Martha Wells's Blog, page 89
April 7, 2016
Books and AMA
I'm on r/Fantasy today doing an AMA https://www.reddit.com/r/Fantasy/comments/4dr12p/hi_im_fantasy_writer_martha_wells_ama/ So come by and ask me questions!
New Books
* The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson This is $1.99 in ebook now.
Hopkinson’s time-traveling, genre-spanning novel weaves a common thread of spiritualism and hope through three intertwined stories of women possessed by Ezili, the goddess of love, as she inspires, inhabits, and guides them through trying personal and historical moments. Jeanne Duval is a talented entertainer suffering from the ravages of a sexually transmitted disease; Mer is a slave and talented doctor who bears witness as Saint Domingue throws off the yoke of colonial rule in the early nineteenth century; and Meritet is a woman of the night who finds religion her own way. Though the three are separated by many miles and centuries, a powerful bond draws them together.
* Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine
With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good. Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.
* Short Story: The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn by Usman Malik
* Jericho by Alex Gordon
In this follow-up to the masterful debut Gideon, a young witch must risk death and damnation to defeat a powerful ancient evil. In unearthing her father’s secret past, Lauren Reardon discovered a shocking truth about herself. She is a Child of Endor, a sect of witches who believe they are the guardians of the “thin places”—areas across the globe where evil can seep through the divide between the worlds separating the living and the restless dead. At any time, she can be called upon to close one of these breaches and prevent demons from infiltrating our realm. When Lauren has a disturbing vision of an Oregon forest, she is drawn back to the familiar woods of the misty Pacific Northwest to investigate.
* The Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
In the Labyrinth of Drakes: the thrilling new book in the acclaimed fantasy series from Marie Brennan, as the glamorous Lady Trent takes her adventurous explorations to the deserts of Akhia. Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries.
New Books
* The Salt Roads by Nalo Hopkinson This is $1.99 in ebook now.
Hopkinson’s time-traveling, genre-spanning novel weaves a common thread of spiritualism and hope through three intertwined stories of women possessed by Ezili, the goddess of love, as she inspires, inhabits, and guides them through trying personal and historical moments. Jeanne Duval is a talented entertainer suffering from the ravages of a sexually transmitted disease; Mer is a slave and talented doctor who bears witness as Saint Domingue throws off the yoke of colonial rule in the early nineteenth century; and Meritet is a woman of the night who finds religion her own way. Though the three are separated by many miles and centuries, a powerful bond draws them together.
* Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine
With an iron fist, The Great Library controls the knowledge of the world, ruthlessly stamping out all rebellion, forbidding the personal ownership of books in the name of the greater good. Jess Brightwell has survived his introduction to the sinister, seductive world of the Library, but serving in its army is nothing like he envisioned. His life and the lives of those he cares for have been altered forever. His best friend is lost, and Morgan, the girl he loves, is locked away in the Iron Tower and doomed to a life apart.
* Short Story: The Pauper Prince and the Eucalyptus Jinn by Usman Malik
* Jericho by Alex Gordon
In this follow-up to the masterful debut Gideon, a young witch must risk death and damnation to defeat a powerful ancient evil. In unearthing her father’s secret past, Lauren Reardon discovered a shocking truth about herself. She is a Child of Endor, a sect of witches who believe they are the guardians of the “thin places”—areas across the globe where evil can seep through the divide between the worlds separating the living and the restless dead. At any time, she can be called upon to close one of these breaches and prevent demons from infiltrating our realm. When Lauren has a disturbing vision of an Oregon forest, she is drawn back to the familiar woods of the misty Pacific Northwest to investigate.
* The Labyrinth of Drakes by Marie Brennan
In the Labyrinth of Drakes: the thrilling new book in the acclaimed fantasy series from Marie Brennan, as the glamorous Lady Trent takes her adventurous explorations to the deserts of Akhia. Even those who take no interest in the field of dragon naturalism have heard of Lady Trent's expedition to the inhospitable deserts of Akhia. Her discoveries there are the stuff of romantic legend, catapulting her from scholarly obscurity to worldwide fame. The details of her personal life during that time are hardly less private, having provided fodder for gossips in several countries.
April 5, 2016
Raksura Release Day
The Edge of Worlds is now available in ebook and hardcover, with audiobook to follow at some point soon.
