Month: May 2022

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring C. Thomas Lafollette

This year I’m doing a new series on my blog: Fantasy Focus. Each month, I’m focusing on a different fantasy subgenre. Fantasy is such a broad genre with so many different things to offer. So far, there have been focuses on Comedic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Grimdark, and Epic/High Fantasy.

I’m excited to talk to C. Thomas Lafollette, author of the Luke Irontree & The Last Vampire War series.

First, will you tell readers a little bit about yourself?

I was born in Wyoming and lived there until my family moved to Oregon when I was ten. I attended a small liberal arts college where I got degrees in History and Economics with specializations in Classics and Religion. Along the way, I’ve read poetry with Yevgeny Yevtushenko, traveled around Europe, and even dined in the same room as the Belgian prime minister—it was purely a coincidence.

Currently, I’m a full-time freelance editor along with my partner, author Amy Cissell. Before going full-time, I worked in the beer industry for nearly twenty years. I started writing seriously in 2012 when I started a beer blog. Since then, I’ve published articles in magazines around the world. 

Like a lot of fantasy writers, my first foray into writing was inspired by Tolkien when I created hobbit knightly orders. Though, I didn’t stick with writing except for school projects and homework. After I graduated from college, I tried writing short stories but never really seemed to develop the knack for it if it wasn’t for a school assignment. I think I finished more novels in 2021 than I ever did short stories in the entire time between graduating from college and when I started writing novels. Now, I’ve finished nine novels that are either published or in various stages of editing.

I’ll be releasing two novels in May and the rest of the Luke Irontree & The Last Vampire War series throughout 2022 and into 2023.

Will you talk a little bit about Luke Irontree and the Last Vampire War?

I think I laid down the first ideas for Luke Irontree in 2017 and started writing in earnest in 2018. Initially, I set out to create a wise cracking sarcastic main character that is typical of the genre, but that failed pretty quickly. The more I delved deeper into the character, I realized that’s not what he was.

After nearly 2,000 years, he’s alone and traumatized from a mission he didn’t exactly understand when he agreed to it. Fleeing to Portland, Oregon after World War II, he hoped to hide in a new place without the memories of his past only for his past to come looking for him.

Luke’s life changes when he discovers his local brewpub owner is also the second of a LGBTQ werewolf pack. They eventually join forces to protect their city’s most vulnerable people from becoming vampire chow.

Luke Irontree & The Last Vampire War is set in a dark world with warm characters as Luke finds healing through friendship and community.

Luke Irontree, the main character in your novel, is a former Roman Legionnaire. What was the historical research like, in regard to writing Luke?

My degree is in Ancient History, which was a good base to build on, but there was a lot of research into the minutia of the legions in particular, as well as the specific settings and peoples included in the historical vignettes. Most of the research is background material that functions as flavor as opposed to on the page hard history.

It was fun to dive into some research. I got to acquire some cool books and sift through tons of research on academia.edu. I have files and files of papers, dissertations, and articles archived. Though I did have to be careful not to let it become a time sink.

And while the main series only has brief snippets of history, the first book Dark Fangs Rising more than the rest, I wrote two Roman era historical fantasy novels. The first, Rise of the Centurio Immortalis, is set just after the historical events outlined in Dark Fangs Rising and functions as Luke’s origin story. The second Luke Irontree historical is a romance set two hundred years later during the reign of Constantine the Great.

Interesting! Was it more difficult to switch to straight-out historical fantasy, without having Portland as a grounding point for readers, so to speak?

The first two were set at various periods in the Roman Empire, but there’s very little time spent in cities so I didn’t have to worry about much trying to recreate more than a building or general sense of a location or two. The more difficult piece was backtracking Luke’s personality so the books would display his development through time. In the first one, it’s a young human officer who’s earned his way into an elite unit in the Roman Legions.

It’s set against the backdrop of the end of the Trajan’s Parthian war as the emperor is dying and the Romans are pulling out of the territories they conquered, including Armenia. As Lucius (Luke) is sent to Armenia on a final mission for Trajan, he and his cohort must navigate the sudden power vacuum as Parthians move in to reassert their influence. Along the way, he befriends their guides, a pair of young Armenian siblings, and discovers his ability to lead and preserver.

