Sneak Peek of Child of Destiny by George Elder

Welcome back to the Child of Destiny blog tour! Today, you lucky readers get an excerpt from Child of Destiny. But wait! That’s not all. To further whet your appetite, we also have a synopsis, and a little but about George Elder himself. Missed the first part of the tour? Click here to read Elder’s thoughts on Sci-fi and religion.

 

Child of Destiny (The Genesis Continuum trilogy #1) by Dr. George H. Elder

Edited by Julie Tryboski & Illustrated by Randall Drew

 

THE ANCIENTS BELIEVED THE PURPOSE OF LIFE IS TO EVOLVE SPECIES THAT CAN PERPETUATE THE POSSIBILITY OF CONTINUED EXISTANCE THROUGH THEIR THOUGHTS AND DEEDS — WITH THOUGHT BEING A SEMINAL POWER THAT CAN OVERCOME THE DARK FORCES THAT DRIVE ALL THAT IS TOWARD NOTHINGNESS (“NOTLOH THE OLDER” OF HARKAD PRIME).

CHAPTER 1: ISHTAR’S CHILD

 

Kara had worked tirelessly piling heavy boulders around her hillside cave’s entrance, leaving a thistle-covered opening on the mound’s top that was barely wide enough for her to squeeze through. Over the years, successive layers of soil and jagged rocks were heaped on the boulders, and the humble shelter could now resist the fiercest storm and harshest winter. Long razor grass, thorny briars, and shrubs flourished on the stout construction, providing Kara’s home with a camouflaged barrier that served well against both four- and two-legged predators. The only drawbacks were meager lighting, invading spiders and centipedes, and the poor ventilation provided by the narrow entrance. Yet these were relatively small prices to pay for security. Moreover, the shelter was adjacent to a spring-fed stream that froze for only part of the winter. Of course, there was a constant need to collect firewood, gather fruits, nuts, and berries, and hunt, but Kara was proficient in these arts. She had to be, for such is an outcast’s lot.

She sat cross-legged on the cave’s floor, bathed in a shaft of sunlight that poured through the entrance. The flint tip of her spear needed sharpening, and she deftly chipped away tiny flecks of stone with a hard rock. Kara’s father had taught her the ancient art of blade-making, not that Torok ever envisioned his daughter would depend on such a skill to sustain a solitary existence. No, he had felt she was destined for great things within the tribe, which was only appropriate for the child of a Labateen chieftain such as Torok. And Kara grew to be a most unusual girl, a precocious child who tagged along behind hunting parties and played violent war games with the tribe’s boys.

By her fifth season Kara’s deftly thrown spear was regularly taking down prey that was nearly as large as she, all of which were proudly dragged back to the great cave. She even learned the old storyteller’s sacred litanies, repeating without error the lengthy and complex tales to the delight of family and friends. Torok was proud of Kara’s intelligence, strength, and courage, and considered her an ideal daughter. Never a man of many words, he once told her, “Blood of my blood, you are a very special child. God has blessed you in many ways and you make my heart proud.” Kara basked in the warmth of his approving smile, and found confidence in the tribe’s universal acknowledgment of her rare talents.

Yet neither Torok nor Kara knew about the awful mark she bore high on her scalp, the one her mother had worked tirelessly to conceal since Kara’s birth. The Labateen were the true Children of God, and only the most perfect in form could be accepted into the tribe. And to all appearances Kara’s long, thick, red hair, green eyes, hazel skin, and lithe athletic body were ideal, the quintessential elements of a Labateen woman. Indeed, all was perfect, except for a dark brown birthmark that hid underneath a luxurious mane of hair.

Leah, her mother, was horrified when she first saw the blight, although there was no one to share her shock in the isolated birthing cave. Her labor was long and difficult, and there were times Leah thought death would be a welcome reprieve. And a lonely, painful demise for mother and child was the inevitable penalty for a failed childbirth. This most sacred process was overseen only by God –- and God alone would dictate if both mother and child survived. But survival was only the first step, for then came the mother’s responsibility of ensuring that the child’s body was perfect in all ways. This was God’s test of a mother’s will to abide by the sacred laws that guided the Labateen for countless generations. These were the same laws Torok was sworn to uphold as the tribe’s Dorma, and thus Leah felt particularly driven to follow the ancient codes.              

