Sarah Chorn's Blog, page 100

The World of the End – Ofir Touche Gafla + GIVEAWAY

About the Book

As an epilogist, Ben Mendelssohn appreciates an unexpected ending. But when that finale is the untimely demise of his beloved wife in a bizarre accident, Ben is incapable of coping. Marian was more than his life partner; she was the fiber that holds together all that he is, and Ben is willing to end his own life and enter the unknown beyond if it means any chance of getting her back.

One bullet to the brain later, Ben is in the Other World, where he discovers a vast and curiously material existence utterly unlike anything he could have imagined, and where the deceased from every age live an eternal second life. There Ben finds everyone from his grandparents to Marilyn Monroe. But he can’t find Marian.

Desperate for a reunion, no matter the cost, Ben hires an unconventional afterlife investigator to track her down. But as evidence mounts that Marian is actually alive and well and living in Tel Aviv, Ben also uncovers unexpected truths that will haunt him throughout eternity.

368 pages (hardcover)

Published on June 25, 2013 (after being published in Israel several years ago)

Published by Tor

This book was given to me to review by the publisher.

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NOTE: This review includes a GIVEAWAY for the book. If you’d like to skip my review and enter the contest, scroll to the end to find out how. If not, read on and enjoy the ride.

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The World of the End is one of those books that I really have no idea how to review. It’s truly different than anything I’ve read before, and that’s part of the problem with reviewing it. I’m not sure how to go about doing so without giving anything away, or making a few of my points clear.

The World of the End deals with the dark subject of death which might put some people off. However, when you really boil it down to its roots, death is just something that happens so the author can explore the many facets of love, from love of life, to love of people, and love of self. It’s actually quite fascinating how Gafla goes about exploring such a complex; multi-hued topic like love by counterbalancing it with something like death, a subject which most people will think is incredibly dark, like death. What is even more interesting is how Gafla unashamedly explores how love can be both bright and hopeful, resembling all that is good, and how it can also be a force darker than death.

Life is more of a side story in The World of the End. The real meat of the book takes place in Other World, which is the world people go to once they die. Gafla did some very thoughtful world building without adding religion to it, which was a relief to me. In fact, Other World is like a continuation of life on earth, but better. People live in high rises. They are assigned apartments. They meet family members and have friends and lovers. If they had disabilities in their previous life, they can get them fixed. People called Aliases run the place and take care of the forest which grows trees of life. It’s all rather interesting and while I’d call this more of a character driven novel than anything else, Other World has a wonderful feel to it that makes death feel complex, but welcoming and surprisingly warm.

The main character, Ben, commits suicide on his dead wife’s birthday fourteen months after she died in an effort to meet her on the other side. While most of the story takes place following Ben as he tries to find his surprisingly missing wife and all of the family secrets revealed as he does so, Gafla also returns to Earth every few chapters to focus on other perspectives. For the first forty percent of the novel the chapters have a “short story” feel to them. It doesn’t become clear until about the last forty percent of the book how all of these perspectives fit together. It’s all incredibly intricate and rather amazing how Gafla worked everyone, even people who seemed to have absolutely nothing to do to each other, into a tapestry that was so incredibly tightly woven and used the tapestry to draw out such powerful emotions in his readers.

This is also what might bother some readers more than anything else. There does seem to be a nearly endless introduction of perspectives in The World of the End. While the “short story” feel to some of the chapters was rather refreshing to me, and they do all add up to give the reader an incredibly well rounded and insightful look at the surprising light and dark of subjects that we generally only think of in one way, if you aren’t a reader who likes being introduced to characters throughout a novel, this might frustrate you. Furthermore, some of the characters really only appear once, or appear far after they are first introduced so it is hard to remember who they are. For example, one chapter is a suicide letter written to some friends (it’s not as horrible as it sounds) and that’s the only time those two people are focused on in the entire book. There are a few others like that which were really basically just incredibly short stories thrown in to add dimension to the overall themes.

Additionally, while Ben is the protagonist, he’s so involved with finding his lost wife that he really never gets fleshed out past that. You learn small details about his life, like he was a writer and his wife was a language teacher. This is probably purposeful, as the true focus of the book is on the themes of love and death. They are such overpowering themes that they almost seem like characters in and of themselves. Readers will feel for Ben’s seemingly hopeless plight, while on the flip side, there is another character who is almost his polar opposite and turns love into a weapon of sorts and uses it to harm. It’s fascinating how Gafla creates characters who seem to be tools to expose readers to larger themes, and how incredibly effective that is.

The plot moves forward at a steady clip. There are some detours and it seems like Ben’s conclusion with finding his dead wife is a bit rushed after he drags his feet a little toward the middle, but it all comes together nicely. On the earth side of things, there is one point toward the end where Ben’s polar opposite character comes to her own conclusion and someone appears out of basically nowhere, which caused me to feel a bit jolted and wondering why exactly that event was necessary (I don’t know how else to say that without giving anything away). However, I easily overlooked that as the rest of the novel was so tightly woven.

The ending is rather bitter sweet, and while some of the mystery behind Marian will be obvious to readers about sixty percent through the book, it’s still fascinating to watch everything unfold in tandem on earth and in the Other World. The World of the End ends on the perfect note for such a somber (yet there is some humor) novel. There’s a stark reality that Ben has to face and Gafla isn’t afraid to show readers a new facet of love, even in the last few pages.

The World of the End was a novel I started reading not knowing what to expect, and once I was about thirty percent in, I realized I couldn’t put it down. It’s intricate, deep, thoughtful, emotional and topped off with some wonderful writing. No wonder it has won two well-deserved awards. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever read before. That’s, perhaps, the best thing I can say about it. It is truly unique and is so powerfully thought provoking that is has stuck with me well after I finished it.

4/5 stars

 

GIVEAWAY RULES:

1. This contest is only open to residents of the United States

2. This contest will be open to enter until Friday, July 26 at midnight, Mountain Time.

3. To enter this giveaway, leave a comment on this review stating that you wish to be entered into the giveaway.

4. I will announce the winner on Monday, July 29th and contact them via email. If they do not answer within two days, another winner will be chosen.

Good luck!

The Thousand Names – Django Wexler

About the Book

Enter an epic fantasy world that echoes with the thunder of muskets and the clang of steel—but where the real battle is against a subtle and sinister magic….

Captain Marcus d’Ivoire, commander of one of the Vordanai empire’s colonial garrisons, was resigned to serving out his days in a sleepy, remote outpost. But that was before a rebellion upended his life. And once the powder smoke settled, he was left in charge of a demoralized force clinging tenuously to a small fortress at the edge of the desert.

To flee from her past, Winter Ihernglass masqueraded as a man and enlisted as a ranker in the Vordanai Colonials, hoping only to avoid notice. But when chance sees her promoted to command, she must win the hearts of her men and lead them into battle against impossible odds.