In the second historical, we see Luke two hundred years later, the leader of an elite vampire hunting legion, but immortality is starting to wear on him. The base genre for this one is Romance, though it’s a full-on historical fantasy as well, complete with loads of action at the same time. It’s set against the backdrop of Constantine the Great’s Gothic war as Lucius is ordered across the border to aid the empire’s new allies the Sarmatians in a coordinated attack on the Goths as they move toward the empire’s border. As he coordinates with the Sarmatian clan chieftain, he struggles with his attraction to her while also trying to manage the changing dynamics of his relationship with the Roman Empire and how he views his future.

In both cases, everything is based around the main character. Each book has a new cast of characters and a new setting. I’ve tried to provide characters with their own cultural feel. The Roman Empire was a multicultural place as were the legions. Within that, I try to build in the political backdrop and the historical currents that are motivating and driving the characters.

In reality, it’s the same building blocks as the Urban Fantasy part of the series. It’s how I world build. There’s a cultural underpinning to all the characters that’s loaded with their history. Throughout the series, the readers will get snippets of the various characters and their lives. With a cast full of long-lived werewolves from all over the world, it provides a lot of fun material.

I’ve still got two more historicals planned. One set in Vienna at the beginning of the 19th century, and another set in US in the 1970s.

Your series is considered urban fantasy. How would you define that subgenre?

For me, urban fantasy is magical elements and creatures set in a modern earth setting, most commonly in a city. It can be a made-up city, but I think it should be on earth. I don’t consider it to be urban fantasy if it’s set on a secondary world. That’s something else.

I like that urban fantasy is going beyond the city into newer settings. But whatever the earth setting, the locale should play an important role in the story. It should be another character.

Luke lives in Portland, and the problems he’s facing are very much influenced by the nature of Portland. Too many urban fantasy series treat their setting like a clean, neutral backdrop. In Luke’s world, you get the full Portland—warts and all. Though, once you dive in, you’ll realize the warts don’t always belong to those you think they should.

I love that you talk about the setting being another character! Many of my favorite books have settings rich with character. Do you have a process for adding that personality to your setting, or is living in “real-life” Portland enough?

Mostly it’s from living in Portland which is why a lot of settings are around North Portland, but I also like to pepper in other areas to give a full look at the whole city. When I worked in the beer business, I sold beer all over the city for a lot of years, so I got to learn a lot about the city and its various neighborhoods. It’s fun to revisit those parts of the city in fiction.

 Are there side characters that take their inspiration from people you know?

Not really, not consciously at least. Secondary characters come from a lot of different places to serve a variety of story purposes. I usually start with a basic personality type that I think would fit into the story well and serve as a good balance with Luke. If it’s a protagonist, I want a personality that’ll be different from the other protagonists and that’ll provide something unique. For antagonists, well, I just smash together traits I’m not fond of. It’s not series heavy on individual antagonists, but when one is on the page, I really enjoy disliking them.

What first drew you to writing urban fantasy?

My partner Amy played an audiobook of the first Iron Druid book during a road trip, and I was hooked. After that, I dove into her library of urban fantasy books, covering a lot of the big name UF series.

While helping her get her books ready for publishing, I’d been toying with getting back into writing fiction when I had the idea for the character Luke Irontree. Of course, I had to set it in my city. Portland doesn’t get as much love in urban fantasy since it’s not one of the brand name big cities. I thought the unique combo of the character and the city would make a good hook.

What are some difficulties with writing urban fantasy?

History and the modern surveillance state. How do you fold a magical world inside thousands of years of history without disrupting events or blowing up your own world? With urban fantasy, you have to slide the magical elements between the cracks so that the existence of magic feels and works within the boundaries of real events.

The modern surveillance state is the other big challenge for urban fantasy. A lot of the genre is hidden world meaning the average citizen doesn’t know the magical world exists. How do you have werewolves running around with a sword wielding vampire slayer and not have it picked up on video cameras?

It becomes ever more difficult in Luke’s world because there aren’t magic practitioners to interfere with such devices. I’ve had to come up with a lot of creative solutions that seem realistic, so I don’t break the reader immersion.

What are some strengths to this subgenre?

One of the best strengths of urban fantasy is the blending of the familiar with the fantastical. People know cities and have probably visited some of the more famous cities used in the genre. It’s a way of adding a little bit of magic to ordinary lives.

