Harry Turtledove
is an acclaimed alternate history novelist and Fantasy Book Critic is excited to have him stop by as he promotes
his latest book The House of Daniel, set for publication April 19, 2016 by Tor. The House of Daniel combines one of
America's favorite sports – baseball – with supernatural/fantasy elements.
Summary of The House of Daniel:
Acclaimed alternate history novelist Harry
Turtledove adds a dose of magic to baseball in THE HOUSE OF DANIEL. Turtledove
crafts a vivid colloquial voice for his semipro hero, as Jack “Snake” Spivey
escapes hometown troubles for a life on the road with the legendary House of
Daniel team.
Since the Big Bubble popped in 1929, life in
the United States hasn't been the same. Hotshot wizards will tell you nothing's
really changed, but then again, hotshot wizards aren't looking for honest work
in Enid, Oklahoma. No paying jobs at the mill, because zombies will work for
nothing. The diner on Main Street is seeing hard times as well, because a lot
fewer folks can afford to fly carpets in from miles away.
Jack Spivey's just another down-and-out
trying to stay alive, doing a little of this and a little of that. When he crosses
Big Stu, the guy who calls the shots in Enid, Jack realizes that needs to get
out of the reach of Big Stu, and out of town. That’s when the House of Daniel
comes to town – a brash band of barnstormers who'll take on any team, and whose
antics never fail to entertain. Against the odds Jack secures a berth with
them. Now they're off to tour an America that's as shot through with magic as
it is dead broke. Jack will never be the same – nor will baseball.
Harry Turtledove
has stopped by to talk with us about Spirits in the material world. A huge
thank you goes out to Tor for helping to arrange this post and to Harry Turtledove for taking the time to
stop by here.
********************************************************************
SPIRITS IN THE MATERIAL WORLDThe House of Daniel is set in a world where magic works. Ordinary humans share the planet with, at least, vampires, werewolves, zombies, chupacabras, sasquatches, and various flavors of elementals and local gods. (Vampires, here, seem to be by origin fairly recent European immigrants to the United States--not unlike a lot of ordinary people in the 1930s, the period when the book is set.) I have to say, though, that The House of Daniel isn’t set in a world where magic stands up, does a buck-and-wing, and sings out, “Look how extremely magical I am!”
To me, it makes sense that a world where magic works would be a world where magic doesn’t work showily. If magic is real, it will have existed alongside of ordinary technology for as long as people have been been people. That’s how things are even in our own world, where magic isn’t known to work. The cave paintings that mark Homo sapiens’ arrival in Europe are thought to be sorcerous efforts to control the often extinct beasts they portray. We see magic in the Old Testament. It pervades Greek, Roman, and medieval life. Only when engineering turned out to work better did magic lose believers and go underground, so to speak.
If engineering didn’t turn out to work better, but only about as well . . . If it costs about as much to ship goods by magic carpet as it does by truck, won’t you see both in action, competing against each other? If dowsing really can find water, won’t you see dowsing rods on the shelves next to hatchets and hoes in your friendly local agricultural-supply store? If forensic sorcery can look inside a body and detect injuries, won’t you find wizards helping doctors in place of X-ray techs?
And, if you’re building a dam, wouldn’t you be smart to keep the local water and earth elementals happy so you don’t have a flood instead? There may be different kinds of earth elementals lurking under places like Los Angeles. If there are, you would be wise to propitiate them, so any earthquakes aren’t your fault (excuse me).
All this applies to sports, too. In a world where magic works, it could take the place that amphetamines and steroids more recently have in our arenas. Instead of drug testing, you would have sorcerous wards to keep everything on the level. But what one wizard can do, maybe another can outdo. The men who play for the House of Daniel run into wizards who want to tilt things toward their own team. As a second brushback pitch will answer a first, so they have ways of fighting magical fire with fire.
Doing this kind of understated riff, and finding ways to goof on it, is the main reason I wrote The House of Daniel as fantasy, not straight historical fiction. I had enormous evil fun speculating that, for instance, vampires might have been behind the revolution in that world’s Russia. Makes a twisted kind of sense, if you look at it the right, or maybe the wrong, way. They drenched the country in blood. Their favorite color would be red, right? Other things like that are buried in the text, too. I hope you have some fun finding them.
