The Daylight War by Peter V. Brett (REVIEW)

An improvement on the first two instalments in almost every way, The Daylight War sees Peter V. Brett successfully pull all the elements together and really hit his stride. Don't get me wrong, The Warded Man and The Desert Spear were both solid reads, but the technique was a bit rough around the edges, especially in the transition between the two, where it almost seemed if the story had gotten away from him.



Much as he did with the second instalment, Brett casts us back in time to open up the novel, introducing us to the back story of Inevera. It's a truly fascinating tale, perhaps more so than her husband's, which truly serves to flesh out her character and better definer her edges. Rather than transform her from villain to hero, as the opening of The Desert Spear did for Jaridr, it lays the ground for a more sympathetic understanding of her motives, and establishes her as a much more cunning and dangerous foe. Most interesting of all, we get to see the 'truth' behind her die casting, the unvarnished facts as she reads them, not as she interprets them for others.



In terms of technique, Brett does a far better job of weaving in her history while keeping the story moving forward, although I suspect that may be a deliberate move on Brett's part. It's only in seeing how he treats Inevera's story that we truly recognize how Jardir, like Arlen, had so much uninterrupted space to dedicated to his back story. That dedication, especially when contrasted to Inevera's more traditional telling, puts the two on an even footing, so to speak, further clouding the question as to which (if either) is the Deliverer.



In terms of the other characters, Renna proves that her heroics in the closing chapters of the second book were not just an anomaly, while also developing her relationship with Arlen in some rather intriguing ways. There's a desperate sort of happiness there that is entirely unexpected, humanizing Arlen even as he demonstrates just how close he's come to the Core. I wasn't sure about her role after the last book, and I still have a nagging fear that there's either a fall or a betrayal in her future, but Brett succeeds in making her a partner worthy of The Warded Man himself. More importantly, he doesn't allow questions of love and duty to blind Arlen to the truth, resulting in some surprising (but welcome) revelations late in the story.



Already a favourite of mine, Rojer really outdoes himself in this volume, earning himself a place at the forefront of the battle. He grows and matures as the mantle of responsibility settles a little more comfortably upon his shoulders; he makes an awkward, politically arranged, suspicion-laden marriage not only work, but become a high point of the story; and he even comes to terms with his past, as he's forced to publicly confront Arrick's misdeads . . . and lingering legacy. He's not the flashy, attention-demanding hero that Arlen is, but neither is he the meek, content to linger in the shadows, sidekick that he seemed set up to be in the first two volumes.



If there were to be a weak spot for me in the characterization, though, it would definitely be with Leesha. The drama, the romantic entanglements, and the teenager-like angst were just too much for me. The power and the strength that she showed in the first two volumes really seemed to be leached away here, as she began feeling sorry for herself and almost insisting that she be defined by the men in her life. It's a shame, because she clearly has a significant role to play in future instalments, but perhaps Brett is taking her down a few notches to that he can make her resolution more powerful.



The story progression follows a weird arc once again, with some early developments, a lot of waiting, and a premature climax. Fortunately, there's a lot of story between developments, with the evolution of the Hollow, the new application of wards, and the rather stunning theft (and subsequent enhancement) of tactics by the demons more than enough to keep things compelling. It's an even darker tale than the first two volumes, with stakes both grim and dire, yet there's a sense of hope that's entirely refreshing. Once again, though, there's an oddly impatient transition to the true climax of the story, with an abbreviated major confrontation, and a cliffhanger ending that is as brilliant as it is excruciatingly painful.



Compelling, exciting, and thoroughly entertaining, The Daylight War is certain to please fans of the first two books. Even if it doesn't quite tell the story I expected, and denies us the fight we most desire until the very end, it's still a beautiful piece of storytelling.







