Alex C. Telander's Blog, page 8

“The Flame Bearer” by Bernard Cornwell (HarperCollins, 2016)

The Flame Bearer is the tenth installment of the Saxon Tales from bestselling historical fiction master, Bernard Cornwell. Is it the final tale in the series? No one knows except Mr. Cornwell himself, and I suppose in a year or so readers will find out. But this volume may be the most important of the series, even over King Alfred’s reign and death, as our fearless and now aged hero, Uhtred, returns to his beloved Bebbanburg.

Uhtred is not a young warrior anymore, and may not be able to perform some of the feats he used to, but he is still perhaps the smartest and most cunning man in all of the lands that King Alfred one day hoped to unite as a single Englaland. For now the land remains divided, with Sigtryggr, a Viking, ruling in Northumbria, and the Saxon Queen Aethelflaed ruling from Mercia. However, they are at a truce; so for the first time in many a year, Uhtred has some free time and he knows just what he wishes to do.

Bringing together his people and those who will fight for him, he heads to Bebbanburg, his home, the land of his father, and the land that rightfully belongs to him, even though he hasn’t set foot on it since he was a child. But this is a Bernard Cornwell novel after all, so nothing will ever go as planned. This is also the Middle Ages also, meaning there are many out there wishing to take lands and make them their own. Such is the way of things, and as Uhtred likes to keep reminding us in the Old English, “Wyrd bið ful aræd,” or “Fate is inexorable.”

Originally written on January 4, 2017 ©Alex C. Telander.

To purchase a copy of The Flame Bearer from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.

Listen to Ostium Episode 2: CROATOAN

In Episode 2, Jake Fisher finally gets inside the secret town of Ostium and sees the many doors up close, and then ventures to find out what is behind those doors.

You can help and support Ostium by visiting our Patreon page.

 

“Arcanum Unbounded” by Brandon Sanderson (Tor, 2016)

If you’re any sort of epic fantasy fan, then by now you know full well who bestselling author Brandon Sanderson is. You may know him as the author who finished the long-spanning Wheel of Time series by the late Robert Jordan; or the creator of the fantastic Mistborn series; or perhaps you know him as the great mind behind his ongoing epic Stormlight Archive series. As a young adult reader, you may have also discovered him through some of his YA titles like The Rithmatist or the Reckoners trilogy, or perhaps even his Alcatraz series.

In case you haven’t realized, the guy can write. What you may not know is that all his books and stories are intrinsically linked together in his Cosmere universe. I know. Woah! Just when you think the guy can’t astound you more, he does. Sanderson has mentioned and hinted at this over the years of his climbing to stardom and bestseller status, and now readers get their first full insight into this galaxy of wonders, and of course, it’s a heavy tome weighing in at 672 pages, in Arcanum Unbounded: The Cosmere Collection.

The book collects a good amount of Sanderson’s short fiction. Of course, one can’t really consider these short stories, because when it comes to writing, the word means little to Sanderson unless he’s referring to a character’s stature. Each novella and novelette features an introduction by one of Sanderson’s knowledgeable characters about what they know about this particular planet and system and how this affects those who live on the world or worlds within it.

The collection features nine tales, including an Elantris novella, a Mistborn story and novella that brings back an old beloved character. It features the first chapter for what became the script to his graphic novel, White Sands, as well as a sample of the great artwork. Included is also his novelette “Shadows for Silence in the Forests of Hell” which first appeared in the George R. R. Martin’s and Gardner Dozois’ anthology Dangerous Women, which features one of the strongest and most impressive female protagonists ever, and is one of Sanderson’s best stories. Period. Arcanum Unbounded also has a very nice and very long novella from his Stormlight Archive called “Edgedancer.” The book showcases impressive artwork of the planets and star systems, and is of course beautifully designed and executed, as is any high-class work from Tor books.

Originally written on January 4, 2017 ©Alex C. Telander.

To purchase a copy of Arcanum Unbounded from Amazon, and help support BookBanter, click HERE.

