Friday Firsts: The Path of Flames by Phil Tucker
7 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Friday Firsts, Phil Tucker, tenacious reader, The Path of Flames
Friday Firsts is a new meme that runs every Friday over on Tenacious Reader. The idea is to feature the first few sentences/paragraph of your current book and try and outline your first impressions as a result. This is a quick and easy way to share a snippet of information about your current read and to perhaps tempt others. Stop on by and link up with Tenacious Reader. This Friday I’m reading : Path of Flames by Phil Tucker.
The wind plucked at Lord Kyferin’s war banner, causing the black wolf emblazoned on the field of white to snap fitfully as if impatient with the delay. Asho shivered at the sight despite the quilted undercoat that he wore beneath his chainmail, and sat up straighter in Crook’s saddle. For years he had only seen the war banner hanging above his Lord’s high chair in the great hall, limp and still, but now it rippled and surged as if awakened and thirsting for blood. It was his first time riding into war with the Black Wolves. Even though he was at the back of the company with the other squires, he felt as vividly alive and terrified as if he were positioned in the vanguard.
Asho raised his chin. He’d die before he let the others see his fear.
“Asho!” Lord Kyferin’s bellow carried over the cacophony of the great army arrayed around them. “Where are you hiding? Get up here, now!”
Out of the corner of his eye he saw Alardus and Cuncz smirk, could feel the cold stares from Cune and Tyzce. A squire he might be, but the others saw only his white hair and pale skin, the tell-tale signs of a Bythian. That he was free and rode by their side was an outrage they would never forgive.
My First Impressions
I think this gets off to a very good start – and having read further on I confess that my first impression in that respect was spot on. Clearly, peace has reigned for a few years by the sound of it. What changed? And Asho, I’m very curious about him and the way he is treated.
What you reading this Friday?? What are your first impressions??
*The above excerpt was taken from an advanced reader copy and it is possible that the final version may have further changes.
The Music Box Girl by K A Stewart #SPFBO
6 April 2017
Filed under #SPFBO, Book Reviews
Tags: #SPFBO 2016, K A Stewart, The Music Box Girl
The Music Box Girl was my sixth SPFBO book (details here.). This is a book that borrows very heavily from the Phantom of the Opera story but brings something new to the tale with the addition of steampunk elements and a most unexpected ‘phantom’. To be honest I had a good time with this one. It’s got a good pace, the focus isn’t all on the musical elements, which I did worry about going in but needn’t have done so, and whilst there is a bit of a cheesy feel to the ending I found this a quick and enjoyable read.
At the start of the story we make the brief acquaintance of a couple of characters sorting through the clutter in an attic when they come across an unknown manuscript and this is where the story begins.
We start with a hopeful young man called Anton as he follows his dreams to the Opera House hoping to become the next tenor. The role is currently filled, albeit it by a fellow who is past his prime and is also something of a prima donna to boot. Anton ends the day without an audition in sight but with a job under his belt working with the stage crew. Anton has a wonderful voice, full of promise, if in need of a bit of tutoring. Waiting in the wings, of course, is the character that everyone believes to be the ghost of the Opera House, a character that wants the performance to be perfect and sees in Anton the opportunity to accomplish that goal. All Anton needs is a few lessons from a master performer.
I won’t go too much more into the plot, this is a fast paced book that makes for a remarkably quick read so there’s no need for me to be throwing out spoilers left and right.
The characters – the primary focus is Anton and of course the woman who reappears in his life, an adventurer known as Bess. These two were childhood friends but as their relationship began to develop, and perhaps teetered on the edge of something more, Bess was sent away to school by her mother who was only too aware of the inappropriateness of such a match. For years Bess has travelled the world, taking part in adventures with her stories being written about on a regular basis in the newspapers back home. She doesn’t want to stay at home and wear corsets – and who can blame her – she longs for something more, only returning begrudgingly home to recharge her batteries after her last jaunt went a little bit pear shaped. Of course, the fates intervene and not only does Anton find himself performing on the opening night but Bess, accompanying her old friend and husband on a rare night out, find themselves with box seats. And voila – the two are reunited.