Available at:
Amazon US, Powell's, Barnes and Noble, Chapters Indigo, Mysterious Galaxy, Books-a-Million, Kobo, Amazon UK, Amazon Canada, Amazon France, Amazon Germany, Amazon Spain and all the other Amazons. Order it locally in the US from an independent bookseller through Indiebound. And if you want it signed and personalized, order it before Saturday April 9 from Murder by the Book.
* I have a post on My Favorite Bit about The Edge of Worlds: http://maryrobinettekowal.com/journal/favorite-bit-martha-wells-talks-edge-worlds/
* And it's in the new books round-up on Barnes & Noble: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/blog/sci-fi-fantasy/new-book-roundup-supernatural-lockup-doorways-to-magical-worlds-and-a-lost-tolkien-tale/ (It's a two book duology though, not a trilogy.)
April 4, 2016
Raksura Week
(Raksura week: It's like Shark Week, but not as commercially successful.)
This is the official release week for The Edge of Worlds (as opposed to the unofficial release week we had when the hardcover shipped early). The ebook will drop tomorrow, April 5, on the official release day.
Good News: I just found out this morning that it will be an audiobook! I don't know the release date yet, but I'm very relieved. The whole series including the novella collections have all been in audio so far, and I'd hate for the audio-only people to miss out.
Here's our schedule for Raksura Week:
Tuesday, April 5: official release day, when the ebook drops. The hardcover has been showing up in bookstores and shipping from online retailers already, so it should be available everywhere it's going to be now. I'll have a "My Favorite Bit" post on Mary Robinette Kowal's journal. There will also be a special Moon and Stone story for the Raksura Patreon People. And the GoodReads Giveaway will be over and I'll mail the books to the winners.
Wednesday I collapse from stress.
Thursday, April 7 I'll be doing an Ask Me Anything day on Reddit Fantasy
Saturday, April 9: if you want a complete-so-far signed Raksura set, I have a signing for The Edge of Worlds at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday April 9 at 4:30, where I'll be co-signing with J. Kathleen Cheney whose new fantasy is Dreaming Death. You can preorder our books (including all the previous Raksura books and Kathleen's Shores of Spain trilogy) at that link and get them signed and personalized, and then shipped to you.
For today:
Raksura Questions Answers
* Darrell asked: Can you explain why the crossbreeds at Opal Night didn't have the same destructive effects on the colony as the mentor daktis had on Indigo Cloud?
I mentioned this briefly in a previous question, but it's because the pressure of Fell influence comes from the mental control and connections from the progenitor and the strongest rulers in a flight. Raksura can't hear the mental communication from/between the members of a Fell flight, but it is similar to the mental connections a reigning queen has with her court. While the Raksura might not be able to hear Fell communication directed at them, they would be able to sense it without being aware of it, and it would have a bad effect on them. (For example, if you ever encountered a ceiling fan with a broken gear, where it was still trying to turn the fan blades even when you thought it was off, it can emit a sound that you aren't aware of hearing. That sound can give some people headaches, make them sick or upset, upset animals, etc. PSA for people with old overhead fans.)
The half-Fell Raksura can't be connected to a progenitor or a flight, so they aren't broadcasting Fell communication, though they could be adversely affected by it just like other Raksura if it was directed at them.
* subversivegrrl asked: I'm currently reading Stories of the Raksura, and I was struck by something (which you might have addressed elsewhere): Chime plainly misses the abilities he's lost in his shift from Arbora to warrior, but the one thing I haven't seen any mention of is the loss of his fertility. Is that intentional? Or is it perhaps something yet to be addressed?
It’s not something he’s talked to Moon about, but it’s mentioned in Adaptation, the only story (so far) that’s from Chime’s perspective. It takes place right after Chime was changed into a warrior. That story is in Stories of the Raksura: Volume I: The Falling World and The Tale of Indigo and Cloud
I was reminded of some Raksura series trivia the other day that I wanted to write about. Originally, "The Falling World" in Stories of the Raksura I was intended to be a novel instead of a novella. In the story, Jade, Chime, Balm, Song, Root, and Coil go missing while on a trip to another court, and Moon, Stone, and a group of warriors and Arbora go looking for them. In the novel version, instead of finding them where they find them in the novella (trying to be non-spoilery here) they discover Jade's group has been transported out of the Reaches, and have to try to follow them where they've been taken. I turned it into a novella because at that point I didn't think there would ever be another chance to do another novel.