The birthmark’s grotesquery compelled Leah to contemplate bashing Kara’s tiny head against the jagged walls of the birthing cave, the floor of which was richly littered with tiny bony reminders of Labateen mother who had done their duty. Every Labateen woman knew that allowing an unfit or marked child to live would introduce impurity into what were God’s chosen people. The only right and merciful thing was to end such a star-crossed life swiftly. Leah roughly grabbed her writhing daughter, who still wore the blood and slippery wetness of a new life. She stared into the infant’s eyes, and suddenly her will to follow the old ways evaporated. Perhaps it was the long torment of giving birth, or maybe it was the blood loss, but Leah felt that God was guiding her thoughts and deeds. ‘Yes, God must want this infant to live,’ she thought, ‘And to live for a divine purpose.’

Leah deftly severed the umbilical cord with an obsidian blade and suckled the crying infant. With every passing moment the bond between mother and child grew stronger, as did Leah’s conviction that she was doing God’s work. But Leah’s convictions were the stuff of sacrilege, and that would lead to a dreadful fate for any Labateen. However, it was customary for a new mother to remain away from the tribe for ten suns after giving birth, which was yet another trial to help ensure that only the most able would walk amongst the Labateen. Leah took the time to make dyes from nearby plants and berries, being well versed in the art of marking. Indeed, as the daughter of an Elder and wife of the tribe’s Dorma, Leah was expected to be an exemplary marker and healer.

She carefully dyed her infant’s head, hands, and feet deep black, all signs that the child was one with God’s earth by thought and deed. She repeated the procedure over the coming days until the rich dyes were absorbed by Kara’s skin, hiding any sign of the blemish. When the day came to rejoin the tribe, friends and relatives saw the baby’s markings and she was quickly dubbed “Kara,” meaning, “Companion of God.” Many in the tribe thought it odd that Leah didn’t change Kara’s markings as the child matured, but few dared question a Labateen aristocrat. The query might be seen as an insult, and only blood could assuage such folly. The ploy served well in giving Leah’s daughter time to grow a thick and luxurious mane of dark red locks that hid the sin, at least until the age of ascension.

The spear’s tip was nearly ready, and Kara examined it in detail. A good spear and sharp knife were as essential as stealth, speed, and strength when hunting. Yet the hunt had gone poorly for seven suns, and Kara did not know why. Normally, late spring provided ample game, although one had to be ever watchful for the swift grenlobs that followed the migratory herds. The large, bipedal reptiles were armed with sickle-shaped claws and serrated teeth that turned many hunters into prey. However, a hunting party of Labateen was more than a match for any animal. Even a small party could bring down a tork, a hulking, wooly, four-legged brute with a nasal horn taller than a man. Yet tribal lore aptly described a lone hunter as the personification of a “sad thing,” and Kara was reduced to stalking relatively small rodents and marsupials, with an occasional fish supplementing a meager vegetarian diet.

She preferred hunting in the nude. But it was a chilly morning, so Kara donned a pair of well-worn moccasins and the long rawhide tunic her mother once wore. Although much-patched, the tunic was one of Kara’s prized keepsakes, and as she put it on thoughts of that terrible day wafted anew. The Right of Ascension takes place during the 14th springtime of every Labateen’s life, and the ritual is overseen by the tribe’s Elders. For women, Ascension entails having the head shaved with dull blades, being tattooed with sacred symbols, and silently enduring purification via the excruciatingly slow application of steaming hot water to the clitoris. The unremitting pain often caused visions, and these were a blessing from God if their meaning could be divined.

 

Want to know more? Here’s the synopsis I mentioned:

 

Child of Destiny (The Genesis Continuum trilogy #1) by Dr. George H. Elder

The universe is nearing its inevitable end, everything is being rapidly devoured. The last hope of a dying universe is to awaken the Seeker, a legendary metaphysical being known only through ancient tales. The Seeker has the capacity to link the entire universe; they alone may be able to spark the rebirth of the universe.

Many of those that remain desperately want existence to continue. As the remaining races struggle to survive and fight over saving existence, lofty ideals give way to brutal pragmatism. Missions are sent out in search of the Seeker. One such mission encounters Kara an outcast noblewoman of the Labateen, a Stone-Age warrior culture. Kara is well versed in the Seeker’s litany, beyond what would be considered coincidence –to Kara the litany is simply the ways of God. Will Kara be able to help locate the Seeker?