Again, I won’t go into the mystery character – other than to say here lies jealousy, obsession and danger.
The setting is Detroit. A bustling hive of activity. Home to the invention of automatons that are now used far and wide it has become the centre of innovation and culture. The Opera House is the gleaming gem in the Detroit crown.
What did I like about this, there’s mystery and intrigue, secret passages, ghosts, steampunk elements, a mild romance, jealousy, murder and chase scenes that end in escape by dirigible. This is a fast paced read, the pages just fly by and I found myself wanting to read on to find out what was really going on. There is enough attention to detail to put you into the frame without being overdone and the author manages to create a lingering feeling of creepy suspense and provides the place with a touch of old fashioned gothic.
Did I have criticisms. Yes. This could have used a little more finesse. Certain elements were rather cheesy, particularly the ending. The characters are not particularly deep and certain elements of the story didn’t entirely make sense, or at least certain actions of some of the characters. I think if you were of a mind to, you could probably pick a few holes here and there but to be honest, I wasn’t of a mind to – I was, purely and simply, enjoying the fact that I could so easily sink into the story and enjoy the entertainment.
A good read, not particularly ground breaking I suppose but a new twist on an old tale with plenty of action and drama to help you power through it.
Waiting on Wednesday : The Space Between the Stars by Anne Corlett
5 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Anne Corlett, Breaking the Spine, The Space Between the Stars, Waiting on Wednesday
In a breathtakingly vivid and emotionally gripping debut novel, one woman must confront the emptiness in the universe—and in her own heart—when a devastating virus reduces most of humanity to dust and memories.
All Jamie Allenby ever wanted was space. Even though she wasn’t forced to emigrate from Earth, she willingly left the overpopulated, claustrophobic planet. And when a long relationship devolved into silence and suffocating sadness, she found work on a frontier world on the edges of civilization. Then the virus hit…
Now Jamie finds herself dreadfully alone, with all that’s left of the dead. Until a garbled message from Earth gives her hope that someone from her past might still be alive.
Soon Jamie finds other survivors, and their ragtag group will travel through the vast reaches of space, drawn to the promise of a new beginning on Earth. But their dream will pit them against those desperately clinging to the old ways. And Jamie’s own journey home will help her close the distance between who she has become and who she is meant to be…
Expected publication June 2017
Squee with me.
4 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Fandoms, The Broke and the Bookish, Top Ten Tuesday
Every Tuesday over at The Broke and Bookish we all get to look at a particular topic for discussion and use various (or more to the point ten) examples to demonstrate that particular topic. This week’s topic is:
top ten fandoms I’m in
I’m not really in any fandoms as such, I don’t think I am any way, but I am a fan of things. Especially bookish things – so without further ado here they are:
- Quotes. I’m in my own little fandom for quotes. Most of these are from films, some are from books. Now, when I say I’m into quotes let me be clear. I don’t mean wonderful words of literary wisdom – not because I don’t like ‘wonderful words of literary wisdom’ – just that they’re not the first thing that pop into my head given a situation. Of course, not everyone is always on the same page so when I come out with some line or other from Monty Python or Young Frankenstein or Star Wars, or just about any other film I’ve watched and enjoyed, not everyone is aware of what I’m going on about – inconceivable! Truly inconceivable.
- Lord of the Rings. You just have to love LotR – you really DO! It is folly not too. First of all the book is great. Second of all Aragorn. (c) three damn mighty fine movies – and, to get back to number (1) – lots of quote material ‘one does not simply…’
- The Classics Club – this is a great little club if you want to meet some friendly people who are all into reading the classics – its a really lovely easy going club, you can take part in their monthly memes or draw up your own list of classics that you’d like to read in your own timeframe – no stress. I like no stress.
- Harry Potter – quote fest much.