This is the official release week for The Edge of Worlds (as opposed to the unofficial release week we had when the hardcover shipped early). The ebook will drop tomorrow, April 5, on the official release day.
Good News: I just found out this morning that it will be an audiobook! I don't know the release date yet, but I'm very relieved. The whole series including the novella collections have all been in audio so far, and I'd hate for the audio-only people to miss out.
Here's our schedule for Raksura Week:
Tuesday, April 5: official release day, when the ebook drops. The hardcover has been showing up in bookstores and shipping from online retailers already, so it should be available everywhere it's going to be now. I'll have a "My Favorite Bit" post on Mary Robinette Kowal's journal. There will also be a special Moon and Stone story for the Raksura Patreon People. And the GoodReads Giveaway will be over and I'll mail the books to the winners.
Wednesday I collapse from stress.
Thursday, April 7 I'll be doing an Ask Me Anything day on Reddit Fantasy
Saturday, April 9: if you want a complete-so-far signed Raksura set, I have a signing for The Edge of Worlds at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday April 9 at 4:30, where I'll be co-signing with J. Kathleen Cheney whose new fantasy is Dreaming Death. You can preorder our books (including all the previous Raksura books and Kathleen's Shores of Spain trilogy) at that link and get them signed and personalized, and then shipped to you.
For today:
Raksura Questions Answers
* Darrell asked: Can you explain why the crossbreeds at Opal Night didn't have the same destructive effects on the colony as the mentor daktis had on Indigo Cloud?
I mentioned this briefly in a previous question, but it's because the pressure of Fell influence comes from the mental control and connections from the progenitor and the strongest rulers in a flight. Raksura can't hear the mental communication from/between the members of a Fell flight, but it is similar to the mental connections a reigning queen has with her court. While the Raksura might not be able to hear Fell communication directed at them, they would be able to sense it without being aware of it, and it would have a bad effect on them. (For example, if you ever encountered a ceiling fan with a broken gear, where it was still trying to turn the fan blades even when you thought it was off, it can emit a sound that you aren't aware of hearing. That sound can give some people headaches, make them sick or upset, upset animals, etc. PSA for people with old overhead fans.)
The half-Fell Raksura can't be connected to a progenitor or a flight, so they aren't broadcasting Fell communication, though they could be adversely affected by it just like other Raksura if it was directed at them.
* subversivegrrl asked: I'm currently reading Stories of the Raksura, and I was struck by something (which you might have addressed elsewhere): Chime plainly misses the abilities he's lost in his shift from Arbora to warrior, but the one thing I haven't seen any mention of is the loss of his fertility. Is that intentional? Or is it perhaps something yet to be addressed?
It’s not something he’s talked to Moon about, but it’s mentioned in Adaptation, the only story (so far) that’s from Chime’s perspective. It takes place right after Chime was changed into a warrior. That story is in Stories of the Raksura: Volume I: The Falling World and The Tale of Indigo and Cloud
I was reminded of some Raksura series trivia the other day that I wanted to write about. Originally, "The Falling World" in Stories of the Raksura I was intended to be a novel instead of a novella. In the story, Jade, Chime, Balm, Song, Root, and Coil go missing while on a trip to another court, and Moon, Stone, and a group of warriors and Arbora go looking for them. In the novel version, instead of finding them where they find them in the novella (trying to be non-spoilery here) they discover Jade's group has been transported out of the Reaches, and have to try to follow them where they've been taken. I turned it into a novella because at that point I didn't think there would ever be another chance to do another novel.
March 31, 2016
New Books Thursday
* What is Not Yours is Not Yours by Helen Oyeyemi
From the award-winning author of Boy, Snow, Bird and Mr. Fox comes an enchanting collection of intertwined stories.
* Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.
* The Labyrinth of Flame by Courtney Schafer
The epic conclusion to the Shattered Sigil Trilogy--a tale of blood magic, spies, and wilderness adventure.
* Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general. Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris's career isn't the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.
* Novella: The Second Death by T. Frohock
For Diago Alvarez, that’s the choice before him. For unless he wants to see his son Rafael die, he must do the unthinkable: Help the Nazis receive the plans to the ultimate weapon.
* Short Story: A Salvaging of Ghosts by Aliette de Bodard
From the award-winning author of Boy, Snow, Bird and Mr. Fox comes an enchanting collection of intertwined stories.
