what she was when her powers manifested, so she travels from town to town accidentally killing people with her powers. One day she stumbles into a town filled with Fae. They recognize her for what she is, and try to make her choose between the dark fae and the light fae. But she chooses to remain neutral (which has never happened before). The other Fae help her learn to control her powers, and she starts a new life. A human saved by Bo and insists they start their own supernatural detective agency to make money, but the show is really about the larger Fae plotlines (mysterious character histories)and the romance between Bo and Dyson (another Fae). There are lots of quirky characters in this series. Lots of sex too. I highly recommend this if you like fantasy or romance. Plus the actress who plays Bo is quite attractive and always fighting someone or another (for those of you who prefer action).

Merlin - Season 5 starts January 4, 2013 on Syfy

This is the story of Merlin as a boy/teen.

Neighbors – Premiers this Fall on ABC

The Weaver family recently bought a home in the gated New Jersey community of Hidden Hills. They come to find out, their neighbors are aliens. This sounds like the premise for a tv show from a few years ago called The Gates (except replace aliens with supernatural and mythical creatures). If it’s anything like The Gates, it might not last the season…but I haven’t seen enough of it to make that determination yet.

Once Upon A Time – Season 2 will air on Sundays, Fall 2012 on ABC

In season 1 fairy tale characters were sent to our world and didn’t remember their pasts as fairy tale characters. An outsider and her son are the only ones who can save the people of Storybrook, Maine. But the protagonist doesn’t believe her son’s story about how everyone in town is a fairy tale character. This show is a lot deeper than it sounds. For example it brings up the psychology of what is really real and how that can vary between people. I didn’t see how their could be a second season if the last episode in season 1 wrapped up the plotline, but at the very end of the episode, something happened that changes everything for the people in Storybrook. They got their memories back, but are stuck in our world…and there is a possibility they might be getting their magic back too in season 2. But even more than that, there are a number of character background question that I’m eagerly awaiting answers. If you haven’t watched this show, watch it right now. :)

Revolution – Premiers on Monday, September 17 on NBC

This is another end of the world series. Something mysterious causes all technology to stop working. The show is set 15 years later, and is about the Matteson family and their search for the source of the blackout and a way to reverse it.

Saving Hope – Currently airing on NBC

On his way to his wedding, Chief of Surgery, Charlie Harris, is in a car crash and ends up in a coma. While in his coma, he wanders the hall as a spirit and helps the spirits of patients while his fiance is also a doctor and helps them in the physical world. It stars Michael Shanks (from Stargate) and Erica Durance (Lois Lane from Smallville). I haven’t watched it yet because I am so sick of medical and legal and cop dramas that add a little supernatural twist to get viewers. But I’ll probably watch it eventually.

Save Me – Premiers on NBC 2012/2013

After a near-death experience Beth, a housewife, has a direct line to God. I couldn’t find much on this series. It’s supposedly a light comedy in sitcom-length episodes.

Supernatural – Season 8 begins October 3, 2012 on CW

Two brother hunt demons..and so much more!

Teen Wolf – Season 2 is currently airing on MTV

The show starts off slow and very teenager-y. But it picks up by the end of the first season. Season 2 starts off with a bang as a former Battle Star Galactica actor joins the cast. I don’t know if they changed writer or producers or what, but the beginning of season 1 is like amiture hour compared to the drama and tension and mystery in season 2.

Touch – 2012/2013 on FOX

I was pleasantly surprised that Touch was renewed. It’s about an autistic boy who doesn’t talk, but communicates in numbers. The boy can also see how everything in the world is interconnected and uses his ability to help multiple interconnected people each episode. There’s so much more to the series than I state here, but the part that really gets me every time is how we as humans must crave the knowledge or need to know we are connected to something greater than ourselves. Each episode is usually really moving as all of the pieces align and fall into place.

True Blood – currently airing on HBO

Vampires, werewolves, fae, and other supernatural creatures in Louisiana. Based off the Sookie Stackhouse books, but sensationalized with the flair of HBO.