- Kindles – who knew that I would be my own Kindle (or e-rearder) fandom. Not me. I railled. I sulked. I practically had a tantrum when my husband bought me one with something along the lines of “How dare you, I will never read electronic books!” delivered in, I assure you, a suitably affronted and haughty fashion. And now, well, I just sit and eat humble pie. Lots of it. Mm, mm, I love that humble pie – everyone loves pie don’t they – and, you can eat humble pie whilst reading your favourite book on your e-reader, because it’s easy to swipe the page.
- Books, obviously.. But, notwithstanding the e-rearder comment above, I still love to collect books. Something about the feel and the smell of books. And lets face it the shelves won’t fill themselves now will they. Technically speaking, mine may be a little full already (hence the husband buying the e-reader).
- Jean Tannen. Yes, I am the Jean Tannen fandom. There’s only me in the fandom of course, not because nobody else likes Jean Tannen – I simply won’t let anybody else join. He’s all mine.
- Libraries – libraries are the bees hips, the camels pajamas and the cats knees. Me likey libraries. I don’t tend to use my library as much as I used to – I’d probably use it more if they had more ebooks available – it just makes life easier – and quick. But still I have to give a shout out to libraries.
- Book blogs. You people. You’ve given me a burgeoning TBR. That mountain is likely to fall over one day and smother somebody – if I go missing for a prolonged period, send out a search party. That is all. Although, in fairness, now I’m buying more e-books, the mountain has undergone a slight slow down in growth as the books are now stashed, safely, out there in the ether. Up in a cloud. But, without all you other bloggers and your enthusiasm and constant recommendations I would have missed some mighty fine books. Moving in your own little bubble does restrict your ability to pick all the good books after all. Thank you all of you, I’m your biggest fan!
- This one is for you – your very own fandom space – tell me what it is, so that I can join in with you.
And now, for posterity, whenever you’re in one of those situations, the one where you’ve just had enough, it’s all too much, and then, just one more piece of junk lands on top, the straw that breaks the camel’s back – this is just for you, this is what you can say in such a situation:
Guest Post: Gregory D Little, Unwilling Souls/Ungrateful Gods
3 April 2017
Filed under Book Reviews
Tags: Gregory D Little, Ungrateful God, Unwilling Souls
Last year I read Unwilling Souls by Gregory D Little. This was one of my favourite books out of the 30 I checked out as part of an event called the Self Published Fantasy Blog Off. My review is here. Luckily Greg accepted my invitation to visit and provide a guest post and today, I’m really pleased to welcome him to my blog. Thanks for taking part.
First off, huge thanks to Lynn for welcoming me to her blog! When she so kindly offered to let me do a guest post after my book, Unwilling Souls, narrowly missed the finals of #SFPBO 2, I jumped at the chance. With the release of my next book in the series, Ungrateful God (which comes out March 24th, 2017), I figured a perfect topic would be to discuss the challenge of writing sequels.
Ungrateful God is the first sequel I’ve actually put to paper. As with most things you do for the first time, reality frequently failed to conform to my expectations.
Greg’s Misconception #1: “Book 1 was a big chase across multiple crazy cities. Nobody is going to want to see that again.”
Unwilling Souls focuses on Ses Lucani’s plight as the secret daughter of a terrorist mastermind and a business magnate in a society on the cusp of industrialization-by-magic. Early on she has the misfortune to be present in the prison of the gods (where she apprentices to be a kind of smith that functions as one of their jailers) during a terrorist attack trying to break open the prison. Her father is the natural suspect, so Ses is forced to run and is pursued incessantly by agents of the Centrality government. While trying to find asylum with one of her parents, she flees from a city carved entirely into an immense crocodile skull to a city built into the skeleton of a titanic snake draped across a mountain pass to a city built into the dead husk of a gigantic tarantula whose horse-sized offspring serve as a kind of police force.
For Ungrateful God, I worried that repeating this format would come across as boring or self-indulgent with regard to the worldbuilding. I wanted to narrow the focus in Ses’s story to a single location, a barnacle city studding the husk of a vast ghost crab, and really dig into a single, driving mystery: why can’t anyone remember what happens there at night?
