Peter Orullian: Music Playlist for TRIAL OF INTENTIONS

We have a guest post from Peter Orullian. It’s a collection of some of the music that he thought would represent his latest novel – TRIAL OF INTENTIONS. It’s the second book of the Vault of Heaven series and it’s a dark epic fantasy with a musical magic system – meaning that some of the magic in the books is based upon music. Which is perfect for this guest post, since besides being a writer Peter is also a musician. For more information on Peter Orullian click on this text to read our recent interview with him.

Here Peter shares his thoughts on the songs he’s chosen, along with imbedded YouTube videos. *Please note readers may have to visit the Layers of Thought website to access the videos or link to YouTube to access the music. Enjoy!

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Metal (& More): Playlist for TRIAL OF INTENTIONS

So, I got chatting with Shellie about what I should write for this guest post. And she made a fantastic suggestion: a playlist. And while it’s true I listen to pretty much everything, I’m going mostly metal with this.

Now, I should be clear. I don’t listen to music when I write. Music isn’t a background thing for me. It requires my full attention. And that’s whether it’s vocal music or strictly instrumental. So, by “playlist,” what I really mean is songs that seem to have some natural tie or relevance to TRIAL OF INTENTIONS.

With that said, let’s get going. And note, I’m going to paste in some of the salient lyrics and talk as much as I can about how they create resonance with my book. In some instances, I’ll have to pull back a little to avoid spoilers and stuff in book three—which isn’t even out yet.

First is “Still Water,” by Fates Warning. Check out these lyrics:

Feeling the weight of unseen chains
This routine is growing thin
It's a narrow path that we walk
And the walls are closing in, caving in

Is there room still for us to grow?
Within the bounds we've come to know

Beneath the dust of our days
Hides the key to our emotions
And it's been a while since we've been moved
Without going through the motions, no emotions

Is there time still for us to show?
Feelings, we forgot long ago

Living life in still water
Blinded by what we've become
You get tired of screaming
When you're not reaching anyone

Now, this is most likely commentary on a dead or dying relationship. But, in my series there’s a collection of races sealed inside the Bourne who were sent there rather unjustly by the gods. Simply put: The gods didn’t think these races (called Inveterae) had any real potential, so they bound these races there with other truly vile races. The Inveterae became slaves, for all intents and purposes—“chained.” And at the end of the day, the point of creation--in the world I’ve created—is growth. These races aren’t able to achieve that in the Bourne. So, you can see the relevance of the lyrics. Check out the tune:

Next is Metallica’s “Unforgiven.” I’m one who likes the Black album. And when this particular track is turned way the hell up on good speakers, it’s damned forceful. Consider these lyrics:

New blood joins this earth,
And quickly he's subdued.
Through constant pained disgrace
The young boy learns their rules.

With time the child draws in.
This whipping boy done wrong.
Deprived of all his thoughts
The young man struggles on and on he's known
A vow unto his own,
That never from this day
His will they'll take away.

What I've felt,
What I've known
Never shined through in what I've shown.
Never be.
Never see.
Won't see what might have been.

In the world I’ve created there’s a place known as The Scar. It’s a place left barren by war. And through a series of circumstances, young foundlings and babes are sent there to live with an exile. These are children abandoned by their parents. And their adoptive father, this exile, teaches them hard lessons, and to fight. It’s a tough regimen, and includes learning to distrust people. And many of the children don’t make it. They commit suicide. The emotional weight of their lives—compounded with the dire life in the Scar—simply becomes too much.

 

Let’s reach back now, though, to Black Sabbath and “Children of the Grave.” Here’s a section of the lyrics:

Revolution in their minds - the children start to march
Against the world in which they have to live
And all the hate that's in their hearts
They're tired of being pushed around
And told just what to do

This is most pertinent to the Inveterate I mentioned above. In TRIAL OF INTENTIONS, I have a POV character who is Inveterae. And his primary objective in life it to try and liberate his people from the Bourne.

 

Now let’s talk about Blind Guardian’s “Twilight of the Gods.” As I mentioned above, the gods that put my world in place have abandoned it. And in the absence of these gods, those races sealed behind the Veil are trying to find a way out—and they have an inkling that it might have something to do with the Vault of Heaven (the sky). And by the way, they’ve grown more bitter with the passing of the ages. In fact, most of the peoples of the Eastlands believe these cast off races are evil by nature.

