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Blog Archive
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2016
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June
(12)
- Winners of The Los Nefilim Giveaway!!! (by Mihir W...
- GUEST POST: Swords and Shotguns: Writing Character...
- COVER REVEAL: Children Of The Different by S. C. F...
- "The Invisible Library: The Invisible Library #1" ...
- WORLDWIDE GIVEAWAY: The Los Nefilim Omnibus by Ter...
- "Every Heart A Doorway" by Seanan McGuire (Reviewe...
- "Charmed: Fairy Tale Reform School Book 2" by Jen ...
- The Shadow Of All Things by Allen Houston (Reviewe...
- Guest Post: Weird Things About Chicago By Paul Kru...
- The Fireman by Joe Hill (Reviewed by Will Byrnes)
- "Winter: The Lunar Chronicles 4" by Marissa Meyer ...
- THE INDIE DAY GIVEAWAY VI: Win ONE of EIGHT KINDLE...
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▼
June
(12)
Tuesday, June 28, 2016
GUEST POST: Swords and Shotguns: Writing Characters in Epic and Urban Fantasy by Gail Z. Martin
Today we welcome Gail Z. Martin to Fantasy
Book Critic. She is here to share her amazing insight into writing characters
in epic fantasy and urban fantasy.
Gail Z. Martin stops by to celebrate the
release of some amazing books. The first book is The Shadowed Path, which is
the first Chronicles of the Necromancer book in 5 years.
The second book release of Modern Magic:
Twelve Tales of Urban Fantasy, which is a collection of 12 full books from 12
bestselling authors.
Without further ado, please welcome Gail Z.
Martin!
**************************************************************
Swords and Shotguns: Writing Characters in Epic and Urban Fantasy
by Gail Z. Martin
People are people--how much of a difference does a couple hundred of years make?
A lot--and less than you might think.
I
write epic fantasy and urban fantasy, and co-authored with Larry N.
Martin, steampunk. That's a pretty broad time span, from roughly the
late fifteenth century to the Victorian era, to modern day. The
protagonists are all human, though some have enhanced abilities and
immortality. And while being human doesn't change over those centuries,
other factors that influence how we define our humanity and our place in
the universe certainly do.
It's true that
people remain much the same in their love, hate, ambition and failures.
In every age, human beings fall in love, cherish their family and value
friends, suffer betrayal and grief, take risks and make mistakes. Yet
our times and our surroundings, as well as our world view, inform and
constrain the choices that occur to us to consider, and shape the
courses of action we believe are open to us.
My
two epic fantasy series--The Chronicles of the Necromancer/Fallen Kings
Cycle and The Ascendant Kingdoms Saga--take place in worlds other than
our own, but with roughly the social structure and technology of late
fifteenth century Western Europe. Monarchies and the nobility hold
resources and power. Most people remain in or close to the villages
where they were born. The lowest classes are bound to the land, and the
highest classes owe fealty to a lord. Religion, alchemy and magic define
how the cosmos function, and inform one's view of where one fits in
that cosmology. Duty to one's king or liege lord supersedes individual
choices.
Existential questions are seen
through the lens of dedication to the gods and goddesses, or the
teaching of clergy. Most peoples' destiny is determined by birth and
caste order, as well as whether or not they can do magic. Defying
convention and culture is possible, but carries heavy social and
personal consequences. A great deal of personal identity is determined
by group identity: family, kingdom, religion, gender, ethnicity, caste,
profession. Individualism as we think of it in modern times is a radical
notion which threatens the status quo. Myriad social obligations to
one's family, clan, village, Guild, and kingdom define one's use of
time.
In the Iron & Blood Steampunk
series, it's the height of the Victorian age, and human self-confidence
is at an all-time high. Science overcomes new obstacles and solves old
mysteries every day, and it seems like just a matter of time until the
secrets of the universe are laid bare. Technology emerges to meet every
challenge, and inventions are proof of limitless creativity. Every day,
in every way, the world is getting better and better.
And
yet, cholera and malaria and typhus and Yellow Fever scourge cities.