12:00 AM | 
Posted by
Cindy |
Friday, April 15, 2016
"The Many Lives of John Stone" by Linda Buckley-Archer (Reviewed by Cindy Hannikman)
OVERVIEW: An English teen questions all she knows
about aging when she encounters a set of journals that date from the present
back to the reign of King Louis XIV in this blend of contemporary and
historical fiction from the author of the acclaimed Gideon trilogy.
Stella Park (Spark for short) has found summer work cataloging historical archives in John Stone’s remote and beautiful house in Suffolk, England. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and her uncertainty about living at Stowney House only increases upon arriving: what kind of people live in the twenty-first century without using electricity, telephones, or even a washing machine? Additionally, the notebooks she’s organizing span centuries—they begin in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles—but are written in the same hand. Something strange is going on for sure, and Spark’s questions are piling up. Who exactly is John Stone? What connection does he have to these notebooks? And more importantly, why did he hire her in the first place?
Stella Park (Spark for short) has found summer work cataloging historical archives in John Stone’s remote and beautiful house in Suffolk, England. She wasn’t quite sure what to expect, and her uncertainty about living at Stowney House only increases upon arriving: what kind of people live in the twenty-first century without using electricity, telephones, or even a washing machine? Additionally, the notebooks she’s organizing span centuries—they begin in the court of Louis XIV in Versailles—but are written in the same hand. Something strange is going on for sure, and Spark’s questions are piling up. Who exactly is John Stone? What connection does he have to these notebooks? And more importantly, why did he hire her in the first place?
FORMAT: The Many Lives of John Stone is a
blend of contemporary fiction and historical fiction. There are some reports of
time travel involved, but it isn't the sci-fi time travel people are used to. It
is classified as YA, but it really toes the line between adult contemporary and
'older' YA.
The Many Lives of John Stone is told from a third person point
of view. There are several chapters told from the present day and follow the
story of Stella Park (a 17 year old girl) and an older John Stone. Occasionally
between the chapters, there are journal entries written by a young man named
Jean-Pierre. These journals are from France during the reign of King Louis XIV.
The novel stands at 544 pages and was published by Simon
& Schuster Books for Young Readers on October 20, 2015.
ANALYSIS: Just
how important is a book blurb and marketing to the potential success of a book?
If you have ever asked yourself that questions, all you have to do is look at The
Many Lives of John Stone.
(NOTE: The book blurb presented at the top of the review was
not the original blurb I read when I picked up this novel. The blurb above does
a lot better job of sort of establishing the lack of time travel).
The Many Lives of John Stone first caught my eye right before
it was published. It was classified as time travel and supernatural. The time
travel came straight from the publisher's own website. Imagine my surprise when
I started reading this book and there wasn't any time travel involved.
It will be hard to describe this novel without giving away
potential spoilers, but I will do my best. Upon reading The Many Lives of John Stone,
I was shocked when I had gotten to the 50% mark and there wasn't one bit of
time travel involved. Little did I realize that the 'time travel' aspect of
this book was actually a bunch of journals that dated back centuries.
Yes, the entire traveling back in time aspect of this book
involved readers every few chapters being given glimpses into a notebook
written by a young man as he learns to navigate the ins and outs of the court
of Louis XIV. In a way, the journals do take you back in time but no one is
physically traveling through time and space, which was extremely disappointing.
I wouldn't say the book blurb lied or purposely misled
people, but it hinted at certain things that didn't happen. If it hadn't hinted
at those things or even been classified as time travel, the book would have been
able to find a true audience.
Even though I was disappointed in being misled, The
Many Lives of John Stone was an interesting read – had it been
classified properly. It was intriguing and mysterious. While I didn't really
find any of the character particularly enduring, the historical aspect of it
and the slight undertone of a mystery was enough to keep me reading and wanting
to know what was going on.