So, with that in mind, check out these lyrics:

How've they dared to be
Such misguided creatures
How've they dared to be
Of such evil nature
Spiral up to doors all sealed
No turning back
Red door to Discordia

Steal the stars
Deceive the day
A sign of evil
They're gone with a final warning

Witness the twilight of the gods
Will they ever return
A storm will take us
And then wipe us out
There's no retreat

 

What playlist would be complete with Maiden, right? This time, I’ll include “Wasted Years.” This song and some of its lyrics have several allusions to my series. One that jumps out at me is this:

So understand
Don't waste your time always searching for those wasted years
Face up, make your stand

The correlation is kind of obvious isn’t it? My character Tahn begins with a loss of memory for his first twelve years of life. And once it’s restored to him, he learns that he spent most of that time in a barren waste. And ultimately, he’s got to go to a place called Tillinghast to make a kind of accounting. With that, enjoy some Maiden.

 

And how about Avenged Sevenfold and their track “This Means War?” Epic fantasy is riddled with conflict. Battles and war are often central to the narrative. My series has a major conflict looming. And one of those who appears to be trying to answer this threat of war is far from a decorated, experienced war hero. Consider these lyrics, then:

No home to call my own
No finding someone new
No one to break the fall
No one to see me through
No name to carry on
No promise for today
No one to hear the call
No tattered flag to raise

 

Next comes Five Finger Death Punch and their track “The Wrong Side of Heaven.” Take a look at these lyrics:

Arms wide open, I stand alone.
I'm no hero, and I'm not made of stone.
Right or wrong, I can hardly tell.
I'm on the wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side of hell.
The wrong side of heaven, and the righteous side, the righteous side of hell.

This describes more than one of my protagonists. Come to that, it also describes some of my antagonists, too. For my purpose today, though, let’s stick with my protagonists. Early in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS, one of my main characters makes an awful choice. It appears to be the right choice, but it can also easily be seen as wrong, or at the very least . . . reprehensible. These situations that challenge conventional definitions of what is moral and right are rich terrain for writers. Plus, the track rocks.

Now let’s turn to Within Temptation. Specifically, let’s look at their track “And We Run.” I’m one of those who digs the collaboration here with Xzibit. But regardless, read this:

It burns into your heart
The darkness that you fear
You were never free
And you never realized

Take your breath
'Till nothing's left
Scars of life
Upon your chest
And I know
Wherever it goes

And we run
With a lonely heart
And we run, for this killing love
And we run, 'till the heavens above

This—as some of the other song choices in this playlist—could apply to more than one character or scenario in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS. But maybe the most salient is the character Kett. He’s an Inveterae—one of those unjustly imprisoned in the Bourne. For millennia, his people have lived there. Slaved there. And that bit about “Scars of life upon your chest” . . . that could literally refer to the branding that is done in the Bourne. Without giving too much away, I can tell you Kett wants out. And he wants to liberate his people. Along the way . . . well, let’s just say that the reference to “killing love” is very relevant. As is the whole reference to “heavens above.” I mean, my series is entitled The Vault of Heaven, right?

And, oh man, Stone Sour’s “Tired.” This song hits some chords with my series, and TRIALS OF INTENTIONS, in particular. Have a look at these lyrics:

I just want to watch the whole world burn
Lost a million times and I won't learn
Show me someone innocent, I'll show you there's no proof
I may be gone but I'm no fool

I'm not close
I'm not safe
I don't know
Don't know
Am I better off in chains?

The feeling in these lyrics of being lost, defeated, of wanting to simply see everything go up in flames because things seem hopeless . . . all that very much applies to the Children of the Scar (the orphans raised in a waste that I mentioned above), as well as those living inside the Bourne.

But let’s tackle it straight on with Devin Townsend’s “Suicide.” Check out these lyrics:

So I hide my internal suicide
All my pride just to keep it inside...
KEEP IT INSIDE BOY!!!
suffer...

I deal with the topic of Suicide in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS, since young kids living in the Scar often make this choice. Their lives seem so hopeless. And not to put too fine a point on it, I recently had a friend make this choice. It affected me. It affected the book. I didn’t know my friend was suffering. He never said anything to me. So, this one hits home.

 

By the way, I also could have included “Life” by Townsend. But I’ll save it for now. If you do go listen to it, though, you’ll see what I mean.

Next let’s take a look at DGM and their track “Reason.” Great band doing some great things. To get into the relevance, first read these lyrics:

I can't be there 'cause I run out of energy
If you could only see
Trying my best to convince you that
I don't mind

There's nowhere to run
Reason is calling
No more pretending
This time it's coming the end
Coming the end

There are several saliencies in this bit of text. First, one of the magical classes in my world are called Sheason. Quite literally when they use Resonance (the magical principle in my world), they are left depleted of their life’s energy. But at a higher level, Vendanj (the Sheason in my story) is trying to convince individuals and nations that the threat from the Bourne is real. It’s not a myth. And the invasion they face is world-altering. A final end.

