June 9, 2013 by nrlymrtl

The Shadow Rising Read Along Part II

Welcome back everyone! This week, our questions come from Eivind – and I had quite a fun time coming up with answers. As Eivind doesn’t have a blog, just leave a link to your answers in the comments.

This week covers Chapters 4-10. Yes, there are spoilers below. You can also check out the schedule if you want to join us.

1. The “supergirls” are at an impasse, and they have conflicting testimonials on Liandrin’s plans. Who do you believe? Where would you have them go?

The first question is easy – trust no one. The second question is difficult. I would first see if there is a way to verify any piece of either story and then make a best guess of where to put the limited good guy resources. One story is more disastrous than the other (2nd chatty Black Ajah), so I am inclined to say that is to distract the good guys, to draw their resources away from where they would be needed.

2. Moiraine claims she knows her future husband better than the other girls know theirs (and no, it’s not Lan). What could she possibly be on about?

It is so very interesting to think of Moiraine as a married woman. I almost want to say this is some Min vision that Moiraine has interpreted. I would guess that at some point Moiraine will be forced into a marriage in order to save the world, because until that goal is achieved, I can’t see Moiraine seeing to her personal happiness (or even marrying as a convenient way to provide stability for children).

3. Saidin and Saidar are revealed to be very different things. This is the first time we have some real info about male channeling. What do you think of this magic system?

1) Egwene and Elayne won’t be able to teach or guide Rand as they had hopes. 2) Rand can accomplish a lot, like pissing off everyone in the room, the cleaning staff, and the guards – all in a short amount of time. Way to go Rand! 3) I was a little disturbed when Rand held Egwene and Elayne helpless while he demonstrated his flammatory abilities. Perhaps the taint of Saidar subtly encourages one to questionable uses of the power?

4. Elayne seems to approach this seduction business from a different angle than Berelain does. Successfully so, it seems. Rand and Perrin have both apparently found love. What about Mat? Are there anyone for him?

I was checking out another blogger’s review of Book 3, The Dragon Reborn, and let my eyes flit over the comments. Unfortunately, I read and comprehend quickly. I didn’t mean to, but I now know that Mat will have a relationship that is more than casual. I even have a name. No, I am not going to share here and possibly spoil it for others. I can’t wait until we finish the series and I can safely look at the wealth of fan art.

This is Waffles. Normally she is a sweet, toothless kitty. Today, I am concerned she will burn a hole through me with the Evil Eye.

5. In the depths of the Stone there is a doorway ter’angreal, through which one can get true answers to three questions. Will someone end up using it, and if so, who? What might they ask? What would YOU ask, if given the chance?

Of course it will be used! that’s why it’s mentioned. Will it be used this book? Last book? I’ll have to wait and see. If Moiraine knows of it, there is a chance that other full Aes Sedai know of it, which means the Black Ajah know of it. I bet the Black Ajah want to use it. If they get to use it, I hope they have to pay a steep price for there answers. I expect both the Black Ajah and maybe even the White Tower would want to know if there is a way to control the Dragon as Egwene was controlled by the Seanchan. Yes, I can see a group of women wanting to collar Rand…..for a number of reasons.

6. Trollocs fighting people, trollocs fighting trollocs, and Lanfear in the middle of it, denying any involvement. What do you think happened here, exactly? Do you believe Lanfear?

Hell, no, I don’t believe Lanfear. Obviously, we have some different factions that all showed up to the party. Some want Rand dead, some may just want to capture him – leaving him alive. Lanfear wants to possess him, mind, body, soul, and seed (I expect). So, yeah, Lanfear prefers Rand alive, but she also said that the Ultimate Dark One could destroy his soul. So, if it looks like Rand will be captured by the Dark One’s minions, Lanfear may decide to kill Rand instead of risking his soul being destroyed for all time.

7. Rand promises to announce his intentions the next day. You’re in his place, the future of the universe rests on your shoulders, and you have who knows how many sides expecting you to act in their interest. What do you do?

Well, I would be surprised if Rand hasn’t contemplated suicide as a way to remove him and his immense power from the game board. He may decide to target the Seanchan, as they are a far off foe and Rand wouldn’t actually have to risk lives for a time. He may decide to move to the White Tower and set up a seat of power there. Whatever he tries, I expect things won’t go as planned and I will be highly entertained by everyone’s antics.

Other Tidbits:

While I was rooting for Elayne, I did find it a bit tacky for Egwene and Elayne to orchestrate such a hand off of Rand’s affections. Yes, I understand there was only 4 days in which to get any kissing in, but still… Even a few hours between Egwene dumping him and Elayne picking him up would have given Rand time to react on his wants and not on his roiling, bruised emotions alone.