It should be noted that the mystery involved in The
Many Lives of John Stone isn't the typical 'who done it' mystery. It is
more of a life's mystery, which involves uncovering secrets people have kept
over the years.
The Many Lives of John Stone does move at a bit of a sluggish
pace. If you are looking for action and adventure, this isn't the book for you.
There are huge chunks of descriptions that involve court life in France, living
in the modern day world in a cottage in Suffolk, and learning about a young
woman named Stella. There isn't really a moment in the book when things pick
up, but instead things move at a very slow pace until the book ends.
It is interesting to note that while the publisher choose to
classify this as a YA book, it doesn't really fit the typical YA genre. There
is a lot of flowery, ambitious writing involved that would certainly make this
a book for the older side of YA, to the point where it could almost be
classified as an 'adult' novel.
Without being able to discuss too much of the plot, which if
I did it would completely ruin the entire book and your experience, it is difficult.
I will say that if the summary sounds even the least bit exciting it is worth
the time to give it a try. The Many Lives of John Stone was
certainly a satisfying read and well-written, but the rather misleading aspect
leads to disappointment.
I think, while The Many Lives of John Stone, was
interesting and unique, it will struggle to find an audience. The YA
classification might be enough to drive the 'adult' reader away who would find
this interesting, while the lack of true time travel and sluggish pace would
drive the average YA reader away.
In the end, I am really glad I stuck it out and read the
entire book. It was certainly something I don't normally read and unique. I
hope it finds its audience, because for the right reader this is sure to be
entertaining.
Monday, April 11, 2016
GUESTPOST: Recurring Themes In Fiction: Master and Apprentice by Melanie R. Meadors
It’s been said that many authors have a lifelong theme they explore with their work. It’s an unconscious thing, not done intentionally, and really, unless someone is looking they might not even notice. It can be something like “best friends,” or “father-daughter relationships,” “setting as character” or “humans as monsters.” They are subtle, but can be telling as far as reading into the writer’s subconscious.
Once I learned about this, I looked at my own work to see if I could find anything like that. Sure enough, it didn’t take me long to find a pattern in my many seemingly unrelated works. Most of my stories have some sort of master/apprentice relationship in them, even if that relationship is not what is being explored in the book. Perhaps my main character was an apprentice to a person in her past, who made her who she is today. Other stories begin with a character starting an apprenticeship, while still others have characters who discover their masters are not who they thought they were.
In my latest short story, “A Whole-Hearted Halfling,” part of the Champions of Aetaltis anthology, my main character is the unlikely apprentice to a wizard. While writing this story, I realized the complicated dynamics that were possible with the master-apprentice relationship. Not only is the master a teacher of skills, but they set an example for someone less learned than they are as far as morals and values. They have the ability to shape and change a person. They can take a troubled person and teach them to be good—or they can take a good person and warp them to serve evil.
Sometimes, apprentices learn that their masters are not the people they thought they were. They are faced with making a choice. Do they follow their master and his teachings? Do they take a path unknown to them, but that their heart tells them is true? Other times, apprentices might discover they have outgrown their masters. Do they stay with their masters out of loyalty? Or do they continue trying to better themselves?
Here are some of my favorite masters and apprentices in genre fiction, movies, and comics:
Once I learned about this, I looked at my own work to see if I could find anything like that. Sure enough, it didn’t take me long to find a pattern in my many seemingly unrelated works. Most of my stories have some sort of master/apprentice relationship in them, even if that relationship is not what is being explored in the book. Perhaps my main character was an apprentice to a person in her past, who made her who she is today. Other stories begin with a character starting an apprenticeship, while still others have characters who discover their masters are not who they thought they were.
In my latest short story, “A Whole-Hearted Halfling,” part of the Champions of Aetaltis anthology, my main character is the unlikely apprentice to a wizard. While writing this story, I realized the complicated dynamics that were possible with the master-apprentice relationship. Not only is the master a teacher of skills, but they set an example for someone less learned than they are as far as morals and values. They have the ability to shape and change a person. They can take a troubled person and teach them to be good—or they can take a good person and warp them to serve evil.