Those who wish the universe to end in disorder, with no more than a whimper are not willing to sit by as others race to alter the end universe. As these opposing forces mount their defenses, racing to see their goals are achieved one question stands out…

Is Kara the key?
 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Dr. George H. Elder has a Ph.D. from Penn State in Speech Communication and a Masters Degree in nonfiction Writing from UNH. He also has a very eclectic work and personal history. He has been a college teacher, custodian, upper-level scholar, drug addict, weight lifting coach, bouncer, and much more. He has authored numerous articles in the popular press and even a scientific text book that examines the neuropsychological basis of human communication. He has also addressed subjects such as philosophy, free speech, weight training, drug use, nutrient effects, street life, and a wide range of other issues.

His varied life experiences and education give him a unique and interesting perspective, and he often weaves philosophical insights and pathos into his texts. His books are action-oriented, but they do not have simplistic plots wherein good vs. evil or some other hackneyed approach is used. Instead, Elder employs plot shifts that allow the characters and readers to question the relationships we often take for granted. For example, a hero may do great wrongs while a species once perceived as malicious can be revealed to be honorable and wise. This offers refreshing and exciting perspectives for readers as they delve into Elder’s texts, for one never knows what to expect.

 

You can buy a copy of Child of Destiny here.

To learn more about George Elder, visit his website here.

Hope everyone enjoyed the sneak peeks! Happy reading, happy writing!

Guest Post by author George Elder

Today we are hosting Dr. George Elder, author of Child of Destiny, the first book in his Genesis Continuum series. While many would shy away from introducing religion into a Sci-fi book, Elder embraces it. Below, he explains why.

 

On Sci-Fi: The Question of Religion

By Dr. George H. Elder

 

I know few Sci-Fi devotees who like the idea of shoving religious beliefs down the throats of readers, either covertly or overtly. Indeed, Sci-Fi is often used as an escape from such travails. Yet there are several examples of stories that have strong religious overtones, such as Dune and For I am a Joyous People. Even in Sci-Fi comedy cartoons we find the Robot Devil character in Futurama. The 50s are replete with numerous Sci-Fi morality tales with religious themes (e.g., The Nine Billion Names of God, The Last Question, The Reformers, Childhood’s End, Immortality, Inc., etc.). In contemporary times we have The Accidental Time Machine, Escape from Hell, Nothing Sacred, and many more. Religion and Sci-Fi are often conjoined for better or worse, and have been for many generations.

When writing Genesis, I thought religion a worthy area to explore—although not dwell on. For example, Kara is from a religious society with a strong idea of what God is and fairly advanced metaphysical concepts considering their stone-age technology. She is a Labateen, a tribe which views itself as God’s only chosen people. They are a rule-bound people who adhere to a religion that views physical and intellectual perfection as the ideal and the rule of the strong as only natural. Thus beating or killing someone who slights you is perfectly acceptable and being born with a birth defect warrants instant death. As for Kara, she firmly believes God has destined her to do great things, despite being an outcast.

Kara learns and experiences much during her adventures. Eventually she discovers her people are a manufactured species and her personal history is nothing more than a plaything of an advanced species. She is left adrift—without any guiding purpose or reason for being. She hates herself and the concept of God—whom she wishes to kill. It was a fascinating exercise to develop this descent into hopelessness, for being so reduced allowed a subsequent elevation that makes us care for Kara all the more.

As for the crew members who have taken Kara aboard their time/space craft, Anita has a strong belief in the “Great Maker,” but her guiding principles are a set of rigid moral values that go beyond religion. For example, she would rather die than harm another, and believes she has no right to live if her deeds or misdeeds cause the direct or indirect death of another. These beliefs are incompatible with Kara’s, and the two have a profound impact on each other’s views.

Ezra believes in his family above all else, and yearns to be back with his wife and children. They are his moral and ethical center, and function as a belief system in their own right. Ezra’s physical condition declines as the story progresses and his yearning to return to kith and kin increases. However, his inherent fear and reluctance to act wanes. He becomes a leader of sorts, and puts Anita, Ral, and Kara in their places when the need arises.