Life is good for the upper classes, and, well, 'Dickensian' for those
who aren't. Infant mortality and childbed fever kill civilians while
thousands die in places like Gettysburg and Antietam. Colonialism and
racism take a horrendous toll which will not be seen or grasped for
another century. Victorians bow under the weight of grief, and
spiritualism is on the rise, seeking the answers science can't provide.
Strict social etiquette and suffocating class and gender roles restrict
and constrain, and being openly LGBTQ earns prison or worse. People are
people, but the Victorian lens through which the self and the world is
viewed is narrow and particular.
My Deadly
Curiosities dark urban fantasy series is set in modern-day Charleston,
SC with a secret coalition of mortals and immortals who eliminate
supernatural threats and get haunted and cursed objects out of
circulation. Cassidy is our modern contemporary, shaped from our current
culture, yet her psychometry enables her to sense a whole additional
reality as she reads the history of objects by touch, and her knowledge
that the supernatural is real informs her choices and world view in a
way that sets her apart from those who don't share her secrets. Sorren, a
nearly 600 year-old vampire, knows how to adapt to changing times, yet
his reactions and insights are a product of six centuries of
enculturation and observation, and he will never again be part of his
own time period.
When you've come face to face
with Voudon loas and ancient god-like beings and battled monsters and
creatures right out of legend and myth, your existential framework is
going to be a little bent. When you know that the things that go bump in
the night are real, when you've saved the world a couple of times
though no one knows it, that changes your reactions to what's on the
news, shifts your perspective about what's important, and changes your
priorities.
How are the characters different
among the subgenres? For me, they're a combination of the familiar and
the unfamiliar. The aspects that make them human--love, hate, passion,
the need for connection and the desire to complete a task, make a
difference or right a wrong--make the characters identifiable and
relatable. The aspects that are influenced by culture impart
believability within the timeframe of the story and make them
interesting and memorable, truly a part of their era. For an author,
it's a fun challenge to bring off a mix in a way that forges an
emotional connection for the reader. And as a reader, when that mix is
done well, it opens a gateway to experience different lives and
different times.
Check out The Shadowed Path,
my newest epic fantasy collection of Jonmarc Vahanian short stories in
paperback and ebook from Solaris Books. And be sure to also look for
Modern Magic: Twelve Tales of Urban Fantasy, a 12 book, 13 author ebook
boxed set including Trifles and Folly, the first-ever collection of 10
Deadly Curiosities Adventures short stories!
From June 21-June 30
I'll be doing my annual Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event blog tour, and I
hope readers will stop over to my website, find out what all is going
on and where to find the posts, giveaways, contests and fun events. And
of course, please look for The Shadowed Path at your favorite
bookseller!
The Hawthorn Moon Sneak Peek Event
includes book giveaways, free excerpts, all-new guest blog posts and
author Q&A on 22 awesome partner sites around the globe. I'll also
be hosting many of my Modern Magic co-authors guest posting on my DisquietingVisions.com blog during the tour. For a full list of where to go to get the goodies, visit www.AscendantKingdoms.com.
About the Author
Gail
Z. Martin is the author of The Shadowed Path (Solaris Books), Vendetta:
A Deadly Curiosities Novel in her urban fantasy series set in
Charleston, SC (Solaris Books); Shadow and Flame the fourth and final
book in the Ascendant Kingdoms Saga (Orbit Books); and Iron and Blood a
new Steampunk series (Solaris Books) co-authored with Larry N. Martin.
She
is also author of Ice Forged, Reign of Ash and War of Shadows in The
Ascendant Kingdoms Saga, The Chronicles of The Necromancer series (The
Summoner, The Blood King, Dark Haven, Dark Lady’s Chosen); The Fallen
Kings Cycle (The Sworn, The Dread) and the urban fantasy novel Deadly
Curiosities. Gail writes three ebook series: The Jonmarc Vahanian
Adventures, The Deadly Curiosities Adventures and The Blaine McFadden
Adventures. The Storm and Fury Adventures, steampunk stories set in the
Iron & Blood world, are co-authored with Larry N. Martin.
