July 2024 Doings!

Hello, everyone! July  has been a busy and exciting month — but, you know, in a very good (if also very tiring) way. The big news of the month has already been going around the internet, but it bears repeating one more time, and there's plenty more to say, so let's get going!

Writing!

• If you missed the big news: Song of the Selkies won not just the fantasy novel category of the Realm Awards but also the Book of the Year award! I did not expect this at all (not in a "I don't think I deserve it" way, more in a "This seems like such a huge dream that I forgot it was possible" way), but needless to say, I'm thrilled and delighted. I'm also glad I could actually be at the awards ceremony to receive the award in person — it was an incredible night (but more on that later).
• Outside of that (very exciting) news, I don't have a lot to report. I didn't do much writing this month until this past week when I started edits on Onora's story, but that's not a bad thing. It was nice to take some time off from big projects to enjoy Realm Makers and see family and friends. I did dabble a little on assorted small projects, just for fun, and I worked on D&D writing, but that's about it.
• I did put together the cover for Onora's story, though! It was a bit of a headache to find decent images and put them together, but I finally got something I'm satisfied with (thanks in part to help from a friend who was able to diagnose where my problems were when I was stuck). Keep an eye out in the next month or so for the cover reveal!

Reading!

• This was a little bit of a lighter reading month — though that tends to be a side-effect of travel.
• The highlight of the month was definitely City of Serpents, the latest Secrets of Ormdale novel! I posted my thoughts on this book earlier this month, but to sum up, I loved spending more time with established characters and meeting new ones, and the story was excellent as ever.
• I spent a lot of the month reading three different anthologies: Unexpected Encounters of the Draconic Kind, Wags, Woofs, and Wonders, and DOSA Files Volume 1. I like anthologies for busy months, as it's easier to find a good stopping point and still feel satisfied, and all three of these contained some excellent stories. I mean, yes, I'm a little biased on two of them, but still . . .
• My other new-to-me reads were The Adventure Zone: The Eleventh Hour, The Lost World, and Down with the Prince. Surprisingly, The Lost World was my favorite of these — it's an adventure story by Arthur Conan Doyle about an expedition to a remote region where dinosaurs haven't died out, and while I can see why it's not as well-known as Sherlock Holmes, it was still exciting and a generally fun read. The Eleventh Hour was also good, with a nice balance of humor and really hard-hitting feels. Down With the Prince . . . I may have set my hopes a little too high with this one; the blurb and general vibes seemed really promising, but I didn't jive with certain aspects of the story, and I also think the prose could've benefited from another editing pass.
• Finally, I'm continuing to enjoy Dracula via Dracula Daily and various Sherlock Holmes stories via Letters from Watson. I haven't consistently done a good job keeping up with all my books-by-email subscriptions, but I still say it's an excellent way to read the classics.

 Watching & Playing!

• I have finally seen The Mummy (1999)! I kept hearing so many good things about this movie — first from my college roommate, then from various corners of the internet — but as has been established, I am really bad about actually watching movies, regardless of how much I want to see them. I also really wanted to see it with my former roommate if I could, since I knew how much she loved it. So, when I visited her on my way to Realm Makers and we were looking for something to watch, I suggested this, and she and her family enthusiastically agreed.
• Having now watched it, I see why so many people love it so much! I don't think it's my new favorite movie, but I would definitely watch it again. Evie, Rick, and Jonathan are all excellent protagonists — Rick especially. He has a very sensible approach to things, y'know? And you have to love the snark. As far as the story goes, I enjoyed that as well. There were a few bits when I had to shut my eyes or look away from the screen (mostly some of the bug scenes), but overall, it was a good time.
• My family also watched The Music Man for Independence Day (well, a few days after Independence Day, but it still counts). I don't have much to say about it other than I still love this movie.
• As far as podcasts and gaming . . . nothing much to report. I'm still mostly listening to Dracula Daily and Lateral, with the occasional episode of E.A. Hendryx's Productivity and Prose podcast thrown in for variety's sake. And I continue to thoroughly enjoy Honkai Star Rail! July's gaming time was mostly spent on story-relevant sidequests, but I finally started the Penacony storyline (the third or fourth chapter of the main story, depending on how you classify the beginning of the game) this past week. I have heard many, many things about this quest and setting, and I am simultaneously nervous and excited. I have enjoyed what I've played so far, though, even if I'm kind of side-eyeing everyone.

 Life!

