Marc Aplin's Blog, page 71

Help Us Choose the Best Fantasy Novel of 2018!

Greeting Factioners! If you are in the US, Happy Thanksgiving! If you are not, happy Thursday! But wherever you are, today is an exciting day! It’s time to help us pick the best fantasy novel of 2018! Traditionally published, indie published, self-published, if it came out in 2018 it qualifies. Each person can nominate as […]

Rex Draconis: Lords of the Dragon Moon by Richard A. Knaak

While Narnia and Middle Earth were my gateways to fantasy, the Dragonlance world of Weis and Hickman made me a fantasy reader for life. Adding to the core storyline was Richard Knaak, with his Dragonlance standalones. The Legend of Huma and Kaz the Minotaur have sat on my various shelves and spent brief sojourns packed […]

Masters of Deception by J. C. Kang

I would like to start with a confession, I haven’t read any of J.C. Kang’s previous novels and know nothing about the world in which this story takes place. I jumped in totally blind, went with the smooth pace of the book and was captivated with the wonderful world that the author created. While I […]

Character Development: Writing Realistic Personalities & Flaws

This is the second article in our Character Development series. Click here to read the first article: Character Death and the Ultimate Sacrifice. In writing a novel, many authors are concerned about their characters’ likability. Characters are often their creator’s darlings, and the last thing authors want is for the audience to dislike what they, […]

Sara C. Roethle Interview – The Witch of Shadowmarsh

In the words of the author herself, Sara C. Roethle is a fantasy author and part-time unicorn. She enjoys writing character driven stories in various fantasy realms with elements of Celtic and Norse myth, humor, and metaphysical ponderings. She has also stopped by today to talk to us! When did you know you wanted to […]

The Lore of Prometheus by Graham Austin-King – Cover Reveal & Excerpt!

Those of you who are new to Fantasy-Faction may not know this, but I love SFF art, and am particularly found of book cover art. It won’t be a surprise then that this is one of my favorite types of announcements to post. For today we have an amazing cover reveal from author Graham Austin-King! […]

Wraith Knight and Wraith Lord by C. T. Phipps – Double Book Review

Spoiler Warning: This review contains spoilers for book one of the series. Please read with caution if you have yet to finish Wraith Knight. When Wraith Lord, the sequel to C. T. Phipps’ outstanding Wraith Knight, opens, protagonist Jacob Riverson has a few problems: 1. He has two wives, and they’re mad at each other. […]

Blood of the Gods by David Mealing

Blood of the Gods is the second book in the epic fantasy trilogy, The Ascension Cycle. It follows closely after the events of the first book, Soul of the World. Like its predecessor, it is split into four sections, each marked by a change in season. Each section is split into four character perspectives: Sarine, […]

Brian Lee Durfee Interview – The Blackest Heart

I’d like to start-off this interview by not asking a question but, stating how incredibly excited I am to interview an author whose work (The Forgetting Moon, book one of the Five Warrior Angels series) I really loved. It’s a privilege and I’m really looking forward to The Blackest Heart that is due to come […]

Editing Your Writing

Editing is, in a way, the less fun counterpart to writing a novel. However, in writing fiction, the devil often is in the details, and a good edit can make the difference between a reasonable book and a brilliant one. Of course, a traditionally-published book will be edited by the publisher, and many self-published writers […]