Her
work has appeared in over 30 US/UK anthologies. Newest anthologies
include: Robots, The Big Bad 2, Athena’s Daughters, Heroes, Space,
Contact Light, With Great Power, The Weird Wild West, The Side of
Good/The Side of Evil, Alien Artifacts, Cinched: Imagination Unbound,
Realms of Imagination, Gaslight and Grimm, Baker Street Irregulars,
Clockwork Universe: Steampunk vs. Aliens.
Find her at www.AscendantKingdoms.com, on Twitter @GailZMartin, on Facebook.com/WinterKingdoms, at DisquietingVisions.com blog and GhostInTheMachinePodcast.com, on Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/ GailZMartin and free excerpts on Wattpad http://wattpad.com/GailZMartin .
They used to say “never judge a book by its cover”. Well, forget that. Just look at that cover – look at it! This is the cover that Californian artist Eric Nyquist created for my Australian post-apocalyptic fantasy novel CHILDREN OF THE DIFFERENT. The novel releases on September 17 in ebook, paperback and audiobook and is available now for pre-order. Here is the blurb:
Nineteen years ago, a brain disease known as the Great Madness killed most of the world’s population. The survivors all had something different about their minds. Now, at the start of adolescence, their children enter a trance-like state known as the Changeland and emerge either with special mental powers or as cannibalistic Ferals.
In the great forest of South West Western Australia, thirteen-year-old Arika and her twin brother Narrah go through the Changeland. They encounter an enemy known as the Anteater who feeds on human life. He exists both in the Changeland and in the outside world, and he wants the twins dead.
After their Changings, the twins have powers that let them fight their enemy and face their destiny on a long journey to an abandoned American military base on the north-west coast of Australia…if they can reach it before time runs out.
Eric’s cover is not only beautiful and striking in itself, but it also captures two key concepts of the novel. The main character, Arika, comes out of her Changing with a power that I call “mental shapeshifting”: she does not actually change physical shape. The Nyquist cover plays with this idea and shows the creatures morphing out of a kind of mental slime in Arika’s brain; they form first in the most primordial part of the brain and then move up into the conscious mind, growing lighter in colour as they go.
The other main concept that appears on the cover is the echidna at the bottom; the “evil spirit” of the Changeland appears there in this form.
The cover uses contrasting colours to bring out aspects of the story. Arika’s light blue face emphasises the strangeness of what she is going through. The animals and slime are shown in typical sun-touched “Australian” colours like orange and yellow, while the shades of the Anteater and his world suggest the underground from which he is emerging, as well as his cold psychopathic cruelty.
For me, Eric Nyquist was the only artist for this project. His feel for the beauty and the mystery of nature is exactly right. I think Eric’s creativity was really stimulated by the novel’s imagery: he sent me an amazing set of preliminary sketches for the cover and variations on the final design! Thanks, Eric, for a wonderful piece of artwork. If you like the cover and the blurb, then I am sure that you will like CHILDREN OF THE DIFFERENT.
Nineteen years ago, a brain disease known as the Great Madness killed most of the world’s population. The survivors all had something different about their minds. Now, at the start of adolescence, their children enter a trance-like state known as the Changeland and emerge either with special mental powers or as cannibalistic Ferals.
In the great forest of South West Western Australia, thirteen-year-old Arika and her twin brother Narrah go through the Changeland. They encounter an enemy known as the Anteater who feeds on human life. He exists both in the Changeland and in the outside world, and he wants the twins dead.
After their Changings, the twins have powers that let them fight their enemy and face their destiny on a long journey to an abandoned American military base on the north-west coast of Australia…if they can reach it before time runs out.
Eric’s cover is not only beautiful and striking in itself, but it also captures two key concepts of the novel. The main character, Arika, comes out of her Changing with a power that I call “mental shapeshifting”: she does not actually change physical shape. The Nyquist cover plays with this idea and shows the creatures morphing out of a kind of mental slime in Arika’s brain; they form first in the most primordial part of the brain and then move up into the conscious mind, growing lighter in colour as they go.
The other main concept that appears on the cover is the echidna at the bottom; the “evil spirit” of the Changeland appears there in this form.
The cover uses contrasting colours to bring out aspects of the story. Arika’s light blue face emphasises the strangeness of what she is going through. The animals and slime are shown in typical sun-touched “Australian” colours like orange and yellow, while the shades of the Anteater and his world suggest the underground from which he is emerging, as well as his cold psychopathic cruelty.