The fates of both these soldiers and all the men they lead depend on the newly arrived Colonel Janus bet Vhalnich, who has been sent by the ailing king to restore order. His military genius seems to know no bounds, and under his command, Marcus and Winter can feel the tide turning. But their allegiance will be tested as they begin to suspect that the enigmatic Janus’s ambitions extend beyond the battlefield and into the realm of the supernatural—a realm with the power to ignite a meteoric rise, reshape the known world, and change the lives of everyone in its path.

528 pages (hardcover)

Published on July 2, 2013

Published by Roc Hardcover

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for my review by the publisher.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following links: The Thousand Names: Book One of The Shadow Campaigns, The Thousand Names: Book One of The Shadow Campaigns – Kindle

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People who read epic fantasy tend to go into it with high expectations. Hell, “epic” is in the title of the genre. Readers expect exactly that. The world needs to be sprawling and well fleshed out. There needs to be a cast of characters as long as my arm all with believable personalities and nuances. The large world needs to be filled with complex cultures and numerous languages. Magic, should it be a part of the series, needs to be just as complex and sprawling as everything else. In a word, everything needs to be, well, epic.

That being said, I admire it when new authors have the vision to picture an epic fantasy and mentally put all the pieces together, but also the artistic and verbal talents to put those images to paper. I get even more impressed when said author’s book is released and it surpasses my expectations. You see, the problem I’ve encountered with epic fantasy is that a lot of people want to write it, and very few can execute a perfect door stopping epic fantasy book on the first try. It takes practice and a special kind of mind. While The Thousand Names isn’t perfect, it’s damn impressive for a debut author whose first work fits nicely in the epic-fantasy sub-genre.

The Thousand Names in some ways reminds me a bit of Steven Erikson’s Malazan series. The Thousand Names, like Malazan, takes place on the outskirts of an empire (kingdom) on a dry, hot and rather exhausting area with a colorful and complex local culture. Most of the tried soldiers are a rather tight knit group with banter also reminding me of some of the soldierly banter in Malazan books. While their struggles to acclimate to the area and culture are alluded to, they aren’t focused on. This allows Wexler to get right to the job of introducing the characters, and slowly building the world and their situation(s) around them as the book gains complexities.

It’s hard for me to compare any books to Steven Erikson’s Malazan series, because in my mind that series is the series that tops all books ever written in the history of the world (okay, maybe that’s a little exaggeration, but you get the point). However, there were points where I couldn’t help myself. While Erikson is a master of world building, Wexler gives it his all and it pays off. Though The Thousand Names lacks the intricacies of Malazan, the effort is there. There are some similarities that I’ve already addressed, but also some that were rather subtle as I read. For example, there’s a feeling throughout the book that there’s more to pretty much everything than meets the eye, an ominous feeling that Erikson has perfected in his books but Wexler comes pretty close. Wexler also infuses his dusty, dry island with a sense of sprawling history and religious importance, both of which are qualities that I loved about the Malazan series, but find lacking in much of epic fantasy today.

I’m not a reviewer who likes to compare books (though you wouldn’t guess it from this review so far) but I thought those points are important to mention. I don’t think Wexler is piggybacking off of Erikson in the least. Instead, I think he’s a bright new talent in epic fantasy who has shown in his first book, The Thousand Names, that he has the ability to bring the epic to fantasy and his world building reflects much of what I look for in epic fantasy and rarely find outside of Steven Erikson books.

As I mentioned above, it’s not perfect, despite all my praise. The Thousand Names takes some time to get going. The first hundred pages or so are basically spent introducing characters who rather suddenly start on a journey and have no clue where they are going or why. The reader acutely will feel the character’s confusion because just as you start getting introduced to people, they start moving and shifting around. Winter, one protagonist, is moved from one group of soldiers to another in the first few chapters and, while this added a new and interesting dynamic to her story, it was hard to remember who were the “new” soldiers and who were the “old” soldiers when they are referred to because everything has shifted so much. While that gets sorted out as the book progresses, it’s hard to keep track of the world building, character introductions and cultural nuances as the army starts moving across a barren landscape for (at the time) no apparent reason.

Another issue that many readers might face is Wexler’s detailed battle sequences. The author goes into quite a bit of detail regarding formations, weapons, who does what and where. Sometimes this extensive detail makes it feel like the action takes a bit too long to get going. If battle details aren’t your bag then you might struggle through those portions of the book. Regardless of how you feel about battle details, you have to step back and admire the research it must have taken to bring such incredible reality to the action sequences the characters find themselves in.

Wexler has a very large cast of characters, but only a few of them are highlighted and there are really only two main perspectives with a few others thrown in here and there. This helps readers get well acquainted with the characters and their various viewpoints on what happens throughout the book without ever taking away from that epic feel that I really enjoyed. One niggling point is that occasionally Wexler switches to the “other side” for a short point of view. Usually in books that sort of thing helps clear up the details of what is happening and adds valuable insight, but it really didn’t in The Thousand Names. In fact, in some instances the other side’s perspectives left me more confused.

The reason for this is that Wexler reveals what is happening as it happens and the very subtle foreshadowing that does happen, happens early on in the book and is easily forgotten. Readers figure out what is going on as the soldiers do. That’s fine, and usually that’s a huge reason why I enjoy a book. It keeps things interesting. The drawback here is that as the details and mysteries unfold they end up being surprisingly complex and it makes the “other side” perspectives, which would usually clear up and add details, muddy the waters instead.

The Thousand Names involves secret cult, religious sects, magic, political schemes, demons and more. While all of this is hinted at as the book goes along, much of the information feels somewhat weighty and confusing as it is revealed to readers. It takes time to absorb and fully understand. Mixed in with all of that is the fact that every character seems to have some incredible secret that is only hinted at, and expanded on throughout the book though (in most cases) never fully revealed to the reader. Wexler’s world is complex and so are his characters. A lot is happening both above and below the surface which might help along the confusion readers might struggle with throughout the book.

Despite the flaws, The Thousand Names is surprisingly epic and surprisingly absorbing. The plot does take some time to get its feet off the ground and really get moving, and the book does struggle with being perhaps a bit too complex and therefore slightly confusing. That being said, Wexler really shows his epic fantasy skill with his debut. He shows that he’s not only willing to play with the “big names” of epic fantasy, but that he is worthy of being compared to them. The Thousand Names is an interesting debut with its share of drawbacks, but the incredible world building, character development and yes, even the complexity of it all, will hook epic fantasy fans and leave them anxiously waiting for the next book in the series.

 

4/5 stars

 

 

An Update – The Good Kind

I’ve learned two things about me this past two and a half years of health chaos:

1. I only read brain candy when I’m mentally preparing for a doctor’s appointment.

2. I can’t ever seem to get around to reviewing. My head just isn’t in it, so it doesn’t happen.

Today I had a doctor’s appointment, which is why I’ve been so silent all week, if you’ve been wondering. I’ve been reading a lot of the kind of books I don’t review, and mentally boning up for my appointment.

