Benedict Jacka's Blog, page 69

New York and Comicon!

So, come this Monday, I’ll be flying to New York City!  The big thing I’m there for is New York Comic Con, for which I’ll be at the following events:

Friday 11 am – 12 pm: “Friday Firsts”, Booth 2129

For this one I’ll be doing a Penguin signing along with M. L. Brennan.  Technically I’m supposed to be signing Fated, but I doubt there’ll be a problem if you want me to sign something else instead.

Friday 2.45 pm – 3.45 pm: Urban Fantasy Panel, Room 1A17

A panel discussion with me, Max Gladstone, Anya Jarzab, Jeff Hirsch, Anton Strout, Tonya Hurley, and F. Paul Wilson.  Topic is the urban fantasy genre.  Should be interesting!

Friday 4pm – 5pm: Autographing, Autographing Table 21

This’ll be me and the other authors from the panel.  I have to admit, I’m not a hundred percent sure what we’re going to be doing here, though I’m guessing it’s basically another type of signing. (Do people really collect author’s autographs?) Either way, if you want to come say hi to me, this is going to be a good time!

The Rest of the Con

I should be around the convention for the rest of Friday and for Saturday too, but for this I haven’t got a schedule yet.  I’m planning to wander around, meet up with people, and generally see the sights (this’ll be my first time at a US convention, so I’m going to play tourist).  If you’re going to be there and want to meet up, send me an email!

Writing News
Meanwhile, as NYCC draws closer, I’ve been working away on Alex Verus #5.  The rewrite’s progressing slower than I’d hoped (I’m only about 75% of the way through) but on the plus side I’m working out a lot of long-term stuff that’ll apply for the rest of the series.  I’m hoping to finish the rewrite before I leave for the States, but there’s a good chance I won’t, in which case I’ll get to practice working on the plane!

I’m also sketching out the first tentative plans for Alex Verus #6, though that’s still very much at the drawing-board stage.  I’m actually getting a little impatient to be getting on with it – rewrites are tedious, and I find working on a new book to be much more fun than redrafting an old one.  Still, rewrites are sometimes necessary, and after spending three months planning out a book and then another six months writing it, it’s worth taking another month or two to make sure it’s as good as I can make it.

No definite news on publication of Alex Verus #6 and beyond yet, though there’s a good chance I’ll have something to announce in another month or two.

And finally, to go back to the books that you guys can actually read, Chosen‘s been out for a month and doing nicely.  Lots of good reviews and sales aren’t bad either.  Feels like a very long time ago now that I wrote it!

 

Ask Luna #19

From: cymage (yes, this is the name I’ve been using for years)

I didn’t say anything.

Harry Dresden is the mage that is in the phone book in Chicago – Alex mentioned him. Are you aware of any trips to the USA/Chicago coming up?

Man, I’d love to go to the USA. I ought to see if I can pester Vari into gating me over there some day. Though I guess then I’d count as an illegal immigrant . . .

From: Cassie

Hi Luna!

No question. Instead answering yours about Harry Dresden. He’s a wizard PI from Chicago who also works for the Council. He’s been off the grid for a while though; there was this thing with some vampires and he kind of disappeared. Rumours he’s back though. I think everyone thinks he’d get on well with Alex because they’re both black belts in deadpan snarking.

Oh wait, I do have a question! Not sure if anyone’s asked it though, so if they have, sorry! Does magic manifest/is used the same way across all cultures/populations. Or do some mages learn differently, e.g. using different ‘magic words’ or learning different types of magic. (I think you said it’s one type of magic per person unless you’re a hybrid, but I was wondering this holds true over the whole world/do regional variations exist?). Hope that makes sense. Thanks!

Well, I guess those two messages explain the Harry Dresden thing, though I still don’t know why people keep thinking I’d know about Alex having anything to do with him. I guess this guy just has a really big fan club.

I think magic basically does the same things everywhere in the world, but the ways it manifests and the techniques for using it are different. So mage groups from different countries learn different techniques for casting spells, and the techniques get passed down the generations and turn into traditions. A Japanese fire mage can produce the same effects that an English one can, but they’re going to use different casting components and the timing and pattern of their spells are going to be off from what you’re expecting. The proportions of magic types change from one place to another, too.

From: M

In Chosen, Alex mentions slash fiction. I gotta say, I’m really curious about what that details. Do you know anything about it?

Yeaaaaah, I’ve got the funny feeling I’m being trolled here. Yes I know about it, no I’m not going to explain it to you. Google exists for a reason, go look it up.

From: Rycharde

Are there any plans for audiobooks to be made of the Alex Verus series?

