Tag: fantasy

The Bone Witch, by Rin Chupeco

Rin Chupeco writes books that mix fantasy with dark thrillers. The Bone Witch is her newest novel.

The women in Tea’s family are witches, but when teenage Tea raises her brother Fox from the dead—unintentionally—she learns she’s far different from the others. Her gift for necromancy makes her a bone witch, both feared and shunned by everyone she knows. Then an older bone witch arrives to take Tea and her brother far away for training.

Becoming an asha—one who wields magic—is the hardest thing she’s ever done, but Tea wants it more than anything. The intricate rituals, the esoteric knowledge, the combat training all prepare Tea for her new role. But training isn’t all that waits for Tea, and dark forces are rising in secret, set to destroy everything she holds dear.

From the book’s website: “Memoirs of a Geisha meets The Name of the Wind…” This is exactly what this book is! And since I loved both of these books, it stands to reason that I’d love this one. Which I did. I started off a bit confused, but gradually I got a grasp on everything. The cultures in this book are rich and intricate, especially the ashas’. There’s action, history, a little bit of romance, and a lot of magic…everything to keep the reader entranced until the very end. I highly recommend this book!

tbw

(Galley provided by Sourcebooks via NetGalley.)

Portal of a Thousand Worlds, by Dave Duncan

duncan_portal-150-230-76-dpi — Image belongs to Open Road Integrated Media.

Dave Duncan started out life in Scotland, but moved to Canada as an adult. In addition to working as a petroleum engineer, he has published over fifty books. His newest novel is Portal of a Thousand Worlds.

In an Imperial China in an alternate nineteenth century, murder, shapeshifting, and dark magic are all commonplace things. But the Portal of a Thousand Worlds is about to open for the first time in a thousand years, bringing chaos, rebellion, and natural disaster with it.

Now the Firstborn—reincarnated through countless generations—is the only one who knows the future, and he’s imprisoned at the command of the dowager empress, who is hiding secret so large it would rock the entire nation to its core. Add in a rebel army led by a zealot, and several shapeshifting monks, and the stage is set.

Portal of a Thousand Worlds is not a fast-paced adventure story, yet it is filled with adventure, intrigue, and magic. Rich in historical and cultural detail, the setting takes center stage, and the characters are vivid and full of life. I recommend this to any fans of historical novels, and richly-detailed fantasies.

(Galley provided by Open Road Integrated Media via NetGalley.)

Dawn Study, by Maria V. Snyder

Maria V. Snyder is a meteorologist turned best-selling and award-winning author. Dawn Study is the third book in the Soulfinders series, but also the sixth (and last) book in the Study series, and the ninth book in the Chronicles of Ixia series. It hits shelves on January 31^st.

Yelena and Valek have come a long way from their beginnings in a cell in Ixia. Now their bond goes beyond borders, and their family—both blood and heart—evokes loyalty even in the most trying situations. With their homelands on the brink of war, they must use magic and skill to stop Ixia from invading Sitia when nothing is as it seems.

The Cartel is determined to keep magicians and those in power under the spell of Theobroma—and to keep Yelena as far away from their plots as possible, despite her determination to beat them. With bounty hunters dogging her steps, she is forced to make a dangerous deal, while Valek investigates the layers of deception surrounding the Commander. The fate of both countries—and Valek and Yelena—rests on the most unlikely weapons, one that can help them, and one that may destroy everything they hold dear.

Dawn Study is the final Study book, which saddens me, since I’ve been reading this series since the beginning. The way Yelena and Valek have grown and changed since the beginning—a prisoner sentenced to death and the super spy who offers her a chance at redemption, as a poison-taster—is astonishing. Their relationship grew with each novel, and the bond between them now is rock-solid. They spend most of this book in water so hot I had no inkling how they’d escape. Even the “minor” characters in this series are memorable and vibrant. I cannot recommend these books highly enough. I’m sad the series is ending.

(Galley provided by MIRA books.)

The Bear and the Nightingale, by Katherine Arden

Katherine Arden is from Texas, but has spent time in Russia and Vermont, so she now chooses Hawaii as her home. Her background picking macadamia nuts makes novel-writing look good. The Bear and the Nightingale is her first novel.

In the almost-everlasting Russian winter, when snow grows deep enough to cover houses, the only thing to do is stay inside and huddle together for warmth, telling tales to pass the time. Vasilisa loves this time with her siblings, listening to the fairy tales told by their nurse, especially tales of Frost, the blue-eyed winter demon who appears in the night to claim unwary souls. Even the household spirits fear him, so wise men do likewise.