Thom Merrilyn, Super Secret Spy!

Rand threatened to hang some lords! On one hand, that’s not the sheepherder we’ve been following around for 3 books. On the other hand, I like his determination.

Why hasn’t Perrin or Rand sent for Mat to chat about the assassination attempts on the the three of them? Mat still thinks Rand’s crazy powers are responsible.

What Others Think:

Musings on Fantasia

Coffee, Cookies, & Chili Peppers

June 7, 2013 by nrlymrtl

Interview & Giveaway: Rahima Warren, Author of Dark Innocence

Everyone, please give a warm welcome to author Rahima Warren.

Rahima Warren is the author of Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy, a deep, rich novel of the healing journey. With Master’s degrees in Clinical and Transpersonal Psychology, she was in private practice as a licensed psychotherapist for over 20 years. In 2006, Rahima retired to focus on her expressive painting, creative writing, and spiritual studies.

In her work with clients recovering from abuse, she was awed by the human capacity to heal, and to reach new levels of forgiveness, wholeness and happiness. She also learned to trust the psyche’s own process. This enabled her to allow a dark and mysterious story to flood forth unhindered: Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy.

Rahima is a third-generation native of California and resides with her husband in Northern California, where she periodically chases squirrels off the wild bird feeders, and deer away from her roses. Her life-long love of fantasy is her parents’ fault: they left sci-fi & fantasy magazines with fascinating cover art lying around the house.

RW: Thanks so much, Susan, for inviting me to be a guest on your blog, and for asking such specific and thoughtful questions. I’ve very much enjoyed answering them! I confess I took advantage of your kind invitation to be wordy.

DoD: All three of your books deal with spirituality and inner healing. How did using the medium of a fantasy novel to convey some of these ideas differ from your other books?

RW: The three books of The Star-Seer’s Prophecy are the only books I have written. Well, I have a half-written fantasy novel languishing somewhere on a disc. (Yes, it’s that old!) I was not planning on being a writer. My career was as a dream group leader, psychotherapist, and expressive arts therapist. I had thought about writing a self-help book, or a spiritual memoir, but the main character of this story had other ideas. I’ve written about how this character, whose name is Kyr, took over my life and turned me into a writer here.

DoD: You’re not only a writer, but also an artist. Have there been science fiction and/or fantasy classics that have inspired some of your art?

RW: Not that I am aware of. I do what’s called expressive art. The inspirations for my paintings come from my inner experiences: dreams, meditations, visions, emotions; and from transformative experiences I’ve had on my own healing journey. I’ve shared many of these paintings, along with dreams, poems, and gems from my journals on my expressive arts website: www.soulplay.com. Expressive art is focused on the experience or process of painting (or other art forms) rather than the technique or product. That’s also how I wrote this trilogy.

Writing a short story about Kyr opened up a torrent of passionate, creative energy, and I continued writing his story, allowing and following the flow for three years, until I/we reached a satisfying conclusion, three books’ worth later. So I think of my books as “expressive art novels.” This was the right-brain intuitive part of my writing process. Of course, I then I had to do the left-brain work of learning how to write fiction. I read many books on that topic, and spent several years working with an editor to revise and improve the trilogy, especially the first book, Dark Innocence.

DoD: Being a bird watcher and rose lover, how do you integrate nature into your fiction?

RW: I’m glad you asked!

I love Nature and include descriptions of beautiful natural scenes throughout my books. At first, Kyr knows nothing of the natural world, having been raised as a slave in the dark labyrinth of the evil sorcerer-king called the Soul-Drinker. After he is rescued, he has to learn about many ordinary things, such as friendship, kindness, flowers, rain and snow. Here’s short scene of Kyr’s first encounter with snow.

“An alien landscape met his eyes. Pristine whiteness covered the ground, mounded over bushes, outlined the branches of the trees and coated the roofs of buildings. Stunned, he stepped back until he felt the door of his room at his back. He looked to the side and there was the familiar row of sleeping rooms, unchanged. He breathed a sigh of relief.

…Reluctant to mar the sparkling purity that stretched before him, Kyr stood still. A deep hush enveloped the world. However, in a short time, Winter’s fierce chill seeped through his cloak, and he stepped off the porch. His boot crunched through the thin layer of snow. Startled, he froze in mid-step.

Nothing happened. Stepping as lightly as he could, he crossed the courtyard and followed the path to the Temple, marveling at the silver and ebony tapestry Snow and Moon had woven.”