I wish people would stop asking me this. I don’t know the answer, and I don’t know why you’d think I would. I’m not a publishing assistant, guys.

From: Emily Caz

Hey Luna,

I’ve read all the books but have been curious as to what types of mages and adepts there are. I know the basic types, but have always wondered if there were more. I know there are Elementals, Life mages, Mind mages, Diviners, and Enchanters/Enchantresses, but is there more?

Thanks so much for reading my message, and I can’t wait for the next

book!

-Emily

The basic set of magic types that Alex taught me is fourteen – six elemental, four life, four universal.

The elemental set: fire, water, earth, air, ice, force.

Life set: life, death, mind, charm.

Universal set: divination, chance, time, space.

Those aren’t necessarily the most common ones, but they’re the ones that everyone knows about. After that you get the ones that are a bit more obscure – shapeshifting, illusion, light, radiation, gravity, metal, wood, snow, sound, and about five hundred others.

Liz Loves Books – interview/review

I did a short interview with Liz of Liz Loves Books – you can find it here.  She’s got reviews of Fated and Cursed up there as well, with Taken and Chosen coming soon!

In the meantime I’m busy rewriting Alex Verus #5.  Still got a backlog of Ask Luna questions, so I’ll finish clearing that out this Friday.

Ask Luna #18

From: Apollo

Hi Luna. Sorry about these extra questions. I know you hate separate questions so I’ll try to keep them short. If you don’t have the time leave these questions till later

Are mages naturally mentally unstable or does magic (or mage society) lead to mental problems? Journeymen and Apprentices unless they are dark mages rarely have these problems while most senior mages seem to be little unhinged. Even Alex has some trust issues but thats understandable.

Now that’s a creepy thought. I’ve never made that connection but it would be really, really scary if it was true, given how much power the older mages have.

Sorry if I word this badly. Lets call what a mage can do, magical potential. Does power (I have more possible powers/ a bigger fireball than you power) and skill factor into magical potential? Here are some examples: You have a very powerful curse but little skill when it comes to controlling it (at least compared to what chance mages can do). But it gives you powerful protection. Alex is a weak mage but for that is very experienced and skilled at divination. He hasn’t got as much protection as you but has far greater utility. Anne is a very powerful and skilled life mage. She has the potential to turn into one of the worlds nastiest mages being able to survive bullets and take life.

I . . . think so? Power helps, skill helps. Though I’m starting to think that being smart ends up mattering more than either.

Last short question. When mages make a team do they normally try to find an ally who works well in conjunction with their power (Fire and Air, Water and Earth, etc) or do they just pick the best mage for the job?

Again thanks for the time and effort.

I think they usually pick the ones they know best and trust the most. Mages don’t worry about picking the right magic type, they worry that if they let someone get close to them then that someone is going to put a knife in their back (figuratively for Light mages, literally for Dark ones).

From: Elana

Dear Luna,

Has anyone thought of putting together one of those online personality quizzes that tell you what type of mage you would be?

Looks like! A quick Google search turned this up. Haven’t tried it personally!

From: Nepene

Heya Luna. I’ve enjoyed your previous answers and had more questions.

1. What other worlds do you know about? I mean other ones that people can access magically that aren’t bubbles or shadow worlds. I’m curious where a certain Dark Mage may have gone visiting and what you and Verus will be facing.

If you mean real other worlds, as in parallel universes, I think there was supposed to be one a long time ago called Alata. It was a mirror world that could be reached with gate magic, but something happened and the connection got cut off. I think it ties in with some of the big wars from back then. Since then it’s been bubbles and shadow realms only as far as world-to-world travel goes.

Would it be possible for you to use your sway to get a encyclopedia entry or several on them? Elsewhere, wherever the Gate Rune went to, wherever the precursors got their magic, where magic creatures come from, whatever the magic academia knows about. I’m very curious about them.

Hope you’re not expecting all those at once. I’ll see what I can do, but I’ve got a few other things on the list first.

From: Gordon

Hi, Luna. So I have a question. Might be considered a few questions actually. It sounds like it’s very unusual for an adept to become an apprentice to a full mage. Are there any adepts in the apprentice program with you? Have any taken the journeyman tests and actually succeeded? I’m also kind of curious how the tests would even apply to an adept, since they’re probably geared towards mages. You still won’t be have the abilities of a full mage when you graduate, so what exactly would change in he grand scale of things? Ok, that was definitely more than one question…

In a way it kind of is just one question. It’s a big question, though, especially for me.