Sometimes, apprentices learn that their masters are not the people they thought they were. They are faced with making a choice. Do they follow their master and his teachings? Do they take a path unknown to them, but that their heart tells them is true? Other times, apprentices might discover they have outgrown their masters. Do they stay with their masters out of loyalty? Or do they continue trying to better themselves?
Here are some of my favorite masters and apprentices in genre fiction, movies, and comics:
1) Anakin Skywalker and Obi Wan Kenobi - Yes, Anakin chose the path of the Dark Side, but before this, the Jedi thought he was the Chosen One (yet another theme, one of many which are explored in the Star Wars series), and he was trained by Obi Wan Kenobi at the request of Kenobi’s master, Qui-Gon Jinn. Anakin didn’t always agree with his master, and was notoriously headstrong and a bit rebellious, but he and his master made a great team, as fans can see in the Clone Wars series.
However, a time came when Anakin’s heart was telling him one thing and his head another. He had to make a choice, and for better or worse, chose to follow his passion rather than that of detached justice. He forsook his master and chose another.
However, a time came when Anakin’s heart was telling him one thing and his head another. He had to make a choice, and for better or worse, chose to follow his passion rather than that of detached justice. He forsook his master and chose another.
2) Jen Yu and Jade Fox (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) - This is an example of an apprentice outgrowing her master, and also forsaking her. Jen Yu trained to be a warrior under Jade Fox, who had stolen a combat manual from the famed Wudang Mountain temple. Jade Fox couldn’t read the manual, so Jen told her what it said. Yet Jen cleverly kept some of the information to herself, and soon her skill surpassed that of her master. At an impressionable point in her life, Jen met warriors Li Mu Bai and Yu Shu Lien, who are both on the opposite side of the law as Jade Fox. Betrayals are met with more betrayals, and eventually Jen leaves her master to serve others.
3) Batman and Tim Drake as Robin - Batman has had a few Robins over the years, and I definitely have my favorites (and least favorites, *cough* Jason Todd *cough*). I like Tim Drake’s introduction, however, because it came at a time when Batman was having a crisis. He had just lost another Robin (in the series Death in the Family, readers were allowed to vote whether or not Jason Todd should live or die…and while I had no great love for Jason Todd, I couldn’t help but look at the result and say, “This is why we can’t have nice things!”), and was grieving for him while the world was in danger.
Things looked dire. Yet Batman vowed he would never have another Robin. He’d never take that responsibility again, he’d never be responsible for a kid’s death like that. Tim Drake, however, came along with answers Batman needed. He persisted, even when Batman tried his best to send him away, and eventually the apprentice taught the master a lesson in accepting help when one needs it.
Things looked dire. Yet Batman vowed he would never have another Robin. He’d never take that responsibility again, he’d never be responsible for a kid’s death like that. Tim Drake, however, came along with answers Batman needed. He persisted, even when Batman tried his best to send him away, and eventually the apprentice taught the master a lesson in accepting help when one needs it.
4) Sandor Clegane and Arya Stark - A Song of Ice and Fire is full of relationships of all sorts, and while it’s not a formal master/apprentice relationship, the match-up between the Hound and Arya is definitely one of my favorites, first in the book and then as it is portrayed in the HBO series. Sandor takes Arya as a prisoner, a hostage he hopes to exchange for gold after he has disgraced himself in King’s Landing. He needs to protect her so he gets a good price, but she certainly doesn’t make things easy for him. In spite of himself, he takes on the role of her master, teaching her to survive the cruel, harsh ways of the world of Westeros. She understands, also in spite of herself, that she needs the lessons the Hound teaches her to prepare her for when winter comes. Arya vows to kill the Hound every night, but by day, they struggle for survival together.
5) Merlin and Arthur - What would a list of masters and apprentices be without the the pair that practically founded the fantasy genre? Whether you are more familiar with them from The Once and Future King, or from Excaliber, The Sword in the Stone, or the Crystal Caves series, they are the quintessential master and apprentice. Merlin taught Arthur to be king, and depending on the telling of the tale, they had their various ups and downs during the teaching.
What are your favorite examples of masters and apprentices in fiction?