Let me bring those of you up to speed on what’s been going on in my life so you can understand how amazing today was for me:

I was diagnosed with cancer in October, 2010.

Tumor removed in November, 2010

Six weeks of cancer treatment starting in December, 2010

January, 2011 I learned I couldn’t finish my treatment because I was pregnant, 9 weeks along, baby due in August. No, I didn’t have a clue.

February, 2011 my spine severely herniated, smashing two nerve roots that controlled the function of my right leg. I lost feeling and spent the rest of my 6 months of pregnancy on bed rest and unable to walk.

June, 2011 I learned that Fiona (my kid) was high risk for a chromosome disorder that was life threatening. I was asked if I wanted to terminate the pregnancy and I was also told that my cancer treatment (I was going through a hormonal treatment to keep the tumors suppressed during pregnancy) increased her risk of mental retardation.

August 2011, Fiona was born 100% healthy and despite concerns for mental retardation and no Trisomy 18. At almost 2 years old, she is currently considered mentally advanced for her age.

October 2011 – Switched cancer doctors, my new one wanted to wait and see how severe my cancer was until we decided on a course of treatment. Thus began the period of “waiting to see what happens” which is HORRIBLE. This began my period of 6 week checkups that never ended well.

October, 2012 – FINALLY had back surgery

December, 2012 – Learned my discs reherniated.

December 28, 2012 – After observation and biopsies, we learned my cancer had not only reappeared but had metastasized. Decided to wait until after treatment to have my next back surgery.

January 2013 – start treatment

February 2013 – go into quarantine, finish treatment, learn I treatment triggered cells in my nodes, saliva glands and even in my chest.

March and April – Recover from treatment.

May 2, 2013 – go have another back surgery.

May 3, 2013 – get rushed to the ER. Learn my surgery worked for an entire day before I reherniated. Went through overnight observation to determine if I needed emergency surgery.

May 16th, 2013 – Have a 3 level fusion – 5 days in the hospital

May – June – recovery from surgery

June: Go to cancer doctor, get the official word from his mouth that I am, to all appearances, cancer free (after 2.5 years). While he told me that over the phone right after I had my scan after quarantine, it was really, really nice to see his lips actually forming the words after doing an ultrasound. Not only had treatment made me cancer free, but I have remained that way.

Today: Go to surgery doctor and learn that, after 2.5 years of back problems and SEVERE pain and loss of feeling in my right leg, my back is 100% fixed and my nerves appear to be “coming back to life.” It might take a year, but hopes are high that I’ll be able to feel my right leg and foot again.

Today: Talked to my boss at work (the job I only worked twice before I had to have surgeries and I haven’t been able to work since). I learned that all the managers have said that even though I only worked twice, I’m “worth waiting for.” Yes, I am still employed and I’m welcome back at any time.

And perhaps after you see all that health drama and all the hell I’ve been through these last two and a half years, you’ll see why today’s appointment was amazing. I am closing the door to another huge health issue I’ve been struggling with. I’m amazed that I’m still sane and mentally functional. It’s been hell and now I no longer have cancer and, while I’m still recovering from surgeries, I no longer am struggling with my leg the way I have been for two and a half years. Though I would have rather not had to have my back fused at such a young age (30 – and that concerns me on some levels), sometimes life doesn’t end up the way you want, and I would have done ANYTHING to end the nerve pain. People who have felt severe nerve pain before will understand that. I told the doctor before my fusion, “Either fix me, or cut my leg off. I don’t care anymore.” This appointment could have gone any possible way, but after so long of hearing about how bad my back is and how my tumors are spreading, it’s amazing to hear two doctors (cancer and surgery doctors) both tell me that “everything looks perfect” in the same month.

I was worried, so I was quiet and now I’m in some weird state of shock. Health problems have dominated my life for a long time and now they are basically gone. It’s time to learn how to live without these oppressive worries again. I’ll admit, when I learned that my cancer metastasized in December, I lost all hope that I’d ever hear “all clear” from any doctor again. Now that I’ve heard it twice, I’m realizing that I’m in a mental recovery zone of sorts. It’s time to pick up the pieces and learn who I’ve turned into after cancer forced me to face my mortality, and I underwent three surgeries that really upset family life.

And I have to admit, when it’s all said and done, I’m damn proud of myself for making it through and I’m amazed. You never really know how strong you are until strong is the only option you have.

P.S. Before I go, I’ll brag a bit. I went on a photo shoot with the supermoon this month and learned that my photo has made it to the television news in three different states. That’s just damn impressive to me, and completely worth bragging about.

Now that that’s over, I’ll be back to reviewing on Monday, and I hope the next half of this year isn’t as stressful as the first half has been.

The Beautiful Land – Alan Averill

About the Book

Takahiro O’Leary has a very special job

…working for the Axon Corporation as an explorer of parallel timelines—as many and as varied as anyone could imagine. A great gig—until information he brought back gave Axon the means to maximize profits by changing the past, present, and future of this world.

If Axon succeeds, Tak will lose Samira Moheb, the woman he has loved since high school—because her future will cease to exist. A veteran of the Iraq War suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder, Samira can barely function in her everyday life, much less deal with Tak’s ravings of multiple realities. The only way to save her is for Tak to use the time travel device he “borrowed” to transport them both to an alternate timeline.

But what neither Tak nor Axon knows is that the actual inventor of the device is searching for a timeline called the Beautiful Land—and he intends to destroy every other possible present and future to find it.

The switch is thrown, and reality begins to warp—horribly. And Tak realizes that to save Sam, he must save the entire world

368 pages (paperback)

Published on June 4, 2013

Published by Ace

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following links: The Beautiful Land, The Beautiful Land – Kindle

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The author of The Beautiful Land, Alan Averill, won the breakthrough novel award and as soon as you start reading this book, it’ll be obvious why. Averill can write. He writes in such a tight, descriptive and lyrical way that you might not even notice the tropes the book falls into occasionally – or if you do, his writing might help you enjoy said tropes.

The Beautiful Land is peppered with characters that are both incredibly well-rounded (Samira, an Iranian suffering from severe PTSD from her time in the army) and Tak, who somehow manages to be well-rounded in a more mysterious, back burner way. Tak himself didn’t get the limelight that Samira got, but despite that, he’s still an incredibly absorbing character that adds a level of humor and energy to the book that it needed.

Tak, of course, works for this superevil corporation based in the middle of nowhere Australia. Tak works for them because he’s an explorer, and they need an explorer to discover what happens on other, parallel timelines. Though Tak’s time there, he learns just how superevil the superevil corporation is, and he makes a run for it. That being said, the superevil corporation was, perhaps, one of the most cliché parts of the novel, and their end goal was so comic-book it was almost laughable.

Tak tracks down Samira and it becomes obvious that they have one of those true loves that spans the years and isn’t the least bit cheesy or unbelievable. In fact, it’s the kind of love that doesn’t enter books often enough. Tak is willing to give up everything to give Samira a chance to live, and Samira follows him, despite her PTSD because, well, how can she not? Their love story really was rather heartwarming, and ended up being bittersweet in the end.