For me, Eric Nyquist was the only artist for this project. His feel for the beauty and the mystery of nature is exactly right. I think Eric’s creativity was really stimulated by the novel’s imagery: he sent me an amazing set of preliminary sketches for the cover and variations on the final design! Thanks, Eric, for a wonderful piece of artwork. If you like the cover and the blurb, then I am sure that you will like CHILDREN OF THE DIFFERENT.
Here is the beginning:
The group were getting ready to go on a Wrecking when Arika’s Changing started. Narrah heard the strangled choke in Arika’s throat and spun around. Arika was lying on the wooden floor of the hut, her limbs tense. Her green eyes turned up in her head and then closed. Narrah gulped. His mouth was dry and his heart was racing as he watched his twin sister turn pale and shiver like rippling water. Her little face looked very fragile under her black shoulder-length hair. The water lily drawn in dots of white clay paint that curved around her left eye from forehead to cheekbone twisted and jumped. Narrah had painted the lily on his sister’s face with his fingers just yesterday. How long ago that seemed now.
‘It’s started,’ Manya, the twin’s foster-mother said. ‘It is time.’
Manya had taken care of the twins ever since they had become orphans at five years old. Was Arika leaving him now? Narrah never wanted to feel alone like he had when their parents died. It had been raining that day and the forest was dark. He could still smell the strong eucalyptus scent rising off the huge karri trees that stood like crying gods dripping tears on the little lost humans far below. He and Arika used to think of the giant trees as forest deities. It was impossible not to, having grown up underneath their trunks, squinting into the sun every day to try and see their waving tops tickling the sky. But if they were gods, Narrah thought, then they were just as cruel and indifferent as any others he had heard about in Manya’s stories and in the Settlement’s few books she had used to teach the twins to read.
Narrah glanced at Manya’s wrinkled face and then back at Arika. Yes, it was time, he knew. Arika was thirteen.
‘Soon, it will be your turn,’ Manya said to him, ‘but not yet.’
Narrah stared down at Arika’s face, normally so like his own but now a set mask twisted by occasional spasms. Each time the nerves under Arika’s skin flickered, Narrah felt a chill run through him. Arika shuddered a little and Narrah jumped. Was she in pain? What was she feeling? Did she know he was there?
Up until a few moments before, Arika had been standing normally and Narrah had been in touch with her feelings, as he always had. The twins had shared their lives like that, from a distance, for as long as they could remember. They called it the Path. It was like a road that linked them. They could walk along it, meet and then sense each other’s precise thoughts as if they were standing together. They used the Path for their most secret and personal things.
Now the Changing had separated them. Since the Great Madness, it had happened to everyone they knew who reached their teens. It seemed to wait inside them until then. The twins had desperately wanted to understand the Changing and find the truth about the Great Madness before their time ran out. And now it had.
For months the twins had talked about it, and Narrah had sensed Arika’s fear while she had sensed his. They had known that girls entered the Changing earlier than boys, and that meant they couldn’t experience it together. Now Narrah could feel nothing of what Arika was going through. The Path had not given any warning that Arika was about to go into her Changing right at that moment, and now the Path was closed. That separation scared Narrah more than he could have expected. The simple wooden hut and the life the twins had always known seemed very small.
A kookaburra’s cackling laugh broke out nearby. Narrah glanced out the window. The chunky brown bird was sitting out there somewhere among the endless trees. The kookaburra always sounded jolly, and Arika used to love watching the family building its nest and the chicks growing up. But the kookaburra laughed just as loudly while it broke the backs of the snakes it ate.
Go here to read a much longer extract.
Pre-order the book (US) and book (UK)
The group were getting ready to go on a Wrecking when Arika’s Changing started. Narrah heard the strangled choke in Arika’s throat and spun around. Arika was lying on the wooden floor of the hut, her limbs tense. Her green eyes turned up in her head and then closed. Narrah gulped. His mouth was dry and his heart was racing as he watched his twin sister turn pale and shiver like rippling water. Her little face looked very fragile under her black shoulder-length hair. The water lily drawn in dots of white clay paint that curved around her left eye from forehead to cheekbone twisted and jumped. Narrah had painted the lily on his sister’s face with his fingers just yesterday. How long ago that seemed now.