Ral is an artificial intelligence that finds religions interesting, but he does not subscribe to them. He finds the beliefs and views of most biological beings defective in one way or another, but in the end he falls in love. He even sacrifices himself to achieve an altruistic end, albeit an act that will come back to haunt the entire crew.

In a greater sense, the entire story revolves around the issue of being versus non-being, which allows us to examine the themes fundamental of all beliefs: is there life after death and what is the purpose of our existence? I will not claim to provide any definitive answers, but I believe the reader may come up with some ideas that go well beyond those stated in the texts. For example, it is implied throughout the text that adhering to strong beliefs and ideals in the face of circumstances that vitiate them is dubious. Conversely, beliefs form a large part of what we are, and when we lose them—we also lose part of ourselves.

Indeed, the title Genesis is what the story revolves around; although it certainly differs from the Biblical account in many respects. The accounts concerning God, destiny, free will, and many other issues stray from standard conceptualizations, and I hope they invite exploration on many levels.

 

Stay tuned for more on Child of Destiny. My next post will include a synopsis and short excerpt. Hope to see you back here soon!

Is that a Shadow I see???

Why yes! Yes it is! It is a Shadow on the Wall… on a bookshelf near you! Not sure what I’m talking about? See the awesome trailer below. Still need more incentive?? Read my review, where I gush uncontrollably about the awesomeness of this book here.

Happy Release Day Pavarti! You done good, kid.

10 Fictional Characters I Want to Punch in the Bits

Yeah, I said it. I want to punch them in the bits. Or the face. Or get into a knock-down, drag-out, “here, hold my earrings,” hair-pulling cat fight. Or all of the above. Thank goodness they are all fictional. Otherwise I might be in jail.

Hmm? Enema Man or Benjamin Bratt. Tough decision.

1. Florentino Ariza, Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. Some one please explain to me why it’s acceptable for a man to sleep with anything with girl bits, and still get/deserve the girl of his dreams. “I’m still a virgin, because I’ve only ever loved you.” Any woman who falls for that deserves every STD she contracts. Seriously. What makes it worse is having to read about this guy’s never-ending enema and bowel issues. Um no. There is nothing that remotely makes you attractive in the slightest. Fifty plus years of unrequited love, endless poetry and devotion. Sorry, dude. All I see when I look at you is Mr. Hanky the Christmas Poop.

Please. If you don't teach them early, they'll be wanting to read and vote... Where does it end?

2. Stanley Kowalski, A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams. It’s a well know fact that when a woman needs to be put in her place, the best thing to do is rape her or beat her. What? No? It isn’t? Then someone should really fill in Stanley. If this guys was alive today, (and sadly there are many alive that are not fictional,) he’d be in prison right now with his new romantic interest, Big T. This is one of those times I want to go into the book, kick him right in the bits as he starts yelling “Stella!” and then call the cops while I stand with my stiletto heel in his throat. Go on, picture it. Looks good, doesn’t it?

As if her office decor wasn't a big enough hint that she's the daughter of Belzebub.

3. Dolores Umbridge, The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. To quote Mike Meyers, she is ” e-vil. Like the fru-its of the dev-il. E-vil.” I had hoped that when she had been carried off by angry centaurs, she had been slow roasted in a pit like the pig she is. Sadly, she turns back up in The Deathly Hallows,and we never quite get to see this sadistic, racist, biznitch get what she deserves. I guess it’s left up to our imagination. One theory I have is that the Dementors actually puked up her soul, then Voldemort got to her. It’s not in there, but a girl can hope. My other theories are about as bad as what Voldemort might think up, so I won’t list them. My husband is scared enough of me as it is.

Her daemon should've been a Praying Mantis. They eat their mates. Pretty sure their offspring as well. This is a shot of her eyeing Lyra... at dinner. Makes sense doesn't it?

4. Mrs. Coulter, His Dark Materials Trilogy by Phillip Pullman. I’d give this Psycho Hosebeast the title of “Worse Mother Ever,” but she’s actually tied with another contender further down on the list. Seriously. In this alternate universe is it a requirement that you have to be a terrible parent if you’re British? Oh, wait, no it isn’t. Will’s parents aren’t that great either. An improvement yes, but still lacking. I was actually surprised by her Mrs. Coulter’s affection for Lyra, given that she clearly has no soul. No, really. That’s just her pet monkey, not a real daemon.