Published February 12th 2013 by Del Ray

Hardcover, 639 pages

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Secondhand Sunday with Peter (Stoney) Emshwiller

Even in a world driven by reader trends, and fuelled by the instant availability of e-books, there is still nothing that can quite compare to wandering the dusty shelves of a secondhand bookstore and discovering a hidden gem, wedged deep within a stack of well-read paperbacks. With that in mind, welcome to Secondhand Sundays, a new feature that celebrates the old-fashioned joy of hunting down those tattered-and-torn titles we've heard of, but never seen; and of discovering bent-and-broken books we never knew we wanted, but suddenly knew we had to have.



As I'm able to reconnect with those authors who continue to stock my shelves, I'd like to use this opportunity to celebrate those books that first kindled my love of books, and those experiences that remind me of why that love has never faded.

Dusting off the shelves this weekend is Peter “Stoney” Emshwiller, an award-winning artist, novelist, actor, and filmmaker who has touched many of the genres and mediums that define pop-culture.

Q: Thanks for taking the time to stop by today, Peter. During the early 90s, you published a pair of science fiction novels centered around the character of Watly Caiper and the idea of body-swapping. How did that story first come about?



A: Thanks for having me! And thanks for caring about these ancient, dusty tomes!

As for the origins of “The Host” and it’s sequel “Short Blade,” the premise actually came to me pretty quickly. I lived in Manhattan throughout the eighties and was often taken with how, unlike in some other cities, the rich and the poor regularly “rubbed elbows” with each other (on subways, buses, sidewalks, movie theatres, etc). Of course, at the end of the day, these “castes” parted way as the rich zipped up to their penthouses and the poor shuffled home to their dank tenements.



One day I was staring off down a New York street, sipping a beer at a sidewalk tavern, when I had one of those “What If” moments science fiction writers sometimes talk about. I started sketching the avenue before me on my napkin but then slowly, deliberately added a second street level five stories above the first. My “What If” was: “What if there was a LITERAL division between the classes? What if, in the future, a second street level of Manhattan was constructed high above the first for the rich and powerful, trapping the poor down on the lower, original streets?”



The idea intrigued me. Not just as a possible book, but visually. The image was compelling. In my head it was almost like a movie I wanted to see. (I tend to be way more visual than verbal. I know – why the heck am I a writer then??)



And like many fun and/or wacky thoughts, this split-level Manhattan spawned other ideas. As I continued to ponder this concept, I began to wonder what those bored, pampered, isolated rich people in the clean, opulent, sun-dappled land up above might do for recreation? For kicks? In their privileged, safe, dull world, how would they have a thrilling vacation? That’s when the idea of “Hosting” came to me. So the next “What If” was: “What if the rich could project themselves, temporarily, down below into the body of an unfortunate, well-paid volunteer – AKA a ‘Host’?”



And then the last “What If” hit me, the one that got me finally pulling out a pen and a yellow legal pad and starting to write. “What if, while one of the idle rich above was controlling one of those bodies below, they somehow removed all the safety-measures and identification devices and used this poor Host to commit a horrible assassination? Would it be the perfect murder?”



Q: The Host and Short Blade offer a significant level of world-building, social commentary, and gender exploration. What was the original ‘hook’ for you in coming up with the concept, and how did the rest of the elements come to shape themselves around that.

A: Growing up, my siblings Eve and Susan were (and are) two strong, talented, creative women (they’re now a scientist and a screenwriter, respectively), while my mom, Carol Emshwiller, has often been referred to as a “feminist” sf writer, and my pop, the late Ed Emshwiller, was a visual artist who regularly explored sexuality and relationships in his paintings, videos, experimental films, and groundbreaking computer graphics. So I suppose that, growing up in this funky, artsy-fartsy (and rather female-centric) household, exploring politics and gender stuff came completely natural for me. In fact, things about gender constraints, relationships, sex, sexism, sexuality, rigid societal roles, male/female stereotypes, and gender inequality have always been fascinating to me. I remember as a teenager eagerly reading “Everything You Wanted to Know about Sex” under my covers by flashlight, as well as regularly stealing my mom’s old Ms magazines and my dad’s old Playboys. I guess I covered my bases.



