Tag: books

The Warder Celebration & BGC Art

June 2022 was the month for finally getting together to celebrate last year’s release, The Warder. The event was set to go ahead here in Exeter, and preparations were going swimmingly…

but alas, we were thwarted by Covid. Life can be as unpredictable as the twists and turns of our stories, and so came a last-minute shift onto zoom.

Hosted by my publishers, the lovely folks of Stairwell Books, and joined by local guest readers bringing more fantasy, folklore, poetry and rhyme, it was lovely to spend time in the company of other writers, as well as readers of my series so far. And onto my readings.

With a brief intro. to Book One, Return of the Mantra, I was reminded of intrepid Suni and her search for justice and her own identity. Thrust into some stark environments, she discovers what she’s really made of, in contrast to the mountaintop view where her worldview is forever changed. And of course, when you’re up against tyranny and fighting for the natural world, it takes more than one voice. Onto Book 2, The Warder, where we get to know more of our heroines and heroes.

With three main characters in The Warder, three scenes jumped out at me to share.

Wanda, an eighteen-year-old young man, gifted but also cursed by a shadow bound to him. One of his opening scenes is a favourite, looking out over the grasslands, searching for respite from his curse.

Ten-year-old Luna, troubled by strange visions, experiences her own personal breaking high in the mountains.

And, perhaps holding it all together, Suni returns, working to restore harmony to her hometown, while using her gift to watch out over her young friend.

The dominoes are falling, squeezing characters and revealing timeless bonds. All set in a world with new lands revealed, where old and new, the mundane and the fantastical, coexist. Prepare to be cast away to an archipelago of islands in the far western reaches, with the musty air of the cavernous temple and the sound of footsteps crossing the mosaic-tiled floor; in contrast to the warm desert winds of Shendi, carrying spells and curses that touch all those with the gift to hear…

With themes of wildlife and the environment, social justice and marginalisation, magic, animism, being true to oneself, and dragons… Not to mention a diverse range of character arcs revealing love in all its forms.

Prior to the event, I set myself a project to imagine what my characters might look like. Of course, it’s ultimately for readers to draw their own conclusion, but I’ll leave you with the result of the project: a series of portraits, my own artistic interpretation of my beloved characters that span the series, Blood Gift Chronicles.

Happy Reading!

 

For the Love of Books #14

In this book post I thought I would give a nod to our younger characters, in two wonderful YA books that, like all books of this genre, are for readers of all ages. The first of my recommendations is inspired by the fact that it is LGBTQ+ history month.

The Magic Fish, by Trung Le Nguyen

The Magic Fish is a wonderfully unique story that carries powerful messages about identity, acceptance and love. It’s a long time since I read a graphic story, and this re-introduction was a great reminder of the power of graphics. The animations are beautifully descriptive and require few words to illustrate what is a complex journey for our main character, Tien. From the outset, it may appear like a small story, but this is the story of a boy living in social margins, an immigrant story among others things, and one that offers astonishing depth.

Tien has a story to tell his parents, but communication is difficult: they are refugees struggling to learn English, while Tien doesn’t know the words in Vietnamese to come out to them as gay. The answer lies in fairy tales – a language that Tien and his parents share. With the help of fairy tales, family and friends, Tien discovers how to tell his story to those close to him, how to accept himself and ultimately navigate the world. It is a novel told with interlinking storylines weaving between reality and fairy tales, so sweet and poignant and with an ending that is utterly heart-warming.

The Improbable Wonders of Moojie Littleman, By Robin Gregory

Born in 1892, a baby boy is found tucked inside a wooden fishing basket by the nuns of San Miguel de las Gaviotas. So begins Moojie Littleman’s journey of fantasy, magical realism, and miracles that are as real as the visiting extraterrestrials.

“He arrived on the heels of an earthquake. A minor hiccup as disasters go, the murmur rippling undersea, causing dories in the bay to bob and spider crabs to flood the beach like a ghostly pink tide.”

Moojie ends up in the care of his hard-hearted grandpappy. It’s an unsympathetic home for a biracial and partially-disabled boy with unique and tender magical gifts, and an innate empathy for humans, animals and nature. Until he answers the call of the wild, and discovers kindred spirits. So begins a series of trials as Moojie is called to a great destiny. But can he survive one last terrifying trial?

It is a magical tale of love, belonging, and pilgrimage, unique and inspiring and creatively told, with prose that comes alive on the page, lyrical and enchanting. It is a story that oozes with optimism, speaks of possibilities, and has you believing that miracles really do exist.

What are you reading?