As if this guy wasn't creepy enough, the actor had to go and shave off his eyes brows. Thanks for that. No, really.

5. Wormtounge, The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien. When it comes to adjectives to describe this guy, I’m stuck between “creepy” and “sniveling.” This guy makes used car salesmen look like choir boys. He walks by, and there’s a little janitor following him setting up cones and signs saying “CAUTION: Slippery Slime Trail.” And the whole thing with Eowyn. Please. The girl isn’t going to fall for the guy who calls her and breathes heavily while peaking through her window. Just eew.

Does't this family portrait scream "Love, tolerance, and understanding?"

6. The Malfoys, The Harry Potter Series by J.K. Rowling. Okay, we all know they’re supposed to be the sous-villains for Harry. There’s just nothing redeeming about them. So then can someone please tell me why the get their chance for redemption as the series moves towards the end?? I mean, what did these people actually learn from the whole thing? Am I to believe that they aren’t the blatant bigots they were before? Yeah right. If anything, they learned that the rat that survives is the one who knows when to leave the ship. Great lesson. I vote for them dying and getting Fred back.

I'd actually wait to punch Cersei until she was pregnant so I could smack Geoffry too. Two shits, one stone... or punch.

7. Cersei Lannister, A Song of Ice and Fire Series by George R.R. Martin. Cersei ties for “Worst Mother Ever,” but also receives the award for “Worst Relative.” Someone, please correct me. Somebody out there on the internets has to know of one member of the Lannister family that benefited long-term from anything this woman has ever done. Go ahead. I’ll wait.

When the last book in the series comes out, I’ll be crossing my fingers for Blackened Queen Cersei via one of the dragons. Oh! And what does this tell you about George R.R. Martin? He has no problem killing off the good guys and the likeable people. Nope, he leaves this ho-bag alive. Bastard.

Why would you EVER trust this guy? He has "tool" written all over him.

8. Luke Castellan, The Percy Jackson Series by Rick Riordan. Here’s a little message for you Luke: we’ve all got Daddy issues. Man up and deal with them, or get some freaking therapy. It’s not like just because your Dad is a Greek god that means that modern medicine isn’t available to you. But, no. No, you decide that destroying the world will really show him. And then what, Luke? THEN WHAT?? Jackass.

"Why, is that a meteor I see fallin' to Earth?" No, Hilly. That's the flaming bag of dog poo I just launched at you from my roof.

9. Hilly Holbrook, The Help by Kathryn Stockett. Little Miss KKK was the source of many a late night rant while I was reading this book. Guess what Hilly? For that, not only do I want to punch you, so does my husband. You cost the man some valuable sleep while he listened to me talk about how you’re the worst kind of human being and how I can’t believe that you are one or two generations away from me. If there was ever a case for evolution, this chick is it. I’m a Southern girl. I, and my mother before me, crawled out of the muck you wallowed in you worthless piece of trash.

The cleavage bit was funny because this film was made during censorship. With those standards, Vivian Leigh is damned near naked here.

10. Scarlett O’Hara, Gone with the Wind by Margaret Mitchell. Scarlett? Really? But she’s one of the great female heroines, you say. Well, while you are saying that, tell me what makes this biznitch such a catch. She’s pretty. Well, yeah, but so are a lot of other people. She’s rich. Well, that comes and goes thanks to the Ol’ War of Northern Aggression. (That’s what some people in the south refer to the Civil War as.) She’s a good mother. Wait, no, scratch that. Scarlett Junior dies via horse riding accident before she starts grade school. She’s a good wife. Um, nope. She has a … great… personality? Okay, now it’s just getting silly. Listen, Princess. You know why Ashley never married you? Because you are about as shallow as you cleavage in one of those corsets.

Did I miss someone? Some character that’s hassling you need a good punch in the bits? Tell me who in the comments below. We’ll smile about it together.

Happy reading, happy writing.

Review of Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble by D. Robert Pease

When I asked for books from my Indie author friends to review on my blog, I can’t say that the request was completely altruistic. I wanted new stuff to read. I needed things to blog about, because the journal-keeping inclination was never something I possessed. Considering how much I liked this book, I’m really starting to feel guilty.