The other fun aspect is authors have a whole world of mythologies to draw on for inspiration. For Luke’s world, I’ve blended aspects of Zoroastrianism and the Roman cult of Mithras with elements of Ancient Greek, Ossetian, Armenian, Sarmatian, and other ancient mythologies to create the world’s magical underpinnings.

Who are some of your favorite authors?

Mikhail Bulgokov. The Master & Margarita has become a big influence on my aesthetic. Kevin Hearne is probably my favorite urban fantasy writer. I really dig his Iron Druid and Ink & Sigil series. Ilona Andrews’s Kate Daniels is another fantastic series I really enjoy. Outside of urban fantasy, I really like Kristen Britain and her Green Rider series.

About the author:

C. Thomas Lafollette was born in Wyoming and moved to Oregon when he was ten. He attended Albertson College of Idaho and received degrees in Economics and Ancient History with specializations in Classics and Religion. After college, he moved to Portland, Oregon where we he worked in the beer and wine industry for nineteen years. Currently, he is a fulltime freelance editor and writer. He lives in Portland with his wife, fellow author Amy Cissell, his step-daughter, and their three cats.

Dark Fangs Rising, C. Thomas Lafollette’s first novel, was started in 2017 and is the first book in the new urban fantasy series Luke Irontree & The Last Vampire War. It will be released in March of 2022 followed by the rest of the nine novel series throughout 2022.

PREORDER Dark Fangs Rising

Universal Book Link – Purchase links to most stores and countries.

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Matthew Samuels

This year I’m doing a new series on my blog: Fantasy Focus. Each month, I’m focusing on a different fantasy subgenre. Fantasy is such a broad genre with so many different things to offer. So far, there have been focuses on Comedic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Grimdark, and Epic/High Fantasy.

Today I have the privilege of chatting with Matthew Samuels, author of the excellent urban fantasy, Small Places.

Hi Matthew! Thank you for being willing to talk about urban fantasy!

My pleasure! Thank you for having me on your site 😊

Will you introduce yourself to the readers and talk about your writing a little?

I’m Matthew Samuels, and I write sci-fi and fantasy; I’m the author of the solarpunk / hopepunk exploration books Parasites and Dusk, and urban fantasy title Small Places, which is about a guy who meets a cranky old witch, who is investigating the source of highly irregular weather in the UK. I live in London, UK.  

Small Places is interesting in that the main character, Jamie, is dealing with adversity in his “real life” which is sort of echoed in the adversity in the fantasy element. How did you go about keeping that balance between the two kinds of struggles?

Despite the challenges that writing urban fantasy presents, it does also lend you a hand, because you can reflect on how regular people would act if confronted by these things. So yes, Jamie meets some fantastical creatures and a witch, but his mum is also very sick and there’s a girl he likes in town, and these things are always going to creep into your mind, however all-consuming the other stuff is. Sometimes – like in real life – one of these things takes up more brain space than others, and other times, things get completely pushed to one side and Jamie feels guilty for forgetting about it. I’m not quite sure if there’s a trick to keeping this balance; it’s really just about trying to keep it believable, given everything that’s going on! A good editor definitely helps – my partner read Small Places quite carefully, and some parts of the book changed quite a lot afterwards. 

I really loved the divided attention and subsequent feelings of guilt that Jamie experiences in Small Places. It’s such a completely human reaction. Do you feel that urban fantasy allows for a deeper exploration of the human condition?

Yes and no – I don’t think it’s unique to urban fantasy. Some of my favourite reflections on the human condition come from sci-fi books like the Rama series by Arthur C Clarke and the Galactic Mileu set by Julian May, but I also love what Charles de Lint has to say about absolution, forgiveness and dealing with difficult circumstances in life, in an urban fantasy setting. I do think that sometimes genres outside of low fantasy can get sucked into the ‘we’re in a supernatural setting, so we should focus on heroes and adventure and all this amazing stuff’ but if the Marvel Universe has shown us anything, it’s that adventures are more satisfying and believable when they’re about ‘real people dealing with issues who happen to be superheroes, rather than superheroes just being superheroes, which I think is where some of the DC films come unraveled. Urban fantasy is in a good place to start these reflections because you’re dealing with regular folk from day one, rather than people who regularly leap tall buildings and zap aliens, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s exclusive! 