• The big event of July, of course, was Realm Makers — and because my sister and several of my friends live halfway between me and the conference, I decided to visit them for a few days, turning my conference journey into a just-over-a-week-long trip.
• I spent the first couple days of the trip at my college roommate's house, visiting with her and playing lots of Sentinels of the Multiverse. We haven't really played Sentinels since my sister moved out, so this was a very good time. This is also when I watched The Mummy, as I mentioned earlier.
• From there, I drove down to my sister's house and stayed there for a few more very busy days. I visited her church, joined in her weekly dinner with her friends, and got to put faces to many names that I'd heard frequently. We also visited some family and had a game-and-cheese night with a couple of my D&D friends, which was a delight. We did find some time to just chill together, though, and I really appreciated that.
• Then, on Wednesday, I repacked my stuff and set off for St. Louis! For whatever reason, that drive felt so much longer than the drive out to my roommate's and sister's area had, even though it was about the same length or a little shorter. (I'm going to guess that it's because it was a really boring drive. I like driving in Ohio, but once you get further west, it kinda turned into a whole lot of nothing.) I made it to the hotel, however, and met up with Wyn Owens, with whom I was once again rooming for the conference. Despite both of us being tired from travel, we had a grand time chatting with each other and with assorted others we bumped into.
• The conference properly started Thursday evening with a keynote from Allen Arnold, which was really good. The highlight of the day, however, was getting to help playtest an SVR-themed tabletop roleplaying game that H.L. Burke is developing — she ran a one-shot (set at a writers' conference, naturally), and we had a whole crew of heroes assembled to save the authors from the villain, the dreaded Red Pen (who does not believe in the Oxford comma). The game was chaotic, to say the least, but it was a lot of fun, and we did successfully save the day!
• Friday night was the Awards Banquet, which was amazing . . . and not just for the obvious reasons. I went in costume, of course, though I didn't go as a specific character. I was the Lady Dragon Keeper, which basically means I had a medieval-y dress and some of the dragons my sister has made me, including a new one that attaches to the shoulder of my dress with magnets. The costume wasn't elaborate, but it served its main purposes, which was to show off the dragons and let me tell others how cool my sister is.
• I did not participate in the costume contest, but Wyn did, wearing a Princess Zelda cosplay that featured a very impressive dragon puppet . . . that actually moved. Because her arm was inside it. She had a separate fake arm and everything; it was very convincing. I mean, I saw her put the costume on, and I still had to do double-takes all evening! She was one of the five finalists called up on stage for the Best Costume cheer-off, and after the first round of cheers, the MCs could only narrow it down to a top three, of which she was one. What was meant as a tiebreaker round after that only confirmed the tie, so the MCs then announced that there would be a third try, but this time, everyone could only cheer for one costume. This time, there was enough difference that the MCs could determine a winner: Wyn and her Zelda costume!
• After that excitement, we moved straight into the book awards. I was a lot less nervous this year than last year, but I still was feeling a little anxious as we approached the Fantasy Novel category (which was the fourth-to-last category to be announced). I spend a lot of time around these awards trying to talk down my chances, so when they announced the second-place winner and it wasn't Song of the Selkies, I told myself that I was probably just a finalist but that even that was amazing . . . and then Scott Minor, reading the first line of the winning book, said "As betrothal ceremonies go," Wyn screamed quietly, and I had a delighted realization that I was not just a finalist.
• Walking back (somewhat in a daze) from the stage, I briefly realized "I guess this means I'm technically eligible for the Book of the Year award; that's wild." Of course, I knew there were a lot of other amazing books also winning awards, so my chances still seemed pretty slim — and they seemed slimmer still when Scott reminded those gathered that some second-place winners would might be Book of the Year finalists simply because of how many points they'd earned.
• Then, two books into the finalist list, he announced "Song of the Selkies, by Sarah Pennington, Independently Published," and I had another "Oh. Oh MY," moment. Still, even a finalist position was more than I'd expected — and when he announced Suspended in the Stars by E.A. Hendryx as another finalist a moment later, I felt like I had a pretty good idea who was going to win. If I got second place, that would be incredible.
• He announced the second-place winner — not me. I thought "Well, Book of the Year finalist and Best Fantasy Novel is still amazing, and I am very excited for Emilie. Her book sounds awesome; I'm sure she's earned this."
• And then Scott read the first few words of the Book of the Year's first line: "As betrothal ceremonies go . . ."
• Wyn screamed (quietly, again).
• I attempted to process the fact that something I didn't even think was a possibility had just happened.
• Somehow I made it back on the stage. It was probably very obvious to everyone that I was very flustered and more than a little in shock, but hopefully it was also very obvious that I was delighted and surprised.
• It was a very good night.
• All that said, the awards were not actually the best part of the conference — the best part was spending time with friends, chatting about life, books, and whatever else came up, and getting to actually hug all the people I want to be able to hug the other 360 days of the year that aren't Realm Makers or RM-adjacent. To that end, I actually ended up skipping a few of the sessions so I would have more time to spend talking to people (and so I wouldn't have to rush through lunch one of the days).
• The sessions I did attend were very good, though. Allen Arnold's "Slaying the Seven-Headed Story Beast" was less craft-focused than what I normally do, but it was very insightful and helpful. I was a little worried after the first session, which hit on an insecurity I was struggling a lot with at the beginning of the year, but the last session kind of gave me . . . I'm not sure if it was a push in a particular direction, a sign that a couple things I've been thinking about doing (or not doing) were ok, or both, but whatever it was, it was good.
• Less good: the journey back from the conference, which involved two eight-hour driving days in a row. That was very long and very tiring, especially since I didn't sleep much Saturday night, I got a later-than-ideal start on Sunday, and it rained all day Monday (when I was going through the mountains). Next year, I'm going to break up the drive a little better and give myself more of a break between travel days. Still, I made it home in one piece, and for that, I'm grateful.
• This post is already long, so I'll make the recap of the rest of the month quick. Work has generally been quiet, especially since people have been out of the office most of the month. My family celebrated Independence Day with our Bible study, as usual, enjoying smoked pulled pork barbecue and the televised DC fireworks. The following week, I made cornmeal cookies from B. Dylan Hollis's video, but they did not turn out as intended — they spread a lot. I do not think I will repeat that particular recipe. On the crafting front, I finished the embroidery on both my Cosmere pin hoop and a Schlock Mercenary pin hoop; now I just need to assemble them into their final forms. I'm generally pleased with how both have turned out. Now I'm back to crocheting creatures.
• And that wraps it up! It's been a busy month, but a very good one.

August Plans

• We're back to working on Onora's story! I will be spending all month editing. Joy. (This is my least favorite part of the writing process.) Thankfully, my beta readers have all given me really good feedback, and I am very appreciative . . . but that does not make me any more excited about having to figure out how to implement it. Ah well. I will survive, and both the story and I will be the better for it. I think we should also be getting a cover reveal sometime this month, so keep an eye out for that!
• Work is getting busier again as we move towards fall and the accompanying flurry of events. We're doing something different (to me) for the fall kickoff event, and I am a little bit nervous about that, but I'm trying to be optimistic. If it goes well and has the desired result (more people volunteering instead of the same half-dozen people doing everything), it'll provide a big improvement for all the ministry staff and current volunteers, so . . . hopefully it goes well. It's not until September, but a lot of the prep is happening now.
• I should be back to blogging this month, if all goes well. I also need to get busy on the next D&D adventure, since we'll need at least the first part of it in a couple weeks.
• I will not be starting a new grad school class this month, as I've decided to only do one class this semester. While that will delay my finishing date a little, it'll also allow me to focus more of my energy on my next book release instead of splitting my attention and stressing myself out. For the record, this decision is part of how I'm implementing what I learned in Allen Arnold's Story Beast talks — he had a lot to say about the lure of busy-ness and the dangers of trying to do too many good things, and that resonated a lot. My intention is wait on the class so I can get Onora's story finished and finished well, and then scale back to a lighter writing schedule in October so I can give the class the attention it deserves. (I do still need to figure out what class that's going to be and register for it, though.)

