Hey'a, everyone! A couple years ago, I reviewed Bryan Davis's Heaven Came Down, the first in the Oculus Gate series of post-apocalyptic fantasy novels. Recently, Mr. Davis was kind enough to pass along an ARC of the latest book in the series, My Soul to Take, which releases today on Amazon. Mr. Davis has said he considers this the best book in the series, and while I'm not sure if I prefer this or Invading Hell, it is pretty great.

Thoughts on My Soul to Take

1. Worldhopping Davis books are the best Davis books. It's no secret that my favorite Davis books tend to be the ones where the characters spend a lot of time hopping world-to-world or dimension-to-dimension — books like Circles of Seven, the Time Echoes series, or the previous Oculus Gate book, Invading Hell. As in that previous book, the storyline is spread over three different worlds, with characters trying to escape one and save two others. It's pretty great.
2. The family element is awesome. One thing I love about Davis books in general is that he often has families — found and natural — working and fighting side-by-side, supporting each other in the direst of circumstances. This book is no exception.
3. The crossover is strong with this one. If you read Invading Hell, you know that the Oculus Gate books fit in the same storyworld as Time Echoes and Reapers. While there were a few crossover elements in that book, the crossover and references are much stronger here, and it was really fun to be able to say "Hey! I recognize that!" That said, if you haven't read the other series (or you've started them and haven't finished them), you can still enjoy this story. Anything you need to know is explained in text. (That said, you should absolutely read Time Echoes. It's great.)
4. You definitely want to reread the previous Oculus Gate books before picking up this one. There are some series where it's easy to just pick up the latest book and fall naturally back into the narrative. Oculus Gate is not one of them, or at least it wasn't for me. While I wasn't outright bewildered at any point, there was more than one instance when I found myself trying to remember who or what something or someone was or whether or not a particular comment was a reference to a past Oculus Gate book or to something that happened in one of the other connected series. A caveat here: I read about 50% of this book after 11 PM (and I finished the book at 3 AM-ish after waking up in the middle of the night because allergies), so my brain was not exactly functioning at top capacity. That said, I do think it has a lot to do with the fact that Heaven Came Down is a rather different story than the other two books in the series — same characters, yes, but very different problems.
5. That ending, though. Obviously, I can't say a ton without giving away spoilers. But I will say that I got to the end of the book and I couldn't believe there weren't more pages — I literally tapped the next page function on my Kindle several times trying to figure out where the rest of the book was because I needed to know what happened next. And that's not a reaction I have terribly often.

On a related note, y'all might want to know that in May, Bryan Davis is having a contest to celebrate twenty years of writing — which, look, y'all. That's super impressive. Anyway, you can earn points by sharing about the books on various social media, and the prizes for those who earn the most points are pretty shiny. Click here for all the details if you want to check it out.

Have you read the Oculus Gate series? If so, which book is your favorite? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah

Hey'a, everyone! For anyone wondering where my the mid-year book recap posts have got to: those will be up next week, no worries. But I have one last book to give thoughts on first: Heaven Came Down, Bryan Davis's latest release and the first book in the Oculus Gate series. You've probably seen my posts about this book on social media of late (because launch team, yay), and if you have, you may also know that I was waaaaaaaaay behind on reading my ARC of this. But I did read it, and now I have thoughts, so let's get to it!

