Tag: Fantasy Book

Connections of a Bookish Kind

In my last post I talked about the importance of reading for writers. It is advice I follow, as seen in my ‘For the Love of Books’ blogs. On my reading journey, every so often I discover an author that stands out for all kinds of reasons, and upon discovering one of their titles, I look for more. Examples include Nnedi Okorafor, Eugen Bacon, Rivers Solomon and Patricia McKillip. To be clear, some of these authors have been around for some time, I just hadn’t been lucky enough to discover them sooner. The most recent example is Sarah Ash, after reading her fantasy novel, Songspinners. Look out for my review on a ‘For the Love of Books’ blog coming soon… I am grateful to have been able to forge a connection with this author, whose titles are many and I look forward to reading more. And I was thrilled to appear as her first guest of 2023 on her website. Click here.

It’s always interesting to uncover the story behind the story, the seed that develops into a whole new portal bound in pages. Small beginnings evolve, and it was wonderful to remember the encounters that developed into the genesis of my fantasy series Blood Gift Chronicles. What earthly sway inspires dragons? What layers do we seek to create to establish culture embodied within our characters. For me, art is one thing: representations and significance of art in the worlds; and narrative that seeks to bring visual scenes to the reader. It’s a train of thought I plan to revisit in the future. I’m in the business of culture, societies, landscapes, seascapes, worlds. My current work in progress is Book 3, an origin story giving closure to the big mysteries, while introducing new characters, a new landscape and a timeslip plot. We are interconnected, the past informs the present, the future is ours for the taking. I think fondly of my characters that I have lived with for so long, as I think of them tackling these life lessons.

Until next time…

Have a great week!

 

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?