Officially, the Light apprentice program is for mages. As in, only mages. Thing is, though, the difference between mages and adepts isn’t as clear-cut as a lot of mages make it out to be. An adept’s supposed to only be able to use magic in one way – but what if you figure out how to make that do a lot of different things? Mages have tried to come up with lots of definitions, but they always end up either cutting out people they don’t want to cut out or letting in ones they don’t want to let in. So the way it works in practice tends to be that if you can keep up, you can stick around.

So it’s hard to be sure if there are other adepts in the program with me, because the last thing they’re going to do is SAY they’re adepts. They’re just going to say they’re mages who specialise. There are a few who I’m pretty sure are in the same boat as I am, but it’s something you’re careful about saying out loud.

As for the journeyman tests . . . that’s a whole other problem. I’ll worry about it when it comes.

From: Gordon

Hi, Luna. It’s me again. I know that you’re a busy gal, so I’ll try to keep this short.

1) Does magic usage differ from region to region? Are there different “traditions” of magic in Europe, Africa and Asia? For instance, the idea of there being different elements is very common in Europe and Asia, but I have a harder time seeing it from an African stand point. I wonder if the type of culture that a person grows up in influences how magic develops.

More or less. I’m not sure if basic magical abilities are any different, but the way they’re developed and the spells that get used change a lot from one place to another. Chinese mages use a different element set to British and American ones, and South American mages use a weird mix of elements and something else.

2) It sounds like Alex have a bit of a soft spot for how sensitives and adepts are treated mage society. Is it likely that he’ll start trying to help more of them or even take them under his wing, the way that he sort of did with you?

He already does, kind of. It’s what he uses the shop for. A lot of the time when sensitives and adepts drop by, they aren’t really looking to buy stuff, they’re looking for advice.

He hasn’t shown any signs of taking any others on as apprentices, though, which I’m glad about. Kind of selfish, I guess, but I wouldn’t like him to split his time between training me and someone else.

More Chosen Reviews (plus a giveaway)

Some more reviews before this Friday’s Ask Luna!

BookSwarm has another Speed Date with Alex.  Apparently their dater is quite danger-tolerant, because she hasn’t given up yet.

The Bookbag has a very complimentary review of Chosen to go with their previous ones of Fated, Cursed, and Taken – you can see the whole set here.

And finally, a third review of Chosen comes from Kings River Life magazine, all the way from California.  They’re also offering a free copy of the book to one winner – details are below the review!

Ask Luna #17

From: Yolani Perera

Hey Luna,

I found “Fated” at the library and fell in love with the series… Where can I buy the other books(hard copies)? The library won’t be updating their collection anytime soon-I asked-and online stores don’t ship to Sri Lanka(where I live)…

Please help!!

Thanks

Uh . . . second hand stores? Ebooks? I don’t know much about shopping in Sri Lanka, sorry.

From: Apollo

Hi Luna. Sorry if I spam questions this week but I’m naturally whimsical. I guessed you hate single questions from last weeks posts

What gave it away?

and I will try to not to do this and be clearer than last time. Feel free to split these up between multiple Ask Lunas if they are a bit much.

You mentioned focuses previously but not in detail. Are they like a magnifying glass: in that they can focus power (light) and change it‘s type (putting a coloured filter over it)? Do they have a limit on how much they can change the magic? Fire to Earth perhaps but not to Divination or Chance?

The magnifying glass thing is pretty close. You put in magical energy of one type, and it changes it to a specific type and spell. Focuses are generally weaker than a mage who can use that type of magic naturally, though, and they have some really annoying catches, like the fact that nearly all the important variables of the spell get locked in by the focus creator. So a gate focus will always take you to the same destination, a fire focus will always produce the same kind of heat in the same direction, and so on. I’ve gotten pretty good with my whip, but I have trouble with the general-use ones.

P.S: Force Magic has been hinted to be widely accessible by other focus users. Is this true?

First I’ve heard of it. Could be.

Can you tell me a little about Wood Mages? No offence intended but their apparent powers seem to limit their utility massively. They are certainly useful but are only so in certain situations. I presume they can warp wood, shrink it , grow it, so on but can they do anything else? Perhaps you can mention signature spell like a Fire Mage’s fireball or Space Mage’s teleport?

No clue, sorry. Wood magic is kind of obscure over here, you mostly get them in China and the countries around that part of the world. There’s a bunch of classes in the program that cover it but I didn’t take them.

Out of curiosity is there a mage who can command nature? Similar to Radagast the Brown but more magical? (If you don‘t know Radagast then go out, treat yourself to the Hobbit DVD/Blueray, and preferably watch the Lord of the Rings before it and watch 10 hours of Tolkienesque glory) (Or just Wikipedia). Would that come under a Mind/Life Mage Hybrid?