Thoughts on Heaven Came Down

1. Conceptually, the book is super cool. The idea of false "angels" appearing and taking over by promising world peace (and the existence of a rising resistance faction) seems like something that could happen while still being a unique idea. Plus, the angel situation and a lot of the questions raised by it and the book's events were relevant to today's culture and climate without being so on-the-nose that it became unpleasant. (There's a reason I'm not reading contemporary lit, y'all.)
2. It's not a super-techy post-apocalypse/dystopia. Or, at least, it didn't feel as techy as some. I feel like a lot of post-apocalypse/dystopian settings are either SUPER SCI-FI TECHY or else all tech is gone, but this book occupies a very nice middle ground. It feels like what you'd end up with if a few major disasters had occurred between right now and when the book takes place, preventing tech from advancing too much, but not pushing it unrealistically far back.
3. The plot is very twisty. There were new revelations pretty much every few chapters, so that's cool. The last several chapters were basically a constant stream of "OH STORMS. WHAT THE PUMPERNICKEL JUST HAPPENED. WHAT IS GOING ON. OH STARS." But, y'know, in a good way. (Also, I saw next to nothing coming! Also in a good way! So that's great!)
4. I had mixed feelings on the characters. While everyone is reasonably distinct, very few people actually sound distinct, and I had a harder time getting a read on different personalities than I would've liked. Still, I did manage to develop favorites (Jack!!! Also Iona and Leo!!!), so it's not a complete negative. Just something that I think could've been done better.
5. I also have mixed feelings about the ending. It made sense for the story, both in terms of plot and themes, and it wrapped up the book well while still leaving enough questions that you want to get the next one. But it was still like . . . wow. That just happened. And it was kind of sad, to be honest.

Overall, I'd say it was good — not my favorite Bryan Davis book by a long shot, but still good. If you like dystopian, post-apocalyptic action and suspense, I'd recommend it.

Have you read this book yet? What did you think of it? If you haven't, are you planning to? And what do you think about tech in dystopian and post-apocalyptic storeis? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!
-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Magic Mirrors: For Such a Time As This: Why We Need More Cross-Genre Fiction

 

Hey'a, everyone! Day four of the Magic Mirrors tour brings us For Such a Time as This by Heather L.L. Fitzgerald. This retelling blends Snow White and Esther with fantasy, sci-fi, and dystopian elements, which is a combination I never saw coming but am super excited for. That crossover of genres is one of the things I'm most excited for about For Such a Time as This, especially since I wish I knew of more cross-genre fiction in general. I'm going to tell you why in a minute . . . but first, a little about the book and author.

About the Book

Queen Vashti the Fair is not only the wife of King Xerxes, she is also—secretly—an enchantress. But thanks to Haman’s flirting she now has a new distinction: deposed. While Vashti loses perks like her holographic trousseau, Haman continues to enjoy his position as second in command, much to Vashti’s vexation.

Mordecai was once a soldier in the king’s private guard, but has since carved out a self-sufficient life for himself and niece Esther. Although citizens are required to have an identity chip for governmental transactions, he and Esther live off the grid and out of big-government’s greedy reach.

Or so he thought.

When Mordecai’s old nemesis, Haman, turns up demanding Esther’s participation in the king’s upcoming beauty pageant, Mordecai arranges to have her transported to the Vale of Seven Dragons for protection. But not before Esther’s charm makes her a target on Vashti’s radar, as Vashti seeks to undermine the outcome of Xerxes’ hunt for a new queen.

Esther is caught between loyalty to her uncle and fear for her future—whether in the care of dragons or in the palace of the king. Will she be brave enough to embrace her destiny, wherever that may be?
Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

About the Author

Award winning author Heather L.L. FitzGerald writes from her home in Texas, while dreaming of being back in the Pacific Northwest, where she grew up. She is drawn to stories that become good friends--friends you want to revisit--the kind you wish to keep close. Those are the type of novels Heather aspires to write, ones worthy of delicious coffee and a lingering relationship.

The Tethered World was a finalist and The Flaming Sword won the 2017 OCW Cascade Award for Speculative Fiction. So far in 2018 The Genesis Tree has become a finalist for a Realm Award, Selah Award, and an OCW Cascade Award.

Heather's a member of ACFW, Manent Writers, and CAN.

Find her online at: Website || Goodreads || Facebook || Twitter || Newsletter || Instagram || Amazon

Why We Need More Cross-Genre Fiction

Ok, let's get something straight right up front: I have nothing against normal, unblended genres. However, I think that not exploring cross-genre fiction closes off a whole multiverse of unique stories, worlds, characters, and more.