So in my writing I enjoy playing with gender bias and sexual preconceptions. For example, the lead character in my first novel is male, but wants desperately to be a “mother,” which in my version of the future isn’t a gender-specific title. It only means “primary caregiver.” And in this made-up world of mine, “fathering” a child can refer to either gender as well -- it means being party to biologically creating the kid but having nothing to do with raising it.



In these books I also toy a lot with sexual behaviours and customs that, in our current culture, would be considered completely unacceptable. But, for the most part, it seems to me that many of these behaviours are, when you really think about it, taboo for no particular, logical reasons.



I created a dystopian (yet kinda semi-utopian?) society which is mostly much more free and open gender-wise and sexuality-wise than ours, yet much more repressive and fascist when it comes to class, race, and politics.



And speaking of politics, there’s no question that my own left-of-center views come through throughout these two novels. I didn’t necessarily do it on purpose (I honestly just wanted to tell an exciting adventure story) but I suppose I couldn’t help it. In fact someone recently shocked me by announcing that my second book, Short Blade, felt like a primer for today’s “occupy” movement. Hmmm.



Q: In terms of reader reactions, what is the strangest or most surprising reaction to those novels that you can remember?



A: As a straight white male, I was particularly delighted to see my books regularly listed among pro LGBT and pro minority works, and to hear people say repeatedly that my novels provide positive, strong role models for those communities. How awesome is that?



Another nifty (yet weird) thing: years after these books were published, I was informed by three completely different, random sources – two different NYC doormen and a cop – that The Host somehow became a popular “pass around” book among Manhattan’s homeless population. Very flattering I suppose, yet also poignant. The idea of people living on the street reading and sharing my novel was both wonderful and very, very sad to me.



On the other hand, I was absolutely shocked and dismayed when one early reviewer insisted my books had “Objectivist” (Ayn Rand-ian) overtones (apparently simply because I had one character speak about how certain kinds of “selfishness” can be positive – like when you give a gift to someone not just to be nice, but also because it makes YOU feel good inside to do it.)



Yikes. Personally I’d rather not be associated with any of Rand’s views, thank you very much.



Q: At the time, you were coming off a successful stint as Managing Editor of Rod Serling’s Twilight Zone Magazine. How much did your years managing short fiction there have to do with you making the move to a novel-length story arc.



A: I can honestly say that, though I’d been trying to write fiction for as long as I can remember (short stories, screenplays, teleplays, and an early, aborted novel attempt), I didn't really, truly learn how to write until two things happened…



One was spending all those years as an editor at TZ. (I was distinctly under-qualified for the job at the start, and am very grateful I had the opportunity. From carefully sifting through my fellow wannabees work in the “slush pile,” to proofreading and copyediting stories by the masters, to trying my hand at writing nonfiction articles, it taught me sooooo much.)



The second pivotal thing was: actually WRITING that first novel from beginning to end. Nothing teaches you more about writing a novel than actually completing a novel. Best training ever. Anyone out there who wants advice about learning how to write a novel? Here’s my advice: Write a novel. I’m just super lucky I actually sold what was really a learning process. In the end I was fortunate enough to get paid for my education. “On the job training” at its best.



Q: The Twilight Zone, for many readers, represents an early milestone in the speculative fiction genre. How did it feel to be a part of that legacy?



A: It was HUGE for me when I snagged the job as Managing Editor of The Twilight Zone magazine. I grew up glued to reruns of the original show on late night TV (and later became a fan of the magazine, as well), and the thought of being even remotely connected to all that brilliance was a really big deal for me. So being even a teensy part of this great legacy was a terrific honour I didn’t take lightly. Not for a minute. Frankly, from the start I felt WAY out of my league.

I still suspect they only hired me because I underbid everyone else vying for the position. In my job interview, TZ’s editor-in-chief, Tappan King, asked me what the absolute lowest salary I could possibly take and still survive. No joke. He liked me and we seemed to click so he wanted to hire me, but I was unproven and he had to sell me to the muckety-mucks who held the purse strings.