How was your July? Any plans for August? Were you at Realm Makers (and if so, what was your favorite part)? How well do you handle long drives? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

 

Happy St. Patrick's Day, everyone! Spring is nearly here, and that means it's time for another roundup of newly-releasing reads. This season's list is very much dominated by a particular author, but it also has so many books that I'm excited for, so let's take a look at what we have to look forward to. As usual, I'm sharing my full list here, but if you want the short version, you can hop over to Light and Shadows.

Spring 2023 Reads

1. Dark Clouds by Suzannah Rowntree (March 23). This book releases next Thursday, but I devoured my ARC within days of receiving it, and it is SO GOOD, y'all. There's heists and humor and heart (and Leverage vibes), we get to properly meet Molly's sisters, Vasily is back and has a rival this time (in more ways than one) . . . it's pretty much everything you could possibly want in a book of this kind. Keep an eye out for my full review next week — or you can still preorder the ebook now.

2. Secret Project #2 by Brandon Sanderson (April 1). I haven't actually read the first secret project (Tress) because there were delays with the hardback and I'm waiting for that to get to my house. Nonetheless, I am excited for Secret Project #2. From what I read in the sample first chapter, it seemed pretty good. It's not the Secret Project I'm most looking forward to, since it's the only non-Cosmere one, but it should be a fun read and an interesting twist on portal fantasy. It seems Dark Lord of Derkholm-ish, but I'm hoping I'll like Sanderson's execution of the concept better than Jones's. (Dark Lord, for the record, is not my favorite DWJ book, but I do like the concept a lot.)

3. Austen Fairy Tale Box Set 1 by Kendra E. Ardnek (April 21). This isn't actually a new book, but it is a new release, so . . . I'm including it. Kendra is releasing the first three Austen Fairy Tale novels in one volume — which is currently on an ebook preorder special of $3.99, only a little more than a single installment in the series would be. If you've been eying this series, now's a great time to get three books for (basically) the price of one!

4. Behind Closed Doors by W.R. Gingell (May 15). Athelas's spinoff series continues! A Whisker Behind, the first in the series, was excellent, and I'm excited to see more of our favorite lavender-grey fae, as well as his new crop of housemates. YeoWoo is a stellar counterpart to Athelas — able to see past his facade and affectations, and delightfully straightforward even when she's scheming — and I'm also quite curious about Camellia and what she might be hiding behind her sunshine exterior. Hopefully this book will start giving us some hints on that.

5. Tide and Scale Anthology (May 16). The blurb for this anthology promises stories "filled with pirates and mermaids on journeys from the depths of the sea to the far reaches of space," so I have two reasons to be excited. The first, of course, is the possibility of space pirates (!!!), a trope that I can almost always get behind. The second is the fact that I have inside info that one Wyn Estelle Owens has a mermaid story in here, and I absolutely cannot wait to read it.

6. Snow Quest Like Home by Kendra E. Ardnek (May 22). After a few years away, we're returning to Bookania! Snow Quest is the first release in Kendra's Beastly Curses solo multi-release (because releasing five of your own retellings of the same fairytale at once is probably the ultimate Kendra E. Ardnek move). It combines The Snow Queen with Beauty and the Beast and a few other tales, and it shifts the spotlight from Robin and Eric to Samson, Madeleine, and Push Au Kim — though, never fear, our original heroes still have their parts to play. I think Snow Queen and Beauty and the Beast are a highly underrated pairing — the sort of mashup I wish I'd thought of myself — and I'm excited to see what Kendra does with it.

7. Fairer Than Beauty by Kendra E. Ardnek (May 23). The second Beastly Curses release! This is another of Kendra's Twists of Adventure, and it sort of combines Fairer Than a Fairy with Beauty and the Beast . . . except not exactly. I beta read this one, and I can confirm it's a pretty interesting twist on the tale of Beauty and the Beast — plus, it has a variation on the "characters know they're in a story" trope that I quite like. I'd definitely say it's worth picking up!

8. Thornrose Estate by Kendra E. Ardnek (May 26). We're skipping the third and fourth Beastly Curses releases (Superheroes Don't Prowl at Night and The Dragon) because (A) they're not on Amazon or Goodreads yet and (B) I don't know enough about either of them to be properly excited. But I am looking forward to Thornrose Estate, which blends Beauty and the Beast with Northhanger Abbey in a move that I think is quite inspired (even if it makes me worried for some of my favorite characters). But besides the merits of the story concept, I'm very eager to find out what happens next after Snowfield Palace left us in such a state of suspense!

So, yes — Suzannah Rowntree, Brandon Sanderson, W.R. Gingell, Wyn Estelle Owens, and a whole slew of Kendra E. Arndek stories all in one season? I am going to be a very happy reader, assuming all the things I need to do that aren't reading don't kill me via stress and lack of sleep. What book releases are you excited for this spring? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

 

Winter 2022–2023 Reads

Oh, look, a seasonal post is going up on time! In fact, it's going up early! Though not as early as it would have had I not realized that last Friday was, in fact, December 9, not December 16. (This is what they don't tell you about working at a church, y'all! You kind of end up living in two weeks at once, especially around the holidays.) Anyway. This winter has some releases I am immensely excited about — but before I get into that, don't forget that there's still time to preorder Through a Shattered Glass (and the rest of the Broken Mirrors releases) and request your set of character art stickers! Ok, advertising aside, let's get on with this season's most exciting (to me) releases.

Friday 5s: Winter 2022–2023 Reads

1. Illuminare by Bryn Shutt (December 9). I've actually already read this one — I did so within a few days of its release — and quite enjoyed it. The author promotes it as a readalike for Discworld and Six of Crows, and I could definitely pick up the influence of both of those series. Also, I vibed quite a lot with Desmond Edenry, arguably the main main character. Definitely a book I'd recommend.

2. Snowfield Palace by Kendra E. Ardnek (December 19). The first of the Broken Mirrors releases and another book I've actually read before writing this post! You'll get my full thoughts come Monday, but suffice it to say that if you liked the rest of the Austen Fairy Tales, you'll love this one — a blend of The Snow Queen with Mansfield Park — just as much.

3. Shattered Reflection by Madisyn Carlin (December 21). The second Broken Mirrors book! I'm probably in the middle of reading this book by the time you read this post — but as of writing, I'm still waiting on my ARC. In any case, I will say that this story sounds fascinating. It sounds like Madisyn will be making the Snow Queen more of a sympathetic character, and I'm excited to see how that works out. I'm also predicting now that Breac is going to end up my favorite character, but we'll see what happens.