 

 

For the Love of Books #13

I have a real treat in store for this episode of For the Love of Books: two titles with themes of the natural world, albeit it an extraordinary natural world. The first was one of my favourite reads of 2021.

The Water Bailiff’s Daughter by Yvonne Hendrie

The Water Bailiff’s Daughter is such an unusual read and one I adored. Set against the atmospheric shores of Loch Duie on the western coast, Scottish folklore is woven into the extraordinary tale of Helena Hailstanes, part witch, part otter, part human. It’s a story of self-discovery, as Helena comes to terms with her connection to the ancient race of shape-shifting otters, a connection she shares with her father, Sam.

The extraordinary is also very much rooted in the mundane, bringing to life all the complexities of family. The writing flows with ease, concise in its descriptions that brings the place alive on the page. The dialogue draws you in to characters that left me rooting for each member of this messy, complex family that learns to pull together against the odds. Love, loyalty and mutual respect flourish and grow in this place so tangible I can almost feel the cold waters of the loch and smell the fishy aroma of an otter’s favourite meal.

Each character is on their own path of self-discovery. Sam, a man intimately connected to his otter side, chooses loyalty, forgoing natural instincts to conform for those he grows to love. Through Rose, Sam’s wife, we see the reality of a woman’s place and what she must overcome to be permitted a respectable place in the community. And the main character, Helena, is forced to navigate adolescence: destined to live a small life hidden from the wider world, she yearns for more. All this while discovering her true heritage, her otter instincts, and the truth that overshadows all else. With destinies entwined, there is a reason Helena is closely watched over by the sea witch, Megan. But nothing is predictable in the world of this extraordinary heroine.

A Natural History of Dragons by Marie Brennan

A Victorian woman, Lady Isabella Trent, defies societal conventions with her love of books, natural history and dragons. The book reads as a historical memoir, in the style of classical literature, themed around a wildlife adventure; indigenous wildlife being dragons. Reading like a travel log, written in the first person, the character voice and perspective of Lady Trent was consistent, believable, and provided a new angle that felt unique and fresh.

We first meet Isabella as a girl who collects sparklings, is a voracious reader and loves dragons. She marries a man who accepts her unconventional interests, and at 19 years old, Lady Trent ventures out on her first expedition: dragon spotting on the mountains of Vystrana.

The story is character driven and includes some interesting analogies. This is a woman who comes face to face with dragons, yet on a night of wakefulness, wandering the streets, it is men and an ‘outrage upon my honour’ she fears most. The general context of stifling sexism is well placed for the era, and dragons are Lady Trent’s escape. Her adventures perfectly depict that moment of awe when rounding a corner or emerging atop a summit, and being faced with the extraordinary sight of a dragon full flight, or stretched out across a gentle slope. These sightings, together with scientific discoveries and an in-depth analysis of dragon anatomy, were my favourite parts, in a read where dragons have never felt so real.

What are you reading?

Happy New Year 2022!!

New Year’s Eve was a day for tying up loose ends, making plans, visiting friends, and a quick trip to one of my favourite places in Exeter: the quay.

   

 

The streets were quiet, but the late-night skies were ablaze with fireworks. Now ever-so-slightly-bleary eyed and time to reflect.

2021 has been a memorable year in more ways than one. I was super proud to be able to release The Warder, Blood Gift Chronicles Book 2, and to receive Firebird Awards for both Return of the Mantra (winner of LGBTQ fiction category) and The Warder (winner of YA fiction category). Click here for my award interview.

Like its predecessor, The Warder was a labour of love over many years, and it’s great to hear from readers who have got in touch or listened at various on-line and in-person events this year.

“The Warder is the sequel to one of my favourite books of 2018, Return of the Mantra. I wasn’t sure Susie would be able to increase the enthusiasm I had for her characters and her world, but she left me reeling after a couple of pages.”

“The way Susie was able to expand her world without slowing down the narrative was a masterclass in worldbuilding.”

‘This book is a charming story of loss, love and finding yourself in the most unexpected places. It is epic fantasy with a heart that will leave you scarred but begging for me. Plus it has dragons and who doesn’t love dragons. I can’t wait to return to this world.”

Click here for full review.

I couldn’t wait to return to the world either, and have been immersed in book 3, working towards the conclusion of the overarching story that connects these three books. Tying up loose ends is hugely satisfying, while further developing the landscapes of the world, complete with new characters and familiar faces at the next stage of their lives. With colour, depth, texture and layers, I’m excited to get back to the writing.

For now a pause as we tip into January, complete with a fresh new diary just waiting to be filled.