Well, back then I was living around the corner from CBGB’s in the crack-ridden East Village – a pretty dicey neighbourhood in those days. Great for punk rock music, but not so great if your grandma wanted to visit for tea. And my one-room apartment was incredibly cheap and incredibly tiny. (As the old joke goes: It was so small that when I put the key in the front door I broke the back window.) So my expenses were so damned low ($150 a month for rent) that I offered to do the Managing Editor job for, brace yourselves, $12,000 a year. Yup. Even in the mid eighties that was crazy low.



So they hired me.

I’m very glad they did. Not just because of my love of The Twilight Zone (and of all Serling’s work) and the opportunities and training and connections and life-long friendships it afforded me… and not just because my salary (thank God!) eventually grew… but also because, during my tenure there, I myself eventually interviewed and hired an incredibly talented associate editor who was, unlike me, OVER-qualified for the gig. She was very smart. Very well educated. Very sharp. Very experienced. And also super hot. SUPER hot. Hawt!! DAMN!!

I married her. We’ve now been married going on 22 years now.



A marriage made in the Twilight Zone.



Q: Is there a story from Twilight Zone Magazine that stands out in your mind, or a contributor you are particularly proud (or pleased) to have had the opportunity to work with?



A: Wow, that’s a very hard one. There were so many amazing writers we published over the years that I was almost always star struck. From “celebrities” like Steven King and Dean Koontz to “literary masters” like John Updike and Joyce Carol Oates, it was a great honour to play even a small part in bringing their words to print. (Not to mention all the many brilliant lesser-known writers -- as well as those who got their very first start in our pages and then went on to have terrific careers in the biz.)



I also remember the flip side of being star struck: when I was intimidated and scared by the greats. Hearing commands from my editor-in-chief like, “Hey – go give Harlan Ellison a call and find out why the heck he hasn’t signed our contract yet,” would always bring a pit-bull-sized lump into my throat.



Q: Following your time on Twilight Zone Magazine, you shifted shelves and slipped behind the cellophane wrap, taking on Managing Editor duties at Gallery and Fox. How did that transition come about?



A: Yeah, weird times. In the end rumour had it that Twilight Zone Magazine was never actually a money maker for the company, which raked in its real cash off “men’s magazines.” Word was that TZ was only kept up-and-running because it gave them “legitimacy” and was a nice tax write off, but I don’t know if that’s true or not. But the bottom line is, one day they had their fill of us and pulled the plug on Twilight Zone Magazine. They fired every single one on the staff except me, who they instead offered a job working as managing editor on their “gentlemen’s sophisticates” (aka, um, “stroke rags”). Not sure why I was the one they singled out to stay. It may have been largely due to the creepy “70s porn star” moustache I sported in those days.



Since I didn't have another job waiting, I decided to stay and give it a shot. Plus, being a straight male, my inner 13-year-old was super curious about working in porn. Would the offices be full of naked women? Could I sit in on the photo shoots? Would I be paid in sexual favours? Sadly: No, no, and no.



Q: While some readers tend to look down on that genre of magazine, there’s a natural connection there to your time with Twilight Zone Magazine, with Stephen King just one of the authors to appear in Gallery more than once. Are there any stories from your years there that stick with you?



A: Yeah, we actually published a lot of great fiction as well as non-fiction and investigative journalism. But there’s no denying the main focus was on displaying (exploiting?) naked women. I’m not ashamed to have worked in that field for a time, but to be honest my heart wasn’t in it so those years are pretty much a blur. None of the work I did there really stuck in my head. I do remember that our two publishers, who were the sons of the owner, were named Brian and Russell. This eventually led me to refer to them both affectionately as Brussel, which then eventually led me to refer to them both not-so-affectionately as the Sprout Brothers, which then eventually led to me to getting my ass fired. (In fairness, I’m pretty sure the fact I spent more time at my desk working on my second novel than on doing my actual job as a pornographer may have been a factor as well.)