Small Places is an urban fantasy. How would you define that subgenre?

In my mind, urban fantasy is a section of low fantasy, which takes place in ‘our’ world. Urban fantasy is distinct from the likes of Harry Potter only because it takes place in urban environments, rather than separate places like Hogwarts (or in the countryside!).  

What drew you to writing urban fantasy?

One of the first fantasy novels I read growing up was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, and the idea that there could be something fantastical just around the corner was an absolutely magical prospect to me. After I’d read it, I spent quite a lot of time poking into old wardrobes or opening doors several times hoping that there’d be something back there! As a teenager I watched the BBC adaptation of Neil Gaiman’s Neverwhere, absolutely rapt for much the same reason (I don’t think it’s aged well, but the book is obviously fantastic) and then discovered Clive Barker’s Weaveworld as an adult, not to mention Charles de Lint, Erin Morgenstern and Laurell K Hamilton. 

Perhaps more to the point, urban fantasy stretches your mind in a way that other genres don’t, because of the possible believability (more on this later!) – after all, there are weird, wonderful and beautiful things in the regular world. I used to spend quite a lot of time in a club called Shunt, which was a performing arts club underneath London Bridge Station, with just the strangest selection of artwork and things to explore. There’s also the Vaults under Waterloo, and experiential events like Secret Cinema. I’m quite a big fan of urbex photography (in particular, RomanyWG’s work), which continues to be an inspiration for any long-forgotten places that I’m writing about. 

When you put all of this together, urban fantasy has the ability to conspire in your mind and whisper ‘what if…?’ in the dark hours of the night.  And I’ve always written, for as long as I can remember (I still have some of my early works which I’d describe as either ‘loving fanfic’ or ‘hideous and derivative’ depending on my mood) and with inspirations like that, how could I not want to write in the genre?

What are some obstacles to writing urban fantasy?

Believability is key. When you’re blending the real world and a fantastical world, there’s the question of ‘why haven’t they been detected’? The memory charms in Harry Potter are a bit of a quick fix around this, but in Small Places, we have very well hidden and virtually inaccessible faerie realms. The first rule of the faerie is often ‘stay out of the way, but in an urban setting that’s much, much harder. Books like the Rivers of London series bypass this by simply having the magical world ‘out’, whereas in Neverwhere it hides much more carefully, and has people fall between the cracks and vanish if they do pick up on it, which is a slightly terrifying prospect.

I agree with you on that! The idea of a person just disappearing mysteriously if they pick up on the “other” hidden in plain sight is definitely a scary one. Did it take some time to decide how your faerie realms would exist in conjunction with the real-world setting?

Yes, it was a tricky one because – especially in very urban settings like London – it’s hard to do anything completely out of sight! Neverwhere gets around this very neatly by having people just ignore the things that are uncomfortable to them (which we all do sometimes) but it was hard working up a mechanism that would be secure, unlikely to be triggered by accident, and also relatively easy to conceal. The ‘fantastical combination lock’ idea eventually appealed because it seemed to tick a number of those boxes all at once, whilst still giving some narrative flexibility. 

What is the best thing about writing urban fantasy?

It’s really the same thing: believability. If you’re writing something fantastical that’s also set in the real world, there’s a small chance that a question worms into your brain – as Morpheus says in The Matrix, ‘like a splinter in your mind’. That question is ‘what if there is something else?’ and I think that’s both terrifying and wonderful to consider at the same time. The other (non-low fantasy) genres are great escapism, but urban / low fantasy can just feel a bit more real. I’ve walked past the spot in London where Richard meets the Marquis de Carabas for the first time in Neverwhere, and I love that flicker of slightly disquieting recognition that you get, that feeling of ‘well, maybe?’ that sticks around no matter how old you get.

You also write science fiction (books one and two in The Navigator series are available now). Are there similarities between how you write for those two genres? Or are they completely dissimilar? 

There are definitely common elements in terms of the need for good plotting and characters, but with sci-fi, you have a lot more flexibility because you set the rules. Being able to create entire planets, space stations and alien creatures gives you a lot more wiggle room than being stuck on earth in a contemporary setting!

Who are some of your go-to authors?