More importantly, it’s almost as if Nature is a character in the story: flowers teach Kyr a painful lesson; and the Great Tree called the Heart of the Forest is semi-sentient and works with the Tree Warden, Svahar, to heal Kyr of a terrible addiction. Also, the people in this world each have a soul-kin: an animal or bird spirit with whom they are bonded. Kyr’s soul-kin is the Eagle. The Soul-Drinker has devastated the land near his labyrinth, breaking the bonds between the people and their soul-kin by stealing their soul-energy in the terrible orgies he uses to sustain his powers and immortality. The Star-Seer has prophesied that only Kyr can restore the land, by bringing back their Goddess, Zhovanya, who was banished by the Soul-Drinker many generations ago.

DoD: You were a psychotherapist for a good chunk of your life, helping people struggle through their inner dark to become whole again. How do those decades of experience show in your book Dark Innocence?

RW: That is the main theme of Dark Innocence: Kyr’s journey of recovery, healing and transformation.

Kyr is not the usual intrepid hero of many fantasies. His is the hard path of the inner journey toward wholeness. Born and raised as the cold-heartedly obedient slave of the evil Soul-Drinker, he knows nothing but enduring and inflicting terrible suffering at the whims of his vicious master. Rescued, he begins to learn that there are such things as kindness, friendship and love in the world. This knowledge brings home to him the terrible things he has done as a slave. Overcome with remorse and self-loathing, he seeks to do penance at the hidden Zhovanaya Sanctuary. The most difficult part of his healing is when he has to face his own pain and rage, and has to learn to forgive himself. As one reviewer wrote: “While Kyr’s situation is an extreme one, … most people will find in the story a journey towards redemption which will touch on their own.”

Certainly, I drew on my experience with my own healing journey and those of my psychotherapy clients, though this was not my conscious intention. In hindsight, I realize that one of my main inspirations for writing this story is the amazing ability of my clients, and all of us, to recover from the worst abuse, given sufficient compassionate, wise help. Recently, in a meditation, I was shown that I was guided to write this story to help transform the culture of judgment and punishment toward self and others into one of compassion and healing, even for the worst offenders. As programs such as the Insight Prison Project have shown, this can be done.

DoD: Your novel career has started in the latter half of your life. How has your age been received in the fantasy literature community? A hindrance? Welcomed open-armed? Not even commented upon?

RW: I have to admit that I haven’t gotten very much involved in the fantasy literature community. To the extent that I have, no one has commented on this. I haven’t thought about much it myself since I don’t feel “old” yet. Well, except maybe when I look in the mirror. I tend to avoid doing that as much as possible.

DoD: On The Star-Seer’s Prophecy blog, there is a page for fan art. I love looking at fan art as I enjoy seeing what characters, scenes, or story location inspired people to create something. How did you react when you received your first piece of fan art on Dark Innocence?

RW: I was thrilled! It was such a wonderful surprise!

DoD: Being a writer, an expressive painter, and a mystic, what does your writer’s den look like? Neat & tidy or full of inspirational knick knacks?

RW: Oh, definitely the latter! I have an altar to the Goddesses of Creativity and Compassion, three of my most inspirational paintings on the walls, and mandala prayer flags over the window. Here’s the view from my writing chair.

ABOUT Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy by Rahima Warren

The “twin-souled dark innocent,” Kyr, is a youth born and raised to blindly carry out the Soul-Drinker’s brutal commands. At first, Kyr’s one desire is death, the only escape from the Soul-Drinker’s hellish rule. Just when he is about to get his wish, the secret Circle rescues him. Now he has to choose between the familiar easy path of despair and death, or the hard path of healing, living, and a greater destiny, about which he knows nothing. How can a slave who has known only evil, pain and obedience choose to become a man of courage and compassion, and fulfill the Star Seer’s Prophecy?

GIVEAWAY

Rahima is giving away prizes, including an e-copy of her book at each blog stop on her tour AND a Grand Prize Giveaway of a Custom Jumbo Tote Bag with your choice of fan art, chosen from here:
http://www.starseersprophecy.com/fan-art/
, plus other goodies, including a signed copy of Dark Innocence for one lucky winner, shipped to anywhere in the world!

1) To win a book: Leave a comment on this blog post about your favorite healing fantasy novel to be entered to win a book. Be sure to leave your email address in the comments so we can contact you if you’re the lucky winner. This giveaway ends five days after the post goes live.