Q: Given that both magazines are known more for their picture spreads than their stories, I have to ask, was there a sustained ‘fun’ element there, or was it just business?



A: Truth is I didn’t take the porn business very seriously (unlike most others working there) so my days working for the “gentleman’s sophisticates” were strange indeed. The environment was actually very corporate, non-sexual, and strangely cold and prudish, and no one but me seemed to realize how weird that was.

At one point I took one of the tiny ads we ran in the back of one of our magazines and enlarged it on the company copy machine. It was, of course, censored with a black bar (as everything explicit was back in those days), but it obviously showed a very limber, very well-endowed fellow happily… um… “tooting his own horn,” if you catch my drift. Underneath the image in this ad (which we ran every single darned month, mind you) were the proud words “****ing my own ****!”



So, for those instances when I didn’t want to be bothered in my office, I scotch-taped an enlarged copy of this ad, with the added words “Please do not disturb” above it, on my door. “Please do not disturb: ****ing my own ****.”



The powers-that-be were not amused.



At another point I got into a heated argument with the publishers about our monthly “Girl Next Door” photo spread feature. I honestly, genuinely wanted to know why we couldn’t just call her a “Woman Next Door” so that at least we acknowledged she was an adult. Calling a naked woman in a sex magazine a “girl” was kinda creepy, no?



Again, they were not amused.



Q: Getting back to the novels, The Host has been optioned for film several times. Do you foresee a day when a film might see the light of day?



A: I sure hope so. I think it’d make an awesome movie in the right hands. I’ve been super lucky in that, over the years, the book has been optioned by a veritable “Who’s Who” of Hollywood powerhouse producers, studios, and directors, but so far nothing’s ever come of it in the end.



There’s some very exciting movement recently in that department though, but unfortunately I’m not allowed to talk about it at the moment. I’ll keep you posted as soon as I’m free to do so.



Q: Any personal preferences in terms of casting or direction, or would you just be relieved to finally see your work on screen?



A: After all these years, I’d mostly just be relieved, as you put it. But that’s not to say that I wouldn't squeeeeee with joy if Abrams, Spielberg, or Nolan signed on to direct, with Will Smith, Ryan Gosling, or Jamie Foxx starring, and Michael Giacchino doing the score. But I can’t be picky at this point.



A fascinating part of the film-option process is that, over the years as things went in and out of development, I got to read a whole buncha scripts based on The Host. Quite an interesting experience. It’s very weird to see someone else’s take on your own work. Some of them were both good AND scrupulously faithful to my original story, while others were completely different and yet were not only good but, to be honest, in certain ways BETTER than my book, and still others seemed to have nothing at all to do with my novel and felt a bit more like really bad, feature-length episodes of Mannix.



Q: I know you’ve had significant involvement with Hollywood on the artistic side, working in set dressing, art direction, and special effects. In that respect, how much involvement would you want to have with a movie version of The Host?



A: Excellent question. I’d certainly love to be in the loop and have some input in those areas, but I know just enough to realize that there are many, many folks out there who are WAY more talented and skilled in those departments than I am. (As an example, during one option period a few years back, an artist was hired by the Bruckheimer team to draw some preliminary concept drawings of this world I had originally created. Wow. They were amazing, and, frankly, way cooler and more detailed than anything I had originally imagined in my head. A humbling moment.)

Even before I worked in the art departments of films and TV shows, I enjoyed dabbling in the visual arts. In fact, there was a time during my Twilight Zone days when I tried to channel my dad and had myself a blast doing painting and illustrating for various magazines -- including TZ itself (I’ve included some examples of these here) but I never did it for a living.



But, I digress. Back to your question about how I’d like to be involved in a Host film? Truth is, in the years since the books were published I’ve mostly been making my living as an actor. (Writing, art, and acting have all been passions since I was a kid.) So, honestly, the biggest thrill would be if I could arrange to have even a teensy-weenie part in a movie based on my book. Come on -- how cool would that be?!