Where to start? 😊 As well as the guys I’ve mentioned previously, I’m a huge fan of Iain M Banks, Jacqueline Carey, Julian May, Steph Swainston, Jay Kristoff, David Wong, Becky Chambers, Brandon Sanderson and Laini Taylor. I’ll also read outside SFF, and am a big Tana French and Stephen King fan.

Do you have anything interesting coming up that you’d like to talk about?

 I’ve just published the second book in the Navigator (Sci-Fi) series, and was hoping to continue my other long-suffering urban fantasy title, Wild Court, which takes a fantastical look at the decline of empathy in society, and is two-thirds written, but my brain has refused. Instead, I’ve been spending time planning out a high fantasy title exploring the war between heaven, hell and mankind, featuring a devious demonic heroine with a disability who teams up with a captured warlock’s apprentice in an effort to escape from hell. I’d done some planning on it a while ago, but had a sudden realization about the MC, then things started to fall into place, and before I knew it, I’d written four thousand words of plan. There’s still a fair bit to do, but I scribbled down the opening line “When I was growing up, I had six brothers and sisters; by the time I was 16, I’d murdered three of them” and knew it was something I really wanted to explore more.

That’s a killer line, in multiple senses of the word. I’m excited!

Thank you 😊

To Purchase Small Places:

UK: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dusk-Matthew-Samuels/dp/B09XSZPLWK/
US: https://www.amazon.com/Dusk-Matthew-Samuels/dp/B09XSZPLWK

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy

This year I’m doing a new series on my blog: Fantasy Focus. Each month, I’m focusing on a different fantasy subgenre. Fantasy is such a broad genre with so many different things to offer. So far, there have been focuses on Comedic Fantasy, Romantic Fantasy, Grimdark, and Epic/High Fantasy.

This month the focus is on urban fantasy, with fantastical elements showing up in the most unexpected of places. Below is a list of urban fantasy authors to check out as well as links to all of the interviews. The list is far from complete: tell me who I need to add!

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Matthew Samuels

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring C. Thomas Lafollette

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Peter Hartog

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Satyros Phil Brucato

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring Jamie Jackson

Fantasy Focus: Urban Fantasy Featuring G.E. Newbegin

Ilona Andrews- Kate Daniels series

Holly Black- Book of Night

Patricia Briggs- Mercy Thompson series

Satyros Phil Brucato- Red Shoes

Jim Butcher- The Dresden Files series

Cassandra Clare- City of Bones

Neil Gaiman- Neverwhere

Kim Harrison- the Hollows series

Peter Hartog- The Guardian of Empire City series

Kevin Hearne- The Iron Druid series

Jamie Jackson- Adventures of a Villain-Leaning Humanoid series

C. Thomas Lafollette- Luke Irontree & the Last Vampire War

Seanan Mcguire- the October Daye series

G.E. Newbegin- Pyramidion

Matthew Samuels- Small Places

C.L. Schneider- Nite Fire

David R. Slayton- White Trash Warlock

The Shadow Glass by Josh Winning

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub

A thrilling race against the clock to save the world from fantasy creatures from a cult 80s film. Perfect for fans of Henson Company puppet classics such as Labyrinth, Dark Crystal and The Never-Ending Story.

Jack Corman is failing at life.
 
Jobless, jaded and on the “wrong” side of thirty, he’s facing the threat of eviction from his London flat while reeling from the sudden death of his father, one-time film director Bob Corman. Back in the eighties, Bob poured his heart and soul into the creation of his 1986 puppet fantasy The Shadow Glass, a film Jack loved as a child, idolising its fox-like hero Dune.
 
But The Shadow Glass flopped on release, deemed too scary for kids and too weird for adults, and Bob became a laughing stock, losing himself to booze and self-pity. Now, the film represents everything Jack hated about his father…

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Why Odin Drinks by Bjørn Larssen

Norse Mythology retelling for fans of Terry Pratchett, Douglas Adams, Calvin & Hobbes
Ever woken up being a God, but not knowing how to God properly? Poor Odin must restrain his brothers, who create offensive weapons such as mosquitoes and celery; placate his future-telling wife, Frigg, who demands sweatpants with pockets; listen to Loki’s Helpful Questions; hang himself from Yggdrasil for nine days with a spear through his side (as you do); teach everyone about nutritional values of kale (but NOT celery); meet a Wise Dom, Sir Daddy Mímir, in order to outwit those who outwit him; and, most importantly, prove he is The All-Father, while his brothers are, at best, Those-Uncles-We-Don’t-Talk-About.