* Every nation that invades the City gives it a new name. But before long, new invaders arrive and the City changes hands once again. The natives don't let themselves get caught up in the unending wars. To them, their home is the Nameless City, and those who try to name it are forever outsiders.
* The Labyrinth of Flame by Courtney Schafer
The epic conclusion to the Shattered Sigil Trilogy--a tale of blood magic, spies, and wilderness adventure.
* Ninefox Gambit by Yoon Ha Lee
To win an impossible war Captain Kel Cheris must awaken an ancient weapon and a despised traitor general. Captain Kel Cheris of the hexarchate is disgraced for using unconventional methods in a battle against heretics. Kel Command gives her the opportunity to redeem herself by retaking the Fortress of Scattered Needles, a star fortress that has recently been captured by heretics. Cheris's career isn't the only thing at stake. If the fortress falls, the hexarchate itself might be next.
* Novella: The Second Death by T. Frohock
For Diago Alvarez, that’s the choice before him. For unless he wants to see his son Rafael die, he must do the unthinkable: Help the Nazis receive the plans to the ultimate weapon.
* Short Story: A Salvaging of Ghosts by Aliette de Bodard
March 30, 2016
Raksura Patreon
Just a note, I'll be doing a special slightly longer Moon and Stone story for the Raksura Patreon page (https://www.patreon.com/user?u=2458567&ty=h) on April 5, the official release day for The Edge of Worlds (The hardcovers have already been shipping, but that's the day the ebooks drop.)
I also need to do a new book list post, hopefully tomorrow.
I also need to do a new book list post, hopefully tomorrow.
March 28, 2016
More Raksura Question Answers
winged_kame asked I am definitely interested in a Selis update story sometime!
Unrelated Raksura question, has it/ will it be explained why Stone can't speak in his winged-form? Has he never been able to, or is it something that developed as he got older, along with getting bigger/stronger? Is not being able to speak in their other form a normal variation for Raksura, or it rare/ unique to Stone?
It has to do with his age and is unique to line-grandfathers. It has to do with the way the shapeshifting works and how Raksura basically exist in both forms simultaneously, and move between one and the other. (This comes up a bit in The Dark Earth Below, when Elastan is able to see both their forms simultaneously.) At Stone's age, the barrier between his forms is less substantial, so his shifting is different from the other Raksura, and not being able to talk in his scaled form is one of the effects of it.
Otterb asked You may have answered this already somewhere, but what's a normal Raksura lifespan (if you're not a line-grandfather), and how long are they normally fledglings before they leave the nurseries?
I'm pretty sure I have answered this before, but I looked back through the tag and can't find it, so it's been at least a couple of years! I want to wait on exact numbers, because I'm pretty sure I've worked that out before, and I don't want to contradict myself. It is different for Royal Aeriat, Aeriat, and Arbora, with Aeriat (warriors) having shorter lifespans. They're fledglings for at least twenty to twenty-five turns, depending on when the Arbora decide they've reached physical maturity.
I was thinking about Shade and Moon being considered young consorts. Obviously Shade was born after Moon was separated from the colony in the Fell attack some 40 turns ago. Moon was a fledgling at the time. So how much older is he than Shade?
Moon is only maybe five or six turns older. Moon was considered as fully mature after he fathered a clutch.
And is a "turn" of the Three Worlds roughly equal to an Earth year?
No, it's somewhat longer, maybe more like a year and a half.
News
Audible is doing an MP3-CD set for The Cloud Roads to be released in May. I don't know yet if they're doing an audio version of The Edge of Worlds. It depends on a couple of factors, including sales of the audio version of previous books in the series (Stories of the Raksura I and Stories of the Raksura II) and sales of the hardcover and ebook of The Edge of Worlds.
***
Signed Books: if you want a complete-so-far signed Raksura set, I have a signing for The Edge of Worlds at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday April 9 at 4:30, where I'll be co-signing with J. Kathleen Cheney whose new fantasy is Dreaming Death. You can preorder our books (including all the previous Raksura books and Kathleen's Shores of Spain trilogy) at that link and get them signed and personalized, and then shipped to you.
***
PSA for Reviews: If you liked a book or didn't like it, it really does help to leave reviews. This is especially important on Amazon where the number of reviews control how often the book shows up in searches and suggestions. Reviews on Barnes and Noble, other retailers, and GoodReads and LibraryThing, or just on your own blog, twitter, FB, tumblr, etc help too and are much. much appreciated. (Or if you want to take a picture of the book with your cat or something and post it, that's just cool for me to see.)