“Did you notice that funny-looking weird old dude hamming his three lines up in that scene in the sex club? That was the author!”



Q: With so many works from that era being rediscovered digitally, are there any plans in the works to bring back the novels in e-book format, and introduce them to a new generation?



A: Funny you should ask! Both these books were just recently digitized and I’m currently knee-deep in the tedious process of proofreading and formatting the very-buggy scans. Hopefully they’ll be available as e-books within the year. I’m quite curious how that will work out. E-publishing is a whole new world for me. It’s very, um, science fictiony, if you will.



Q: It’s been twenty years since Short Blade saw print. Is there another novel inside you somewhere, another long-form story waiting to be told?



A: 20 years? Really? No way! Jeeze! (DAMN, I’m getting’ old.)

Well, writing-wise, I’ve spent the last few years focussed mostly on collaborating on film and TV scripts and then pitching them endlessly to various Los Angeles producers and studios. The pitching process in Hollywood is as strange, entertaining, frustrating, and bizarre as you might imagine.



(Ah, the stories I could tell…. But that‘s for another interview.)



Novel-wise, I recently wrote my very first non-science-fiction book. It’s a smutty, quirky, romantic, deeply-offensive comedic novel called “Privilege and the Hummer Girl.” (Yes, as the title might suggest, I continue to be obsessed with sex, gender, politics, and class.) I’m still shopping for an agent and publisher for this “non genre” piece. Let me know if you have any leads. ;-)



Q: Before we let you go, what’s next for Peter Emshwiller? Is there a project on the horizon that has you excited?

A: Lately my life has mostly been about voiceover acting (doing silly voices for cartoons and video games and such under the name Stoney Emshwiller) and performing live improv comedy. (Hey, it beats working for a living, don’t it??)



Aside from that stuff (and the wacky, perhaps-unpublishable comedic novel I mentioned earlier), I’ve recently been toying with a couple of fresh ideas for science fiction books. Plus, a part of me STILL wants to write that third novel, since The Host and Short Blade were always intended as part of a trilogy. Maybe if the e-books of the first two do particularly well….



Stay tuned! And thanks!



Oh, and if anyone out there wants to Facebook friend me:



https://www.facebook.com/stoney.emshwiller



or check out my ancient website (Dang, I really gotta update that ol’ thing):



http://stoneyland.net/



or my overly-flattering Wikipedia page:



http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Emshwiller



or my IMDB page:



http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0256681/?ref_=fn_al_nm_1



please feel free. Put together, they all make me look WAY more successful and cool than I actually am.



Thanks again for joining us, Peter!



It’s been a pleasure! Thanks for inviting me!

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Feature and Follow Friday

Feature & Follow Friday is a blog hop that is designed to provide some much-appreciated exposure to the bloggers participating, and to expand their following. Hosted by Parajunkee and Alison Can Read, each of whom feature a chosen blog for the week, it's an interesting way to get to know one another.

Question of the Week: Happy Mardi Gras! If they were throwing the HOTTEST books off of a Mardi Gras float -- what would you do to have them throw to you…?

The book I'd most like to see come flying off that float is Guy Gavriel Kay's River of Stars . . . and, if I was really lucky, a few copies of Stephen King's Doctor Sleep might come winging their way alongside it. Of course, since they're both likely to be thick, heavy hardcovers, I'd probably make a complete fool of myself and then hide behind the drunks who are already numb to the pain, and unlikely to have the coordination to make a catch!

Parajunkee also hosts a Social Hop for Facebook and Twitter, which I regularly take part in. So, if you're one of those people who aren't on Blogger, or who just don't like Google Friend Connect, it's a great way to keep in touch and follow one another.