4. Of Ice and Roses by Heather M. Elliot (December 22). Another Broken Mirrors release! Again, I'm excited to see what Heather does with the fairy tale. It sounds like we're getting intrigue, prophecies, a quest, and a heroine who starts the book married, all of which hold quite a lot of promise.

5. Through a Shattered Glass by Sarah Pennington (December 23). It's me! And my book! I'm super excited to share Through a Shattered Glass with y'all. I honestly think it's some of my best work . . . and I'm not just saying that because it's essentially an after-the-portal-fantasy story (which I really enjoy) or because I loved getting to revisit Wonderland and give it my own spin (which I did) or because it involves a magical cat in the form of my version of the Cheshire Cat (which it does). Again, there's still time to preorder if you haven't already!

6. Christmas Games by Erudessa Gentian (December 24). This is the final Broken Mirror releasing next week, and while I haven't read the series that this short story is part of, I'm excited to venture into a new world — and a new genre. I tried to write my own trapped-in-a-game story years ago (and failed), so I'm excited to see what Erudessa does with it and how she'll use the Snow Queen elements in a more sci-fi setting.

7. Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson (January 1). Like every other Sanderfan on the planet, I was SO HYPED when Brandon Sanderson announced his Secret Projects. (The man wrote FOUR WHOLE BOOKS without telling us, WHILE working on Stormlight and Mistborn and everything else. HOW.) Tress of the Emerald Sea is probably the installment in the series that I'm most interested in, so I am, of course, very much looking forward to my copy arriving in January. (If you missed the Kickstarter, though, I have heard that the books will be available to buy at some point.)

8. The White Queen's Spell by Wyn Estelle Owens (January 19). This was meant to be the second Broken Mirrors release and the sequel to The Dark King's Curse, but Wyn had to push it back (alas!) due to timing concerns. Granted, I'm an alpha reader on this one, so it's not like I have to wait any longer to read the story than I otherwise would have to . . . but also, what I have read of the story is so good, and I want to talk about it so storming much. Help.

9. The Dragon's Princess by Kendra E. Ardnek (January 19). Kendra keeps sneaking out these short fairy tale retellings that swap the hero and villain. This is actually the third in the series, and it's based on St. George and the Dragon, which is not a legend I see many people retelling. I have a good guess about how Kendra is going to approach this one, but I'm excited to see if I'm right or not.

10. On Earth as It Is in Hell by Bryan Davis (February 3/15). This is the final book in Bryan Davis's Oculus Gate series, which should be exciting. I'm looking forward to seeing these characters one more time and finding out how they're going to get themselves out of the mess we last saw them in — which, if you'd forgotten, had several of the characters plunging into hell, either captured by or in pursuit of a thoroughly evil villain. Fun stuff. Anyway, this is coming in February; release dates are weird because the paperback and the ebook become available on different days. Keep an eye out for my review sometime in that span!

11. A Whisker Behind by W.R. Gingell (February 15). CITY BETWEEN SPINOFF. Not only that, a City Between spinoff focused on Athelas, everyone's favorite twisty lavender-grey fae! Athelas is absolutely my favorite character from the original series, so I cannot begin to express how much I'm looking forward to this. This spinoff also shifts settings from Australia to South Korea, which I think will be cool. But mostly I'm just looking forward to spending more time in the world of Between and Behind.

What book releases are you excited for this winter? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

 

Frosted Roses Release Tour: Interview With Ásbjǫrn

Hello, everyone! It's the fifth day of the Frosted Roses blog tour, which means we're almost to the end. Only two books left — but we've saved one of the best for almost-last, I have to say. Secrets of the Mountain is the latest from Wyn Estelle Owens, and I love it so storming much. Today, I'll be interviewing one of the lead characters, Ásbjǫrn, but first, of course, we need some context . . .

About . . .

Secrets of the Mountain

If there’s one thing Svanhilda has always known, it’s the importance of family. When her little sister Rósfrída was born, Svanhilda promised her mother that she and her sister would stick together. But as the years passed, tragedy after tragedy befell her family, ripping it apart piece by piece, until only Svanhilda remains at home with her ailing mother. And Rósfrída? She has stayed with Svanhilda, as they promised long ago—every time Svanhilda looks at her reflection, she sees her little sister instead, trapped in a prison of mirrors and treasure. Their only hope is that either their seafaring Father or Rósfrída’s strange bear friend might find a way to free her.

Tryggvi lost his mother and father a long, long time ago—so long ago that he barely remembers them. When a boy prince named Asbjǫrn finds him wandering in the woods, he takes Tryggvi home and calls him brother, and his parents welcome Tryggvi as their son. Some years later, Asbjǫrn leaves to study for a year… but he never returns, and is thought dead and gone.
But Tryggvi is convinced his brother still lives--and not without evidence. So, now that he is finally old enough, Tryggvi sets out to find Asbjǫrn, armed with his cat and an amber pendant which enables him to see the truth of things. And he will find out the truth and bring his big brother home. After all, he promised his baby sister he would, and that’s not a promise he’s willing to break.

On the mountain there is a cave, and in the cave there is a mirror, and in that mirror live two friends: a girl and a bear, trapped in secrets, imprisoned by treasures of great worth. But help is coming, and the secret deeds done in darkness will be revealed, and the prisoners will be set free.

Find it on: Amazon || Goodreads

Wyn Estelle Owens

Wyn Estelle Owens is the penname of a young woman who’s still figuring out what this whole ‘adult’ thing is all about. She lives in a big, old house in Maryland by a Hundred Acre Wood (dubbed Neldoreth) with her parents, three occasionally obnoxious brothers, her dog Jackie, and her personal plot bunny, Joker.

She is fond of reading, writing, drawing, speaking in dead or imaginary languages, playing videogames, quoting classic or obscure literature, being randomly dramatic, and generally making things out of yarn. Her dream is to write stories that inspire people to chase after the wonderful world of storytelling.

Her favorite all-time authors are Anne Elisabeth Stengl, Christa Kinde, and above all, J.R.R. Tolkien, who first inspired her to pursuing novel writing when she read the Hobbit at the age of seven.

Find her online at:  Goodreads || Facebook || Amazon

The Frosted Roses

The Frosted Roses are six retellings of the Snow White and Rose Red fairytale, each one fantastical and magical. You don't want to miss any of them! You can learn more about the books and find the full tour schedule on the tour page.