‘It’s started,’ Manya, the twin’s foster-mother said. ‘It is time.’
Manya had taken care of the twins ever since they had become orphans at five years old. Was Arika leaving him now? Narrah never wanted to feel alone like he had when their parents died. It had been raining that day and the forest was dark. He could still smell the strong eucalyptus scent rising off the huge karri trees that stood like crying gods dripping tears on the little lost humans far below. He and Arika used to think of the giant trees as forest deities. It was impossible not to, having grown up underneath their trunks, squinting into the sun every day to try and see their waving tops tickling the sky. But if they were gods, Narrah thought, then they were just as cruel and indifferent as any others he had heard about in Manya’s stories and in the Settlement’s few books she had used to teach the twins to read.
Narrah glanced at Manya’s wrinkled face and then back at Arika. Yes, it was time, he knew. Arika was thirteen.
‘Soon, it will be your turn,’ Manya said to him, ‘but not yet.’
Narrah stared down at Arika’s face, normally so like his own but now a set mask twisted by occasional spasms. Each time the nerves under Arika’s skin flickered, Narrah felt a chill run through him. Arika shuddered a little and Narrah jumped. Was she in pain? What was she feeling? Did she know he was there?
Up until a few moments before, Arika had been standing normally and Narrah had been in touch with her feelings, as he always had. The twins had shared their lives like that, from a distance, for as long as they could remember. They called it the Path. It was like a road that linked them. They could walk along it, meet and then sense each other’s precise thoughts as if they were standing together. They used the Path for their most secret and personal things.
Now the Changing had separated them. Since the Great Madness, it had happened to everyone they knew who reached their teens. It seemed to wait inside them until then. The twins had desperately wanted to understand the Changing and find the truth about the Great Madness before their time ran out. And now it had.
For months the twins had talked about it, and Narrah had sensed Arika’s fear while she had sensed his. They had known that girls entered the Changing earlier than boys, and that meant they couldn’t experience it together. Now Narrah could feel nothing of what Arika was going through. The Path had not given any warning that Arika was about to go into her Changing right at that moment, and now the Path was closed. That separation scared Narrah more than he could have expected. The simple wooden hut and the life the twins had always known seemed very small.
A kookaburra’s cackling laugh broke out nearby. Narrah glanced out the window. The chunky brown bird was sitting out there somewhere among the endless trees. The kookaburra always sounded jolly, and Arika used to love watching the family building its nest and the chicks growing up. But the kookaburra laughed just as loudly while it broke the backs of the snakes it ate.
Go here to read a much longer extract.
Pre-order the book (US) and book (UK)
AUTHOR INFORMATION: S. C. Flynn was born in a small town in South West Western Australia. He has lived in Europe for a long time; first the United Kingdom, then Italy and currently Ireland, the home of his ancestors. He still speaks English with an Australian accent, and fluent Italian.
He reads everything, revises his writing obsessively and plays jazz. His wife Claudia shares his passions and always encourages him.
S. C. has written for as long as he can remember and recently decided to self-publish his post-apocalyptic fantasy novel, Children of the Different and, together with an American support team, aimed for a book as good as those created by the major publishers. He blogs on science fiction and fantasy at scyflynn.com. He is on Twitter @scyflynn and on Facebook. Join his email newsletter list here.
He reads everything, revises his writing obsessively and plays jazz. His wife Claudia shares his passions and always encourages him.
S. C. has written for as long as he can remember and recently decided to self-publish his post-apocalyptic fantasy novel, Children of the Different and, together with an American support team, aimed for a book as good as those created by the major publishers. He blogs on science fiction and fantasy at scyflynn.com. He is on Twitter @scyflynn and on Facebook. Join his email newsletter list here.
Wednesday, June 22, 2016
"The Invisible Library: The Invisible Library #1" by Genevieve Cogman (Reviewed by Cindy Hannikman)
Visit Genevieve Cogman's Website Here
OVERVIEW: Collecting
books can be a dangerous prospect in this fun, time-traveling, fantasy
adventure from a spectacular debut author.