2) To win the Custom Jumbo Tote Bag with Rahima’s fan art of your choice, or a signed copy of Dark Innocence, or other goodies, click the link to go to Rahima’s website here:
http://www.starseersprophecy.com/blog-tour/
and enter the Rafflecopter at the bottom of that page, or click on the rafflecopter giveaway link just below. A winner will be selected on June 21st.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Places to Find Rahima Warren

Rahima Warren’s website-
http://bit.ly/YDWLdo

Read an excerpt of Dark innocence:
http://bit.ly/11AqQ0o

Rahima Warren on Twitter:
http://bit.ly/12dIIxc

Rahima’s Facebook Fan Page:
http://on.fb.me/XZu15l

Rahima Warren on Pinterest:
http://bit.ly/WBau8l

Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy on Amazon:
http://amzn.to/11eiksn

Dark Innocence: Book One of the Star-Seer’s Prophecy on Barnes & Noble:
http://bit.ly/WTiwvA

June 6, 2013 by nrlymrtl

The Dragon Reborn by Robert Jordan

Pico is fixated on another kitty off-camera.

Why I Read It: I’m participating in this wicked little thing called a Series Read Along.

Where I Got It: Own it.

Who I Recommend This To: Epic fantasy nuts.

Narrators: Kate Reading and Michael Kramer

Publisher: Macmillan Audio (2004)

Length: 24 hours 31 minutes

Series: Book 3 The Wheel of Time

If you have not read Book 2, The Great Hunt, beware of spoilers in this review for the series up to the end of Book 2.

OK, so that isn’t a picture of the audiobook, but I own both and I like this ever so serious picture of Pico.

Once again, Rand must face several challenges, including grappling with his growing power. In this installment of the series, he sets off on a quest and the heroes are once again split up. In fact, the bulk of the book focuses on the other main characters and their struggles and adventures as they do what they can to aid and support Rand. Nynaeve, Egwene, and Elayne have their own trio of Lady Power adventure while Mat, who was suffering greatly from the possessed (or possessive?) dagger, attempts to dodge responsibility and only ends up with more, plus a returning friendly face. Perrin rides with Lan and Moiraine as they attempt to stay ahead of some supreme evilness, and another character enters the story to keep Perrin on his toes.

I really enjoyed how Robert Jordan put this book together. Yes, the entire series is about Rand and the ultimate battle between good and evil. Yes, Rand is pretty freaking important. But, hey, let’s see what all these other characters are doing. Focusing on these other main characters was a great way to show that the main character, Rand, can’t do it all on his own. If you have read up to this point in the series, you know that Book 1, The Eye of the World, was nearly completely from Rand’s point of view. So this is quite the switch to have nearly zero Rand point of view. But have no fear; nearly everyone is thinking of Rand, so he is still very much a part of the story.

If you have read my reviews of the first two books, you probably picked up on the fact that I felt there were some strong similarities to Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings. Well, here in Book 3, I am very happy to say that Robert Jordan is finding his own voice, relying less and less on well established fantasy tropes and creating his own world. This book was much more satisfying for it.

The Aiel also make a worthy appearance in this novel. They have been mentioned before, with brief glimpses, but in this book we get to see the warriors with their honor code and unique fighting abilities. I especially love that the Aiel bring the element of the warrior woman to the story in a believable, fully fleshed way. As we already know, Rand can channel and Perrin talks to wolves. Well, turns out the Wheel wasn’t done with Mat and his special ability turns up in this book. It definitely makes things interesting.

Kate Reading and Michael Kramer were excellent readers, as always. They must keep sound samples to keep all the side characters straight. There was one side character that got some sort of New York Italian accent that threw me for a loop at first, but I guess with a cast of characters this large it would be hard to avoid doing such a thing for the entire series with at least some of the side characters.

What I Liked: Jordan has found his own voice; we get to see lots of the other characters, being carried around in their heads; the Aiel are no longer just myth and rumor; women warriors!; the ending was more concrete than the dream endings of Books 1 & 2.

What I Disliked: We still had a little predictability in that the story arc started the same as for Books 1 & 2.

What Others Thought:

Want to enjoy more Fantasy? Stainless Steel Droppings is hosting the Fantasy reading event of the season, Once Upon A Time. There is still time to join the fun!

If you would like more detail, peruse the read along posts:

June 4, 2013 by nrlymrtl

Guest Post: Sex! Perversion! Nudity!

Folks, please welcome Jame DiBiasio back today. If you have been around this week, you know I reviewed his debut novel, Gaijin Cowgirl. Jame was cool enough to provide us with some entertainment for today’s guest post. If you haven’t heard of Gaijin Cowgirl yet, let Jame give a tantalizing view of what his novel entails.

Sex! Perversion! Nudity!

Gaijin Cowgirl somehow lives, secretes, oozes sex – hostesses, prostitutes, lovers, S&M, cruelty, erotica – without a sex scene.

The cover features a silhouetted female wearing boots and a cowboy hat (and nothing else). The first pages open with a moody bird’s eye view of Tokyo and zoom in on some dodgy businessmen entering a private club filled with clad and semi-clad hostesses – one of whom, American Val Benson, is our protagonist.