The Frosted Roses are the result of the 2020 Arista Challenge. The Arista Challenge is hosted by Kendra E. Ardnek; it invites fairy tale authors to come together in community as they work on unique retellings of a selected fairy tale.

Interview With Asbjorn

Welcome to the blog, Ásbjǫrn! As usual, to start out, please tell us a little about yourself: who you are, what you do, anything you think we should know.

Hail and well met! I am Ásbjǫrn Ólafsson of the Bjǫrnings, and my father is the king of the Folkbiǫrn. My mother is the Queen, Ljúfvina, and I have two siblings, my brother Tryggvi and a little sister, Dagný. I’ve been away from home for a long time, however, so I just met her for the first time recently.

Aw, it's always hard being away from family. And I've heard that family is very important to you, especially your younger brother, Tryggvi. Can you tell us about him and your relationship with him?

I found Tryggvi in the woods when we were both small. He’d been wandering in the forest for days, eating nuts and berries and roots and such. He had no family, so I took him home and gave him mine instead. I didn’t have any other siblings, so we grew to be very close. As far as my family and I (and our people, for that matter) are concerned, he was born as one of the Bjǫrnings and a Bjǫrning he shall always be.

That's a wonderful perspective to have. What about those outside your family, those you've met since, ah, leaving home? What do you think of them? Anyone you're especially close to?

Well, almost all of my time away was spent on one mountain, which meant I didn’t get to meet very many people. Those I did meet are all amazing in their own ways, however! Little Rósfrída, for instance—though she’s not so little, now—but she stayed brave in a very difficult situation. And Flosi the Bard, who’s traveled a great many places and always has new stories to tell. And Svanhillda… she’s stood as a pillar of strength and kindness, doing her best to be there for each members of her family during a trying time. I find that admirable. I find everything about her admirable, to tell the truth. She was a great friend to me during my time away from home, and I cherish her company greatly.

Those all sound like marvelous people! Now, I'm sure that in a world as magical and marvelous as your own, there are many stories of great heroes and strange adventures. Are there any such legends that you especially enjoy?

My favorite legends? Well, growing up, Tryggvi and I always loved to hear stories about the great princes and kings of the Bjǫrnings; the tale of Prince Býulfr especially!

Recently, however, I made friends with Flosi—an elvish bard who’s traveled far, and he’s told me a great many stories I’d never heard before. Some of my favorites are the legends of the exploits of Flosi’s masters—Funi Austvindr and Refskegg. They’ve gotten tangled up in a great many tales, and all of them are enthralling.

Hmmmm. Those do sound like fascinating characters. I'd love to be able to read some of those tales they've been tangled up in; I'm sure they're as marvelous as your own. Moving on, if you could travel anywhere in the wide world with guaranteed safe return, where would you go?

Hmm… I’d think the first place I’d like to go would be the land across the Sea where the Four Winds dwell. The Austvindr, the East Wind himself lives there, after all, and I hope someday to meet him, and thank him for indirectly providing my brother Tryggvi with his precious heirloom.

Beyond that… I’m not sure. The world is wide, after all, and a part of me wants to explore it all. But the greater part is much happier to be at home, surrounded by my family.

Tryggvi, however—he’s always been a wild one, and I think Flosi’s tales have opened his ears to the wind’s call. But who knows?

The world is indeed wide, but I think you've picked a good place to want to visit. I think that would be an interesting trip myself — though I hardly blame you for wanting to stay home, after all you've been through! What's one thing from your recent adventures that you hope you never forget?

As cliché as it sounds, the friendships I made along the way. My stay away from home wasn’t in what I would consider the most pleasant circumstances, but the kindness of Kiúli and his wife, and of their daughters, made my burden much easier to bear. And, towards the end of my time on that mountain, I met Flosi, who has since become a good friend; I’ve found that even if he rarely stays in one place for very long, he is always there when you need him.

But I think the moment from my adventure that I shall cherish the most, is that moment when I saw Tryggvi again. It was amazing and painful and wonderful, and I never want to forget that as long as I live.