One thing any Librarian will tell you: the truth is much stranger than fiction...
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, a shadowy organization that collects important works of fiction from all of the different realities. Most recently, she and her enigmatic assistant Kai have been sent to an alternative London. Their mission: Retrieve a particularly dangerous book. The problem: By the time they arrive, it's already been stolen.
London's underground factions are prepared to fight to the death to find the tome before Irene and Kai do, a problem compounded by the fact that this world is chaos-infested—the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic to run rampant. To make matters worse, Kai is hiding something—secrets that could be just as volatile as the chaos-filled world itself.
Now Irene is caught in a puzzling web of deadly danger, conflicting clues, and sinister secret societies. And failure is not an option—because it isn’t just Irene’s reputation at stake, it’s the nature of reality itself...
One thing any Librarian will tell you: the truth is much stranger than fiction...
Irene is a professional spy for the mysterious Library, a shadowy organization that collects important works of fiction from all of the different realities. Most recently, she and her enigmatic assistant Kai have been sent to an alternative London. Their mission: Retrieve a particularly dangerous book. The problem: By the time they arrive, it's already been stolen.
London's underground factions are prepared to fight to the death to find the tome before Irene and Kai do, a problem compounded by the fact that this world is chaos-infested—the laws of nature bent to allow supernatural creatures and unpredictable magic to run rampant. To make matters worse, Kai is hiding something—secrets that could be just as volatile as the chaos-filled world itself.
Now Irene is caught in a puzzling web of deadly danger, conflicting clues, and sinister secret societies. And failure is not an option—because it isn’t just Irene’s reputation at stake, it’s the nature of reality itself...
FORMAT: The
Invisible Library is the first book in an adult fantasy/sci-fi series.
It is a mix of mystery, action, adventure, steampunk, magic, and time travel.
The Invisible Library stands at 352 pages. It was released June
14, 2016 by ROC in the US. It was released January 15, 2015 by Tor UK.
ANALYSIS: Librarians.
Secret societies. Books. Spies. Adventure. Alternate universes. Vampires and
werewolves. Victorian London. Dragons. Time Traveling.
All of these things separately are things I love and the
thought of combining them is a bit nerve-racking. After all, there are so many
elements and none of them really related that something, somewhere will get
lost, but that doesn't happen with the Invisible Library. The
Invisible Library tackles the tough task of combining these elements
into a book that is not only a delightful read, but probably one of my
favorites for the year.
The Invisible Library tells the story of a secret society of
librarians that have committed themselves to 'The Library'. Upon becoming an
agent of The Library, or essentially a Librarian, these individuals vow to work
on missions that involve heading to alternate realities (some of which are
considered 'chaos filled' which means that magic and reality combine to create
a chaotic situation) and retrieving rare/unique copies of books. Unfortunately,
retrieving these rare books isn't always an easy task.
The Invisible Library follows the story of Irene, a young
professional spy/agent for The Library. She – along with a novice by the name
of Kai - are given the task of retrieving a rare book from an alternate London
that has vampires, werewolves, Fae, and advanced steampunk like inventions. The
task seems easy enough, until they get to the new universe and discover that
they are not the only people looking for the book and one of those people is a man
that was thought to be an urban legend amongst The Librarians.
Kai and Irene spend most of the book looking for clues and
trying to sort out who has the book, who is an ally, who is an enemy, and what
is going on political wise with The Library. They also trying to solve a
mystery, find the book, beat a "bad guy", and learn more about each
other.
I absolutely loved The Invisible Library. It is pretty
much everything I look for in a book. It has action, adventure, mystery, and
books – lots and lots of books. Even though The Invisible Library is
a favorite of mine and I enjoyed it, it is far from a perfect book. I'll
highlight some of my favorite aspects of the book and talk about some of the
aspects that didn't really work for me.
A huge highlight of The Invisible Library is the way
Genevieve Cogman weaves so many seemingly unique concepts into one coherent
story. There are a lot of elements that could come across as disjointed or
random, but it all comes together nicely.