Perhaps the biggest problem with The Beautiful Land is that it is a bit too convenient and a bit too predictable at parts. Once the superevil corporation does what they set out to do, it turns out that the mad scientist jimmy rigged it all so nothing is the way it should be (which was no surprise at all). Furthermore, a few issues come to play that help character get out of tight spots (or get into them) in truly convenient ways. For example, there was another secret briefcase made that makes travel into parallel timelines more permanent, but there was basically no protection for it (just looking for trouble, eh?). That’s just one example of many, but issues like that pepper the book and help characters either solve problems, or create problems a bit too easily.

The least fleshed out characters are the two that take center stage for the superevil corporation – the genius scientist Yates and his assistant, Judith. The problem with Yates isn’t just his fairly colorless appearance in the book, but he almost turns into the guy who is so “bad” that he’s unbelievable and clichés like that in books as well written as this drive me crazy. Judith, however, just isn’t very well rounded. Is she good or evil? You never really know. She could fit a little in either hole, which makes her more interesting. That being said, there isn’t much to her – I had the feeling every time she was introduce to the plot that a strong puff of wind would blow her away and she wouldn’t really be missed. She was inserted for one or two specific reasons, and beyond that she doesn’t really matter.

So where does that leave me with The Beautiful Land? I absolutely loved Averill’s writing style which is tight, flowing and fairly lyrical. His prose can’t help but absorb you into the plot. Tak and Samira are very well rounded characters, each tragic in their own way, but you can’t help but love them. The plot is interesting, absorbing and nicely paced. However, all of that is balanced by a few too-convenient plot points, two dimensional characters, and antagonists (both people and corporations) that are so far into the “antagonist” category they lacked believability.

After all that is said and picked over, the simple truth of the matter is that you don’t really read this book for the fantastic plot or the thought provoking nature of (whatever). You read this book because the author has a hell of an ability to write, and you love the two main protagonists. This is a character driven novel, and based on that and his protagonists, Averill hit the nail on the head with his first foray into speculative fiction.

3/5 stars

The City – Stella Gemmell

About the Book

The City is ancient, layers upon layers. Once a thriving metropolis, it has sprawled beyond its bounds, inciting endless wars with neighboring tribes and creating a barren wasteland of what was once green and productive.

In the center of the City lives the emperor. Few have ever seen him, but those who have recall a man in his prime, though he should be very old. Some grimly speculate that he is no longer human, if he ever was. A small number have come to the desperate conclusion that the only way to stop the war is to end the emperor’s unnaturally long life.

From the mazelike sewers below the City, where the poor struggle to stay alive in the dark, to the blood-soaked fields of battle, where few heroes manage to endure the never-ending siege, the rebels pin their hopes on one man—Shuskara. The emperor’s former general, he was betrayed long ago and is believed to be dead. But, under different aliases, he has survived, forsaking his City and hiding from his immortal foe. Now the time has come for him to engage in one final battle to free the City from the creature who dwells at its heart, pulling the strings that keep the land drenched in gore.

528 pages (hardcover)

Published June 4, 2013

Published by Ace

This book was sent for me to review by the publisher.

You can buy a copy of this book by clicking on the following links: The City, The City – Kindle

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Chances are, if you pick up The City by Stella Gemmell, you’ll be picking it up for one, if not two reasons. First, you will recognize the infamous Gemmell surname. Secondly, you’ll be in the mood for some serious epic fantasy. No matter which reason (if not both) you pick The City up for, you will be rewarded. The author does her infamous surname proud with her first foray into solo epic fantasy.

The City itself is sort of an odd duck. For example, there really isn’t that much time spent in the city itself. Readers won’t really get a feel for the life, sprawl and culture of the place like they might expect. A few street names are thrown out here and there, but that’s about it. The city itself remains somewhat of a mystery.

That being said, there’s a Steven Erikson type archeology that Gemmell really seems to focus on at the start of the book. As a huge Erikson fan, I absolutely loved how the city was more than the sum of its surface parts. Instead, it’s a place that has been built, crumbled and rebuilt over and over again. There are layers of the cities that came before that have sunk under the earth and people who live there, scavenging, never seeing the daylight.

However, after the first part of the book, not much is said about the layers under the surface. In fact, not much is said about the city itself at all. The book focuses quite a bit on the army moving around somewhere outside of the city and their various battles and captures. I never quite understood what they were fighting for, except the fact that the emperor told them to, but I got the fact that that’s how Gemmell wanted it to be. They were fighting because they had to. The reason why had been lost with time.

The sections of The City that actually took part in the city focused mainly on one of the emperor’s generals, Shuskara, who was condemned and thus, in hiding, and his adopted daughter Emly. There are a few secondary characters thrown in here and there, but these two take the main stage in the city itself. As a result, they are far more fleshed out than their secondary counterparts, who easily fade into the background and can, at times, be forgettable.

As for characterization in the army, Gemmell faces the same problem. There is a wide cast of characters, but the author seems to lose focus on all of them. Some characters fade into the background and become so forgettable that when they reappear, it is almost startling. Others are so central to the plot that they are almost mesmerizing in their realism.

The City’s plot is somewhat oddly paced. Some parts are incredibly fast paced and absorbing, and others felt like they dragged on and on. Gemmell had a lot of ground and history to cover in one large book, so I can understand how flashbacks and some infodumps are necessary, but her somewhat dry writing style made a few of these parts feel almost like a textbook, which sapped some of the fun from reading those sections and definitely made the plot slow down a bit.

Emly’s brother isn’t reintroduced until the end of the book. This isn’t really that aggravating, but he was so well developed at the start of the book that I found myself, throughout the course of the plot, wondering just what happened to him. When it was all said and done, I think Gemmell missed out on a captivating character and a really interesting plot thread that could have been added throughout the book and helped bolster some of the more textbook-ish parts.

The City has the sort of ending that is somewhat mysterious. It could either be a stand-alone, or enough is left open so Gemmell can explore the world a bit more. The book itself is certainly epic enough to be able to handle turning into a series, and I, for one, would love to see what happens to the city and characters as time passes.

While this book isn’t perfect, The City is delicately balanced. There’s archeology and a deep sense of history that will most likely appeal to Malazan fans. There’s plenty of action and characters you aren’t going to forget anytime soon. That being said, Gemmell didn’t have complete control over the pace of her plot, which lagged at points. Furthermore, some secondary characters had a tendency to be forgettable, at best. While The City is a rather dark book, it ends on a very subtle, but hopeful and happy note. When I really thought about it, I found that delicate, subtle and hopeful note throughout the book. Gemmell manages to balance the dark with light, and the history with plenty of surface level action. The City is sprawling in scope and an epic in every sense of the word, with a delicate touch that I found incredibly appealing.

 

4/5 stars

Full Blooded & Hot Blooded – Amanda Carlson

(Note: This is a two book review in one post. Yes, it’s a VERY long post due to that. I will probably do a few posts like this as I try to catch up on my serious review backlog from my two surgeries and my epic two-month recovery).