This nearly (except in Vanaheim) universally acclaimed retelling of the Gods’ first millennium answers way too many questions, including ones on Freyr’s entendre, horse designing… and why Odin drinks. (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to the author for providing me a copy of this book. Why Odin Drinks is available now.

I’m very particular about my comedy. I like witty, I like a little bit of line-blurring, and I like smart. And yes, while a person might not expect a book that features the creation (and subsequent why?) of celery to be particularly clever, Why Odin Drinks is also incredibly smart.

Author Bjørn Larssen explores Norse mythology as you’ve never seen it. From a creation story that’s a bit more haphazard than your usual fare, to the addition of a prescient wife and the difficulties that comes with it, and of course the World Tree, Larssen adds a brilliantly comedic twist to well-known mythologies.

My reaction to Why Odin Drinks ranged from giggles to flat-out obnoxious guffaws. A fast read, it was also surprisingly deep. l was fortunate to be able to interview Bjørn and he said that Why Odin Drinks has a serious undertone that you can choose to miss. I would add the word “wise” to that description. Like Calvin and Hobbes, another comedy with serious aspects to it, Why Odin Drinks muses on life and humanity in ways that are accessible and undeniably smart. There were several “whoa” moments, when I wondered if maybe it was Larssen and not Frigg, who sees the future.

Why Odin Drinks left me gasping with laughter while also thinking. I’m sure I looked ridiculous. Read the book with a tissue or two handy- whether you snort your drink out your nose while laughing, or you tear up a little at some of the observations hidden beneath the surface, that tissue will come in handy.

The Resurrectionist of Caligo by Wendy Trimboli and Alicia Zaloga

Witty and Sarcastic Bookclub

With a murderer on the loose, it’s up to an enlightened bodysnatcher and a rebellious princess to save the city, in this wonderfully inventive Victorian-tinged fantasy noir.

“Man of Science” Roger Weathersby scrapes out a risky living digging up corpses for medical schools. When he’s framed for the murder of one of his cadavers, he’s forced to trust in the superstitions he’s always rejected: his former friend, princess Sibylla, offers to commute Roger’s execution in a blood magic ritual which will bind him to her forever. With little choice, he finds himself indentured to Sibylla and propelled into an investigation. There’s a murderer loose in the city of Caligo, and the duo must navigate science and sorcery, palace intrigue and dank boneyards to catch the butcher before the killings tear their whole country apart. (taken from Amazon)

The Resurrectionist of Caligo is a rollicking fantasy filled with a little bit…

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The Knave of Secrets by Alex Livingston

Never stake more than you can afford to lose.

When failed magician turned cardsharp Valen Quinol is given the chance to play in the Forbearance Game—the invitation-only tournament where players gamble with secrets—he can’t resist. Or refuse, for that matter, according to the petty gangster sponsoring his seat at the table. Valen beats the man he was sent to play and wins the most valuable secret ever staked in the history of the tournament.

Now Valen and his motley crew are being hunted by thieves, gangsters, spies and wizards, all with their own reasons for wanting what’s in that envelope. It’s a game of nations where Valen doesn’t know all the rules or who all the players are and can’t see all the moves. But he does know if the secret falls into the wrong hands, it could plunge the whole world into war…(taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with this book in exchange for my honest opinion. The Knave of Secrets is available now.

The Knave of Secrets was a bit of a mixed bag for me. The premise immediately had me thinking of a fantasy-meets- Ocean’s 11, which sounded like a blast. However, while the concept looked entertaining, parts of the book just didn’t seem to quite pan out.

The beginning of the book dropped you right smack into the middle of intrigue and a rather abrupt exit, which I loved. I was excited about the pacing and looked forward to a fast-paced con with twists and turns aplenty. Alas, ’twas not to be. The pace slowed quite a bit and just seemed a bit choppy to me. The sections on card games that were scattered throughout might have contributed to that; while they were interesting, they added pauses that sometimes took me out of the narrative.

I did like the magic system and how it figured into so many aspects of the book and its characters. The concept of the tower being held together by magic was a creative one as well. I feel like the author had a lot of really good ideas that just didn’t necessarily belong all in the same book. Or maybe the book needed to be a little longer so he could fully develop them all?