PSA for Libraries: You can also look for my books at your local library, and if they don't have a book, request that they buy it for their collection, or see if they can get it through interlibrary loan. (Remember that many libraries have ebooks now too.)
Unrelated Raksura question, has it/ will it be explained why Stone can't speak in his winged-form? Has he never been able to, or is it something that developed as he got older, along with getting bigger/stronger? Is not being able to speak in their other form a normal variation for Raksura, or it rare/ unique to Stone?
It has to do with his age and is unique to line-grandfathers. It has to do with the way the shapeshifting works and how Raksura basically exist in both forms simultaneously, and move between one and the other. (This comes up a bit in The Dark Earth Below, when Elastan is able to see both their forms simultaneously.) At Stone's age, the barrier between his forms is less substantial, so his shifting is different from the other Raksura, and not being able to talk in his scaled form is one of the effects of it.
Otterb asked You may have answered this already somewhere, but what's a normal Raksura lifespan (if you're not a line-grandfather), and how long are they normally fledglings before they leave the nurseries?
I'm pretty sure I have answered this before, but I looked back through the tag and can't find it, so it's been at least a couple of years! I want to wait on exact numbers, because I'm pretty sure I've worked that out before, and I don't want to contradict myself. It is different for Royal Aeriat, Aeriat, and Arbora, with Aeriat (warriors) having shorter lifespans. They're fledglings for at least twenty to twenty-five turns, depending on when the Arbora decide they've reached physical maturity.
I was thinking about Shade and Moon being considered young consorts. Obviously Shade was born after Moon was separated from the colony in the Fell attack some 40 turns ago. Moon was a fledgling at the time. So how much older is he than Shade?
Moon is only maybe five or six turns older. Moon was considered as fully mature after he fathered a clutch.
And is a "turn" of the Three Worlds roughly equal to an Earth year?
No, it's somewhat longer, maybe more like a year and a half.
News
Audible is doing an MP3-CD set for The Cloud Roads to be released in May. I don't know yet if they're doing an audio version of The Edge of Worlds. It depends on a couple of factors, including sales of the audio version of previous books in the series (Stories of the Raksura I and Stories of the Raksura II) and sales of the hardcover and ebook of The Edge of Worlds.
***
Signed Books: if you want a complete-so-far signed Raksura set, I have a signing for The Edge of Worlds at Murder by the Book in Houston, TX, on Saturday April 9 at 4:30, where I'll be co-signing with J. Kathleen Cheney whose new fantasy is Dreaming Death. You can preorder our books (including all the previous Raksura books and Kathleen's Shores of Spain trilogy) at that link and get them signed and personalized, and then shipped to you.
***
PSA for Reviews: If you liked a book or didn't like it, it really does help to leave reviews. This is especially important on Amazon where the number of reviews control how often the book shows up in searches and suggestions. Reviews on Barnes and Noble, other retailers, and GoodReads and LibraryThing, or just on your own blog, twitter, FB, tumblr, etc help too and are much. much appreciated. (Or if you want to take a picture of the book with your cat or something and post it, that's just cool for me to see.)
PSA for Libraries: You can also look for my books at your local library, and if they don't have a book, request that they buy it for their collection, or see if they can get it through interlibrary loan. (Remember that many libraries have ebooks now too.)
March 25, 2016
Raksura Question Answer and The Edge of Worlds
Shycat (tawnykit) asked: Can you tell us more about the Fell/Raksura hybrids? How many live at Opal Night, and how many of those are related to Moon? How are they doing? Are there others in the world, and are they corrupt like we saw in The Cloud Roads, or are any wanting to be free of their Fell family? For that matter, if you took a baby Fell and raised it "good," would it still be corrupt? How strong is Nature vs Nurture for Fell and Raksura?
I don't want to answer too many of these questions, because some of this gets dealt with in The Edge of Worlds. The half-Fell at Opal Night are fine, and only Shade and Lithe are directly related to Moon. Besides Shade, there were six Arbora, counting Lithe.
And basically with the Fell, it's the mental connections to the progenitor and the rulers that control behavior. If those connections are broken early, or never established, then the individual Fell is able to determine its own behavior and make its own choices. This is not something the Fell realized when they bred with Raksura, and those offspring don't have the mental connection to the progenitor.