The Setup

(From Goodreads) Noah lives for piloting spaceships through time, dodging killer robots and saving Earth’s animals from extinction. Life couldn’t be better. However, the twelve-year-old time traveler soon learns it could be a whole lot worse. His mom is abducted and taken to thirty-first century Mars; his dad becomes stranded in the Ice Age; and Noah is attacked at every turn by a foe bent on destroying a newly habitable, post-apocalyptic Earth.

Traveling through time in the family’s immense spaceship, Noah, a paraplegic from birth, must somehow care for the thousands of animals on board, while finding a way to rescue his parents. Along the way, he discovers his mother and father aren’t who he thought they were, and there is strength inside him he didn’t know he had.

Why You’ll Like It:

You are a Percy Jackson fan. I love me some Percy Jackson. Actually, I like just about any YA that Rick Riordan writes. While Mammoth Trouble isn’t the exact same thing, it has a similar feel. There is something about these guys (Pease and Riordan) that makes them really get the adolescent guy. Well, at least, I think so. I never was one, so I can’t say for sure. But this is how I’ve always imagined them to be.

You like a bit of history added to your books. The Hubs doesn’t, I do. It must have something to do with my minor in college (history). I find the blending of historical fact with fiction in a way that makes it interesting rather than tedious a great thing for any YA book to have. In Mammoth Trouble, much of what you read is in the future, but there are still peeks at the world that was here and there. I hope to see more in the sequels.

You like new interpretations of classic stories. I’m a sucker for these too. Total Once Upon a Time addict on ABC. For me, the reinterpretation of something I know to be “old hat” makes it new all over again for me. Is Noah from Mammoth Trouble told to build a ship by God before the oncoming flood? Of course not. That would be pretty hard to reinvent, wouldn’t it? But you can’t have a series titled Noah Zarc without some similarities either.

You’re a Sci-fi fan. Who doesn’t love some good imaginary tech? The gadgets in this book are amazingly well thought out. What’s even better (maybe because of the YA genre,) is that everything is explained to you in a way that makes sense. It’s not dumbed down, but it’s not described like Hamilton would explain it either. Read the book. You’ll get the Hamilton thing later.

You need books to have a sequel. Nothing drives me more crazy than just one book. If I love your characters, I don’t want a one night stand so to speak. While some books have the probability of a sequel, I’m always disappointed when I feel like I can see the overlapping story arc and it’s not as big as I would have hoped. It’s like knowing the day your milk is going to expire, only exponentially worse. Thankfully, Mr. Pease has left this series open for quite a few more sequels, which makes this reader happy.

Why you may not like it:

YA isn’t your thing. Hey, I understand. I live with that guy. I had to beat him over the head with Order of the Phoenix just to get him to read Harry Potter for cripes sake. And that’s a big book. Look, if you need serious drama cover to cover in all your books, I can’t make you want to read this. This book is for those of us who feel they have enough drama in their lives. This is an escape, where we’re invested in the outcome of the story, without needing to stress ourselves. These are my feelings on not only Mammoth Trouble, but all YA. It’s also why YA is one of my favorite genres.

Time travel makes your brain cramp up. I can get this one. If I go back in time and thump myself in the head, why haven’t I felt it yet? This cyclical argument about time has been addressed in things like 2001: A Space Odyssey to Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure. The truth is, since no one has figured it out yet, one answer has as much validity as another. Thankfully, while there are a few spots in Mammoth Trouble where you have to stop and think a few things out, completely grasping the spacetime continuum isn’t required.

Here’s looking forward to the next installment of Noah Zarc. You can click here for purchasing information on Noah Zarc: Mammoth Trouble. You can also find D. Robert Pease’s Goodreads page here.

As a side note, Mr. Pease: while the title is very clever, I cannot tell you how many times I’ve had to backspace and retype it because of how it sounds in my head.

I shake my fist at you sir.

Now get writing.

Until next time, happy reading, happy writing!

7 Authors Who Should Only Publish in E-Formats

Some of these authors you may know; some of them are from our bookshelf at home; some are known by reputation. Regardless, here’s my point: for the love of your joints, please only buy these books in e-format. Otherwise your state may require you to get a license for a concealed weapon.