See, here's the thing about "pure" genre fiction: after a while, people just start telling the same story in very similar ways. That's not to say that you can't write unique stories within straight fantasy; just the opposite. Brandon Sanderson's Stormlight Archive, Kendra E. Ardnek's Rizkaland Legends, and Jaye L. Knight's Ilyon Chronicles all fit solidly into specific fantasy subgenres (epic or high fantasy, portal fantasy, and low fantasy, respectively), but no one would accuse them of being cliche or unoriginal. 

However, cross-genre fiction encourages authors to take a new look at whatever basic story they're trying to tell, just like Heather takes a new twist on the tale of Snow White. Whether you blend genres, you create new elements and angles for your story. Brandon Sanderson's first Mistborn book is a great example of this. At its most basic level, Mistborn is just another Overthrow the Evil Empire storyline, with a bonus Chosen One trope hanging out in the background. However, its combination of fantasy, dystopia, and heist genres provide the foundation for all the twists that make it so epic and memorable.

Combining genres will affect all areas of a story, as authors take basic plots, character types, props, and aesthetics from each genre and combine them in unique ways. However, the first and biggest area that combined genres effect is usually the setting. For Such a Time as This, for example, combines sci-fi technology, dystopian conditions, and fantasy magic to create its setting. And Mistborn takes the dreary landscape and strict hierarchy of dystopia, the magic and some technology of fantasy, and the urban environment of heist stories to make Scadriel. And all the other story elements, particularly character and plot, are built on the foundation of those settings.

And, of course, cross-genre stories can just result in some fun situations. If you have magic and high-tech elements in the same story, how do those interact? Do the scientists get mad when magic-users mess with their experiments? Or, if you have a contemporary fantasy heist story, how does your team of thieves deal with a security force that includes dragons, mind-readers, and future-readers? No matter what genres you combine, the possibilities are endless.

What do you think? Are you a fan of cross-genre fiction? Are you excited for For Such a Time as This? Please tell me in the comments! After that, make sure you check out the rest of today's tour posts and enter the giveaway, if you haven't already.

Thanks for reading!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Blog Tour Stops: October 29

Knitted By God's Plan: 7 Reasons to Read

Light and Shadows: 5 Reasons to Read

Dreams and Dragons: The Awesomeness of Biblical Retellings

The Language of Writing: Sneak Peek!

Heather L.L. FitzGerald: Character Spotlight - Fig

Literature Approved: Review

Reality Reflected: Review

Keturah's Korner: Review

The Labyrinth: Character Spotlight - Taliyah

Unicorn Quester: Character Spotlight - Yotham

Selina J. Eckert: Guest Post - Inspiration for Overpowered

Dragonpen Press: Guest Post - What is Overpowered?

 

Or find the full list of stops here.

Bookish Babblings

So. Today's Tuesday, which means I should have a Top Ten Tuesdays post up. However, I have no books to list for this week's topic, so instead I'm just going to talk about books I've been reading recently and books I plan to read soon.

Books I Read

Girl of Fire and Thorns by Rae Carson

I was kind of unsure about this book; I'm not quite sure why. I picked it up at the library one day because I thought I'd heard people say they liked it and I was low on new books. I'm very glad I did. It's a great book, and I enjoyed all the mystery and intrigue. Also, though I had a hard time liking Elisa for some reason, I thought her knowledge and use of strategy was pretty cool. 

The Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

Ok, I admit it- I read this book primarily because I wanted to know who Eugenides is. I definitely wasn't disappointed! Though neither book nor character were quite what I expected, I loved both. The ending caught me very much off-guard, but thinking back, I might've just missed almost all the clues the author dropped. I definitely want to read the rest of the series!

