An author who looks like she’s going to have a very good year – with a well-received YA novel already out (The Assassin’s Curse) and an upcoming adult novel (The Mad Scientist’s Daughter) that has also caught bloggers’ notice, Clarke’s work is generating a lot of interest and discussion online. It was, therefore, a perfect time to get in touch, and ask her about her novels, writing, genre-blending, and more.
Strange Chemistry, the YA imprint for feisty publishing upstart Angry Robot Books, has a superb opening line-up. I’ve featured one of their authors already, but Gwenda Bond’s debut, Blackwood, has been on my radar ever since the cover artwork was released. Now, I know what you’re thinking – “How can he still be judging books by their covers?!” – but the premise of the novel sounds great, too. So, without further ado, and in advance of a review of the book (expect that soon), I got in touch with the author and asked her about the novel, future projects, her writing practices, and her inability to finish Lord of the Rings (which I don’t judge her for, because neither have I)…
An intriguing new voice in fantasy
A generation has passed since the Norlanders’ great ships bore down on Shadar, and the Dead Ones slashed and burned the city into submission, enslaving the Shadari people. Now the Norlander governor is dying and, as his three alienated children struggle against the crushing isolation of their lives, the Shadari rebels spot their opening and summon the Mongrel, a mysterious mercenary warrior who has never yet lost a battle. But her terms are unsettling: she will name her price only after the Norlanders have been defeated. A single question is left for the Shadari: is there any price too high for freedom?
I had never heard of Blood’s Pride before I got my hands on a copy of the book. After diving in with very little information, it turned out to be a very interesting, well-written start to an epic fantasy series. It’s not perfect, but I found myself addicted to the world, and fascinated by the relationships and differences between the characters, races and cultures.
Scourge of the Betrayer is one of the best new fantasies I’ve read in the past two years. It takes a different approach to fantasy warfare, more in line with embedded journalists of the Iraq War than out-and-out mayhem and bloodshed. That’s not to say the story is action-less, for there is some pretty good combat, too. Nevertheless, I decided to get in touch with Jeff, to see if he could answer a few questions.
Today I talk to debut novelist Madeline Ashby about robots, Japanese anime, cyborg theory, writing and the distant dream of sleep…
Book One of Night’s Masque
When Tudor explorers returned from the New World, they brought back a name out of half-forgotten Viking legend: skraylings. Red-sailed ships followed in the explorers’ wake, bringing Native American goods – and a skrayling ambassador – to London. But what do these seemingly magical beings really want in Elizabeth I’s capital?
Mal Catlyn, a down-at-heel swordsman, is seconded to the ambassador’s bodyguard, but assassination attempts are the least of his problems. What he learns about the skraylings and their unholy powers could cost England her new ally – and Mal Catlyn his soul.
File Under: Fantasy [ Midsummer Magic | Skraylings | Double Trouble | Comedy of Terrors ]
In The Alchemist of Souls, Anne Lyle has created a fascinating, richly detailed version of Elizabethan England filled with intrigue, politicking, plenty of espionage and, above all, engaging and interesting characters. With beautiful prose, Lyle has easily written one of the best debuts of the year.
Ah, finally! I heard about Jay Kristoff’s Stormdancer what feels like AGES ago (but was probably only last year), so when the cover was revealed, it all started to feel rather more imminent. The first in Kristoff’s The Lotus War series, here is the artwork:
I must admit, this isn’t what I was expecting. At the same time, I should probably admit that I’m not really sure what I was expecting. This cover puts me in mind of Lian Hearne’s Tales of the Otori series (Across the Nightingale Floor, etc.).
Published in September 2012, the novel has been described as “a dystopian steampunk fantasy with a flavour of feudal Japan”, here’s the synopsis from Amazon UK:
Griffins are supposed to be extinct. So when Yukiko and her warrior father are sent to capture one for the Shōgun, they fear that their lives are over. Everyone knows what happens to those who fail him. But the mission proves less impossible and more deadly than anyone expects.
Soon Yukiko finds herself stranded: a young woman alone in her country’s last wilderness, with only a furious, crippled griffin for company. Although she can hear his thoughts, and saved his life, all she knows for certain is he’d rather see her dead than help her. Yet trapped together in the forest, Yukiko and Buruu form a surprising and powerful bond.
Meanwhile, the country verges on collapse. A toxic fuel is choking the land, the machine-powered Lotus Guild is publicly burning those they deem Impure, and the Shōgun cares for nothing but his own dominion. Authority has always made Yukiko uneasy, but her world changes when she meets Kin, a young man with secrets, and the rebel Kagé cabal. She learns the horrifying extent of the Shōgun’s crimes, both against her country and her family. Returning to the city, Yukiko and Buruu are determined to make the Shōgun pay – but what can one girl and a flightless griffin do against the might of an empire?
Expect more coverage of this novel on the blog, and I will (of course) attempt to interview Kristoff at some point in the near future.
[I found the artwork on The Story Siren, who is running an interview with Kristoff & a signed-copy-giveaway.]
I first heard of Eugene Myers through Twitter, when someone I followed mentioned his upcoming YA novel, Fair Coin. With his novel’s publication imminent (next week), I thought it would be a perfect time to discover some more about the book and his thoughts on writing.
The third interview in my quest to interview as many of 2012’s more exciting debut authors (see also: Myke Cole and Anne Lyle), I bring you Adam Christopher – New Zealand transplant to the UK, blogger and now published author of noir-flavoured post-super-hero Empire State. I’ve been intrigued by the premise of Adam’s novel ever since I first read about it on his website. With the novel now available, and receiving very good buzz and reviews around the genre interweb community, it seemed a perfect time to get to know a little bit more about Adam himself, his novels, and his writing process.
The first in what I hope to be a string of interviews with 2012 Debut authors, today Anne Lyle tells us a little bit about her highly anticipated upcoming Elizabethan fantasy, The Alchemist of Souls, her writing practices, and confesses to a history of impersonating a snowflake…