After Vasilisa’s mother dies and her father brings home a devout new wife from the city, the family is forbidden from honoring the household spirits. This frightens Vasilisa, who senses this is far more important than anyone knows. When the crops fail and forest evil takes its toll on the village, Vasilisa’s stepmother becomes even more determined to either force her into a convent, or a marriage. But with danger drawing ever nearer, Vasilisa must call upon powers she has long denied, if she is to protect her family from a nightmare straight from the words of her nurse’s most frightening tale.

The Bear and the Nightingale is not what I expected. It’s layered and complex—and cold!—with Russian culture infusing every page. Vasilisa is an unusual character; she’s so strong and determined, yet with a touch of sweetness to her fierceness. The fairy tales in this novel are not the Disney version most of us think of, but dark and forbidding like the original tales are. I really enjoyed this novel, especially because of its unique setting and voice.

(Galley provided by Del Rey via NetGalley.)

Local Writers’ Event and Reader’s Indecision

This week was fairly productive, considering it was the first week of grad school (Eep!). I did a tiny bit of writing—1,000 words or so—in The Fall, plus outlining 10 scenes in it as well. Having an outline made the writing flow pretty well. Something I know, yet I still started writing this story with no outline. Smart move, there.

I did a little outlining in the Witches revision, also. I’m sort of feeling my way with that, since I’ve revised the story several times, and this is more of a re-write than a revision, but I’m using the current draft as a guideline. We’ll see how that works out. My voice and style have changed significantly since I originally plotted the story.

Yesterday I attended a local authors’ event with a friend. It’s part of the library’s Year of the Book promotion. Each author had a table, and they each spoke for 10 minutes.

My friend and I went because we both love Rachel Caine’s work. (I’ve read The Morganville Vampires series, the Weather Warden series, the Outcast Season spin-offs, and her re-telling of Romeo and Juliet. I’ve been wanting to read her The Great Library series as well.)

Somehow, by sheer luck, we arrived about 15 minutes before Rachel’s talk, just in time to hear Sarah MacTavish. (I feel like I’ve heard of her, but can’t swear to it. I read SO MUCH that authors sometimes get a little bit mixed up in my mind sometimes.) I enjoyed her talk, and the short chat I had with her afterwards, and bought her book, Firebrand. Young adult fiction about the Civil War from an author who carries her supply of books in an R2D2 suitcase? I’m sold! I’m looking forward to the read, just as soon as I wrangle enough time from my schedule for it.

My purchases for the day:

books

It’s been quite a while since I purchased physical copies of fiction. The bottom two books I bought at the event, the top three at B & N beforehand. I was so excited when I got home, but I had serious reader’s indecision: What to read first?

Answer: Firstlife, by Gena Showalter, because I’m hoping to get approved to review the second book in the series, and because I’ve been interested in this one for a while. Isn’t the cover gorgeous?

Confession: I read the entire thing last night. Loved it! The concept is so unique, and the characters compelled me from the first page. You should definitely read this!

All Darling Children, by Katrina Monroe

Katrina Monroe lives in Minnesota and loves spoiling her cat and writing. Her newest novel is All Darling Children.

Madge Darling hates her life. She lives with her cruel Grandma Wendy who rules with an iron fist, but she dreams of running away and finding her mother, who Wendy claims is dead. When Wendy has a heart attack, Madge seizes the opportunity and heads to Chicago, in a search of a woman she believes to be her mother.

On her way, Peter Pan entices her to Neverland, where children never grow up, and Madge finds herself in a place where magic is around every corner and fun is the name of the game. But it’s not all fun and games in Neverland, and Peter’s twisted ideas of reality reveal the darker side of Neverland, a Neverland that is no longer a place of the light.

All Darling Children is a sort-of sequel to Peter Pan, but readers looking for a Disney version of the tale beware. This is not your parents’ Neverland, and Peter Pan is not a happy-go-lucky leader looking out for the welfare of his boys. Madge is a great character, far more adult than her age, fourteen, indicates, and she fights hard when thrown into a situation far beyond her experiences. I really enjoyed reading this, but it makes me look at the cartoon version a little bit differently.

(Galley courtesy of Red Adept Publishing via NetGalley.)