On Serial Box: Episodic Writing: The Golden Era of Podcasts

Writing a podcast is very different from writing a novel or short story, in fact I believe it’s more akin to writing for a TV series, but can’t confidently say since I have yet to be hired on to write the next episode of Game of Thrones. The big difference with this type of writing is that it’s episodic: you’re writing shorter pieces in each episode for a longer overarching story. You might think, well, this is pretty similar to writing a novel with individual chapters each telling a part of the longer story of the book. And yes, there are some similarities, but when you’re working on a novel you usually have a deadline in mind many months or sometimes even a year or more down the road. When it comes to a podcast, especially an ongoing one, the deadlines are a lot more . . . oncoming and perhaps seemingly never ending.

[read the rest of the article on Serial Box]

Join Me in Taking a Stand

Ever since the night of November 4th, I’ve felt sad and somewhat helpless about the future. Lots of changes are going to happen and have already begun to happen, and pretty much all of them are for the worse for this country and is many diverse and wonderful people. I’ve done what I can, donating when I can afford it.

When I heard that a publisher I have respected for decades, Simon & Schuster, plans to publish a book – after a book deal for a quarter of a million dollars – by white supremacist Milo Yiannopoulos I was incensed and angered. Simon & Schuster says it is an expression of free speech.

When I learned that an online publication I work for, City Book Review, which includes multiple online publications of book reviews, was boycotting Simon & Schuster, along with others, there was no hesitation. Finally, I could do something. I immediately joined the boycott.

Below is the email I sent to every Simon & Schuster publicist I could find. I understand this punishes the authors as well as the publisher and its imprints, but it also sends a strong message, and the authors may want to think about the publisher that represents them.

I encourage you to join me in boycotting Simon & Schuster.

Dear Publicist,

It was extremely disappointing to discover one of Simon & Schuster’s imprints is publishing white supremacist Milo Yiannopoulos’s book. When it seems like daily this country moves one step deeper into the quagmire of racism, bigotry, and hatred, as well as the bullying and harassment of women and minorities, giving this man a lot of money and publishing his voice from a publisher I have respected for years is one more step in completely the wrong direction.

Your publisher claims it is freedom of speech. So were speeches made by Hitler, Stalin, and so many others throughout history.

I will be expressing my freedom of speech, in joining The Chicago Review of Books, San Francisco Book Review, Manhattan Book Review, Seattle Book Review, Kid’s Bookbuzz and Booksmith, and Bookbanter will no longer be reviewing a single book published by Simon & Schuster or any of its imprints. I join those in a growing voice hoping Simon & Schuster will make the right choice about this disgusting book deal.

Sincerely,

Alex C. Telander.

Listen to the Sound of My Voice

After winning a $100 Apple gift card from the great people at Blaze Entertainment, I faced a weighty decision as to what to do with said gift card. The choices were numerous and intoxicating: I could buy myself music, apps, headphones or earphones, portable speakers . . . but it didn’t take me long to think back on how I won this special gift.

I followed Blaze Entertainment on Twitter as a fellow podcaster and I was interested in their work and supporting them and learning from them. When they Tweeted about their giveaway, I automatically entered figuring it was worth a shot and then was both shocked and surprised when I found out I won.

Therefore it was only logical and correct to use this gift card to help improve my podcast and then I found this awesome Microphone for $99 that was USB compatible, and considering the last Apple device I had was an iPod many, many years ago, this seemed fated in some ways. And now that I am possesion of this mic, the sound quality of my recordings have drastically improved and there are many features to this device that I have yet to learn about.

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So today’s lessons are:

Listen to and support podcasts
Fellow podcasters listen to and support each other
Help yourself become better at what you do
Follow Blaze Entertainment on Twitter.

Books Read in 2016

I kind of blew the reading list out of the water this year with being able to get a ton of reading done via audiobooks at my work. I read through the entire Hercule Poirot series, as well as the Aubrey-Maturin series. I don’t know how it’s going to be for 2017, but I expect to get a lot of audiobooks read again, but perhaps not to quite the extent as 2016, which ended at a total 202 books read! For previous years, go here.