Another aspect I found enjoyable was the way Genevieve
Cogman was able to take a familiar world and give it a unique twist. Everyone
knows what Victorian London is/was like, but the Victorian London we were
introduced to in the book was new and unique. It felt different, which is what
added to the excitement of the book.
One of the things I found a bit frustrating about The
Invisible Library was some of the seemed felt awkward or a bit out of
character. The scene that comes to mind is within the first 25% of the book
when Kai and Irene are forced to spend a night together in a hotel that resides
in their alternate London. Kai mysterious, and what feels a bit out of character,
starts throwing himself at Irene. He asks if she wants to sleep with him and
feels hurt when she rejects it.
Previously, there had been no indication that Kai had any
romantic feelings for Irene. The two had just met a few short hours before. It
just seemed out of place.
Another aspect of The Invisible Library that felt
awkward was the way the world was introduced. Instead of going for a complete
info dump that involved explaining how The Library worked, how alternate
universes worked, the role of the Librarians and supernatural creatures, and
who the bad guys were, Genevieve Cogman goes for a more 'learn while you read
approach'.
The learn while you read approach is great, as it speeds up
the book. You aren't bogged down by lengthy descriptive paragraphs, but it
sometimes makes you feel like you missed something. There were times when I was
like 'who is this' or 'what is this', only to discover that we hadn't learned
about it yet and would learn the answer to that question several chapters
later.
I will admit that The Invisible Library isn't overly
complex. It isn't overly simple either, but if you are looking for something
extremely detailed, it probably wouldn't be this book. The main focus of the
book isn't in creating overly detailed characters, but in the world building
and adventure. The characters develop throughout the book, but it is clear that
isn't the main focus of the book.
Even though The
Invisible Library isn't a perfect book, it is an enjoyable one.
Immediately upon finishing it I had two things in mind. First, I wanted to
become a Librarian. I mean who wouldn't want to be a time traveling spy who is
on a mission to save rare books. Second, I couldn't wait for the second book.
Overall, The Invisible Library is a fun easy
read. While the main plot might – to some – seem predicable, the unique world
building and action more than make up for it. This is a definite must read for
any book lover.
Official Author Website
Order Los Nefilim HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Miserere
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Broken Road
Read The Character Of Environment by Teresa Frohock (guest post)
Read an excerpt of Love Crystal and Stone by Teresa Frohock
Teresa Frohock’s debut Miserere confounded genre readers and absolutely amazed readers and authors alike with its dark tone and fantastic prose. She then followed her debut with fantastical tales of angels, daimons, and mankind in 1930 turbulent Spain. Fantasy Book Critic & Teresa Frohock are giving away three copies of "The Los Nefilim” Omnibus to Three Lucky Winners!!!
To enter, please send an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: Los N. Giveaway has ENDED and was open to participants WORLDWIDE!
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Open To Anyone WORLDWIDE
2) Only One Entry Per Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)
3) Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + Name
4) No Purchase Necessary
5) Giveaway has ENDED
6) Winners Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By Email
7) Personal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the Books To The Winner
Order Los Nefilim HERE
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of Miserere
Read Fantasy Book Critic's review of The Broken Road
Read The Character Of Environment by Teresa Frohock (guest post)
Read an excerpt of Love Crystal and Stone by Teresa Frohock
Teresa Frohock’s debut Miserere confounded genre readers and absolutely amazed readers and authors alike with its dark tone and fantastic prose. She then followed her debut with fantastical tales of angels, daimons, and mankind in 1930 turbulent Spain. Fantasy Book Critic & Teresa Frohock are giving away three copies of "The Los Nefilim” Omnibus to Three Lucky Winners!!!
To enter, please send an email to fbcgiveaway@gmail.com with your Name, Mailing Address, and the subject: Los N. Giveaway has ENDED and was open to participants WORLDWIDE!
Thank you for entering and Good Luck!
GIVEAWAY RULES:
1) Open To Anyone WORLDWIDE
2) Only One Entry Per Household (Multiple Entries Will Be Disqualified)
3) Must Enter Valid Email Address, Mailing Address + Name
4) No Purchase Necessary
5) Giveaway has ENDED
6) Winners Will Be Randomly Selected and Notified By Email
7) Personal Information Will Only Be Used In Mailing Out the Books To The Winner
Visit Seanan McGuire Author Website Here
OVERVIEW: Eleanor
West’s Home for Wayward Children
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.