What are your favorite examples of masters and apprentices in fiction?
*---------------*---------------*---------------*
Official Author Website
Order Champions Of Aetaltis HERE
GUEST AUTHOR INFORMATION: Melanie R. Meadors is the author of fantasy and science fiction stories where heroes don't always carry swords and knights in shining armor often lose to nerds who study their weaknesses. She’s been known to befriend wandering garden gnomes, do battle with metal-eating squirrels, and has been called a superhero on more than one occasion.
Her work has been published in Circle Magazine, The Wheel, and Prick of the Spindle, and she was a finalist in the 2014 Jim Baen Memorial Science Fiction Contest. Melanie is also a freelance author publicist and publicity/marketing coordinator for both Ragnarok Publications and Mechanical Muse. She blogs regularly for GeekMom and The Once and Future Podcast. Her short story “A Whole-Hearted Halfling” is in the anthology Champions of Aetaltis, available April 12, 2016.
Champions Of Aetaltis Official Blurb: More than three hundred years have passed since the fall of the Atlan Alliance, and the people of Aetaltis have finally brought order to their fractured world. Fledgling nations have grown into powerful kingdoms, thriving merchant states have re-established old trade routes, and the priests of the Enaros have rebuilt their great temples.
But in this time of hope, the shadow of an ancient evil has emerged from the darkness to threaten the world once again.
Discover a new world of adventure in this collection of pulse-pounding stories written by some of the greatest fantasy authors alive. From the vine enshrouded ruins of a lost jungle temple to the seedy back alleys of the villainous city of Port Vale, experience the thrill of heroic fantasy with these gripping tales of action and adventure.
NOTE: Merlin and Arthur artwork courtesy of Alan Lathwell.
Order Champions Of Aetaltis HERE
GUEST AUTHOR INFORMATION: Melanie R. Meadors is the author of fantasy and science fiction stories where heroes don't always carry swords and knights in shining armor often lose to nerds who study their weaknesses. She’s been known to befriend wandering garden gnomes, do battle with metal-eating squirrels, and has been called a superhero on more than one occasion.
Her work has been published in Circle Magazine, The Wheel, and Prick of the Spindle, and she was a finalist in the 2014 Jim Baen Memorial Science Fiction Contest. Melanie is also a freelance author publicist and publicity/marketing coordinator for both Ragnarok Publications and Mechanical Muse. She blogs regularly for GeekMom and The Once and Future Podcast. Her short story “A Whole-Hearted Halfling” is in the anthology Champions of Aetaltis, available April 12, 2016.
Champions Of Aetaltis Official Blurb: More than three hundred years have passed since the fall of the Atlan Alliance, and the people of Aetaltis have finally brought order to their fractured world. Fledgling nations have grown into powerful kingdoms, thriving merchant states have re-established old trade routes, and the priests of the Enaros have rebuilt their great temples.
But in this time of hope, the shadow of an ancient evil has emerged from the darkness to threaten the world once again.
Discover a new world of adventure in this collection of pulse-pounding stories written by some of the greatest fantasy authors alive. From the vine enshrouded ruins of a lost jungle temple to the seedy back alleys of the villainous city of Port Vale, experience the thrill of heroic fantasy with these gripping tales of action and adventure.
NOTE: Merlin and Arthur artwork courtesy of Alan Lathwell.
Friday, April 8, 2016
"The Shadow Queen: Ravenspire Novel 1" by C.J. Redwine (Reviewed Cindy Hannikman)
Visit C.J. Redwine's Website Here
OVERVIEW: Lorelai Diederich, crown princess and
fugitive at large, has one mission: kill the wicked queen who took both the
Ravenspire throne and the life of her father. To do that, Lorelai needs to use
the one weapon she and Queen Irina have in common—magic. She’ll have to be
stronger, faster, and more powerful than Irina, the most dangerous sorceress
Ravenspire has ever seen.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
In the neighboring kingdom of Eldr, when Prince Kol’s father and older brother are killed by an invading army of magic-wielding ogres, the second-born prince is suddenly given the responsibility of saving his kingdom. To do that, Kol needs magic—and the only way to get it is to make a deal with the queen of Ravenspire, promise to become her personal huntsman…and bring her Lorelai’s heart.