My biggest quibble were the characters, particularly how they interacted. They were supposed to know each other well, but I didn’t get that feeling at all. The way they communicated (or didn’t) felt jilted and a little awkward. At this point, I’m beginning to think it’s a matter of “it’s me, not you”. I think that I was the wrong reader at the wrong time, which makes me wonder if I would have loved The Knave of Secrets had I read it at another time.

At the end of the day, The Knave of Secrets just didn’t work for me. The concept was a cool one, but the execution just didn’t seem to pay off.

Let’s Talk: Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week

Banner Credit: Fantasy Book Nerd

If you’ve followed my blog for a while, you’ll know that I have been lucky enough to read many indie/self-published. I love the creativity and uniqueness often found in self-published books. Last year was the first ever Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week, during which I was joined by many amazing bloggers, podcasters, and Youtubers, all sharing their appreciation for great self-published authors. Well, guess what? We’re doing it again this year!

This year Self-Published Authors Appreciation Week will run from July 24th-30th. How can you get involved? Read self-published books, review self-published books, shout about great self-published authors. You’re welcome to use the above banner (created by the awesome Fantasy Book Nerd) and if you tag my Twitter @WS_BOOKCLUB, I will add your posts to a blog hub and share those posts on my Twitter. On Twitter, you can use the hashtags #SPAAW, #SuperSP, and #AwesomeIndies.

By the way, the Self-Published Fantasy Blog Off contest is a great place to go for self-published book suggestions. Follow along with this year’s contest here. Here are a few self-published books that I recommend. I stopped myself at twenty, but there are so many amazing sp books out there! What’s the best self-published book you’ve read this year?

Jason and Rose Bishop- The Call (Storm’s Rising #1)

Lee C. Conley- A Ritual of Bone

Susanne M. Dutton- Sherlock Holmes and the Remaining Improbable

Jami Fairleigh- Oil and Dust

Jonathan French-The Grey Bastards

Sean Gibson- The Part About the Dragon Was (Mostly) True

 Bjørn Larssen- Why Odin Drinks

Randall McNally- Shadowless

Marcus Lee- Kings and Daemons

G.M. Nair- Duckett and Dyer: Dicks for Hire

Roland O’Leary- The Hand of Fire

Thomas Howard Riley- We Break Immortals

Kirstin Espinosa Rosero- Burn Red Skies

Patrick Samphire- Shadow of a Dead God

Matthew Samuels- Small Places

Emma Shaw- Sacaran Nights

M.L. Spencer- Dragon Mage

Luke Tarzian- The World Breaker Requiem

Keith Tokash- Iliad: The Reboot

M.L. Wang- The Sword of Kaigen

Spear by Nicola Griffith

She left all she knew to find who she could be . . .

She grows up in the wild wood, in a cave with her mother, but visions of a faraway lake drift to her on the spring breeze, scented with promise. And when she hears a traveler speak of Artos, king of Caer Leon, she decides her future lies at his court. So, brimming with magic and eager to test her strength, she breaks her covenant with her mother and sets out on her bony gelding for Caer Leon.

With her stolen hunting spear and mended armour, she is an unlikely hero, not a chosen one, but one who forges her own bright path. Aflame with determination, she begins a journey of magic and mystery, love, lust and fights to death. On her adventures, she will steal the hearts of beautiful women, fight warriors and sorcerers, and make a place to call home.

The legendary author of Hild returns with an unforgettable hero and a queer Arthurian masterpiece for the modern era. Nicola Griffith’s Spear is a spellbinding vision of the Camelot we’ve longed for, a Camelot that belongs to us all. (taken from Amazon)

Lyrical with a fairy-tale cadence, Spear is the adult version of the Arthurian tales I loved as a child. Spear follows a girl without a name, one whose quest for an identity leads her to Caer Leon (Camelot), to The Lady of the Lake, and beyond. Each encounter and every experience serve to add another facet to the girl, as she discovers who she is and where she belongs.

The girl- Peretur- is raised nameless in a cave with only her mother for company. Her mother has hidden Peretur, her treasure, and only mutters their history in bits and pieces. One day the girl discovers Artos’s Companions and her destiny is set. She will become a King’s Companion and find her true name. Disguised as a man, Peretur (the girl) sets out to do just that, breaking her mother’s heart- and the geas that has kept them hidden from a powerful enemy.