No matter the cost.
No Solicitations
No Visitors
No Quests
Children have always disappeared under the right conditions; slipping through the shadows under a bed or at the back of a wardrobe, tumbling down rabbit holes and into old wells, and emerging somewhere... else.
But magical lands have little need for used-up miracle children.
Nancy tumbled once, but now she’s back. The things she’s experienced... they change a person. The children under Miss West’s care understand all too well. And each of them is seeking a way back to their own fantasy world.
But Nancy’s arrival marks a change at the Home. There’s a darkness just around each corner, and when tragedy strikes, it’s up to Nancy and her new-found schoolmates to get to the heart of the matter.
No matter the cost.
FORMAT: Every
Heart A Doorway is an urban fantasy/fantasy novella. It stands at 173
pages and was published by Tor on April 5, 2016.
Even though it is ultimately an 'adult' novel, Every
Heart A Doorway could be appropriate for a more mature teenage audience.
There are some graphic scenes involving dead bodies and some topics (such as
the main character being asexual or the secondary character being transgender)
that may make it not appropriate for some audiences.
ANALYSIS: Some
books have that unique ability to capture your attention instantly. Every
Heart A Doorway by Seanan McGuire was one of those book. I was barely
three pages into the book and I was already immersed in the world and forming
an emotional bond with our first main character – Nancy.
Every Heart A Doorway tells the captivating tale about a
boarding school for young adults between the ages of 12 and 18, but unlike
regular boarding schools this one is designed as a rehabilitation center of
sorts. All of the young adults who are present at the school have at one point
in time journeyed to alternate fantasy worlds. These worlds include everything
from lands with fairies and unicorns and rainbows or Wonderland weird worlds,
to just plain scary/horror universes or the land of the dead.
All of the children at the school are struggling with one
major problem – they want to go back to their fantasy world, but they have been
cast out from it and it might not happen. This has caused all the children to
experience what can only be described as PTSD-like symptoms. Of course, the
children also have to deal with other "real life" issues, such as
forming relationships, dealing with parents, navigating the scary world of high
school, and overcoming bullying.
Nancy, our main character of the story, is a new student at
the boarding school. Unfortunately, right as she arrives at the school murders
start happening. Every Heart A Doorway follows Nancy and her new friends as they
work to find themselves, solve a mystery, and work to potentially find their
hidden doorway that will lead them back to their fantasy world.
Every Heart A Doorway may seem – from its description – to be a
light, fluffy fantasy novel, but it emotional and dark. Many of the characters
are struggling with extreme emotional issues and various problems, which leads
to a disturbing/creepy feel to the novel.
One of the amazing things about Every Heart A Doorway was
how detailed almost all the characters were. This is only a 170 page novella,
but every character from Nancy to the secondary characters of Jack and Jill,
was fleshed out and felt real. A pretty amazing feat when you consider the
novel also had to create a world/backstory and progress the current plot all in
170 pages.
Characters weren't the only extremely well-thought out or
creative element. I was intrigued with the whole hidden door/alternative
universe concept, which was extremely detailed and fascinating to me. I
probably could have read an entire 400 page novel on just this concept alone,
but it was extremely well-done given the short page count.
While I did enjoy the novel, I have to admit the murder
mystery part of it fell flat for me. The mystery element comes in about a
quarter of the way through the novel and it never really felt well developed.
It had a very rushed feel to it, especially when things were solved and
everything was 'wrapped up'.
Despite the clunky or rushed feeling at the end of the
novel, I was impressed with Every Heart a Doorway. It certainly
isn't your light, fluffy Narnia/Wonderland novel, even though it seems like it
might be from the overview. It is a novel that is emotionally engaging, unique,
and creepy/weird.
While it may not be my top read for the year, it certainly
is up there. I would recommend Every Heart a Doorway to fantasy lovers who are looking for
something unique or for those that have ever wondered how characters reacted
when they left their fantasy world and returned to their real lives.
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