But my editor was concerned. Had I drifted too far from the brand expectation my first book had set up? Would people expect another rollicking world-tour novel and be turned away by the slower-burning mystery? I took his concerns to heart and rewrote much of Ungrateful God’s first third, attempting to amplify the sense of danger and menace Ses faces and introducing the main villain earlier on. I’m very pleased with the end result, and while the book still feels different than its predecessor (a goal of mine for the series), I think the build up to the ABSOLUTELY INSANE back half will keep readers fully invested.
Greg’s Misconception #2: “This will be easy! I’ve already done the worldbuilding legwork in the first book! Now I can just reap the rewards!”
Oh, past-self, what a fool you were. While it’s true that I laid the groundwork in the first book, a sequel has to catch readers up on all that to make sure it is fresh in their minds. Also, people forget important plot points and there is always the chance a reader will pick up and read the second book in the series first, so not only did I have to catch readers up on the worldbuilding from the first book, but the plot as well. (Note: while I’ve done my best to bring readers up-to-speed on events and I’d rather you buy the second book than none of them, I can’t recommend strongly enough starting with Unwilling Souls. This is a serialized, not an episodic, series.)
In addition, I obviously wanted to expand upon—and on occasion, subvert—what Ses knows or believes she knows about how the world around her works. This keeps the sense of wonder (sometimes horror) fresh for both her and the reader. So where she gains a kind of mind control power she barely understands in Unwilling Souls, in Ungrateful God she learns a bit more about it and the hazards, both moral and mortal, it can pose. If I do my job right, each book in the series will reframe the reader’s view of the world.
Greg’s Misconception #3: “I’ve written books with tons of POVs before! Surely adding a second POV to this series won’t create too many problems.”
Adding secondary POVs has been the plan since early on, as I want the series to grow more epic in scope with each installment, and one way to do that is to increase the number of vantage points who can impact and inform the plot. For readers of Unwilling Souls, I’m pleased to report that you’ll very much recognize the new POV character, and should have some strong opinions about them.
Aside from expanding the overall scope of the series, my goals for this secondary POV were to provide another look at a controversial character we’d heretofore only seen from Ses’s POV, and to spend some more time in the Pit, the hollowed-out center of the planet in which the gods have been imprisoned. I had multiple calls from readers to set more scenes there. My editor liked the secondary plot, but said I needed to find a way to better (and earlier) tie it back to Ses’s story. Since the two plots are physically separate, I turned to that old staple of tension, dramatic irony. Now something one character overhears can inform the reader of a crucial bit of information regarding the other plot without tipping off that character too early, and two separate but related plots can gradually thread themselves together while retaining their autonomy.
If you’ve made it this far, thanks for reading and I hope you’ll check out my work! I can’t wait to see the challenges a third book will bring. Thanks again to Lynn for the generous offer and all her effort in the #SPFBO!
Greg. Thanks so much for the guest post – hope everyone enjoys reading about your experience writing a sequel. I’m looking forward to picking up No.2 soon.
And finally, a few links:
Goodreads: Unwilling Souls and Ungrateful God
About the author:
Rocket Scientist by day, fantasy and science fiction author by night, Gregory D. Little’s short fiction has appeared in The Colored Lens and A Game of Horns: A Red Unicorn Anthology. He is currently working on his fantasy YA series Unwilling Souls, set in a world where technology is powered by the souls of the dead, the gods are locked away in the hollowed out center of the planet, and what remains of humanity has rebuilt its cities out of the corpses of the great beasts that destroyed them.
Gregory D. Little is a member of and regular contributor to the Fictorians writing blog (www.fictorians.com). He lives in Virginia with his wife and their yellow lab.
www.gregorydlittle.com
www.facebook.com/gregorydlittleauthor
Purchase Links:
Unwilling Souls
Book 1 of the Unwilling Souls series
Ungrateful God
Book 2 of the Unwilling Souls series
Books and travelling with Lynn 