Also, is Selis happy somewhere? I'd love to find out what she did after Moon and Jade left her. Thank you for taking the time to answer people's questions!
Yes, she's living in a city inside Imperial Kish. I might do a story about her sometime, because she's really a fun character. And you're welcome!
***
The Edge of Worlds is already shipping in hardcover and people who preordered should be getting it now. The ebook is still scheduled to drop on the actual publication date of April 5.
And as you probably know, reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing, Barnes & Noble etc really, really do help. The number of reviews and ratings on Amazon is a huge factor in whether the book gets promoted within their system. (There's some disagreement about the numbers, but it's usually 20-25 that's the first magic number to trigger the book getting into the system that will suggest it to other readers.) So if you have time and you're moved to do a review anywhere, I'd really appreciate it. (And I don't read reviews, so if you didn't like it, you won't hurt my feelings.) And if you really liked it, posting about it helps word of mouth which is basically the only promotion the books get.
Anyway, I hope everyone getting it early is enjoying it!
I don't want to answer too many of these questions, because some of this gets dealt with in The Edge of Worlds. The half-Fell at Opal Night are fine, and only Shade and Lithe are directly related to Moon. Besides Shade, there were six Arbora, counting Lithe.
And basically with the Fell, it's the mental connections to the progenitor and the rulers that control behavior. If those connections are broken early, or never established, then the individual Fell is able to determine its own behavior and make its own choices. This is not something the Fell realized when they bred with Raksura, and those offspring don't have the mental connection to the progenitor.
Also, is Selis happy somewhere? I'd love to find out what she did after Moon and Jade left her. Thank you for taking the time to answer people's questions!
Yes, she's living in a city inside Imperial Kish. I might do a story about her sometime, because she's really a fun character. And you're welcome!
***
The Edge of Worlds is already shipping in hardcover and people who preordered should be getting it now. The ebook is still scheduled to drop on the actual publication date of April 5.
And as you probably know, reviews on Amazon, GoodReads, LibraryThing, Barnes & Noble etc really, really do help. The number of reviews and ratings on Amazon is a huge factor in whether the book gets promoted within their system. (There's some disagreement about the numbers, but it's usually 20-25 that's the first magic number to trigger the book getting into the system that will suggest it to other readers.) So if you have time and you're moved to do a review anywhere, I'd really appreciate it. (And I don't read reviews, so if you didn't like it, you won't hurt my feelings.) And if you really liked it, posting about it helps word of mouth which is basically the only promotion the books get.
Anyway, I hope everyone getting it early is enjoying it!
March 23, 2016
Raksura Question Answer
Rachel Smith asked I've always wondered where the inspiration for the Raksura came from. I don't recall ever seeing you talk about that.
It didn't really come from any one moment or place. It was in the period where I was having my career crash. The Gate of Gods had come out but the publisher hadn't put any effort into it and had told me they weren't interested in any other books, unless maybe possibly no promises I wanted to do a Laurel K. Hamilton type of urban fantasy, and I didn't want to do that. Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement had come out but I wanted to get back to fantasy, and I couldn't seem to sell anything else to save my life.
I started several books that all died on the vine, but the theme of a character who didn't know who they were kept trying to come up, though it never went anywhere. I also had an image I really liked of a place with shallow seas and a lot of islands, but I couldn't get anything to happen in it. I tried again with a book, trying to combine ideas from two or three of the dead novels, with the idea of the lost character who came from another world, from a race of shapeshifting demon-like people. He had been captured and pulled into a steampunk-ish world of the story by a sorcerer, and rescued by another group of characters who needed him for something but didn't realize quite what he was. I think I wrote about fifty pages of that book, but I was working on the backstory of the shapeshifter character, and finally realized that backstory was a lot more interesting then what I was doing with the other characters. So I threw out that book again, and started over with Moon, carrying a dead vargit back to the compound of the people he was living with. I wanted something to set the tone of the world immediately, and came up with a flying island, and bob's your uncle.
And originally the Raksura had a more basic material culture. I had the idea of the mountain-trees, but there was no interior, they actually lived in the branches. The current culture they have had evolved by the time Moon and Stone reached the Sky Copper court.