NUMBER


TITLE


AUTHOR


GENRE


EDITION



1
Chimera
Mira Grant
Horror
Audiobook


2
Warriors of the Storm
Bernard Cornwell
Historical Fiction



3
Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall
Aaron Safronoff
Fantasy
Ebook


4
The Boiling River
Andres Ruzo
Science



5
The Bands of Mourning
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy



6
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #1: A Long, Cold Winter
Lindsay Smith
Fanasy
Audiobook


7
Hostage
Rachel Manija Brown
Young Adult
Ebook


8
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #2: A Voice on the Radio
Cassandra Rose Clarke
Fantasy
Audiobook


9
EI8HT, Vol. 1:Outcast
Rafael Albuquerque
Graphic Novel



10
The Witch Who Came in Form the Cold #3: Double Blind
Max Gladstone
Fantasy
Audiobook


11
Xenowealth: A Collection
Tobias Bucknell
Science Fiction
Ebook


12
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #4: Stasis
Lindsay Smith
Fantasy
Audiobook


13
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #5: The Golem
Ian Tregillis
Fantasy
Audiobook


14
Welcome to Night Vale
Joseph Fink
Science Fiction



15
Revisionary
Jim C. Hines
Fantasy



16
Dr. Tenace
Yves Bernas
Science Fiction



17
The Passage
Justin Cronin
Science Fiction
Audiobook


18
Sherlock Holmes, The Missing Years: Timbuktu
Vasudev Murthy
Mystery



19
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #6: A Week Without Magic
Michael Swanwick
Fantasy
Audiobook


20
The Twelve
Justin Cronin
Science Fiction
Audiobook


21
Blood Infernal
James Rollins
Thriller



22
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #7: Radio Free Transmegistus
Ian Tregillis
Fantasy
Audiobook


23
Rivers of London: Body Work
Ben Aaronovich
Graphic Novel



24
Quantum Night
Robert J. Sawyer
Science Fiction



25
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #8: Cover the Silence
Cassandra Rose Clarke
Fantasy
Audiobook


26
All the Birds in the Sky
Charlie Jane Anders
Science Fiction



27
A Vision of Fire
Gillian Anderson
Science Fiction



28
Sleeping Giants
Syvain Neuvel
Science Fiction



29
Chu’s Day at the Beach
Neil Gaiman
Children’s



30
A Dream of Ice
Gillian Anderson
Science Fiction



31
Dark Matter
Blake Crouch
Science Fiction



32
Written in Fire
Marcus Sakey
Science Fiction



33
Calamity
Brandon Sanderson
Young Adult



34
Every Heart a Doorway
Seanan McGuire
Fantasy



35
Arkwright
Allen Steele
Science Fiction



36
The Deep
Peter Benchley
Thriller
Audiobook


37
Jaws
Peter Benchley
Thriller
Audiobook


38
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #9: Head Case
Max Gladstone
Fantasy
Audiobook


39
Virtually Criminal
John Broughton
Science Fiction
Ebook


40
Murder on the Orient Express
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


41
And Then There Were None
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


42
The Mysterious Affair at Styles
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


43
Murder on the Links
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


44
The Murder of Rogert Ackroyd
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


45
The Big Four
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


46
The Fireman
Joe Hill
Science Fiction



47
The Mystery of the Blue Train
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


48
Peril at End House
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


49
Lord Edgware Dies
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


50
Three Act Tragedy
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


51
The Sittaford Mystery
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


52
Dandelion Wine
Ray Bradbury
Fiction
Audiobook


53
Inflection Point
Traci Rosow-Medford
Biography



54
Whisper of Death
Christopher Pike
Young Adult
Ebook


55
Crooked House
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


56
The Golden Apples of the Sun
Ray Bradbury
Science Fiction
Audiobook


57
Weekend
Christopher Pike
Young Adult
Ebook


58
Why Didn’t They Ask Evans
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


59
A Hole in Science
Ted Christopher
Science
Ebook


60
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #10: Anchises
Lindsay Smith
Fantasy
Audiobook


61
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #11: King’s Gambit Accepted
Ian Tregillis
Fantasy
Audiobook


62
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #12: She’ll Lie Down in the Snow
Cassandra Rose Clarke
Fantasy
Audiobook