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Help Support Beyond Words: A Year of Daydreams (Fantasy Author Calendar)

Lauren Zurchin, professional photographer and managing editor for lytherus.com (sci-fi / fantasy blog) has announced an exciting, and admittedly ambitious, project. Beyond Words: A Year of Daydreams is a calendar that will feature photographs of fourteen fantasy authors, all in custom, hand-crafted, fantasy-inspired costumes. We're talking the likes of Brandon Sanderson, Brandon Mull, Christopher Paolini, Gregory Maguire, Tad Williams, Patrick Rothfuss, Cassandra Clare, Holly Black, Lauren Kate, Lauren Oliver, Maggie Stiefvater, Gail Carriger, Tessa Gratton, and Brenna Yovanoff.



In order to cover the bare-minimum cost of costumes, props, travel, photography, and production, she has launched a Kickstart project. She's already about 65% of the way there, but you've still got 20+ days to take part, pledge your support, and claim your limited edition prints, signed calendar photos & wall posters, some really cool personalized packs, signed calendars, and even some Skype chats with some of the participating authors.



As if the project itself and the rewards weren't enough, there's also a significant charity element. Proceeds from the calendar will be going to support First Book, which provides access to new books for children in need, and Worldbuilders, the charity founded by Patrick Rothfuss to promote education, sustainable agriculture, and local industry all over the world.

The photo above is just one sample of the kind of photos Lauren is looking to weave into the calendar. Check out her Kickstarter page for some more samples, and then pop over to her website for more details on the charitable element.

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Waiting On Wednesday - London Falling by Paul Cornell

"Waiting On" Wednesday is a weekly event, hosted by Jill over at Breaking the Spine, that spotlights upcoming releases that we're eagerly anticipating.



This week's pre-publication "can't-wait-to-read" selection is:



London Falling by Paul Cornell

April 16, 2013



Police officers Quill, Costain, Sefton, and Ross know the worst of London—or they think they do. While investigating a mobster's mysterious death, they come into contact with a strange artifact and accidentally develop the Sight. Suddenly they can see the true evil haunting London’s streets.



Armed with police instincts and procedures, the four officers take on the otherworldly creatures secretly prowling London. Football lore and the tragic history of a Tudor queen become entwined in their pursuit of an age-old witch with a penchant for child sacrifice. But when London’s monsters become aware of their meddling, the officers must decide what they are willing to sacrifice to clean up their city.





What can I say, this one just sounds oddly compelling . . .

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The Challenge of Co-Writing a Novel by Martin Bolton (GUEST POST)

First of all I would like to thank Bob Milne for reviewing my first fantasy novel, The Best Weapon, and then for having me as a guest on his blog.



I have always loved reading fantasy fiction. Authors like Joe Abercrombie and Scott Lynch build such vivid and fascinating worlds. Robert E Howard inspired me to create heroes. Bernard Cornwell made me want to bring characters to life and tell a really good story. The mixture of vibrant cities and towns, outlandish characters and gritty realism painted such pictures in my mind. I think it is that picture-painting that I try to achieve in my own writing. I suppose it is escapism – a chance to forget about reality for a while and explore another world.



I hadn't considered writing a full-length novel of my own until I met my co-writer, David Pilling at the Tate Library and Archive, where we both worked. I had been writing short pieces of nonsense for the amusement of my friends and David encouraged me to turn it into a blog. So I created Kerrier District News, a spoof news website set in Cornwall (where I was born). David had been writing short fantasy stories for some time and we eventually decided to write a novel together.



We had no idea how to co-write a book, so we sat down with some scrap paper and a few decent ales and hammered out a plot involving two main protagonists. The idea was that we could write one each. The two characters, we decided, would be born on opposite sides of a world and inexorably drawn to one another for reasons we had yet to come up with. Once we had agreed on this basic premise, we drank more ale and ranted at each other until we managed to form a coherent plot. We came up with the idea of the Lords of Hell, the Celestial Sphere and the physical world (the World Apparent). So the scene was set. I came up with Naiyar, a member of a savage jungle tribe in the south. David created Fulk, a young knight in the cold north. And The Best Weapon was born.