But Lorelai is nothing like Kol expected—beautiful, fierce, and unstoppable—and despite dark magic, Lorelai is drawn in by the passionate and troubled king. Fighting to stay one step ahead of the dragon huntsman—who she likes far more than she should—Lorelai does everything in her power to ruin the wicked queen. But Irina isn’t going down without a fight, and her final move may cost the princess the one thing she still has left to lose.
FORMAT: The
Shadow Queen is a YA fairytale retelling of the Snow White story. It is
more like Once Upon a Time and Snow White and the Huntsman than the Disney
version.
The Shadow Queen is the first novel in a series of fairytale
retellings. The series is titled Ravenspire. Each novel, while occurring within
the same world, is a standalone novel.
The Shadow Queen stands at 387 pages and is told from multiple
POV, including Princess Loralai, The Evil Queen, and Prince Kol. It was
published February 16, 2016 by Balzer + Bray.
ANALYSIS: There
is something about the Snow White fairytale that makes people want to retell it
using their own twists and turns. Even with the growing popularity of fairytale
retellings, the Snow White fairytale seems to be one of the top 'go to' stories
to retell. The Shadow Queen by C.J. Redwine jumps on the bandwagon with a
new version of Snow White.
In many ways, The Shadow Queen is your typical
Snow White story. There is the young, extremely pretty princess who is on the
run from her evil stepmother – who just so happened to overthrow the princess
and claim the throne and is now ruling with an iron fist. While on the run,
this young princess is trying effortlessly to gather followers who will be
willing to fight for her and help her claim the throne. Of course, there is
some magic thrown in here and there.
While, for the most part, The Shadow Queen is the
same-old-same old Snow White retelling, it does have a few twists and turns
that make it unique. In this case, readers are introduced to Prince Kol from
the neighboring kingdom which happens to be at war with a band of ogres. Kol,
and his entire kingdom, are some type of hybrid creature that can shape-shift
into dragon form at will. Even though they are powerful dragons, their country
is losing the war, which forces Kol to go on the offensive and travel to the
evil queen's kingdom to seek help. Unfortunately, things don't go as expected.
The Shadow Queen has some twists and turns, but is it enough to
make it stand out from the crowd. Sadly, I'm not entirely sure it does. The
entire story followed a little too closely to Snow White and even ABC's Once
Upon a Time for my liking. This left me with a feeling of been there, done
that, even with the strange – almost randomly forced into the novel -
dragon/human twist.
Add in the rather slow pacing that occurred within The
Shadow Queen, and there were times where I was just plain bored. There
were brief moments of excitement and action, but those were few and far
between. For the most part readers were given lengthy descriptions and chapters
upon chapters of the princess wandering around, looking for help, and grumbling
that she has powers but doesn't know how to use them and she's afraid she won't
be able to defeat the evil queen.
The random ogre/dragon war didn't help the pacing of the
novel. It seemed to be more distracting and it didn't really serve much of a
purpose to the storyline other than to bring the prince into the novel and get
him into the kingdom. There was a lot of time spent on this part of the novel
and I just feel that time could have either been cut out or used to create more
action/adventure within the novel.
There were some parts of The Shadow Queen that I
enjoyed. I found it portrayed the evil queen's dark magic in a way that can
only be described as pure evil. I really enjoyed the scenes where we saw the
extent of the dark magic and what the evil queen could do.
Another element I really enjoyed was the way apples were
incorporated into the story at least when it came to how the evil queen used
them as punishment. It was creepy and evil, and probably the best part of the
book.
The Shadow Queen does have some romance involved, but it wasn't
insta-love. This made it easier to accept, but the sluggish pacing just really
made me want to skip over the romance and try to find something of action or
substance.
Overall, The Shadow Queen really doesn't
stand out in regards to fairytale retellings. It wasn't horrible, it just
didn't have that 'it' factor people look for when it comes to fairytale
retellings or even YA fantasy novels for that matter.
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