  Dangerous by Shannon Hale

I have always associated Shannon Hale with fairy-tale remakes and stories that feel like fairy-tale remakes. This is neither of those. It is . . .  Well, I can't tell you that. Spoilers. It is pretty exciting, though definitely not Shannon Hale's best. The idea of the book was good, and the main character was a homeschooler who loves science and occasionally quotes poetry to express her feelings, which is cool. However, I thought it seemed a bit rushed, particularly at the beginning. Also, there was too much romance and not enough-world saving, at least in my opinion.

Reapers by Bryan Davis

I'm currently in the middle of reading this book, and I'm not entirely sure what I think about it. It's very different from most of the books I read, including Davis's other books, but that's a good thing. I like the concept of the Reapers, and the main characters seem cool. And this isn't a bad thing, but SO MANY QUESTIONS. Also, Alex is nasty and I want to punch her very hard. I guess the only thing that's really making me uncertain of this book is that something seems off with the pacing.  

Books I Want To Read

A few days ago, I came home from the library with a very full bookbag, and I already had several books waiting for me at home, not to mention several other books on request from the library that hadn't come in yet. So, these are just the highlights.

Crown of Embers by Rae Carson

As I mentioned above, I really enjoyed Girl of Fire and Thorns. I'm very excited to read the sequel (as well as glad I didn't start the trilogy until all the books came out). Elisa's new position is an almost-guarantee for more intrigue (yay!), and the book summary/blurb thing promises that Crown of Embers will be at least as exciting as Girl of Fire and Thorns.

Eyes Wide Open by Ted Dekker
This is another book I picked up more or less on a whim. I haven't read much Dekker in a year or two, but I noticed this one at the library, realized it was new, and thought it sounded interesting. I also have Water Walker out from the library, but I've had Eyes Wide Open longer, so it's probably higher priority. Probably.

The One by Kiera Cass

I'm still waiting for this one to come in at the library, but I'm really looking forward to it. No spoilers from The Elite, but as usual at the end of a second book, the characters are in a terrible mess, and I desperately want to know how they fix it. I also read a sneak peek of The One in a book of Selection short stories/bonus materials, so that got me even more excited. I very much hope America ends up with Maxon. Yes, he has his problems, but he's a great guy. And if she goes with Aspen in the end, there will be yelling on my end.

Mistborn by Brandon Sanderson
This, like The Thief, is a book I keep hearing about and finally got curious to try. Again, I'm still waiting to get my hands on it, but I think it should come in at the library soon. I'm not entirely sure what to expect, but it sounds awesome, possibly on the level of the Blood of Kings trilogy.

Well, there's my bookish news for the week. What about you? Have you been reading anything good lately? What books are you looking forward to reading? Please tell me in the comments!

No galu govad gen!

-Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)

Summer Reading Plans

When I think of summer activities, there are many things that come to me: swimming, biking, writing, and most of all, reading. For as long as I can remember, I've done the summer reading program at my library every year, and if I can find others, I like to do those too. This year, however, I'm doing something I haven't done before: a summer reading list.

Most of the books on my list are ones I haven't read in a year or more and want to make sure I reread sometime relatively soon. There are some new titles on the list, however, and if anyone has suggestions of other books I should add to it, I'd be happy to hear them. I'm always on the lookout for new books to enjoy.

First on my list is The Door Within Trilogy by Wayne Thomas Batson. This was one of the first contemporary Christian fantasy series I read, and when I first started writing, it heavily influenced my stories. However, in the last year, I've been more focused on other Batson books, namely The Tide of Unmaking and his short stories. I'm very much looking forward to returning to the Realm this summer and joining Aidan, Antoinette, and Robby on their adventures once more!

Another trilogy on my list is The White Lion Chronicles by Christopher Hopper. When I first read Rise of the Dibor, I don't think I was really mature enough to appreciate these books, since they're longer and move at a slower pace than most books I was reading at the time. After they were rereleased, I gave them another try and really enjoyed them. However, until now, I never quite got around to rereading them. This is the only series on my list that I've already gotten started on rereading; I just reread Rise of the Dibor last week.