Her top client pays his favorite girls to paint them in the nude. And he’s not interested in their elbows or knees. Val’s friend Suki got her start in life letting men molest her in crowded subway cars.

And so it goes. Until it stops.

I’m not against sex scenes in fiction. Where would we be without Philip Roth and John Updike filling us in on the juicy bits? Writing a sex scene is not that far off from writing an action sequence. Both involve intensely physical, fleshy confrontations that can be rendered visually, emotionally, internally, in many styles.

For this novel, though, I made a deliberate decision not to do sex scenes. Context is important too, and in this context, I am a foreign male writing about Japan and Thailand – specifically about issues around prostitution, human trafficking, titillation, weirdness and even love.

To get around the obvious perception problem of a person like me writing about perversion in Asia required one big decision and one little decision.

The little one was that I did not want to drag down a novel laden with important themes to the level of a cheap thrill. There’s enough sex in the story already; I didn’t think it needed to be made explicit. Instead I focused the narrative on violence and action scenes.

The big decision was to portray the story and its themes from a female perspective. I could have told this story from a man’s point of view. That would have been easier and in some ways more fun. There would have been a much closer review of straying hands and other body parts. That’s how guys think.

Putting a woman at the center of action, though, made Gaijin Cowgirl a good novel. Once I had created the character of Val, I had to let her loose. She was definitely in charge. From there I saw the whole deal through her eyes, understood her motives from her first principles.

It allowed me as the (male) author the luxury of being risqué without turning the book into one of those cheesy exposés about white guys banging Asian babes. (Those are, unfortunately, a staple in many of the region’s remaining bookshops; avoid).

That’s important to me because, firstly, I don’t want to be cast as a pervy creep. I live in Asia and I want to portray things here as accurately and sympathetically as I can. I have tremendous respect for the region’s cultures, its histories, its people, so if I’m going to dive into the darker corners, my motives need to be defensible.

Secondly, I want my work to be liked by women as well as men, with the broadest appeal possible. Call me bourgeois, but I’d like to sell more copies of the book.

It’s not a guy’s fantasy tale, and it’s not a feminist manifesto. Gaijin Cowgirl, with its James Bond-like cover, is a thriller: fun, entertaining, maybe a bit of an eye-opener, and a little over the top. And definitely sexy!

This guest post is part of Jame DiBiasio’s blog tour with Premier Virtual Author Book Tours. If you would like to see further reviews, guest posts, interviews, and giveaways, check out the SCHEDULE.

June 3, 2013 by nrlymrtl

Gaijin Cowgirl by Jame DiBiasio

Why I Read It: I like nitty gritty stories that throw me into a foreign culture.

Where I Got It: A review copy from the publisher via Premier Virtual Author Book Tours (thanks!)

Who I Recommend This To: Those who like an action-driven plot, a bit of history, a treasure hunt, and don’t mind a bit of sex and violence would enjoy this novel.

Publisher: Crime Wave Press (2013)

Length: 393 pages

Set in the early 2000s, Valerie Benson is a young lady, more than a little spoiled, on the run from her own failings and a closet of family secrets. She ends up in Japan, crashing at her old boyfriend’s place. After several weeks, she ends up working for the nightclub Cowboy as a hostess. Charlie Kwok, a lawyer trying to bring down Japanese business men who benefited from WWII brothels, is at first bemused by her job, which is questionable, but doesn’t entail sex. In short, Val is paid to look good, flirt and dance with the customers, who spend lots on liquor and leave big tips for the ladies and the club. Val’s biggest tipper of all is known as The Painter, and he likes to paint ladies in the nude. Specifically, he likes to paint women’s genitalia. That’s his addiction. He is willing to pay lots of money, and that is Val’s addiction. Val finds herself in the middle of something bigger than anything she has ever tackled before, and this time running won’t get her out of trouble. Essentially, she finds herself the owner of a treasure map, WWII treasure buried somewhere in Asia, most likely Thailand, and long forgotten. Enter Muddy, an Australian with decades of experience treasure hunting.

Initially, Valerie is a character that I didn’t have much connection with. She lacks responsibility for herself, often leaving others who care about her abruptly. She comes from a wealthy, and highly disfunctional, family, her father being a US Congressman. She’s use to having money and someone to take care of her, always willing to rescue her or give her a place to stay. She detests her father, but can’t give up the trustfund, which is how he always tracks her down (whenever she pulls funds from it). And poor Charlie. He was once head over heels in love with her, begged her for months in every way he could for her to come back to him. But no, she gave him no hope. But ran straight to him in far off Japan when she needed a place to hide away from her troubles.