Enveloping Shadows, by Lauren D.M. Smith

Lauren D.M. Smith is the author of The Emperor’s Arrow, winner of Harlequin’s 2015 So You think You Can Write contest. Her newest novel is Enveloping Shadows.

Terrwyn is a knight and the chief bodyguard of the princess. Her sword skills are all she needs. Until a stranger cloaked in darkness snatches the princess right in front of Terrwyn before she can even move. Now Terrwyn can no longer ignore the rumors of monsters and dark monsters as she sets out to rescue the princess.

All alone and in an unfamiliar land, Terrwyn cannot afford to refuse help from the mysterious stranger who steps from the shadows. Zelek, full of secrets and after the same man who kidnapped the princess, is a shadow-whisperer intent on avenging his family. Together, he and Terrwyn must face Zelek’s old enemy and a sorceress with a demon at her side if they are to save the princess and repay a debt from Zelek’s past,

I loved the premise of this book, and Zelek’s power was intriguing—he can talk to shadows! I also loved the idea of Terrwyn being a female knight, and that being no big deal at all in this world, even if slightly unusual. Zelek on the whole was a far more interesting character than Terrwyn, whom I found to be somewhat inconsistent: experienced with men yet super shy with Zelek (this was more on the “Ah, how cute!” level than anything.), a stellar warrior who runs into situations without thought, super focused yet oblivious to the obvious at times. I liked the world itself a lot, and would be interested in reading more set in it, but the character inconsistencies and the caricature villains were troublesome for me.

(Galley provided by Carina Press.)

Every Mountain Made Low, by Alex White

Alex White is a born-and-raised Southern writer who likes Legos, racecars, and, of course, whiskey (He is Southern, after all.). Every Mountain Made Low is his first published novel.

Loxley Fiddleback is haunted.

She inherited her ability to see spirits, but the problem is, they can see her, too. They are drawn to her, and the pain from their touch is excruciating. Seeing ghosts is cruel and painful, and none more so than the spirit of her best friend, alive only a few hours ago.

Loxley isn’t cut out to solve a murder: she lives near the bottom of a strip-mined pit of a city called “The Hole” and suffers debilitating anxiety and fear of strangers. But Loxley swears to revenge her friend’s murder, and soon uncovers a conspiracy that leads all the way to the top of The Hole. And her enemies are looking for her, too, especially a brutal enforcer named Hiram who will follow Loxley into the strange depths of the city to protect the secrets he’s been hired to safeguard.

Every Mountain Made Low has probably the most unique setting I’ve ever read. I was almost through with the book when I realized The Hole was in the American South (not that that really matters, just an observation). And Loxley is one of the most unique characters I’ve ever read, too. Her mental differences make her viewpoint sometimes-disorienting, but always intriguing, and I found the world both discouraging (because I could see our culture headed that way) and interesting (because it’s just so different). This book is well-worth reading!

(Galley provided by Solaris.)

Heir of Thunder, by Karissa Laurel

Karissa Laurel is the author of The Norse Chronicles. Her newest book, Heir of Thunder, is the first book in The Stormbourne Chronicles.

Evelyn Stormbourne is left reeling by the sudden death of her father amidst an attack by revolutionaries. Her only ally is Gideon, her father’s horse master, who helps her conceal her identity as they flee to the safety of the coast to find a ship to the Continent.

When a horrific storm washes Evie overboard, she finds herself “rescued” by slavers collecting girls from all cultures. Though Evie escapes, she’s determined to save her fellow captives, with the aid of nomads who live in airships fueled by lightning. Add in a cabal of Dark Magicians intent on using her to create a new god, and an ancient family intent on claiming Evie’s birthright, and the likelihood of disaster is high, as Evie struggles to embrace her identity as well as her powers.

Heir of Thunder is an engaging read set in an intriguing world. The airships are fascinating, as is the culture of the people who live in them. Evie starts off as a sheltered, spoiled brat, but grows so much as a character throughout the novel. A great epic fantasy read for YA or adult readers alike.

(Galley provided by Evolved Publishing via NetGalley.)

NaNo: Week 2 Update

writer — I do not own this image. But it’s so true, right?

I kind of forgot to post an update yesterday, so this is a day late (and a dollar short).

Current word count: 24,257. Almost halfway done.I feel this word count is more impressive if you also know that I’ve written 4,000 words each of the last 3 days.

Current mental status:

writing-cat — I don’t own this image, either, but can we talk about the slightly manic look on this cat’s face? SO. ACCURATE.

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