About the Book

Born the only female in an all male race, Jessica McClain isn’t just different—she’s feared.

After living under the radar for the last twenty-six years, Jessica is thrust unexpectedly into her first change, a full ten years late. She wakes up and finds she’s in the middle of a storm. Now that she’s become the only female full-blooded werewolf in town, the supernatural world is already clamoring to take a bite out of her and her new Pack must rise up and protect her.

But not everyone is on board. The werewolf Rights of Laws is missing text and the superstitious werewolves think that Jessica means an end to their race. It doesn’t help when Jessica begins to realize she’s more. She can change partway and hold her form, and speak directly to her wolf. But the biggest complication by far is that her alpha father can’t control her like he can the rest of his wolves.

When a mercenary who’s been hired by the vampires shows up to extract information about the newly turned werewolf only days after her change, they find themselves smack in the middle of a war and there’s no choice but to run together. When it’s up to Jessica to negotiate her release against her father’s direct orders, she chooses to take an offer for help instead. In exchange, Jessica must now swear an oath she may end up repaying with her life.

322 pages (paperback)

Published on September 11, 2012

Published by Orbit

Author’s webpage

This book was provided for me to review by the publisher.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following link: Full Blooded (Jessica McClain)

—–

There are a few things I’ve learned about myself through all the trauma of cancer treatment and multiple surgeries. When I am recovering from something, or going through something really mentally and physically draining, I read a ton of urban fantasy. In fact, that’s just about all I read. Including, if not mostly, urban fantasy with romance in it. That’s something I was almost ashamed to admit before, but the truth is, I’ve learned that these type of books have their place, and no matter how much I’ve harped on them before, when I really need a mental vacation, it’s not epic fantasy I turn to, but urban fantasy with a dash of romance.

Enter the Jessica McClain series – at least the first two books released so far, Full Blooded and Hot Blooded.

Full Blooded introduces us to our protagonist, Jessica, who wakes up in the middle of a change she shouldn’t be having, as females have never been able to change into werewolves before. She’s the first of her kind, and her father is, coincidentally, a very powerful, very important man in the pack hierarchy. Jessica lives under a false identity doing what most protagonists in urban fantasy do: some form of private investigation. Jessica is tracked down by a mercenary rather quickly, and, helped along by her father’s high status, a war breaks out as superstitious werewolves (and others) try to kill her for fear that she’ll bring down their race.

Sounds interesting, right?

Well, it kind of is. Carlson writes a fast paced book. It doesn’t take long to devour the whole thing, and while there are plenty of clichés thrown in for good measure (like the uber hunk mercenary and Jessica’s sudden ability to do something no one else can do, and the fact that she’s a PI, of sorts), they can almost be ignored. Carlson keeps the pace moving quick, and there really isn’t any time to sit and think about all the clichés or the things you’d rather have differently in the book.

Full Blooded, however, does have some problems with Jessica falling into and out of serious trouble a little too easily. It seems like the trouble she finds is almost too convenient and, with some narrow escapes in toward the end of the book, I had the distinct feeling that her ability to find protection was a bit too convenient to be believed, as well.

My main issue with Full Blooded was that I felt like the entire novel was a set up for a relationship between the protagonist and someone else. The first half of the novel is a lot of mystery, banter, and working up the sexual tension. The second half there’s a sex scene that isn’t too over-the-top as far as I’m concerned. The two realize that they are “meant to be” and “bonded for life” almost too quickly. They fall into this bond so suddenly that it’s almost jarring. Then there’s tons of end-of-the-book action, said bonded man is taken away and readers are left with the second book to find out what happens.

In summation, Full Blooded was a surprisingly fun read. Yes, there are some clichés here, but the plot is absorbing and quick paced. Carlson quickly finds her voice and characters become rather distinguishable as the book progresses. My only true complaint is that, while Jessica’s development is interesting, less time was spent on her and what her ability to transform meant rather than building up a romance which will obviously be important to the series as it progresses.

Is that enough to keep me away from reading the series? Obviously not, as I read book two as soon as I finished book one.

 

3/5 stars

——

About the Book

It hasn’t been the best week for Jessica McClain.

Her mate has been kidnapped by a Goddess hell-bent on revenge — but Jessica is playing for keeps.

Because she’s the only female werewolf in town…it comes with its own set of rules…and powers.

Aided by two vamps, two loyal Pack members, and one very reluctant human, Jessica must rescue her man while coming to terms with what being a wolf really means.

All in a day’s work for a girl.

The second novel in the Jessica McClain series is a full on action adventure featuring one angry Goddess and plenty of monsters, demons, and a few newly risen beasties..

320 pages (paperback)

Published on April 22, 2013

Published by Orbit

Author’s webpage

This book was provided for me to review by the publisher.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following link: Hot Blooded (Jessica McClain)

——

Hot Blooded is Jessica’s novel. Her mate is stolen, and her single goal is to get him back. Readers who are really hell-bent on the romance aspect of the series will find this rather frustrating. There are quite a few (logical) detours Jessica must make before she makes her way to get her man back. There’s business to put in order, and while that makes sense to me as an adult, and I respected Carlson for allowing Jessica to put things in order rather than running hell-for-leather into the action like so many other UF authors do, I can see where this might frustrate people and get them wanting the plot to move a bit faster.

That being said, all of Jessica’s slight detours in the beginning of the book actually ended up developing her character a bit more than I expected. Jessica isn’t just some hot chick who can kick ass, she’s responsible and cares enough about her family and business to fight her instincts and make sure things on the home front are okay before she runs into a situation she doesn’t understand and can’t really anticipate.

Jessica is on her own more in Hot Blooded than she was in Full Blooded. She is relying on her own instincts, and ends up getting help from vampires (a big no-no for wolves) to get her mate back. Thus, Hot Blooded focuses a lot more on  magic systems, supernatural cultural clashes, mythology and various other aspects of world building. Basically, all the world building that I felt the first book lacked was present in Hot Blooded.

Carlson keeps her plot quick moving and heavy with the dialogue, which is something I’ve noticed is rather common with urban fantasy. Thankfully, the dialogue flowed naturally and didn’t seem to hold up the plot in the least. While I did feel like there were a few info-dumps throughout the book they were minor things that are easy to overlook.

There is plenty of action in Hot Blooded. Jessica is pissed, and she’s a wolf and thus, instinct driven. For those who are romance driven, you won’t see her mate until the last bit of the book, which will probably drive you nuts and even when he is reintroduced to the book, there really isn’t any romance present. This is where I need to thank Carlson, as I was concerned that the series would be centered around the romance of these two shifters and, instead, in Hot Blooded she proved that Jessica, as a character, can stand on her own two feet, and her character development due to that is both believable and interesting.