I can imagine. Thank you for your time, Ásbjǫrn, and for answering my questions!

~~~~~

What do you think of Ásbjǫrn? Would you, like him, prefer to be at home with loved ones, or would you rather explore like Tryggvi? Please tell me in the comments! And don't forget to check out the rest of the tour stops and enter the giveaway!
Thanks for reading!

September 26 Tour Stops

Interviews:
Dreams & Dragons -  Asbjorn
Mae Heller - Wyn Estelle Owens

Character Spotlights:
Rachel Rossano - Tryggvi
A Splash of Ink - Svanhilda
Laura A. Grace - Rosfrida

Guest Posts:
Fantastical Notions - Snow White, Rose Red, & Vikings
Ellwyn's Blog - The World of Secrets of the Mountain

Reviews:
The Arista's Directory
Madi's Musings
Novels, Dragons, and Wardrobe Doors
Blooming With Books
The Lost Review of Odd Books + Mini Interview!
Live. Love. Read.
Light and Shadows
Paper, Ink, & Lizard + Mini Interview!

 First things first: Gilded in Ice releases in ONE WEEK! Or less if you're reading this after Friday. HUZZAH! Now I just have to finish the final proof (which would've been finished at least a week ago if I'd gotten my blog posts done when I meant to . . . stupid pneumonia) and write the rest of the seventeen blog posts for which I am in some way responsible and which needed to be posted between this morning and end of day next Saturday. (Ok, in all fairness, I'm only actually writing twelve of them. But still.) If you haven't yet, make sure you preorder the ebook and add it on Goodreads!

Of course, my book is far from the only book coming out this month. There's actually quite a list of shiny-looking new releases coming out this month or in the next two months! My original list had fifteen or so, a notable improvement from summer's somewhat sparse pickings. Of course, in the interest of not spending all night on this post, I've cut it down a little bit. So, what's on the list? Let's find out.

(Quick sidenote first, though: today is the last day to vote in this year's Silmaril Awards! So make sure you take the time to support all your favorite characters! Ok, that's all. On with the post!)

Autumn 2021 Reads

1. The Bones of Ruin by Sarah Raughley (September 7). This maaaaay end up being darker than I like . . . but it does sound really cool. Historical fantasy featuring a tightrope dancer (who apparently dual-wields swords?), a tournament, and the potential end of the world? That's hard to resist, y'all. Let's hope it lives up to what it can be.

2. Rose Petals and Snowflakes by Kendra E. Ardnek (September 25). Our first Frosted Rose! Kendra blends Snow White and Rose Red with Sense and Sensibility, which is not a combo I would've come up with, but is pretty cool. No pun intended. The release date for this one just got moved back a few days, which is unfortunate — but as a beta reader, I can say with confidence that, if you're a fan of Austen or fairy tale retellings, the extra few days are worth it. (You'll have to wait until the tour starts on Monday to get my full review, sorry.)

3. Runaway Lyrics by C.O. Bonham (September 21). Another Frosted Rose that I've actually read already, this time via ARC. (Again, though, I'm not giving away my full thoughts until the tour . . . well, technically I already posted a review on Facebook, but y'know.) We've got steampunkery, two sibling pairs, and music magic, so that's very much worth looking forward to.

4. As Long As We Live by Cortney Manning (September 22). This is the Frosted Rose I know the least about, but it's promsied me fae (including a fae prince in love with a human girl), sisterhood, magic, and treachery, so obviously I'm hyped. Also, Cortney wrote one of my favorite stories in the Five Poisoned Apples collection, so I know she's good.

5. Secrets of the Mountain by Wyn Estelle Owens (September 23). Wyn's stories tend to be full of family, magic, and mingled humor and epicness, so it should be no surprise that Secrets of the Mountain is the Frosted Rose I'm most excited about (other than my own). I loved The Dragon's Flower and The Dark King's Curse, and I'm sure that Secrets of the Mountain is going to be just as awesome. (No pressure or anything, Wyn! Not that I know if you still read my blogs . . .)

6. Gilded in Ice by Sarah Pennington (September 24). Oh, look! It's me! By now, I think that everyone's heard about Gilded, but in case anyone hasn't: it's the sequel to last year's The Midnight Show (though you could probably read it without having read The Midnight Show first if you really wanted to), and it features a semi-magical cat, two cases for Bastian to solve, and lots of sibling banter. 

7. The Bear by Rachel Roden (September 25). I'm really not sure how you pull off a non-magical, Western take on Snow White and Rose Red. But apparently it's a mystery! In the sense that it's about a mystery, not the sense that how it was pulled off is a mystery. And I look forward to finding out how it works out.

8. Once Upon a Broken Heart by Stephanie Garber (September 30). I have mixed feelings about Caraval — mixed enough that I never actually got around to reading the other books in the trilogy. (Maybe I will eventually . . . but not today.) But I know a fae story when I see one (even if they don't explicitly call the Prince of Hearts a fae), and we've got an ill-advised bargain and a curiosity shop, and, ok, yeah, I have a pretty good guess where the story will end up, but how it gets there is (hopefully) going to be delightful.

9. Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson (October 5). AT LAST. Margaret Rogerson returns! I'm excited enough about this that I preordered the OwlCrate special edition — and I never preorder books, much less special editions, so that's saying something. Vespertine sounds deliciously creepy and perfect for the Halloween season — and it's a nomance. I mean, Rogerson does a great job of writing romance, but I love it when authors recognize that not every story needs it and choose to focus on other types of relationship. (Also,can we take a minute to appreciate THAT COVER? Because, wow. I wish I could make covers that gorgeous.)

10. Gothel and the Maiden Prince by W.R. Gingell (October 1). It is a testament to how much I love W.R. Gingell's books that I even get excited about the ones that are marketed as being primarily-romance. (Well, this is romance and fairy tale retelling, but most of the marketing for the Villain's Ever After series seems to emphasize the romance bit.) Gingell has been sharing snippets on her Facebook and Discord, and Lucien and Gothel's dynamic reminds me a lot of Eurion and Carys (from Lady of Weeds), but with the added factor of a Rapunzel who might be more perceptive than Gothel would like? Suffice it to say: I am very excited and will probably devour this rapidly after it becomes available. Not quite as rapidly as I did Between Family, but still.

11. The Sorcerer and the Swan Princess by Lucy Tempest (October 8). I don't know if I'll actually end up reading this one or not? On one hand, I have yet to read Lucy Tempest's books, even though I have several of them on Kindle, and, again, it promises to be romance-heavy. On the other hand, I've never seen a Swan Princess retelling before, and I am immensely curious how they manage to redeem the villain. I think it'll be on Kindle Unlimited, though, so if I don't have to spend money (and if initial reviews are good), I might just give it a chance.

12. Curse of the Midnight King by Yakira Goldsberry (November 9). I just realized that 70% of this list is fairy tale retellings. Wow. Anyway, Curse of the Midnight King is a Twelve Dancing Princesses retelling, so it should be no surprise that I'm excited — but I also have high hopes for a deliciously dark and engaging villain, and maybe some Hades and Persephone vibes? It's going to be great. (And I have an ARC, so I get to read it just as soon as the Frosted Roses and the Silmaril Awards are over!

13. Critical Role: Vox Machina — Kith & Kin by Marieke Nijkamp (November 30). Have I watched the first Critical Role campaign yet? No. Am I likely to watch it anytime soon? Also probably not, unless you use Aslan's definition of "soon." (Not because I don't want to, but I'm still stuck in the middle of Campaign 2 because I am just not vibing with Raini.) Have I gotten attached to Vex and Vax anyway by way of fanart, animatics, and the Critical Role: Origins comics? Yes. Am I probably going to try to read Kith & Kin if I can get my hands on it? Absolutely.