Then Jame DiBiasio takes us into the seedier side if Japanese culture, but he tells it from the view point of Val, an outsider, and Suki, soon-to-be Val’s best friend. Sure, these ladies could make some better choices in their life, but so could all of us. They are very human, with hopes, dreams, needs, mistakes. They both hostess at this bar, and while no sex happens for money, all the ladies are expected to dress up, flirt, dance, and generally let the customers believe there is always a chance some sexytimes may happen.

I also enjoyed the little history lessons DiBiasio built into the story line. First, charlie Kwok and his firm are filing lawsuits on behave of surviving comfort women, women who were enslaved and forced to work in brothels in WWII for the ‘comfort’ of Japanese soldiers. I had not heard the term ‘comfort women’ before this book, and I do enjoy a fiction that can teach me a little bit about history or science.

So, the first quarter of the book is Val’s night life and Charlie’s lawsuits. Then Val and Suki have a near-death experience at the house of The Painter that throws the plot in a new direction. Val discovers a treasure map, and she and Suki both flee, intending to go to the police with their story. However, it quickly becomes apparent they can’t and must leave the country. This option is cemented when Val looses something precious to her, forcing her resolution to follow the treasure map. Val grows as a character, and I like that in my lead characters.

DiBiasio could have built in more sex than there was, but he leaves much hinted at, or merely stated as facts, without going into lots of description. Prostitution, enslaved women, hostessing…. you would think sexytimes would be happening left, right, and center. But the author restrained himself, putting in enough to make it realistic, to move the plot forward, to show us a point, and not so much as to make me think I wandered onto an Adam & Eve film production. I applaud him for that.

Definitely fast-paced, with action happening at every intersection, this book is full of memorable characters and interesting historical tidbits. Pick it up for the treasure hunting and walk away with some historical trivia. My small criticisms weren’t enough to detract me from enjoying this book. If you are interested, my small criticisms included such things as: occasionally moving a little to abruptly from one scene to the next; Suki appears to need a man for a future; and why did it take Suki and Val so long to figure out that the bad guys would check for them at their apartments?

What I Liked: Val grows from a snot-nosed irresponsible main character, to a woman on the hunt to forge her own life; the book captured the seedier side of life without being risque; lots of Japanese cultural references, vocabulary, poetry built into the story line; historical tidbits tucked in here and there.

What I Disliked: Would have liked Suki to be a little more independent; occasionally moved a little abruptly from one scene to the next.

Jame DiBiasio and Gaijin Cowgirl are on tour. If you would like see more reviews, interviews, guest posts, and giveaways, check out the schedule at Premier Virtual Author Book Tours.

June 2, 2013 by nrlymrtl

The Shadow Rising Read Along Part I

Welcome everyone to Part I of The Shadow Rising read along. Sue over at Coffee, Cookies, & Chili Peppers is hosting this week, so make sure to swing by her place for lively chitchat. This week, we covered Chapters 1-3. Spoilers are having a picnic below, complete with peppermint tea and peanutbutter cookies. You have been warned.

1. Min’s viewings when she returns to Tar Valon are enough to make anyone worried: any guesses as to what will cause the death and mayhem? Also, is anyone else curious to know the story behind the name Elmindreda?

Well, both Min and Siuan seem to think there will be some large battle. That could be Whitecloaks or the Seanchan. But we could also be looking at some sneaky and well planned attack by a small force of powerful Black Ajah/Dark Friends/Myrrdraal. I’m sure the Black Ajah have a back door or two into the White Tower, and therefore, security wouldn’t really prohibit several aes sedai dying in one night if the enemy was sneaking around the place offing folks.

Obviously, one of Min’s parents had a soft spot for silly romantics. I am betting it was her father, poring all his notions of beauty and femininity into his daughter, providing her with the perfect name for catching the boys’ eyes…..or snickering jests, is more like.

2. We now know some of Elaida’s reasons for being so fixated with Morgase, but do you think that she will actually help or hinder the fight against the Dark One?

Tough one. I am going to split hairs and say that Elaida will first hinder, maybe even help the dark side or inadvertently kill some good guys, come to her senses and help the (hopefully) winning team, the Light Side. I want to see her smug ass be saved by a male, and better yet, by a male that can channel.

3. We are introduced to Ordeith, but there is little description of him. Do you think we have met him before, using a different name, or is he yet another in the growing list of baddies? Also, how do you think Two Rivers will cope with him and the Whitecloaks and will we get to see Mistress Luhhan in action again?