While Hot Blooded, in my mind, is a huge step up from Full Blooded, there were some issues. While it makes sense that Carlson focuses more on magical battles, I felt it distracted a bit from Jessica’s unique werewolf abilities. Furthermore, the journey to the witch’s hidey-hole was rife with some rather unbelievable and incredibly convenient “scary” monsters. While you can expect a witch to surround herself by traps to keep herself safe, these monsters bothered me because you just know how each battle will turn out almost before it begins.

Hot Blooded ends on a cliffhanger (sorry guys, I don’t like them, either), but in good news, Cold Blooded should be released fairly soon. I’m actually kind of surprised to say that I am anticipating the release of this book. Despite the fact that I generally poo-poo urban fantasy, Carlson is proving herself to be her own author in a genre full of the same-old-same-old. She’s not afraid to turn left where many would expect her to turn right. Each book seems to develop the world, magic, cultures and main characters a bit more and Carlson’s pacing and balance between description and dialogue keeps improving with each installment.

Basically, if you are an urban fantasy fan, I suggest you check this series out.

 

4/5 stars

Wisp of a Thing – Alex Bledsoe

About the Book

Alex Bledsoe’s The Hum and the Shiver was named one of the Best Fiction Books of 2011 by Kirkus Reviews. Now with Wisp of a Thing Bledsoe returns to the isolated ridges and hollows of the Smoky Mountains to spin an equally enchanting tale of music and magic older than the hills….

Touched by a very public tragedy, musician Rob Quillen comes to Cloud County, Tennessee, in search of a song that might ease his aching heart. All he knows of the mysterious and reclusive Tufa is what he has read on the internet: they are an enigmatic clan of swarthy, black-haired mountain people whose historical roots are lost in myth and controversy. Some people say that when the first white settlers came to the Appalachians centuries ago, they found the Tufa already there. Others hint that Tufa blood brings special gifts.

Rob finds both music and mystery in the mountains. Close-lipped locals guard their secrets, even as Rob gets caught up in a subtle power struggle he can’t begin to comprehend. A vacationing wife goes missing, raising suspicions of foul play, and a strange feral girl runs wild in the woods, howling in the night like a lost spirit.

Change is coming to Cloud County, and only the night wind knows what part Rob will play when the last leaf falls from the Widow’s Tree…and a timeless curse must be broken at last.

352 pages (hardcover)

Published on June 18, 2013

Published by Tor

Author’s webpage

This book was provided for me to review by the publisher.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following links: Wisp of a Thing: A Novel of the Tufa (Tufa Novels), Wisp of a Thing: A Novel of the Tufa (Tufa Novels) – Kindle

—–

With the release of Wisp of a Thing tomorrow, I figured today would be the perfect day to write and post a review. I’m hoping to get a lot of people to start reading Bledsoe’s Tufa series because, honestly, there’s really nothing like it. And that’s a good thing.

There are currently two Tufa novels, The Hum and the Shiver and Wisp of a Thing. Each book is stand-alone. While it isn’t necessary, I’d read The Hum and the Shiver first so you can get used to the world, culture and subtle magic system before you dive into Wisp of a Thing. It’s not essential, but it might help you enjoy Wisp of a Thing more if you are already familiar and somewhat invested in the Tufa world.

The protagonist, Rob, finds himself traveling to Tufa territory after the death of his girlfriend. While most people who go to Tufa country are looking for their heritage, Rob is going because he had been told that he would find a song there that would mend his broken heart. He is unique to the area because he isn’t Tufa and, instead, is looking for one of their sacred songs. In the midst of looking for said song, he uncovers a curse and finds himself in the middle of a complex and somewhat subtle power struggle.

As with most things Tufa, the magic is subtle and the culture has a long, very ancient feel to it. Even after reading two Tufa books, I still feel as though I am only grasping about half of their culture and lore. While that might annoy me in other books, Bledsoe makes that a real benefit. With the addition of Rob, an outsider who has no Tufa blood, the world expands quite a bit, and I found myself understanding the Tufa world and culture a bit more through Rob’s eyes. I attribute this to the fact that Rob has about as much understanding of the Tufa as the rest of us do, so we discover, uncover and understand as he does.

Rob goes to the Tufa for one purpose, and it becomes quite obvious (especially after the second half of the book) that he has been drawn there for a very different reason entirely. This is where quite a few characters readers were introduced to in The Hum and the Shiver make an appearance. Bliss herself takes quite a leading role in the proceedings. A lot is learned about her complex family history, and a little more is learned about the interesting and rather complex power struggle between the Tufa. Due to the fact that Rob is a man, and Bliss’s chapters are few and far between, the reader won’t really learn much more about the important role of powerful women in Tufa society, which is something that I regretted.

It becomes obvious that Rob is the catalyst that will change Cloud County and the Tufa tradition permanently. He isn’t afraid to stick his neck out for what he feels is right, and he learns that doing that will change everything for the Tufa. With such a long, illustrious history, any change will have a long, lasting effect on the Tufa. This is, perhaps, why Bliss seems so torn and hesitant throughout the book. She is the first one who realizes just what Rob has been brought to them for, and change doesn’t come easy for people who are so rooted in tradition. While she realizes what he has been brought to do is important and necessary, it also terrifies her. It’s rather fascinating to be let into the emotional turmoil that Bliss goes through as her understanding of Rob’s purpose in Cloud County.

Perhaps my only true complaint was the ending, which felt a little awkward, considering all that had happened before it. The relationship that unfolds, while expected, doesn’t have the natural feel and flow to it that I had grown used to in the rest of the book. That being said, it’s a small complaint, because the section I’m talking about takes up about the last three pages of the book and, by that point, the reader will be so invested in the events that unfolded they will probably not mind a bit of an unnatural feel to things, especially when that feeling is so short lived.

Wisp of a Thing is another powerful addition to the Tufa series. The viewpoint of an outsider, Rob, really brought a helpful dynamic to the book that will help readers understand and relate to the mysterious Tufa in a new and more relatable way. It’s also interesting to see how Rob grows and develops throughout the book. Bledsoe slowly reveals what is really going on as book progresses, dropping well-measured hints as he goes until everything is revealed. It’s obvious that Bledsoe has a lot more to reveal with the Tufa, and Wisp of a Thing will just make you want to learn more and more about these mysterious people.

I fell in love with Cloud County and the Tufa in The Hum and the Shiver. Alex Bledsoe made me fall in love all over again with Wisp of a Thing. Wisp of a Thing is its own book and has its own distinct feel, but it leaves so much open for Bledsoe to explore in further books. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

 

5/5 stars

The Mist-Torn Witches – Barb Hendee

About the Book

In a small village in the nation of Droevinka, orphaned sisters Céline and Amelie Fawe scrape out a living selling herbal medicines in their apothecary shop. Céline earns additional money by posing as a seer and pretending to read people’s futures.

But they exist in a land of great noble houses, all vying for power, and when the sisters refuse the orders of a warlord prince, they must flee and are forced to depend on the warlord prince’s brother, Anton, for a temporary haven.