The story is based on the make-up of the World Apparent – the idea that gods and demons are manifestations of man's virtues and vices, making them potentially vulnerable to whatever ancient, more tangible and terrible things might exist out there in the cosmos. The Lords of Hell are hunted by one such malevolent force, and their last desperate attempt to escape is to place two children in the physical world. Their plan is to watch them grow, tweaking fate to bring them together where they will use them as conduits to escape into the World Apparent. So Fulk and Naiyar, two half-demon brothers, are born on opposite sides of the world to different mothers and in completely different cultures. As they come of age, they become aware that they are not like other people. The world slides into war and chaos around them, they learn more about themselves and are faced with a choice - fulfil their destiny, or try to thwart their creators' plan.



I put a lot of myself in to the character called Naiyar, drawing on my own experiences in life and applying to his situation, so there is part of me in the book. Naiyar realises he has powers and has to learn to control them, while at the same time dealing with the deepest loss a human (or at least his human side) can suffer. This is in parallel with my own struggle to control my rage following the needless deaths of two of my brothers at a young age. Hopefully that gives him a realistic or believable character.



Despite, or maybe because of, that writing The Best Weapon was a lot of fun. Co-writing a book means you always have someone to bounce ideas off, and we spent many hours in the pub discussing the plot and coming with new sub-plots and characters. Since then we have written Sorrow together, which is released by Musa Publishing, who also published The Best Weapon, as a monthly serial. Although Sorrow is a sequel, we wanted to try and write books that can be read on their own, as well as part of a longer saga. If there was ever one thing that turned me off reading a fantasy novel, it was the knowledge that I would probably have to read five or six books. We plan to write more novels set in the World Apparent. There will likely be a third book, making The Best Weapon and Sorrow into a trilogy, then other stand-alone novels. We still have a lot of the world to create and many more ideas to explore.



So far writing has been a more fulfilling experience than I could have imagined. It is hard work getting noticed in a genre as big as fantasy, and one with so many talented writers, but the rewards are priceless. We have been lucky enough not to receive a bad review yet, and long may that continue, but I'm told everyone gets one eventually. Hopefully I am strong enough to take it on the chin and carry on. If I had any advice for new authors it would be to believe in yourself and don't let anyone tell you you're not good enough. Practise and you'll get better. Edit thoroughly and you'll iron out the kinks. Read as much as you can and learn from the authors who inspire you. Do all of these things and don't give up, because one day someone will turn around and say “I just read your book and I really enjoyed it” and that is a very good feeling indeed.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Martin Bolton was born in Cornwall in 1979 and now lives and works in Bristol.



Previously he concentrated on his artwork and writing small pieces of nonsense for the amusement of his friends, before deciding to do some serious creative writing. His first published work, a full length novel co-written with David Pilling, The Best Weapon, is available from Musa Publishing. The sequel, Sorrow, is also available as a monthly serial.



His work is inspired by authors such as Robert E Howard, Joe Abercrombie, Bernard Cornwell and Iain M. Banks.

http://boltonthewriter.wordpress.com/

http://www.boltonandpilling.com/

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What Are You Reading?

No new additions this week, hence no Stacking The Shelves, but it is Monday!, which means it is indeed time to ask What Are You Reading? (a weekly meme hosted by Book Journey, focused on what's in your hands, as opposed to what's on your shelf).



As for what I'm reading, I'm juggling a pair of e-books, including the ARC of Peter V. Brett's upcoming chapter in The Demon Cycle and the first book in The Wrath of the Northmen from Elizabeth Baxter, which I suspect will slake my fantasy thirst for a bit . . .

     

. . . leaving either Charla by Alexander Beresford or Leviathan Wakes by James S.A. Corey coming up next, depending on whether it's the horror element or the sci-fi element that hooks me first as a palate-cleanser and change of pace.

     

What's topping your shelves this week?

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