I am guessing that Ordeith is what his face…. the gollum wannabe. Darn it! I need a master character list. Padan Fain. That’s who Ordeith is. He has a grudge against Rand, swore to do his family and friends harm if he didn’t show, and he is also well familiar with Two Rivers. I want Mistress Luhhan to knock his head in.

I am guessing that those few Traveling Folk who wandered off are going to warn Two Rivers. Now, whether the folk of Two Rivers pay them any mind until too late… that is another thing. Two River folks can be distrustful of outsiders and complacent in their idea of all being right with the world.

4. High Lady Suroth seems to think that she will be able to capture Rand and make him into a type of damane. Do you think this is likely, or is she underestimating him and being wildly optimistic?

Now like any other hot-blooded woman, I wouldn’t mind seeing Rand in a color on his knees, but this isn’t that type of book. So, if somehow Rand is ever collared, it won’to last for long and the jerks who collar him will be mighty sorry. In this particular case, I don’t think Lady Suroth will be the one to collar Rand in any way and I look forward to him schooling her in the ways of her ineptness.

This is Waffles. Normally she is a sweet, toothless kitty. Today, I am concerned she will burn a hole through me with the Evil Eye.

5. Holy bubbles in the Pattern, Batman! Was I the only one frantically reading to see if the three lads would even survive their ‘interesting’ evening? This made a nice change from the Trolloc attack motif of the earlier books, but how long do you expect our characters to survive with things like this happening more frequently?

These boys are going to have to get use to sleeping in armor. Or taking shifts, one sleeping while the others stand guard. Yes, this is a very nice change from the trolloc thing. I am sure we will see trollocs again, but I am glad they are not the first evil & disruptive thing to rear it’s ugly head in the book. I am still looking forward to seeing Mat’s reaction to Perrin’s and Rand’s evening encounters, because he is still under the impression that it was Rand’s wandering powers that caused his near death carding.

6. Sexytimes! Last week we discussed the relationship between Perrin and Faile and it seems to have ‘progressed’ quite a bit. Do you think that they are an item now, with full sexytimes privileges, even though it seems a little unclear from the book so far? Also, what about Berelain and her ever so subtle attempt to seduce Rand: how funny was it when she thought he was just talking dirty to her? Finally, how far do you think the Maiden’s Kiss game went to keep Mat awake all night????

Haha! I loved all these bits and so much of it left up to the reader’s interpretation. First: Perrin & Faile. OK, I don’t think they are into full privileges yet because Perrin seems to be missing a lot of hints, etc. In fact, he seems down right innocent on some things.

Second: Rand & Berelain. Haha! rand had that awkward, but totally natural for a young man, dream. Then Berelain walks into his rooms with him just in his underclothes. Wow! She was offering everything with no strings attached, if that can be believed. On one hand, I applaud her for being so clear on her desires, on the other, there will always be strings attached when it comes to sleeping with the most powerful man in the world. Dorkess for thinking she could just have Rand ignore that bit while she flashes some skin.

Third: Mat & Any Woman. So Mat likes to chase the skirts, we all know that. Perfectly normal for young males and females to enjoy sport sex. But the Aiel ladies take this to a whole new level, and bless their athletic looks and pointy spears, I sure do enjoy watching them teach Mat a thing or two. I expect the Maiden’s Kiss game went beyond kissing, but not into heavy petting as Mat seemed more disgruntled by the experience than satisfied. And, let’s face it folks, by and large, ladies are better at and more enthusiastic about drawing things out, whereas men are hardwired to sew their oats as quickly as possible, again and again. So, the Maiden’s Kiss game could go on for hours at Level 1 (kissing) easily with armed ladies in charge of the game.

Other Tidbits:

Rand’s dream about Min, Elayne, and Egwene seems to point to him realizing that he has to let that dream of marrying Egwene go. Perhaps he will be happy with Elayne or Min, or both, and perhaps not.

While Mat is a flirt, i did appreciate his reaction to the Tyran (spelling?) nobleman’s drunken remarks about the commoners, especially his uses for the commoner women.

They are going to put Min in a dress, makeup, and curls. Not sure how I feel about that. On one hand, yes, a disguise is a good idea. On the other, being a practical woman myself and not inclined to makeup, curls, and skirts only on hot dates with my man, I know the feeling of a forced make over: Not Fun.

When Faile slapped Perrin, right after the mad axe incident, and Perrin caught her hand as she was preparing to slap him again and commanded her not do so again, I cheered. I get that she was deeply worried about him, that her emotions and adrenalin were pumping, and that slapping and yelling at him was her way to let off some of that. But if it had been Perrin slapping Faile for all the same reasons, it would have been a big Hell No! So, I thought Perrin’s reaction was firm, appropriate, and even restrained as he didn’t harm her.