A series of bizarre deaths of pretty young girls are plaguing the village surrounding Prince Anton’s castle. He offers Céline and Amelie permanent protection if they can use their “skills” to find the killer.

With little choice, the sisters enter a world unknown to them — of fine gowns and banquets and advances from powerful men. Their survival depends on catching a murderer who appears to walk through walls and vanish without a trace — and the danger around them seems to grow with each passing night.

326 pages (paperback)

Published on May 7, 2013

Published by Roc

Author’s webpage

This book was sent for me to review from the publisher. 

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following links: The Mist-Torn Witches, The Mist-Torn Witches – Kindle

—– 

The Mist-Torn Witches is a book that kind of leaves me torn. In some aspects, it’s a really great fantasy book and in others it just lacks… something. The Mist-Torn Witches is a rather short, fun little murder mystery with some magic thrown in for good measure. It’s the kind of fantasy that is a lot of fun to read, but ends up being not quite so memorable.

The two main protagonists in The Mist-Torn Witches are sisters, Celine and Amelie. Celine earns their money by pretending to be a seer and her sister Amelie is the tom-boy, protector of the two. She can kick ass and take name. The plot really starts running when it becomes apparent that two princes are vying for power over their area. One of them is shadowy and presented as being almost unbelievably evil. The other is a haunted, ghost of a man who, in contrast to his evil brother, is almost so good and angelic he’s unbelievable, despite the fact that something is obviously wrong with him.

This somewhat illuminates my underlying problems with this book. The Mist-Torn Witches is a lot of fun. It’s tightly written with a fast plot, but the book itself lacks some depth and thought that would have made it more enjoyable and believable. The characters, as I described, are fun and interesting, but their characterization is two-dimensional and predictable and this makes them pretty forgettable and hard to care about. The world itself suffers from the same issues. Despite the fact that Hendee obviously thought deeply into a rather complex(ish) political system, there’s a two-dimensionality to it that makes the world feel small and pastel in color.

The two sisters are called to help the (good) prince discover who is stealing souls from the young women in his castle. Celine and Amelie both learn more about themselves as they investigate these murders. They also uncover some side plots and the world and political system grows a bit more interesting due to the fact that they are in the middle of it. A few of the castle servants seem to know more about the girls and/or what is going on than they should, so clues are dropped throughout the book. There are a few small info-dumps, which can be annoying but I honestly don’t know how else Hendee could inform her readers of certain aspects of the world and plot without infodumps.

It’s obvious that The Mist-Torn Witches is the first book in a series, and Hendee spends plenty of time laying down the groundwork for the rest of the series. Again, this is a slight issue. While I generally expect the first book in a series to lay groundwork for the rest of the series, I usually expect to be a bit more impressed by the groundwork. Instead of creating a very visual, vibrant, memorable world, the world is rather forgettable and lackluster. This allows Hendee to basically do whatever she wants with her series in the future, but it’s hard for me to be excited about a series with such a lackluster world.

I might be complaining a lot, but there are plenty of good things about this book. For example, Hendee knows exactly how to pace her plot. Things happen quickly, which makes this a very fast read and even though the book itself lacks depth, it is surprisingly absorbing. The sisters are interesting (if not memorable) and Hendee left plenty of room for them to grow. There is a hint of romance for both sisters, but Hendee is smart and keeps the romantic notes as a hint rather than overpowering. Instead, she is doggedly focused on the plot and she drives it forward at a shockingly fast pace. She leaves plenty of the questions open at the end, which will require further installments in the series for answers.

The Mist-Torn Witches is a fun read, but lacks the depth I was hoping for. The book is fun, but forgettable. That being said, despite the issues I had, there is plenty of room for Hendee to grow her world and characters throughout the series, which is a huge bonus. The focused plot and tight writing will make this a fast, enjoyable read. While I’m rather torn with the book itself, I look forward to seeing if Hendee improves and expands as the series grows.

 

3/5 stars

Black Halo – Sam Sykes

About the Book

The Tome of the Undergates has been recovered, and the gates of hell remain closed. Lenk and his five companions set sail to bring the accursed relic away from the demonic reach of Ulbecetonth, the Kraken Queen, but their ship crashes upon an island made of the bones left behind from a war long dead. And it appears that bloodthirsty alien warrior women, fanatical beasts from the deep and heretic-hunting wizards are the least of their concerns. Haunted by their pasts, plagued by their gods, tormented by their own people, their greatest foes may yet be themselves. The reach of Ulbecetonth is longer than hell can hold.

549 pages (paperback)

Published on March 22, 2011

Published by Pyr

Author’s webpage

This book was provided for my review by the publisher.

You can purchase a copy of this book by clicking on the following link: Black Halo (The Aeons’ Gate, Book 2),

——

Somewhere in the span of my chaotic health these past few years, I read this book, thought I reviewed it, and didn’t. Then the author emailed me, kindly asking me to review the book I read and I apologized a million times and said I would get it done as soon as my mind was properly functioning again. I still feel like a total ass for forgetting to review the last two books in his series, so I’m making it right.

The thing is, Sykes proved he was one hell of a writer in Tome of the Undergates. He proved that he was also a versatile author. He can write some intense, realistic battles and mix it with some of the most peaceful, beautiful passages I’ve seen in such a violent book. Interspersed with all of this was some fantastic humor that I’ve come to associate with Sykes.

Now, he did all of that in his first book. He established himself as one hell of an author with a wide range of skills. In Black Halo, he takes everything he proved himself capable of in Tome of the Undergates and perfected it. The humor is more biting, the violence is more tempered and paced and the slow, easy and peaceful scenes are moreso. In fact, everything in Black Halo is more.

Sykes has tempered himself in the second installment in the series. Everything is paced perfectly, from his writing to his plot, but the true shock is how much growth the reader will see in the author between the first and second books of this series. That’s really saying something, considering how impressive of a debut Tome of the Undergates was.

Perhaps most impressively is how Sykes has so carefully decided to expand his world. Tome of the Undergates mostly takes place on a ship. Now, Sykes shows what the rest of the world contains. He adds new characters, new cultures and peoples, and expands the magic system. This is rather necessary for a reader like me, who gets rather bored with plots that don’t go much further than the deck of a ship. In fact, it feels as though most of what happens in Black Halo is expansion, with both the world and the characters and the way Sykes accomplishes this is absolutely delightful.

I should note that the expansion of his world shows just how imaginative Sykes truly is. As a reader, you never really know what you are going to face from page to page, and that’s a true delight. The world isn’t your standard fantasy European-esque influenced fare. In fact, Sykes seems to make a point of ensuring that his world is anything but. The fact that he works so hard at keeping everything so fresh and unique is incredibly refreshing when you consider how much fantasy seems to lack incredibly unique elements these days.

Perhaps the only drawback to Black Halo is its distinct middle-of-the-series feel. The plot trots on in its own way, but it feels like the main focus is truly on relationships and Sykes focuses on these well while he expands his world. Relationships develop between characters. Sykes explores interpersonal character development as well, specifically in the case of Lenk, who is fascinating with his questionable sanity. While these character explorations and developments are absolutely fascinating, they do seem to distract from the moving the plot forward until the last bit of the book.