63
The Witch Who Came in From the Cold #13: Company Time
Lindsay Smith
Fantasy
Audiobook


64
The Pale Horse
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


65
They Came to Baghdad
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


66
Passenger to Frankfurt
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


67
Farewell Summer
Ray Bradbury
Fiction
Audiobook


68
The Darwin Sin
L. R. Hughes
Science Fiction
Ebook


69
Remember Me
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



70
Remember Me 2: The Return
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



71
This Year’s Class Picture
Dan Simmons
Horror



72
The Illustrated Man
Ray Bradbury
Science Fiction
Audiobook


73
The ABC Murders
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


74
Death in the Clouds
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


75
Murder in Mesopotamia
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


76
Children of Earth and Sky
Guy Gavriel Kay
Fantasy



77
Codex Ocularis
Ian Pyper
Science Fiction



78
Master of Murder
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



79
Cards on the Table
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


80
Monster
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



81
Saga Volume 5
Brian K. Vaughan
Graphic Novel



82
Death on the Nile
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


83
Dumb Witness
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


84
Appointment with Death
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


85
Interview with a Vampire
Anne Rice
Horror
Audiobook


86
The Party
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



87
The Dance
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



88
Hercule Poirot’s Christmas
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


89
The Return
Anthony M. Strong
Horror



90
The Vampire Lestat
Anne Rice
Horror
Audiobook


91
The Murder at the Vicarage
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


92
Chain Letter
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



93
Queen of the Damned
Anne Rice
Horror
Audiobook


94
The Graduation
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



95
Sparkling Cyanide
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


96
Tale of the Body Thief
Anne Rice
Horror
Audiobook


97
Walking Dead Volume 20
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



98
City of Mirrors
Justin Cronin
Horror



99
Witching Hour
Anne Rice
Horror
Audibook


100
Sad Cypress
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


101
Walking Dead Volume 21
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



102
Evil Under the Sun
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


103
Walking Dead Volume 22
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



104
Walking Dead Volume 23
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



105
Walking Dead Volume 24
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



106
One Two, Buckle My Shoe
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


107
Five Little Pigs
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


108
Taken at the Flood
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


109
Kronos Rising: Kraken
Max Hawthorne
Science Fiction



110
The Hollow
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


111
Grunt
Mary Roach
Science



112
Spook
Mary Roach
Science
Audiobook


113
Outcast Volume 1
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



114
Descender Volume 1
Jeff Lemire
Graphic Novel



115
End of Watch
Stephen King
Horror



116
Rise: The Complete Newsflesh Collection
Mira Grant
Horror



117
The Unexpected Guest
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


118
Body in the Library
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


119
Secret of Chimneys
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


120
The BFG
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


121
2001: A Space Odyssey
Arthur C. Clarke
Science Fiction
Audiobook


122
Bluescreen
Dan Wells
Young Adult



123
Blindsided
Jeff Carlson
Science Fiction
ebook


124
Gimme a Kiss
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



125
Mrs. McGinty’s Dead
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


126
The Labours of Hercules
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


127
Professional Security Manual
Charles White
Humor
ebook


128
Hickory Dickory Dock
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


129
Master and Commander
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


130
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


131
Ancient Evil
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



132
Walking Dead Volume 25
Robert Kirkman
Graphic Novel



133
Post Captain
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


134
Hard Times
Charles Dickens
Classic
Audiobook


135
Mostly Void, Partially Stars
Joseph Fink
Science Fiction



136
Road to Nowhere
Christopher Pike
Graphic Novel



137
The Great Flowing Coils of the Univers
Joseph Fink
Science Fiction



138
HMS Surprise
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


139
Mauritius Command
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


140
Cat Among the Pigeons
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobok


141
Wayward Pines: The Journey of McCall
Mark Len Mayfield
Science Fiction
ebook


142
The Hatching
Ezekiel Boone
Horror
Audiobook


143
The Colony
F. G. Cottam
Horror
Audiobook


144
Halloween Party
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiboook


145
Desolation Island
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


146
Witch
Christopher Pike
Young Adult



147
Fortune of War
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


148
Amazon Adventure
Willard Price
Children’s
ebook


149
Elephants Can Remember
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


150
Curtain
Agatha Christie
Mystery
Audiobook


151
Spire
Aaron Safronoff
Science Fiction



152
The Surgeon’s Mate
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


153
The Terror
Dan Simmons
Horror
Audiobook


154
Apes and Angels
Ben Bova
Science Fiction



155
Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
J. K. Rowling
Play
ebook