I loved how the book began, with the story of a nameless girl and her life as she grows. The glimpses of her dreams and aspirations and the chance encounters that set her on her path drew me in. The way the first bit of the book was descriptively and beautifully written kept me entranced.

However, once Peretur left the cave to find her fortune, the language and cadence of the book changed. The book became bigger, with less of the beautiful prose and more of a “normal” fantasy writing style. This is in no way a bad thing, but I did miss the way the first little bit of the book flowed.

While there seems to be a split in writing style, I was engrossed by both halves of the book. The characters Peretur meets are all very familiar to me because I’ve loved stories of King Arthur and his knights for a long time. Author Nicola Griffith fleshed them out and took them from larger-than-life characters to realistic people with their own fears, loves, and interests, while still somehow retaining a bit of that fairy-tale magic that often comes with Arthurian tales.

After reading (and loving) several chonkier books, the shorter length of Spear was a great palate cleanser. The story moved along nicely and took me with it into a land rich with adventure, promise, and magic. I recommend this beautiful shorter novel for those who want a new twist on familiar lore.

One Foot in the Fade (A Fetch Phillips Novel) by Luke Arnold

Welcome back to the streets of Sunder City, a darkly imagined world perfect for readers of Ben Aaronovitch and Jim Butcher.

In a city that lost its magic, an angel falls in a downtown street. His wings are feathered, whole—undeniably magical—the man clearly flew, because he left one hell of a mess when he plummeted into the sidewalk.

But what sent him up? What brought him down? And will the answers help Fetch bring the magic back for good?

Working alongside necromancers, genies, and shadowy secret societies, through the wildest forests and dingiest dive bars, this case will leave its mark on Fetch’s body, his soul, and the fate of the world. (taken from Amazon)

Thank you to Orbit Books and Angela Man for providing a copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion. One Foot in the Fade is available for purchase now.

This is the third book in the Fetch Phillips series, so there might be some spoilers for the first two books. You can find my reviews for those books here: The Last Smile in Sunder City and Dead Man in a Ditch.

I knew from about twenty pages into book one that I’ll read anything by Luke Arnold, up to and including a pamphlet on beige paint. His writing is that good. I obviously had ridiculously high expectations for this latest installment in the Fetch Phillips novels, and One Foot in the Fade more than delivered. Buckle up, folks: this is going to be a rave. Or you could save yourself the trouble and buy the entire series now, which is the better option.

One Foot in the Fade continues on where Dead Man in a Ditch left off, with a much more motivated and slightly more capable Fetch taking the small bit of hope he’s seized and holding onto it for dear life. Thanks to a friend of his, Fetch’s sign has gone from an advertisement for a P.I. to a declaration: “Bringing the Magic Back”!

After sniffing the slightest possibility of a return to before everything went to crap, returning magic has become Fetch’s driving goal. He’s following every lead and hunting down any hint of a way to make that happen. Which is how he ends ups embroiled in what is either an almost-miracle or a very grisly murder. The answer leads Fetch on a journey both physical and emotional.

One Foot in the Fade takes the series from a grimy noir-fantasy to something completely new and different. I didn’t know what would happen next and I loved it. From duels (aka fights with self-important rich men who hold all the cards in life) to a not-quite-a-corpse, to an unfortunate encounter with a monster of legend, there was plenty of danger and action to be found. However, the heart stopping action scenes weren’t what held me enthralled. Rather, it was the incredible character growth to be found in Fetch.

Fetch Phillips has become one of my favorite characters in fantasy. Ever. His staunch refusal to give up, even when he’s convinced himself that he has, is heartbreaking. His grasp at the smallest glimmer of hope is relatable. And his palpable loneliness and the way he slowly learns to open himself up to the possibility of friendship is amazing and a privilege to read. Despite this being a fantasy setting, or maybe because of it, Fetch is one of the most supremely human characters I’ve read.

One Foot in the Fade has everything I want in a fantasy book. The story is engrossing, the descriptiveness of the writing is brilliant, the characters are all wonderful, and the ending made me tear up. A perfect blend between fantastical creativity and fascinating character development, One Foot in the Fade hooked me from page one.