For a change from fantasy to dystopian, I'll be reading Sneak, the second book in the Swipe series by Evan Angler. Though Sneak was released some time ago, my library only recently obtained copies of it. I can hardly wait to read it and find out what in the world is going to happen to Logan, not to mention whether or not my theories about the Mark and such are true. Of course, since Storm just recently came out, and I'm pretty sure my library doesn't have it, I'll be back in the same boat again. Oh well. Such is life.

Back to fantasy! This time, however, the fantasy is a classic. It's a tradition of mine to make sure I read The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings at least once every year. I used to try to do this in either November or May (near either my birthday or half-birthday), since the first time I read The Lord of the Rings was shortly after my birthday some years ago. More recently, however, I decided that summer was the best time to read these books, since I'll have more time to read and therefore I'll be able to enjoy them more. 

Another classic I'll be rereading is Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. I first read this book in September of last year and promptly decided that it was my new favorite non-fantasy classic. I also hope to find another Austen book to read, though I'm not sure which one. I read Sense and Sensibility in January and, though it was fairly good, didn't enjoy it nearly as much as Pride and Prejudice. I'm leaning towards Emma for this summer, but if any fans of Jane Austen's books are reading this, suggestions are more than welcome!

Two weekends ago, I did the Christian Fiction Scavenger Hunt, an online scavenger hunt hosted by thirty-two Christian fiction authors. To complete the scavenger hunt, you had to go from blog to blog and collect all the clues to put together a quote and be entered in a drawing for the prize. Along the way, I discovered a few authors I'd like to try, most notably R. J. Larson, author of Prophet and the rest of the Books of the Infinite series. Her books, which are fantasy set in a world similar to the Biblical time period, looked interesting, so I decided to give them a try. I can hardly wait to find out if they live up to my hopes.

By far the longest series on my reading list is the Redwall series by Brian Jacques. I've read these books several times each since first discovering them, but I've been too busy with other books to read them for some time. This summer, however, I intend to change that. It might take a miracle to get through all of them, however, unless I decide to listen to some of them on cd or such instead of actually reading them. There are, after all, twenty-two books in the series!

Taking second place for longest series on my list is John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, along with its companion series, The Brotherband Chronicles. I've actually read several of these semi-recently (within the last few months), but I decided to put them on my list anyway, since I've been thinking of rereading the two series for a few weeks now.

Cinder by Marissa Meyer is a newer book that I first noticed because two people recommending it in the same day: Jill Williamson in her ABC Reading Challenge and Emma, a friend of mine from WI. Cinder is a Cinderella remake set in a sci-fi/dystopian-type setting, which I thought sounded interesting. After asking both Emma and a lady at my church (who's recommended several other fairy-tale remakes to me) for more details, I decided to go ahead and add it to my reading list.

Another dystopian series on my list is The Cantral Chronicles by Amanda Davis. Like The White Lion Chronicles, I haven't quite gotten around to rereading the books in this series since around the time they first came out. In this case, however, that's mostly because I'd have to borrow the first book from a friend. I'm hoping she'll be ok with me borrowing it, since I remember really enjoying The Cantral Chronicles the first time I read them.

The last book or book series on my list? That's still a bit of a mystery. A friend of mine (who's pointed me towards many of my favorite authors and books) suggested that I try reading something by Shannon Hale. However, I'm not sure where to start. I know she wrote The Goose Girl, as well as the Princess Academy series and a whole lot of other books. (The library has twenty-two items by her, though some of those are books on cd, not actual paper-and-ink books.) Has anyone reading this read anything by Shannon Hale? If so, do you have any suggestions of which of her books I should read first, or any of her books I should avoid? Thank you in advance for your advice!

What about you? Do you have any summer reading plans?
Never alone!
- Sarah (Leilani Sunblade)