June 1, 2013 by nrlymrtl

The Call of Agon by Dean F. Wilson

Why I Read It: The cover is what first drew me in, and then the epic, mythological story line.

Where I Got It: From the publisher via Orangeberry Book Tours (thanks!)

Who I Recommend This To: Folks who love an epic story with an old world feel.

Publisher: Dioscuri Press (2013)

Length: 384 pages

Series: Book 1 The Children of Telm

Ifferon is in hiding, and has been successfully hidden as a cleric for 10 years. But now evil forces have set upon his village and he must flee again, as he has always done. See, Ifferon thinks he can hide what he is, and in hiding, escape the unfair responsibility that was laid upon his shoulders by his bloodline. One of his ancestors got frisky with a now dead god, Telm. This god fought and imprisoned Agon ages ago, and now the jerk is threatening to win his way free. Ifferon may be the only last surviving direct descendant of Telm, and therefore, the only one who could go toe-to-toe with Agon. First, he will venture through many lands in his continued attempt to flee, and then further travel will ensue in his attempts to prevent the freeing of Agon. Lots of friends, foes, and unknowns will assist and hinder him along the way.

Ifferon and Teron part ways hurriedly while battle approaches their village. Ifferon is assailed by black chasing shadows almost immediately as he and another (wannabe cleric Yavun) run willy nilly like startled bunnies. Soon, they bump into Herr’Don The Great, savior of damsels in distress, bringer of the sword, major task accomplisher, and blow hard. They all leave, running into the magus Melgales who reveals hidden things. Next enters Thalla, the lover of Herr’Don and apprentice to Melgales. She also has a bow but rarely uses it. In fact, she starts off strong and interesting but then quickly slides into Silly Lass With Breasts role. For nearly half the book, she is the only female character. Other heroes, magi, women, bad guys, and youngins make an appearance as we move forward.

So far I have made this book sound a bit light hearted. It isn’t. This is a thick book, not so much in page numbers, but in the fact that so much is going on on every single page. Additionally, the book is told in limited third person, like Tolkien wrote The Lord of the Rings. This means that we see everyone’s actions and hear everyone’s words, but we never know what is going on in anyone’s head. In some instances, this can be challenging, and in some it makes the plot that much more interesting because you truly have to weigh everything about a character to figure out if they are the spy and betrayer.

I enjoyed the intensity of this book. The serious, desperate need to defeat Agon and his minions weighed on all the characters and drove the plot. There was a variety of ages; not just the young and beautiful were key to this novel. Eventually, we do get some warrior women, one with sense and the other without. I do have to mention that nearly all the women are called sluts or prostitutes or whores by some man at some point in the book (and those male characters are soundly booed by other male characters). But it stood out in my mind as I was reading it. Perhaps because the main female character, Thalla, was driven by the need to be attached to a man and had to be protected, or fought over, for most of the book.

By and large, the book was very interesting with beautiful prose, good guys with personality flaws, and large, well-developed world to play in. From a technical aspect, I only have two points that stand out for me as minor detractions: 1) Occasionally the reader would be following a group of heroes and several pages into the scene, a character, who I thought had gone with the other hero team, speaks up. Ooops, where did you come from? Been here all along, have you? 2) The ending left several of the smaller story arcs unanswered and I felt I could have used at least a few more pages to wrap things up for this book. I know it’s a series, but there were just some nagging questions. Nothing major for those who plan to continue with the series.

Definitely interesting, full of mythological flavor and dressing, and I still love the cover. Ifferon is a worthy lead character, conflicted about his role in life and running from a hidden, deep, gnawing guilt. Despite Herr’Don’s bluster and self-importance, I want to know more about why he isn’t home playing the prince he is. Delin Trueblade makes a respectable aged knight in shining armor and I hope his sense of right and wrong leaves him untarnished. It will be interesting to see where Dean Wilson takes his characters, and his readers, in the rest of the series.

What I Liked: The prose; built-in mythology; characters of all ages; knights in armor (cling-clang!); Elly the warrior woman; Ifferon the conflicted.

What I Disliked: Thalla started off interesting and then turned silly….and stayed silly; author could be a little more creative with his rude male characters insulting the ladies; the ending was a little abrupt, but wouldn’t bother me if I had Book 2 to jump into right away.

I received this book as part of the Orangeberry Book Tour. If you want to see other reviews, interviews, and guest posts, click HERE for the schedule and links.

Tis the season for all thing fantastical over at Stainless Steel Droppings. Stop by and enjoy Once Upon A Time, a celebration of the Fantasy Genre.

Dab of Darkness

A dab of darkness in us all