Vampire Diaries – Season 4 starts October 11, 2012 on CW

Elana is a human who looks exactly like one of her ancestors, a woman once loved by both Salvador brothers (who are now vampires). The brothers decide to stay in Mystic Falls to compete for Elana’s love. Of course there is lots of intrigue between humans and vampires and other supernatural creatures. At the end of season 3, Elana may have been turned into a vampire (which she never wanted), but with the CW, that’s a cliffhanger that might be completely misleading. I guess we will have to wait and see.

Warehouse 13 - Season 3 begins on Monday, July 23 on Syfy

This show is about a group of secret agents who collect magical objects from all over the world and store them in a special government warehouse. The current warehouse if the 13th one. Season 1 was fairly slow, but season 2 was a lot better. I didn’t feel much for the two main characters in season 1, but I absolutely LOVE all of the side characters. In season 2 the annoying parts of the two main characters were toned down, and we learned a little about the mysteries of the warehouses. The addition of a couple of foil characters also helped season 2. At the of season 2, Warehouse 13 is destroyed in an explosion. That setups an intriguing opening to Season 3, and possibly the chance to learn some more about the mysteries behind the warehouses.

Zero Hour – Premiers midseason 2012-2013 on ABC

When his wife is kidnapped Hank must unravel a conspiracy to save her and the human race. There’s not much on this show yet. There is a compass and clock involved (which may indicate time travel), but there will definitely be adventure and conspiracy. Sounds interesting even if it doesn’t turn out to actually be scifi/fantasy.

***Please note that as television networks change their line-up, this information may become out of date.

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My Mythos: Azinia, Landrina, and more…

The Dragon and the Unicorn by Tim Robbins – http://www.facebook.com/timrobbinsart

As a reader, what kinds of story worlds do you prefer? If you are a writer, how do your story worlds develop?

Like most writers, I have many different story worlds, but a lot of them are interconnected. I thought it was time to share a little about my main story worlds.

The first major story world I wrote in was my Captain Codfish setting. The first story was about the captain of a ship in a dystopian version of our world. Future stories in this setting revolved around Captain Codfish’s children and their adventures treasure hunting around the globe. Then, as my reading preferences changed, the stories evolved to contain more and more fantasy elements. I wrote nearly 20 of these stories when I was in high school. I wrote them by hand on notebook paper, and I made sure that most of the stories (after the first few) were exactly 100 hand-written pages (which is what I thought was long enough to be a novel). Looking back at them, the stories were pretty awful, but each one moved me forward in my writing. You get better by using your skill, not by worrying whether you are good enough or not. Thankfully I was young enough that “good enough” didn’t enter into the equation.

When I let for college, I felt like I wasn’t good enough – not only in my writing – but in everything else. I attended a very competitive college in my state, and I felt like I was the town idiot surrounded by all of those talented students. My writing also suffered. I spent so much time writing essays for classes, I didn’t have time to write my fiction. I didn’t feel like it. I was too burnt out. But a new story world started to develop in my head anyway. It began with the image of a young man with a secret. He was running away from a life of duty that he didn’t want. The world evolved from there into a place where magic and science were at conflict. I ran tabletop RPGs during college in this setting to help flesh out the world. I wrote a number of chapters. I even wrote some chapters for an independent study. But I had become too close to the story. It was all in my head but I needed to get some distance from it so I could eventually make it into the story I wanted to tell.

So I decided to start over with a completely new story world. That’s when I created Azinia and my Kaylee Nevins character. I wanted a world full of wonder, magic, and hope. It hasn’t turned out quite the way I intended, but stories and characters tend to take on a life of their own. Basically, it’s the story of Kaylee Nevins, a young girl who becomes the master of a powerful ring. But it’s more than a fantasy epic. It’s all about the characters and their lives. I’m still in the editing phase, but I hope it will be wonderful when I am done.