What book releases are you excited for this fall? Do you prefer romances or nomances? And have you voted in the Silmaril Awards yet? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

Five Favorite Fae Tales

 Hello, everyone! It's no secret that I love a good fae/fair folk story, whether it takes the form of a fairy tale retold, an urban fantasy escapade (or mystery), or a classic fantasy adventure. There's just so much to enjoy, from the intrigues of the fae courts to the eccentricities and strong personalities of the fair folk themselves to the dynamics between fae and humans. And because I've been reading quite a few of these kind of stories lately, I thought that I'd take this week to spotlight some of my favorite novels featuring the fair folk. (Also, I haven't done a "favorite ____ books" post in a long time, and I figured it was as good a time as any to remedy that.)

Favorite Fae Tales

1. An Enchantment of Ravens by Margaret Rogerson. Is it weird that my favorite fair folk story is one that, in many ways, deconstructs the fae and reveals the hollowness of their courts and revelry? Maybe, but this is a delicious story anyway (which I really should reread sometime soon). I love the author's take on the fae (wild and beautiful and powerful, but crippled in their inability to create) and the seasonal courts, and I love the characters, human and fae alike.
2. The City Between series by W.R. Gingell. I just shared all the reasons I love the City Between books a couple weeks ago, so I won't repeat myself too much . . . but this series is awesome, full of magnificently dangerous fae and other Behindkind. The interactions between the fae worlds of Behind and Between and the human world are one of the places where the series really shines, though.
3. The Dark King's Curse by Wyn Estelle Owens. Though the fae in this book are far less other than in some stories on this list, it's still an excellent take on the fair folk and the seasonal courts. More importantly, it includes Laisren, who's probably on my top ten list (if not my top five list) for all-time favorite fae characters!
4. The Masked City and The Mortal Word by Genevieve Cogman. I probably could've just included the whole Invisible Library series on this list, but I decided to limit myself to the two books that best showcase the fae of this series. The Invisible Library fae are creatures of chaos, driven by narrative; they shape themselves to an archetypal form and manipulate the world around them to suit the story they wish to tell. I would argue that they're one of the most dangerous versions of the fae on this list — true, Behindkind may be more deadly, but Invisible Library fae are harder to resist. That said, they're also one of the most fascinating fae types I've encountered . . .
5. Tales of Goldstone Wood by Anne Elisabeth Stengl. I was going to narrow this one down to specific books as well (probably Starflower and Shadow Hand), but some of my favorite faerie-central scenes are in other books (notably Moonblood), so . . . yeah. While not always as fae/faerie-centric as some of the books on this list, Goldstone Wood (and, in particular, one faerie cat-bard) is the series that first raised my interest in fae and the fair folk. And I love the author's take on the Wood and the faerie demesnes, which are often as alive and as strong of characters as the faerie folk who dwell in them.

What are your favorite stories of fae and the fair folk? I'd love to get some new recommendations! Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!

2020: Another Year, Another End-of-Year Book Freakout!

I don't know why I still call these round-ups "Book Freakouts." It was the original name of the question set, sure, but the original question set was a tag that I then co-opted and slightly modified so I would have a more interesting end-of-year book roundup than a Top Ten Favorite Reads post. (I mean, I still do a Top Five Favorite Reads post over on Light and Shadows, but it's nice to get a more broad look at the highs, lows, and surprises of the year, y'know?) But in any case, I very rarely actually, y'know, freak out over the books included. Perhaps, come 2021, I will rebrand.

Oh.

Wait a minute.

It is 2021.

HAPPY NEW YEAR, Y'ALL! (Also, don't forget to check out my New Year's Eve story that I posted last night! And check back in a couple days for my 2021 goals post.)

Anyway. Back to the books! We'll keep that rebranding idea on the table, but while we're thinking about what that might look like, let's recap the highs and the lows of my bookish adventures in 2020.

(It occurs to me that if I rebrand, I will have to make new post banners for my recap posts. Though that might not be a horrible thing.)

As per the usual, let's get started with some statistics! I have read a total of 125 books and 36,384 pages this year, 66 of which were read since my Mid-Year Book Freakout. That beats my overall goal of reading 99 books this year by a very respectable amount. I don't have the exact breakdown of genres like some other people do (mostly because I can't be bothered to track everything on Excel/Google Forms and Goodreads), but I'd guess it's a more diverse spread than it has been in other years and that it particularly includes more nonfiction than usual.

As for specific goals, some numbers:

• I beat my goal of reading twelve books outside the spec-fic genres with a total of 17 non-spec-fic reads (15 if you remove the book I was specifically required to read for a class and the Narnia cookbook that I skim-read). A solid fifth of those were some flavor of biography, and the rest were a smattering of mystery, classics, contemporary, science, and some theology/philosophy.
• And for my goal of twelve books written before I was born, I read a total of thirty books that fit that category. Granted, ten of them were in the Redwall series, and a good two-thirds of them were aimed partially or primarily at a similar age group. But it's still quite respectable.

And now that we have the statistics out of the way, let's get specific with the question set!

2020 End-of-Year Book Freakout!

1. Best book you've read in the second half of 2020:

A Morbid Taste for Bones by Ellis Peters

It feels really weird to have a non-speculative-fiction book top my list, but A Morbid Taste for Bones was frankly amazing. As I said in my review, it's like someone distilled the vibes of Robin Hood and Ranger's Apprentice, poured it into a 12th-century monastery, and then added a heaping helping of murder mystery. I haven't read the rest of the series yet because I've been busy trying to work through my extant library stacks, but I'm very excited to.

And now, a few runners-up:

Spindle's End by Robin McKinley

I've been meaning to read this book for quite a while, and I almost bought it at McKay's mid-way through the summer . . . and then didn't because I read the first chapter and wasn't sure if I'd love it. And then I got it from the library. And it was amazing. It's a clever twist on Sleeping Beauty set in an unashamedly, delightfully magical world. There's an emphasis on family and friendship over romance, and it's almost like a Penderwicks-style slice-of-life type story for most of the book (until you get to the end and things come to a head). It's excellent.

(And for those curious: I did find it again at McKay's several months later. So it now sits on my shelf ready to be reread whenever I like.)

The Dark King's Curse by Wyn Estelle Owens

My favorite of the Tattered Slippers releases, this is a delightful, fae-filled retelling of the Twelve Dancing Princesses. It has a very clever take on the seasonal courts and a lovely emphasis on friendships and family without taking the usual route of focusing on the relationships between the sisters. (We actually only really get to know one of the twelve princesses! Which is quite unusual.) The best part of the novel, of course, is Laisren, who is indescribably excellent — the best I can do is to say that he's a magnificent meddler, merry on the surface yet determined and loyal and unyielding beneath, like the best aspects of Mollymauk (Critical Role), Eanrin (Tales of Goldstone Wood), and Rook (An Enchantment of Ravens) all rolled into one and topped off with an actual sense of kingship and responsibility.