***
You may have to log on to Twitter to see this, but this is the gorgeous original art for The Edge of Worlds by Yukari Masuike: https://twitter.com/toronn/status/712494880627490820
And there's a GoodReads giveaway here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/178168-the-edge-of-worlds
It didn't really come from any one moment or place. It was in the period where I was having my career crash. The Gate of Gods had come out but the publisher hadn't put any effort into it and had told me they weren't interested in any other books, unless maybe possibly no promises I wanted to do a Laurel K. Hamilton type of urban fantasy, and I didn't want to do that. Stargate Atlantis: Entanglement had come out but I wanted to get back to fantasy, and I couldn't seem to sell anything else to save my life.
I started several books that all died on the vine, but the theme of a character who didn't know who they were kept trying to come up, though it never went anywhere. I also had an image I really liked of a place with shallow seas and a lot of islands, but I couldn't get anything to happen in it. I tried again with a book, trying to combine ideas from two or three of the dead novels, with the idea of the lost character who came from another world, from a race of shapeshifting demon-like people. He had been captured and pulled into a steampunk-ish world of the story by a sorcerer, and rescued by another group of characters who needed him for something but didn't realize quite what he was. I think I wrote about fifty pages of that book, but I was working on the backstory of the shapeshifter character, and finally realized that backstory was a lot more interesting then what I was doing with the other characters. So I threw out that book again, and started over with Moon, carrying a dead vargit back to the compound of the people he was living with. I wanted something to set the tone of the world immediately, and came up with a flying island, and bob's your uncle.
And originally the Raksura had a more basic material culture. I had the idea of the mountain-trees, but there was no interior, they actually lived in the branches. The current culture they have had evolved by the time Moon and Stone reached the Sky Copper court.
***
You may have to log on to Twitter to see this, but this is the gorgeous original art for The Edge of Worlds by Yukari Masuike: https://twitter.com/toronn/status/712494880627490820
And there's a GoodReads giveaway here: https://www.goodreads.com/giveaway/show/178168-the-edge-of-worlds
March 22, 2016
New Books Tuesday
I've got a question from the previous question post to answer, and I'll probably/hopefully do that tomorrow. And it looks like The Edge of Worlds is shipping early so if you preordered it you might be seeing it soon.
Also, I saw the almost finished cover art by Yukari Masuike for The Harbors of the Sun, the sequel, and it's gorgeous.
Cool news: with it's $1.99 sale price Stories of the Raksura II hit #1 in SF/F anthologies over the weekend, and had a flag and everything, which is a first for me.
Books
* Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.
* The Bone Flower Goddess by T.L. Morganfield
Discovering the truth about her forgotten past sets Quetzalpetlatl—former Queen of Tollan and High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl—on a new journey, to rebuild her life from the ashes of the Feathered Serpent’s deception. Her top priority is to rescue her son from the underworld, but the Lord of the Dead will only resurrect him in exchange for the most powerful of the gods: Quetzalcoatl himself.
* Novelette: The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho
In the tenth court of hell, spirits wealthy enough to bribe the bureaucrats of the underworld can avoid both the torments of hell and the irreversible change of reincarnation. It's a comfortable undeath … even for Siew Tsin. She didn't choose to be married to the richest man in hell, but she's reconciled. Until her husband brings home a new bride. Yonghua is an artificial woman crafted from terracotta. What she is may change hell for good. Who she is will transform Siew Tsin. And as they grow closer, the mystery of Yonghua's creation will draw Siew Tsin into a conspiracy where the stakes are eternal life – or a very final death.
* Law of Survival by Kristine Smith
It takes a killer to catch a killer. Jani Kilian finally has her life under control. Discharged from the Service, she’s become an important player in negotiations with the alien idomeni. But when a classified report containing revelations about past crimes comes to light, Jani realizes that old enemies still seek to destroy her. As dangers mount and those closest to her are threatened, a hard lesson learned during her years on the run hits home. Whether in colonial back alleys or halls of power, the game is life and death, and only the winner survives.
* The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin, the sequel to The Fifth Season
The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night. Alabaster Tenring -- madman, world-crusher, savior -- has returned with a mission: to train his successor, Essun, and thus seal the fate of the Stillness forever.
* Magic and Manners by C.E. Murphy
It is a truth universally accepted that well-bred members of Society are not beleaguered with magic. For Elsabeth Dover and her sisters, that truth means living in a perpetual state of caution, never using their sorcerous gifts in public. Elsabeth chafes under the stricture, but not enough to risk the possibility of good marriages for her sisters...until she meets handsome, arrogant Fitzgerald Archer.