Okay, let’s move back to the Children of the Scar with Disturbed and their album The Lost Children. On that record, they have a track entitled “Hell.” Now, check out these lyrics:

Read me tonight, when the warnings said leave a shudder upon you
Running from all that you feared in your life
Soul of the night, when the sun mislead paint a horror upon you
Marking the moment, displaying in my ghost of a life!
And I can't get round the way you left me out in the open
To leave me to die!
So how can I, forget the way you lead me through the path into Heaven
To leave me behind!

Now I can't stay behind
Save me, from wreaking my vengeance
Upon you, too chilling more than I can tell
Burning, now I bring you Hell

Where do I start. First, you may recall that the castoffs sent to the Scar are often just babes, who are left in a dead tree. And all these Children of the Scar are ghosts of a kind. On one hand, you now know that many of them choose a way to Heaven, suicide. But for Tahn, he’s on a path to learn more about who he is. And it could make him bitter, if he’s not careful. In fact, this also applies to another of my characters in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS—her name is Wendra, and she has the power of a music magic. These two characters are within their rights to wreak their vengeance for how they were mistreated as youths. There are accounts to settle.

No playlist of mine is complete without Nightwish. And here I’ll use “I Want My Tears Back.” Again, first take a look at these lyrics:

Where is the wonder, where's the awe?
Where's dear Alice knocking on the door?
Where's the trapdoor that takes me there?
Where the real is shattered by a Mad March Hare
Where is the wonder, where's the awe?
Where are the sleepless nights I used to live for?
Before the years take me
I wish to see the lost in me
I want my tears back!
I want my tears back now!
A ballet on a grove
Still growing young all alone
A rag doll, a best friend

These words really hit at what is sad about the Scar and the children sent there. But it equally applies to the children being sold into the Bourne for purposes I’ve not yet revealed yet in the books. The relevance is for children who grow up through compromised childhoods. Through the suffering and tears they miss the best part of what it means to be a child and move on to adulthood. On another level, though, I’ll apply it to characters in my world who may not have had a particularly challenging childhood, and can mourn a simpler time gone by—lost, if you will—when the world wasn’t so hard. And I include “ballet on a grove . . . a rag doll, a best friend,” because of the city of science in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS—it’s called Aubade Grove. And Tahn meets an old friend there from his childhood. Their adventure in the book is among my favorites.

Okay, like Nightwish, Queensryche will appear on any my playlists of mine. Here, I’m including “Neue Regal” (New Rule). This is a haunting tune. A sample of the lyrics:

I will light the way for us to find
Order of a new kind
Join us on the stay the road is mine
Poets line in a rhyme of silence
Gathered from the winter air
Warms the children's eyes they see
The time is near for the signs

Here, there are two immediate relevancies. One is to the Quiet from the Bourne—those who wish to invade the Eastlands, ending their long imprisonment and issuing in a new era in the history of my fantasy world. But maybe the stronger tie with this lyric is the League of Civility, a society given to militant social reform. They aren’t the “bad” guys. In fact, on the face of it, their agenda seems quite reasonable. But their methods to achieve it are not, which includes indoctrinating children to their credo. It’s rather insidious. So, now, listen to Geoff rip.

And one more from Queensryche, “The Mission,” from Operation Mindcrime.

I search the past back to a time
When I was younger
A target for the new society
Picked to displace the leaders
Countering objectives
Of this new underground reality

Waiting for days longer
'til sister comes to wash my sins away
She is the lady that can ease my sorrow
My love for her
Will help me find my way

Uh, did Tate know I would one day write this book? Heh. Consider Tahn trying to reclaim his forgotten youth. Consider that he’s asked to take on a task—not as the chosen one, because others have been asked (and failed)—that puts him in the breech. He’s going to be at odds not just with the Bourne, but with the League of Civility. Not a desirable position. And amidst it all, he’s got two women in his life—a sister, and a stranger he comes to love—to help him. The whole “comes to wash my sins away” would be a huge spoiler if I explained its relevance. But trust me. It’s on point.