One thing that I admire most about Sykes is how versatile he is (I know, I’ve said that before). While he can be incredibly brutal, he doesn’t shy away from the more intimate explorations of his characters and their relationships. This harkens back to his versatility as an author. It’s such an incredibly admirable trait for an author and Sykes uses his versatility well to further his plot and character development. Usually authors tend to focus either on character development or plot progression, but with Sykes’ versatility, he manages to focus on both and do so masterfully.

Despite the middle-of-the-series feel, Sykes proves himself to be a fantasy grandmaster. Black Halo expands the world, explores the depths of his characters, introduces new people and cultures and welcomes new plot twists. Sykes writing style is also more mature with pacing that only comes with time and practice. Black Halo is a hell of a book, despite its small flaws, and great continuation to one incredibly unique, memorable, and worthy series.

 

4/5 stars

Special Needs in Strange Worlds | Bradley P. Beaulieu

About the Author

Bradley P. Beaulieu began writing his first fantasy novel in college, but in the way of these things, it was set aside as life intervened. As time went on, though, Brad realized that his love of writing and telling tales wasn’t going to just slink quietly into the night. The drive to write came back full force in the early 2000s, at which point Brad dedicated himself to the craft, writing several novels and learning under the guidance of writers like Nancy Kress, Joe Haldeman, Tim Powers, Holly Black, Michael Swanwick, Kij Johnson, and many more.

Brad and his novels have garnered many accolades and most anticipated lists, including two Hotties–the Debut of the Year and Best New Voice–on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist, a Gemmell Morningstar Award nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo and more:

* Top Ten Book and Debut of the Year for 2011 on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist for The Winds of Khalakovo

* Best New Voice of 2011 on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist

* 2011 Gemmell Morningstar Award Nomination for The Winds of Khalakovo

* Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on The Ranting Dragon’s Best of 2011

* Top Ten Debut for The Winds of Khalakovo on Mad Hatter’s Book Review Best of 2011

* Honorable Mention for The Winds of Khalakovo on LEC Reviews Best of 2011

* Top Five Book for 2012 on Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist for The Straits of Galahesh

* 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on Staffer’s Book Review

* 2012 Most Anticipated for The Straits of Galahesh on The Ranting Dragon

* 2013 Most Anticipated for The Flames of Shadam Khoreh on The Ranting Dragon

In addition to being an L. Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Award winner, Brad’s stories have appeared in various other publications, including Realms of Fantasy Magazine, Orson Scott Card’s Intergalactic Medicine Show, Writers of the Future 20, and several anthologies from DAW Books. His story, “In the Eyes of the Empress’s Cat,” was voted a Notable Story of 2006 in the Million Writers Award.

Brad continues to work on his next projects, including an Arabian Nights epic fantasy and a Norse-inspired middle grade series. He also runs the highly successful science fiction and fantasy podcast, Speculate, which can be found at speculatesf.com.

—–

When I was in my teens, I was a huge comic book fan. I loved X-Men, Doctor Strange, Thor, and plenty more, but my all-time favorite was Daredevil, aka Matt Murdock. I was captured by his particular set of limitations and abilities. His powers manifested when he was struck by (what else?) radioactive sludge. He was blinded but all of his other senses were heightened to superhuman levels. He’s a very interesting mix is Matt Murdock. He dedicates himself to avenging his father’s death, but also works long days to earn a law degree and later to become a successful lawyer. He is limited physically by lack of sight (well, to a degree, anyway, because let’s face it, his radar vision is pretty close to normal sight) but has other wondrous abilities in place of it. He’s a lawyer, fighting to work things through the system, and yet he deals out vigilante justice after punching out from the day job.

Matt comes across as straight-laced and nerdy while walking the halls of justice, but a dynamic ass-kicker once he’s donned his devil-horned mask. It was a great mix, and his storyline—particularly Frank Miller’s sequences—were fascinating to me.

That my have been the seed that led me to the Matri when I first began writing my debut novel, The Winds of Khalakovo. I’m very conscious of not making magic too powerful. I’m a strong believer that there need to be checks and balances. And so, when I first started envisioning the power of the Grand Duchy’s aristocracy, I knew that I wanted them to be able to communicate from long distances. The islands they live upon are spread far apart and are difficult to travel between, so having something like telepathic communication would have increased their ability to retain control over the islands against their enemies. In fact, it became crucial, because their enemies had control over elemental spirits. They needed a counterbalance to their enemy’s strength.

But I didn’t like the notion that they could do such things easily. I wanted there to be restrictions around it. I wanted there to be ritual. And cost. And here is where Daredevil’s influence may have crept in.

Atiana, one of the main characters of the novels, is a princess of one of the nine duchies who has the ability to “take the dark,” to enter the strange world of the aether and communicate with other Matri. The Matri do this by submerging themselves in drowning basins—essentially stone baths filled with ice cold water—in order to enter a trancelike state in which they can project themselves incorporeally. They can communicate from hundreds of leagues away and they can also watch over their islands for threats from elemental sorcerers, which they can easily detect while in this state.

But there is a cost.

The aether is a difficult environment at first. The frigid water is not something everyone can endure. But for those who can, they quickly acclimate, and then begin to yearn for the dark. They stay in those waters for hours at a time, sometimes days, reveling in the feelings of expansiveness and otherworldliness that they pine for once they’ve returned to the mundane world. Over the years and decades their bodies begin to atrophy to the point that they can hardly use them. Some become unable to walk. Special wheeled chairs are built for them to enable some free movement, but they live in ancient palaces that weren’t built with such things in mind.

Just like Matt Murdock, the dual lives these women lead were compelling to me. It was interesting to see how they fear taking the dark at first but eventually come to love it for the freedoms and powers it grants them, even while it costs them their health.

I’ll admit that I didn’t set out to write about special needs, per se, but I’m glad for this particular manifestation of it, because it expanded my own awareness while I was writing. It forced me to think more widely about what this world would be like for women like Atiana. And also, it lent more reality to the tale, which writing could use more of. I’m quickly turned off by prototypical heroes who are so godlike they hardly resemble humans. Much more interesting to me are characters like Thomas Covenant, a flawed hero who suffers from leprosy, or the Watchmen’s Rorschach, a paranoid who can see nothing but black and white, or Tetsuo from Akira, a quiet boy with burgeoning powers who desperately wants to prove himself to the other members of his gang.

I’ve been lucky in life. I have my health. So does my family. Those around me have generally been long-lived with few serious problems. So I’m insulated in many ways from special needs. But that doesn’t mean I don’t embrace it in fiction, because it is in that playground that we can go beyond our lives, and perhaps bring an experience, and awareness, to others.

And that, in my opinion, is one of the most important things stories can do: to bring a glimmer of understanding where previously there was none.

Brad