* Spirit Week Showdown by Crystal Allen
A hilarious and spunky new heroine in the vein of the heroines of such beloved books as Ramona the Pest, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine, from Crystal Allen—the acclaimed author of How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy.
* A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
Inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, this new mystery series set in 19th-century London introduces the charming and resourceful Rosalind Thorne, a woman privy to the secrets of high society—including who among the ton is capable of murder...
Also, I saw the almost finished cover art by Yukari Masuike for The Harbors of the Sun, the sequel, and it's gorgeous.
Cool news: with it's $1.99 sale price Stories of the Raksura II hit #1 in SF/F anthologies over the weekend, and had a flag and everything, which is a first for me.
Books
* Marked in Flesh by Anne Bishop
Since the Others allied themselves with the cassandra sangue, the fragile yet powerful human blood prophets who were being exploited by their own kind, the delicate dynamic between humans and Others changed. Some, like Simon Wolfgard, wolf shifter and leader of the Lakeside Courtyard, and blood prophet Meg Corbyn, see the new, closer companionship as beneficial—both personally and practically.
* The Bone Flower Goddess by T.L. Morganfield
Discovering the truth about her forgotten past sets Quetzalpetlatl—former Queen of Tollan and High Priestess of Quetzalcoatl—on a new journey, to rebuild her life from the ashes of the Feathered Serpent’s deception. Her top priority is to rescue her son from the underworld, but the Lord of the Dead will only resurrect him in exchange for the most powerful of the gods: Quetzalcoatl himself.
* Novelette: The Terracotta Bride by Zen Cho
In the tenth court of hell, spirits wealthy enough to bribe the bureaucrats of the underworld can avoid both the torments of hell and the irreversible change of reincarnation. It's a comfortable undeath … even for Siew Tsin. She didn't choose to be married to the richest man in hell, but she's reconciled. Until her husband brings home a new bride. Yonghua is an artificial woman crafted from terracotta. What she is may change hell for good. Who she is will transform Siew Tsin. And as they grow closer, the mystery of Yonghua's creation will draw Siew Tsin into a conspiracy where the stakes are eternal life – or a very final death.
* Law of Survival by Kristine Smith
It takes a killer to catch a killer. Jani Kilian finally has her life under control. Discharged from the Service, she’s become an important player in negotiations with the alien idomeni. But when a classified report containing revelations about past crimes comes to light, Jani realizes that old enemies still seek to destroy her. As dangers mount and those closest to her are threatened, a hard lesson learned during her years on the run hits home. Whether in colonial back alleys or halls of power, the game is life and death, and only the winner survives.
* The Obelisk Gate by N.K. Jemisin, the sequel to The Fifth Season
The season of endings grows darker as civilization fades into the long cold night. Alabaster Tenring -- madman, world-crusher, savior -- has returned with a mission: to train his successor, Essun, and thus seal the fate of the Stillness forever.
* Magic and Manners by C.E. Murphy
It is a truth universally accepted that well-bred members of Society are not beleaguered with magic. For Elsabeth Dover and her sisters, that truth means living in a perpetual state of caution, never using their sorcerous gifts in public. Elsabeth chafes under the stricture, but not enough to risk the possibility of good marriages for her sisters...until she meets handsome, arrogant Fitzgerald Archer.
* Spirit Week Showdown by Crystal Allen
A hilarious and spunky new heroine in the vein of the heroines of such beloved books as Ramona the Pest, Ivy and Bean, and Clementine, from Crystal Allen—the acclaimed author of How Lamar’s Bad Prank Won a Bubba-Sized Trophy.
* A Useful Woman by Darcie Wilde
Inspired by the novels of Jane Austen, this new mystery series set in 19th-century London introduces the charming and resourceful Rosalind Thorne, a woman privy to the secrets of high society—including who among the ton is capable of murder...
March 18, 2016
eBook Sale
Stories of the Raksura 2 novella collection is on sale for $1.99 on US Kindle: http://www.amazon.com/Stories-Raksura-Dead-Earth-Below-ebook/dp/B00RM48IQ0/ref=asap_bc?ie=UTF8
and Nook http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/stories-of-the-raksura-martha-wells/1120009681?ean=9781597805803
I don't know how long it will last, it's up to the publisher.