 

I also have to include “Eyes of a Stranger.” (Can you tell I like Queensryche?) The germane lyrics:

All alone now
Except for the memories
Of what we had and what we knew
Everytime I try to leave it behind me
I see something that reminds me of you
Every night the dreams return to haunt me
Your rosary wrapped around your throat
I lie awake and sweat, afraid to fall asleep
I see your face looking back at me

And I raise my head and stare
Into the eyes of a stranger
I've always known that the mirror never lies
People always turn away
From the eyes of a stranger
Afraid to know what
Lies behind the stare

Okay, so in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS, right in the prologue, Tahn recalls a tragic moment from his childhood. His memory has been restored to him, and the memories are rushing back. The result of all this is that he realizes he’s not who he thought he was. Not entirely. Yes, what he recalls is at least part of him. But the larger part is foreign, strange. It’s not all bad. But some of it is painful. And the sum total of his remembered past, and some of his recent choices, make him . . . complicated. For some, he’ll be a pariah. For others, a source of hope.

 

Bear with me for another QR selection. This time: “Silent Lucidity.” The lyrics:

There's a place I like to hide
A doorway that I run through in the night
Relax child, you were there
But only didn't realize and you were scared
It's a place where you will learn
To face your fears, retrace the years
And ride the whims of your mind
Commanding in another world
Suddenly you hear and see
This magic new dimension

I- will be watching over you
I- am gonna help you see it through
I- will protect you in the night
I- am smiling next to you, in Silent Lucidity

I wanted to have at least one tune that wasn’t all heavy. This song is good and relevant to Wendra, my character who has lost a child, and tries to help another small boy. Wendra, you may remember, is my character with the powerful music magic ability. She feels a powerful responsibility to those people, kids included, who are being trafficked into the Bourne. She wants to help them. And early in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS, there’s a gentle moment when she sings—not with her unique ability—but just as a mother might. It puts me in mind of this song.

 

Okay, to close out we’ll look at some Dream Theater. Here’s “The Enemy Inside.” Consider these lyrics:

Over and over again
I relive the moment
I'm bearing the burden within
Open wounds hidden under my skin
Pain as real as a cut that bleeds
The face I see every time I try to sleep
Is staring at me crying
I'm running from the enemy inside
Looking for the life I left behind
These suffocating memories are etched upon my mind
And I can't escape from the enemy inside

I'm a burden
I'm a travesty
I'm a prisoner of regret
Between the flashbacks and the violent dreams
I am hanging on the edge
Disaster lurks around the bend
Paradise came to an end
And no magic pill
Can bring it back again

This one really hits on Tahn’s formerly hidden past. As it’s returned to him, it’s challenging for him in many ways. But also, he’s not simply a puppet or slave—either to his past or to those who have designs for his present. He makes his own decisions, and the heartbreaking choices are hard ones. They create new moments of pain to go with memories of friends from his past who he’s lost in many equally painful ways. All of this is hard to escape, because it’s part of him. Still, there’s also a part of his past that was good, and he wants to reclaim that for his life now. Not to mention that it may help in the conflict and threat of invasion that is looming. This is all complicated by Tahn’s murky origins. So much of everything feels tenuous. In the face of it, he pushes forward.

Last, but not least, how about Dream Theater’s “Outcry.” This is a huge, sweeping tune. The lyrics:

The rebel in us all
Something is tired of being pushed around
But freedom has a price
The cost is buried in the ground
We suffered far too long
We gather now
Growing stronger
We will not be ignored
Anymore
Any longer
Our anthem will guide us
Rise up be counted
Stand strong and unite
Wait for the outcry
Resistance is calling tonight

This is a war song. A battle cry. And finally, there are characters and nations in my world who tire of being preyed upon. They stand. Some will fall. Just as others have fallen in the past. But they know they have to try. And part of how they intend to do it is with what I call the Mor Nation Refrains—a set of powerful (magical) war songs. But they have to go to a xenophobic people to ask for their use. Nevertheless, nations are gathering to try and form an alliance to put down this threat once and for all.

 

So, there you have it. You should know that I had to significantly pare this back, just because it was getting hellaciously long. I mean, I cut 56 bands from my initial list. But because I’m having fun doing these articles on music and fantasy (see my metal one on Tor.com, for example), I’ll be doing more and I’ll pick up those 56 bands and more in future articles.

Hope you dig.

Your Rock Lord,

Peter Orullian

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Peter Orullian has worked at Xbox for over a decade, which is good, because he’s a gamer. He’s toured internationally with various bands and been a featured vocalist at major rock and metal festivals, which is good, because he’s a musician. He’s also learned to hold his tongue, because he’s a contrarian. Peter has published several short stories, which he thinks are good. THE UNREMEMBERED and TRIAL OF INTENTIONS are his first novels, which he hopes you will think are good. He lives in Seattle, where it rains all the damn time. He has nothing to say about that.