156
South Sea Adventure
Willard Price
Children’s
ebook


157
Ionian Mission
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


158
Treason’s Harbour
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


159
Rendezvous with Rama
Arthur C. Clarke
Science Fiction
Audiobook


160
Saga Volume 6
Brian K. Vaughan
Graphic Novel



161
We Stand on Guard
Brian K. Vaughan
Graphic Novel



162
The Far Side of the World
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


163
The Reverse of the Medal
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


164
Feedback
Mira Grant
Horror



165
The Halloween Tree
Ray Bradbury
Children’s



166
Shutter Volume 1
Joe Keatinge
Graphic Novel



167
Shutter Volume 2
Joe Keatinge
Graphic Novel



168
Of Saints and Shadows
Christopher Golden
Horror



169
Rama II
Arthur C. Clarke
Science Fiction
Audiobook


170
The Letter of Marque
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


171
Thirteen Gun Salute
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


172
The Nutmeg of Consolation
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


173
The Truelove
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


174
The Wine-Dark Sea
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


175
Coraline
Neil Gaiman
Children’s
ebook


176
The Singing Bones
Shaun Tan
Graphic Novel



177
Powers of Darkness
Bram Stoker
Horror



178
The Commodore
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


179
Dracula
Bram Stoker
Horror
Audiobook


180
Fantastic Mr. Fox
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


181
The Yellow Admiral
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


182
Esio Trot
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


183
The Hundred Days
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


184
The Enormous Crocodile
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


185
Blue at the Mizzen
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


186
The Final Unfinished Voyage of Jack Aubrey
Patrick O’Brian
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


188
Goldenhand
Garth Nix
Young Adult



189
The Magic Finger
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


190
Ancestor’s Tale
Richard Dawkins
Science
Audiobook


191
Elixir
Briand Fagan
Science
Audiobook


192
George’s Marvelous Medicine
Roald Dahl
Children’s
ebook


193
Dark Matter and the Dinosaurs
Lisa Randall
Science
Audiobook


194
Arcanum Unbounded
Brandon Sanderson
Fantasy



195
Third Chimpanzee
Jared Diamond
Science
Audiobook


196
Not Dead Yet
Phil Collins
Autobiography
Audiobook


197
Flame Bearer
Bernard Cornwell
Historical Fiction
Audiobook


198
Christmas Carol
Charles Dickens
Classic
ebook


199
Hanging Tree
Ben Aaronovich
Fantasy
Audiobook


200
Drood
Dan Simmons
Horror
Audiobook


201
Ocean of Storms
Christopher Mari
Science Fiction



202
Fellowship of the Ring
J. R. R. Tolkien
Fantasy
Audibook

Ostium Episode 1: Population Zero

The first episode of season 1 of the Ostium Podcast, “Population Zero,” went up on January 1st. If you haven’t listened to it yet, you may want to check it out. In the episode you get to meet Jake Fisher and join him on his quest to find this secret town of Ostium, and then be at his side as his makes the decision whether to enter through the gates of Ostium or not.

Episode 2 won’t be available until January 15th, which is good news for you, because it means you have over a week to try and decide what exactly is in the town of Ostium and what might possibly be behind all those doors . . .

You can listen to the episode below on SoundCloud, or you can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes and that way you’ll get every new episode automatically downloaded for you.

While You’re Waiting for Ostium . . .

There’s just a handful of days to go now until the premiere of the Ostium podcast. In the meantime you might want to check out this fun interview I did with WhiteNoize where we talked about Ostium, the people behind Team Ostium, and what you can possibly expect from this new podcast. Plus there are photos!

Ostium: The Final Countdown

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We’re closing in on the world premiere of the Ostium podcast, coming January 1, 2017, and Team Ostium is getting pretty excited.

The first teaser is out giving you a little taste of Ostium, but it’s barely 30 seconds long. This has been remedied with the release of a second teaser, which features the first couple minutes of episode 1.

Also be sure to follow Ostium on Soundcloud, or, alternatively, you can subscribe to the Ostium podcast on iTunes, that way you’ll get any further teasers and each episode as it is released downloaded into your iTunes account.