R.A. Salvatore

Now, on their own, Salvatore’s book aren’t that lengthy. We’re talking 352 pages in Siege of Darkness. The real problem is the prolific body of work the man has put out. He’s a machine. You can either buy his over 50 published fantasy books individually, or in the interest of cost and bookshelf space, buy the compilations. There’s at least 6 that I know of currently. Oh, did I mention saving space on your bookshelf? As it happens, the compilations are a double-edged sword. I’m looking at Legacy of the Drow right now. It contains four books, including Siege of Darkness. One is easier to keep up with than four right? Oh, no wait! This book has 1077 pages. Doing a rough count, there are 533,115 words in this book. And there are five more just in this universe. I think I just caught arthritis.

4 of the offending books, with my dog for scale. Yeah, I know. She's fat. So are those books.

David and Leigh Eddings

This cute little couple didn’t start out writing giant novels. Much like R.A. Salvatore, they wrote a bunch of regular sized novels all in the same world. Then after they finished those two series containing five books each, the wrote two heifer sized companions. Let me break it down for you. One book, just one book as an “add-on” to their big series has approximately 318,285 words (Polgara the Sorceress). A good day for me is writing 2,000 words. In other words it would take me 5 months and change, writing every day, consistently hitting my word goal, straight. Forget editing, this is just getting it out. Ow.

David Eddings. "Oh, you thought that was all? I'm sorry, that's only the first installment. Heh heh heh."

J.K Rowling

Are you noticing a trend here? These authors start out small, then go batshit insane. The Sorcer’s Stone 76,944 words. The Deathly Hallows 198,227. That’s more than double the size. Did I love every word of it? Absolutely. Did I have to wear wrist braces from holding up the hardcover edition for my all night read through? Um, yeah.

Hey Jo, guess what? We're going to buy it no matter how long it is. I bet if you broke it up into 2 or 3 you could make a ton of... oh. Right.

George R. R. Martin

As far as authors go, I’m convinced this guy’s a sadist. Not only does he kill of characters willy nilly, regardless of their prominence in each book, he makes them long as hell. And then, to add insult to injury, he takes seven damn years to write one. Seven years! Between books four and five! Arrgh! If I didn’t want to read it so bad, I’d just pummel myself with it a few times and end it.

You bastard.

Victor Hugo

Before Les Misérables was made into a Tony winning play, it was actually a book. No, not a book by Cameron Macintosh, and actual author named Victor Hugo wrote it. And wrote it. And wrote it. For seventeen years. After that, 513,000 words doesn’t seems as impressive, does it? Well, forget how long it took, it incited serious social change in 19th century France. Have some flipping respect.

It took him 17 years to write and what did we do? Make it into a musical. No wonder the French hate us.

Leo Tolstoy

This guy is what your high school English teacher threatened you with. “Look, it’s not like I’m asking you to read War and Peace, now am I?” Back then it was just something adults said to try to guilt you into doing your assigned reading. Little did you know! War and Peace is actually 560,000 words. Finishing this book gets you an honorary degree from some universities. From the Google machine, I’ve found out that you can probably read 200-250 words per minute, if you’re a fast (not speed) reader. That means it would take you forty-six hours to finish this book, as long as you kept up that speed. Doesn’t sound so hard? Go here to see how many WPM you read. I hit 200, and I burn through books.

He stopped shaving when he started his first read through. This is from the moment he finished.

Ayn Rand

Okay. Here’s what I understand: you want to write a piece of fiction that makes a political statement. You want to introduce your philosophy to the world. Fine. All I’m saying is that if it takes you 645,000 words to do it, maybe you should think about paraphrasing. This woman is the poster child for learning how to write a mission statement. I know it’s popular. I know it’s considered a great work of literature. But damn. 645,000 words? No wonder she became depressed after finishing. How would you ever have anything left to say?

This is the exact face I made when I read the word count to Atlas Shrugged.

Look, I’m not saying there is anything wrong with any of these books, or the authors. Just, for the sake of the rainforest and your future medical bills, buy the eBook.

Happy reading, happy writing.