I . . . guess? I know about mages who can do all of those things individually, but I don’t think I’ve seen one who can do all of them together in that specific way. I think some of the old druidic traditions were supposed to go in for that kind of thing.

(And yeah, I’ve seen the movies. I thought the Lord of the Rings ones were much better than the one with the rabbit-mage guy.)

Gravity Mages sound awesome. Do they just control weight, such making things float/tear themselves apart and things heavier/crush themselves, or do they have any other tricks up their sleeves.

Yes, and yes.

Final question: Magic seems to be the ultimate lottery. You either get it or you don’t. Then your abilities and field are completely random as well. Sure some are more rare than others and so on but mostly it’s sheer luck. But it seems to be that the odds of being magic improve if you come from a dynasty. Do dynasties share the same type of magic too (like the Abuchons all being Spacial Mages)?

Thanks for taking the time and effort.

Kind of. Dynasties tend to get a reputation for being one family of magic, or one or two types, so there’s definitely a tendency that way. There’s no guarantee, though – you’re more likely to be a mage if your parents are mages, but I think the odds are still against it. Dynasties usually don’t last that long, because sooner or later there’s a generation where all the kids come up as normals or sensitives, and the line fades out until someone appears X many decades later who’s a descendant (or says they are).

From: Larry

So after reading Chosen seems there maybe something going on between Anne and Alex? He was pretty upset at the end of the book. My wife and I were thinking he would end up with you…

If you’re talking about what happened last year with the Nightstalkers, then I don’t think Anne and Alex were exactly getting on afterwards. More like the opposite.

And I’m not sure I’m going to end up with anyone, which is something I avoid thinking about.

From: Amba Wade

Will there be a Alex Verus/ Harry Dresden collaboration piece?

I keep telling you guys, I have no idea who this Harry Dresden guy is. You’re going to have to give me some details here.

More Chosen

I was thinking about doing an Ask Luna column for this Friday (I’ve got a good couple of posts worth of questions in the queue) . . . but hey, I don’t get to have a new book out every week.  So here’s more Chosen reviews instead!

Fantasy Book Review

Falcata Times

Chosen’s also been picking up a ton of five-star reviews on Amazon US, which you can read here.  I’m really happy about the response Chosen’s received so far – I don’t think I’ve had a single bit of negative feedback as yet.  At the time I finished writing Chosen I thought that it was my best book yet, so it’s good to know that so many people agree!

Chosen UK Release!

 

Chosen’s out in the UK at last!  You can buy it from Amazon, B&N, and lots of other places.

For those who missed it the first time round, here’s an article hosted by John Scalzi on the ideas behind Chosen.  Lots of reviews, etc have been coming out, so I’ll put up a few of those tomorrow!

Chosen Release Week

Well, after what feels like a very, very long time, Chosen is finally out.  To be fair, it doesn’t just feel like a long time, it has been a long time.  Taken was released on August 28th, 2012;  Chosen came out exactly one year later minus a day.  (In the US, anyway – in the UK it won’t be out until next Thursday, so I suppose this is more like ‘release fortnight’.  Or tenday.  Whichever.)

Looking back over the books now, in a lot of ways it seems to me that Chosen marks the point at which the Alex Verus novels have become a true series.  Fated, Cursed, and Taken might all have followed on from each other, but when I was writing them I wasn’t really thinking about much beyond the current book.  Chosen’s the first one which really ties in to the previous books, and the first one that was definitely written with sequels in mind.  I’d always meant the Alex Verus books to be readable as standalone stories, but this is the point at which the major long-term plot comes into play.

But anyway, onto some reviews!  Chosen’s already had a starred review from Publishers Weekly, but now some of the book review bloggers have had a chance to review it too.  Here are the ones I’ve found so far:

Whatchamacallit Reviews

Candace’s Book Blog

All Things Urban Fantasy

I Smell Sheep

And for those who’ve already finished Chosen, the good news is that Alex Verus #5 is in the pipeline too!  It’s being rewritten at the moment, but that shouldn’t take too long, and it’ll definitely be coming out some time next year (though I don’t know exactly when).  Then once I’ve finished with that I’ll be thinking about further books . . . more on that in a few weeks!

Chosen released today!

And it’s finally here!  Chosen, the fourth novel in the Alex Verus series, is out today in the USA.

To go with the release, I’ve got a short piece running on John Scalzi’s blog – it covers the main idea behind Chosen, how that central idea turned into a full-length book, and how it tied into the rest of the series.

There’ll be a bigger roundup on Friday, along with some reviews.  More then!