2. Best sequel series you've read in the second half of 2020:

I'm changing this question a bit because I didn't read many sequels in this half of the year that I wouldn't also want to mention the book or books that came before. (Or that weren't rereads; there were a fair number of those too.)

The Strange Planet duology by Nathan W. Pyle

I debated a bit about giving this the top spot because it's not really a story, just a compilation of comics. But there are some storylines if you look closely, and these were some of my favorite new-to-me reads of the year, so . . . yeah. Here we are. They're just very clever and enthusiastic and funny and sometimes insightful.

For something with an actual storyline:

The Magus of the Library series by Mitsu Izumi

I read a lot of comics and manga this year, but after the Strange Planet anthologies, this series was the best. It's got a non-European setting (specifically, Middle Eastern-inspired), a heartwarming narrative, and, of course, lots of love for libraries, books, and the magical librarians that tend them.

3. New release you haven't read yet but want to:

Rhythm of War by Brandon Sanderson

Return of the Thief by Megan Whalen Turner

How have I not read these yet? It's called "it took forever for them to come in at the library," crossed with "When I finally got them in at the library, I was in the middle of other books" and a little bit of "When I am already emotionally drained and stretched thin and altogether too busy, it's not a good idea to start a book that, while amazing, will turn all of those things up higher." They're at the top of the list for this month, though. (There's a high chance that, by the time you read this post, I'll already be in the middle of Return).

4. Most anticipated release for next year:

Love and Memory by Kendra E. Ardnek

2021 looks like it's going to be a quieter year, so I don't have anything on the level of Return of the Thief or Rhythm of War to look forward to. I am excited for the Love and Memory release, though. It's going to be good.

Oh, and I'm excited for whatever Wyn Estelle Owens puts out. I don't know exactly what it'll be, but pretty much everything she's posted snippets of in the last few months sounds delightful.

5. Biggest disappointment:

It's a tie between two books in this category.

Crimson Bound by Rosamond Hodge

This wasn't terrible, but it definitely did not meet my expectations. It had a lot of potential and a lot of good reviews from friends, but it got bogged down in the middle by frustrating character decisions and romantic angst. The ending was great; the rest of the story . . . wasn't.

Bloodlust and Bonnets by Emily McGovern

I actually liked this less than Crimson Bound, but I had lower expectations. I'm not sure why I decided to pick it up, in hindsight — my feelings about the author's webcomics are mixed, after all. But I also usually like stories that make fun of common tropes. Just . . . not this one so much.

6. Biggest surprise:

The fact that I haven't read the books in question #3. Or, for that matter, either of the Invisible Library books that came out this year. Or W.R. Gingell's new Two Monarchies novel. But if you want an actual book, here's two:

Poison's Dance by Tricia Mingerink

I had lower expectations for this book going in (I thought I would probably like it, but strongly doubted I'd love it), but then I ended up really enjoying it! It has a nice twist on the Twelve Dancing Princesses, and it's a nomance on top of that! So that was nice. Also, Tamya is just a really great character.

Runner-up in this category:

10 Blind Dates by Ashley Elston

I mentioned this in my most recent Doings! post, but a friend recommended this to me around this time last year and I planned to save it for the Christmas season. Again, I expected to like it but not love it, but honestly, I enjoyed this enough that I'd probably buy it if I found it for a good price. It's fun and has a lot of emphasis on family and friendship and not letting go of what you have and recognizing what's really valuable and less emphasis than I expected on actual romance. (I mean, there is an actual romance in this one, and it's very cute and I ABSOLUTELY shipped it, but it's not 100% of the plot, nor does it overtake the parts of the plot that aren't it. The different themes and aspects support each other as they should in any good book.)

7. Favorite new-to-you author:

E. J. Kitchens! She wrote another of my favorite Tattered Slippers releases, Wrought of Silver and Ravens, and I'm very excited to read the rest of her books.

8. Newest fictional crush/ship:

Allllllll the couples in The Dark King's Curse. Don't ask me to pick one; I can't. They are all delightful in their own wonderful and slightly heartbreaking ways.

(Also, the one that I probably would pick is the most spoilery of the bunch. So there's that. That's also why I'm not naming them all.)

9. Newest favorite character:

LAISREN.

That is all.

Thank you.

(I also really love Siobhra, though. She's a close second.)

10. A book that made you cry:

The Wingfeather Saga books 3-4

Both of these have scenes that would make me cry if I cried at books. That's not a thing I generally do, though, as has been frequently established in these round-up posts.

11. A book that made you happy:

Book of Enchantments by Patricia C. Wrede

This is a really fun short story anthology, and I quite enjoyed pretty much all the stories in it! The last one (which involves an enchanted frying pan) is my favorite, but they're all excellent (and nicely bite-sized).

12. Favorite book to film adaptation you've seen this half of the year:

Little Women is arguably the only book-to-film adaptation I've seen this year that I've watched enough of to consider a favorite. But it would probably be my favorite even if that weren't the case. As I said earlier this week, it handles the source material very well and managed not to mangle my favorite characters' arcs.

13. Favorite post(s) you've done this half of the year:

A few picks:

• I finally made a sequel to my Summer Anytime Reads post and spotlighted some Autumnal Anytime Reads!
• I revisited the Redwall series and reviewed my experience of rereading the series after so long.
• And on my other blog, I hosted the Most Magnificent Dragon category of the Silmaril Awards! And had a lot of fun writing the awards ceremony!
• I also had a lot of fun with my A Day in the Life of Dayo post I did for the Tattered Slippers release tour.

14. Most beautiful book you've bought/received this half of the year:

Behold the beauty of the revamped Wingfeather Saga! (Technically I only bought the second two books this half of the year, but it still counts.) I have hardcovers of all four, but I don't feel like staging a new picture right now.

15. Any other books you want to babble about for any other reason?

I finally read Diana Wynn Jones's Aunt Maria! I've been meaning to for years, since she mentions it very frequently in the essays in Reflections, but I never quite got around to it or got my hands on it. It was . . . interesting? It explores some clever ideas and concepts, and the villain is excellent and of a type not usually seen in fantasy fiction. I didn't quite love some aspects of the writing style, though, and it is one of those books where people are frustratingly non-communicative. I mean, it's mostly for magical reasons, but still.

So! There's my end-of-year book freakout for 2020! I may just switch over to calling it a reading round-up for 2021, but that seems a bit boring . . . well, we've got six months to think about it. We'll see what happens.

What about you? What were your favorite reads of the year? Your biggest surprises (or disappointments)? Also, do you also tend to get behind on books you're really excited for because you have to wait until you're ready to actually enjoy them? Please tell me in the comments!
Thanks for reading!