I love this time of year, these moments of calm after the busyness of Xmas, the quiet after fireworks to consider possibilities for the year ahead.

Wishing everyone a Happy, Healthy, Peaceful, Creative, Wonderful New Year 2022!!

For the Love of Books #12

On these dark winter evenings, with Storm Barra bringing blustering gales, it’s the perfect time to cosy up with a good read. I bring you two recommendations, currently among my favourite fantasy reads:

The Empress of Salt and Fortune, by Nghi Vo

The Empress of Salt and Fortune is a delightfully exquisite read. Set against a backdrop reminiscent of Imperial China, it tells the story of the empress In-Yo who is sent south for a political marriage. With her brothers dead, and her armies and their war mammoths defeated, she is alone in a mage-made summer exile. But this northern daughter is powerful enough to bring her enemies down. Told using layers of stories bound in culture and mythology, tenderly drawn on and richly described, I wanted to linger, and so when I finished the book I went straight back to the beginning and started again.

“Angry mothers raise daughters fierce enough to fight wolves.”

The storyteller is Rabbit, an elderly woman and former handmaiden to In-Yo, the Empress of the North. A cleric named Chih (non-binary) and their hoopoe, Almost Brilliant, are listening to the tale of The Empress of Salt and Fortune. ‘Do you understand?’ Rabbit says infrequently, as if she is speaking to the reader as much as to Chih. The tale is told in magical layers, with a unique structure and flow that challenges convention and tired tropes, and offers the reader the feel of complete immersion into the world of these heart-warming characters. Packed into 118 pages this is an epic, incandescent tale of resilience, rebellion, devastating truths and forgotten secrets. Richly-woven characters often side-lined take centre stage to deliver the tale through memory and meditation, with exquisite prose creatively told, unravelling worlds within worlds that leave you literally spellbound.

The Forgotten Beasts of Eld, by Patricia McKillip

Sixteen-year-old Sybel has grown up on Eld Mountain among a fantastic menagerie called there by wizardry. She cares nothing for humans, until a baby is brought to her to raise.

I adored this magical read with its wild mountainous setting, home to Sybel, a complex, flawed, self-critical, compassionate and brave woman. The presence of the child, Tamlorn, awakens unfamiliar emotions in her, and their relationship develops from simple care and compassion set against a complex world. Her home is the wild, and it is through her relationships with the creatures in her life, including a swan, a dragon, a lion and a boar, that we see her true nature reflected. But caring for the boy brings her into the world of men, where revenge becomes her motive no matter the cost.

A fairy tale with great emotional depth, the story tackles issues from love to abuse to blind revenge, providing a fascinating look at how our desires and fears can make or undo us. A range of human relationships are explored from the perspective of a woman who would choose no relationship at all, except for with her menagerie of beasts. Sybil’s character has realness that feels like a refreshing portrayal, one I could get behind from the start. Her personal journey is the emotional depth, revealing what it is to love, to betray, to be misunderstood, to let go, and ultimately to face yourself.

A compelling and weirdly comforting read that now ranks among my favourites.

 

What are you reading?

 

For the Love of Books #11

I often think dystopian fiction is a great tool for looking at those uncomfortable truths and predicting what might be if we continue down certain paths. With the recent COP26, it feels timely to mention two reads that serve as a cautionary tale to climate change and the socio-political fallout that brings.

This Is Our Undoing by Lorraine Wilson

This is our Undoing is speculative fiction interspersed with mystery, cli-fi, alternate futures, and a sprinkling of the supernatural. In a near future Europe fracturing under climate change and far-right politics, Biologist Lina Stephenson works in the remote Rila Mountains safely away from London State. A fugitive from her former life, her father persuaded her to get out. Now she is protected by the local militia after signing over citizenship. But following the assassination of a London minister, Lina’s name comes into question, threatening the safety of herself and her family. And to make matters worse, she is trapped with the dead man’s family.

So begins this complex, intricately woven tale, written in the third person although told primarily from Lina’s perspective. The cast is diverse, each battling events greater than themselves. As entwined personal histories are revealed, the characters are left wondering who they can trust and the readers are left wondering who is a reliable witness, making for a compelling plot. A character I particularly enjoyed was a mysterious young boy, Kai, who Lina is inexplicably drawn to. I was left wanting to know more about the boy who fights monsters, but parts of the mystery remain just beyond our reach, leaving space in the narrative for the reader to draw their own conclusions. I also loved the remote mountainous setting and Lina’s role as a biologist studying the conservation of biodiversity. The rich descriptions of place and wildlife were beautifully told, offering an immersive and atmospheric experience that I didn’t want to end. Yet despite the vast landscape the sense of claustrophobia and tensions grow, as the ultimate question is posed: who might you condemn to save another?