Review of The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin

So I’m going to be honest. I wanted to read this book because of the author. Andy Gavin created Naughty Dog, which is an AWESOME video game developer. At fifteen. So clearly this guy has some creative talent. I was intrigued to see if this carried over to the written word from the land of 1′s and 0′s. It did, very nicely I might add. So here we go about The Darkening Dream:

The Setup

(From Goodreads) 1913, Salem, Massachusetts – Sarah Engelmann’s life is full of friends, books, and avoiding the pressure to choose a husband, until an ominous vision and the haunting call of an otherworldly trumpet shake her. When she stumbles across a gruesome corpse, she fears that her vision was more of a premonition. And when she sees the murdered boy moving through the crowd at an amusement park, Sarah is thrust into a dark battle she does not understand.
With the help of Alex, an attractive Greek immigrant who knows a startling amount about the undead, Sarah sets out to uncover the truth. Their quest takes them to the factory mills of Salem, on a midnight boat ride to spy on an eerie coastal lair, and back, unexpectedly, to their own homes. What can Alex’s elderly, vampire-hunting grandfather and Sarah’s own rabbi father tell them? And what do Sarah’s continuing visions reveal?
No less than Gabriel’s Trumpet, the tool that will announce the End of Days, is at stake, and the forces that have banded to recover it include a 900 year-old vampire, a trio of disgruntled Egyptian gods, and a demon-loving Puritan minister. At the center of this swirling cast is Sarah, who must fight a millennia-old battle against unspeakable forces, knowing the ultimate prize might be herself.

Why You’ll Like it:

You liked Bram Stoker’s Dracula. I did, and I liked this book too. The dare I say, improvement on the original vampire novel was more action, more twists and turns. I’m sure some of this has to do the time period. Some of the stuff you’ll read in Darkening isn’t up to Victorian standards of etiquette, which I consider a good thing. Also, it’s nice to read a book with the same kind of feel through a third person POV. Dracula’s letters wore on me after a while.

You don’t like your vampires sparkly. Or nice. Or the tortured romantic interest. If you’re looking for another Edward, Angel, or even Eric, he’s not here. What you will find is monsters. Good, old-fashioned, eat you and leave your corpse for the local children to find monsters. This is a horror novel, with vampires. You could get your boyfriend to read it without rolling his eyes.

You’re into Steampunk. Even if the genre is new to you, this book makes it easy. There are some trademark characteristics of Steampunk  here without getting so left field you’re lost. There’s turn of the century ideals and setting, along with some really well crafted paranormal elements.

You’re into Horror novels. This goes back to the “no sparkly vampires” point I made earlier. It also extends past that. The aren’t just vampires. There are demons, warlocks, giant critters, and bug people akin to that thing Keanu Reeves killed on the street in Constantine. As much as I liked this book, it was not something I read right before bed.

You’re tired of competitive romance. I didn’t used to see this very often, but I’m starting to with the Indie authors I’ve been reading lately. I like a good love triangle as much as the next girl. Hell, I even used one in my book, and didn’t do what Andy Gavin and a few others did. In Darkening the two characters going after the same love interest don’t hate each other. They may not always agree, and there’s always going to be a little competition, but I cannot tell you how refreshing it is not to read about a pissing contest or a cat fight. It makes you really like all the characters, not just the winner or the loser of love. Now I have to fix mine.

You are leery of religion in fiction. This might sound like a reason you wouldn’t like it, but it’s not. Probably my absolute favorite thing about this book is the equality given to the “big three” religions. There are bad guys from the different faiths, but what’s made clear is that the individual is not a good person. It has nothing to do with who they worship. If anything, it’s tells you who the bad guys are going to have to face in the end.

Why You May Not Like It:

This is not YA. Yes, the main characters are all in their teens. But that’s about all the similarity you’re going to find. They have all the usual teenage feelings and lust, (and some not so usual,) but Gavin goes into a level of detail that a reader expecting angst and romance is not going to find. This is a dark book for adults. You must be an adult to read this and appreciate it, i.e. not snicker at the sexual aspects. That being said, I also want to mention this is not Laurell K. Hamilton over sexed either. I think it’s just enough.

You don’t do gore. If you can’t watch an action movie for the blood, or don’t like being scared by horror films, this isn’t your book. You want “horror-lite” stick to the YA section with Stephanie Meyer and P.C. Cast. (I’ve enjoyed both of those authors, so there’s no shame in it. Just trying to warn you.)

So there you have it, my thoughts on The Darkening Dream by Andy Gavin. Click here to go to Andy’s Goodreads page. Click here to go to the official Darkening Dream webpage for giveaways, purchasing info, and all sorts of fun and scary stuff.

Until next time, happy reading, happy writing.