I also have a new story world slowing developing. It’s an epic scifi space opera. The details are still evolving, but I’m really excited about it.

Along the way, I’ve also had a couple of one-off story ideas in an alternate Earth setting, including my Vampiress Lessa stories and my Nokar stories, which have both been the basis for a number of poems. Someday I hope I can turn them into novels.

So, as a reader, what are some of your favorite story worlds? What makes it your favorite? Why do you love it?

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Literary Fiction vs Genre Fiction: What Gives a Story Value?

I had a professor in college who thought all genre fiction was fluffy nonsense with no purpose or depth beyond the entertainment value. Actually, most of the English professors at the college I attended felt that way.

What gives a story literary value? Political or social commentary? References to other writers and stories? Inside jokes that only the well-read would understand? Multiple layers to the story or multiple stories within the one story? A moral or theme?

There are plenty of “literary” works that could just as easily fall into a category of genre fiction. Did you know that Shakespeare, well-known today because his writings are taught in schools, wrote what would have been considered the equivalent of genre fiction in his day?

My favorite genre is fantasy. I like being swept away to a magical world where life is full of possibilities. It is a journey of hope and encouragement that can help motivate us to achieve our dreams in the real world. It is also easier to reach people in a fantasy world because they aren’t expecting anything more than a story. But along the way in the story, you can express the same things any other writer could express; except in a fantasy world, the distance from reality makes readers more open to receive the message of your story.

I’m currently reading a series about vampires and werewolves and all sorts of fantasy creatures. The real story is what happened to the characters I love so much. Yet along the way, there is commentary on vampire rights and politics and truths about the nature of humans all wrapped up in a bow of fantasy. Many of these parallel issues in our modern society. I don’t think the critics give this genre writer enough credit for the literary aspects to her “fluffy” stories.

No matter what I write, I’m sure someday some critic will say my fantasy stories are just fluffy entertainment. But I want to strive for my writing to be so much more than “genre fiction”. Maybe my novel will be the first piece of fantasy fiction that my previous college professor reads. Maybe literary means something different to each generation. What do you think?

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Review: The Pledge Series By Kimberly Derting

Photo via http://kimberlyderting.blogspot.com. Advanced reader copy of The Essence - book 2 in The Pledge Series by Kimberly Derting.

Last week I discussed writing reviews for the books you like. So this week, I wanted to share a book series (okay, an author) I’m excited about.

The Pledge by Kimberly Derting is the first book in a dystopian series about a girl with the power to understand all languages in a society where social classes are divided by the languages they speak. Charlaina (Charlie) is part of the merchant class, and must regularly disguise the fact that she understands the languages of the higher classes. Meanwhile, a civil war is brewing against the Queen who has magical powers to protect the nation from the Queens of surrounding nations. Charlie wants to keep a low profile, but she is drawn into the conflict when she meets a mysterious boy who speaks a language she has never heard.

This book is the story of first love, social politics, and a nation on the verge of war. It is a pleasant combination of a modern-day society with a touch of magic. Being a fantasy-lover, that touch of magic drew me into the story and kept me reading. I had trouble putting down the book because I wanted to know more.

Book 2 in the series, The Essence, will be out in January 2013, and I can’t wait to read it. Book 1 in the series was resolved in a satisfactory manner, but left a few questions open for future books.

Anyway, I loved book 1 and I highly recommend it if you like fantasy, dystopian, or young adult romance novel.

Kimberly Derting is more well-known for her Body Finder Series. Everything I’ve heard about the Body Finder Series has been good. The Body Finder books, combine YA romance with thriller/horror elements. I haven’t actually read The Body Finder Series because I don’t like scary books. I am afraid of way too many things in life already to want to scare myself with a book. But there are plenty of people who like the thriller/horror genre. If there weren’t we wouldn’t know who Steven King is. So if you are one of those people, check out the Body Finder Series because if there are as good as The Pledge, they are to die for. Lol. (Pun intended.) ^__^

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