O Man of Clay by Eliza Mood

“They said sea level would rise one day when the polar caps melted and fell into the sea but this was not the future, it was now.”

O Man of Clay offers a dystopian future with a cautionary tale of climate change. After the tsunami hits Eastern England, Scotland, Denmark and the Netherlands, it brings it close to home with Hartlepool as the setting. For those of us in the UK, having a local feel adds power to the message, and the story pulls no punches with the bleakness of that message.

As the walls goes up, three teenagers face being trapped in the flooded zone: Zoe, from Hartlepool, haunted by all she has lost, collecting fragments of humanity in her treasure tin; Volk, a refugee from a Soviet prison colony; and Alma. The present day is woven into each of the character’s pasts, and for me, Alma’s backstory was one I particularly enjoyed. Her ancestors are Buryats, consisting of Evenki hunters and Mongol herders who lived on the shores of Bailgal Nuur. The mythologies and beliefs of an indigenous people are beautifully told, highlighting voices often marginalised but with the most to say and the deepest connections to the natural world and all that is at stake.

I found the story to be a slow burn with literary merit, rather than a fast-paced thriller/adventure. There is huge depth to the prose that meanders with the interlinking past and present, that feel like well-investigated snap shots in time. Time is running out, and while some survivors search for a way to live, others look for ways to die, in a story that reveals the depth, harshness and beauty of humanity and the life we all stand to lose.

What are you reading?

 

For the Love of Books #10

A drizzly grey day brings the promise of Autumn, and with Halloween approaching, I’m thinking ghosts and ghouls and fantastical monsters on the reading list.

Fledgling by Octavia Butler

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The Warder: Review

I often think there are two pillars we seek to accomplish as published writers. The first is to see our work in print. That moment of finally holding a copy of a book you wrote is pure joy. In my case, the writing journey takes years and many sleepless nights, especially in the planning stage. I am no stranger to scribbling ideas at 1am, getting thoughts down before they escape me, resolving those sticky plot holes. The sentences flow, some days a trickle, others a downpour, fleshing out the characters and the world, bringing it to life until it really does take on a life of its own. And just when you think you’re there, there are edits and more edits, and always more edits. So yes, years later, bound in its signature cover, holding that book for the first time is joy.

The second pillar is to discover that your story connects with readers. I love my characters and it means the world to me that others do too. It’s always wonderful to hear that these worlds I create are understood and embraced, and that a character’s hopes, dreams, struggles and aspirations touch on emotion and affect readers on a personal level. Stories have always been a form of communication, and I love to hear what messages readers take from mine.

As someone who deals in words, it can be surprisingly difficult to take a step back and give a succinct response to the common question, ‘What is the book about?’ Thank you to all those who take the time to share their thoughts. One book reviewer recently published a review of The Warder, which made my day!

‘This book was worth the wait and more. The Warder is the sequel to one of my favourite books of 2018, Return of the Mantra.’

Phew! The Warder has a different vibe to Return of the Mantra, and with that comes nerves on how it might be received. I introduce a new character, Luna, a complex girl through which hidden powers are revealed.

‘I wasn’t sure Susie would be able to increase the enthusiasm I had for her characters, and her world. However, she left me reeling after a couple of pages as I was drawn back into this African inspired fantasy. The way Susie was able to expand her world without slowing down the narrative was a masterclass in worldbuilding.’

And on Luna – ‘The development of her powers during the narrative is handled with a sensitivity I haven’t read in fantasy before.’

‘This book is a charming story of loss, love and finding yourself in the most unexpected places. It is epic fantasy with a heart that will leave you scarred, but begging for more.’

Fortunately, there will be more with Blood Gift Chronicles Book 3.

Click here for full review – The Warder

Click here for full review – Return of the Mantra

Happy Reading!

 

 

For the Love of Books #8

It’s the month of Pride, and for the second year running, colourful parades are cancelled. To mark the occasion, I have two SFF book reviews with references to the Pride community.

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The Warder – one month on

It’s approaching a month since the release of The Warder, and it has been a busy, few weeks, chatting with Devon Book Club, and appearing as a guest on Sarah Ash’s blogsite. Easter weekend was spent attending a virtual SFF convention from the comfort of my writing room. Convention days go by in a flurry, with the chance to meet writers and readers, be introduced to new work, and chat through an eclectic mix of topics that exposes what a fascinating and wide-ranging genre this is. At the end we are all left tired and inspired.

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