Visit Peter at www.orullian.com, or follow him at @peterorullian.

About TRIAL OF INTENTIONS: 

The heart of grief lies somewhere between one man’s expectation and another’s intent.

Enemies come. But one enemy believes the gods were wrong about his exiled people. And he’s impatient.

Nations arm. But one man finds a realm paying for its gearworks with an awful currency. And he’s angry.

Politicians lie. But one leader lies because he would end the days of slums and porridge. And he’s ambitious.

Songs restore. But one woman will train to make her rough song a weapon.

And she’s in pain.

Magi influence. But one sage follows not his order’s creed; he follows his heart. And his heart is bitter.

And one young man remembers. He remembers friends who despaired in a place left barren by war. Friends who did self-slaughter. But he also remembers years in a society of science. A gentler place. So he leaves the rest, daring to think he can lead not in battle, but by finding a way to prevent self-slaughter, prevent war.

The heart of grief . . . is a trial of intentions.

Tor Books | May 2015 | Hardcover | 672 pages

Interview: Peter Orullian author of THE UNREMEMBERED

We have an interview with Peter Orullian regarding his series The Vault of Heaven. Below he answers some questions about himself, on how he built the fantasy world contained in THE UNREMEMBERED, and more.

What’s interesting about Peter Orullian is that he’s a musician and a marketing professional as well as a fantasy writer. Below he fills us in regarding this interesting amalgam. Let’s welcome Peter!

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How much of your writing is influenced by your musical abilities?

It’s an interesting question. On the one hand, my fantasy series—The Vault of Heaven—has a magic system based on music. And music is woven into the fabric of entire cultures. And even speech. Beyond all that, music and song matter in the everyday lives of many of my characters.

On another level, I care a lot about the musicality of language. Lyricism. And I try to infuse my writing with my sense of those things. Others will judge if I’m successful, but I’ve had readers and reviewers comment on that, so maybe I’m on the right track.

So, whether explicit or implicit, I think music in fiction matters to me.

Tell us your top three favorite fantasy books and/or authors?

Before I answer, let me set a little context. I’m of the opinion that Fantasy is an umbrella genre under which you have all the “traditional” fantasy subgenres, e.g. epic, sword and sorcery, etc., but also horror and science fiction. Some call it “spec fiction”—short for speculative fiction. It’s related to what Clive Barker calls “the fantastical.”

And while there are certainly writers of epic fantasy and other closely-related subgenres that I like quite well, if you ask me my favorites, then I probably say:

Dan Simmons. Everything he writes. But in particular, Summer of Night is just a beautiful, amazing book. It helped me realize that ten and eleven-year-old protagonists are among my favorite. They still believe in the magic, even as they fight passing into the world of what’s “real.”

Stephen King. King takes a bad rap sometimes because he’s so damn successful. And it’s not that I love every book of his. But students of fiction note his level of craft is startlingly high. And his collection Night Shift changed my life.

Robert Louis Stevenson. Stevenson was the Stephen King of his day, so to speak. And Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde both chilled me, kept me up late reading, and introduced me to the “duality of man” theme, which fascinates me to no end.

When writing, what is your favorite part of the process? Creating the fantasy world? Or do you have any favorite characters that you particularly enjoyed developing?

I think the creation process is most fun. There’s a certain satisfaction in polishing a story into something better than where it started. But those raw ideas that make you have to write them are what get me out of bed at 3:30 a.m. to write each day.

On characters, I love each one for a different reason. That’s hardly an original answer. What I can say, though, is that I think characters are defined more by the difficulties in their lives than their triumphs. To that end, the tortured backstories of my characters, and the painful scenes of their current lives in the books, give me the most satisfaction. Sounds twisted, doesn’t it? But if they outlive these things, whether physical danger or emotional wounds, they become stronger and more sympathetic. I kinda dig that.

What are you trying to show readers when you write your fantasy?

Well, I don’t write “cause” fiction. I’ve no agenda, really. I do happen upon theme, though, but only in hindsight. When I’m done with a story, I can often stare at it and say, “Oh, so that’s interesting. There’s an undercurrent there.” In THE UNREMEMBERED it has a lot to do with choice and consequence. In TRIAL  OF INTENTIONS it has a lot to with intentions.

All that said, with this series—The Vault of Heaven—I did have this notion of using some of what readers might find familiar in fantasy to ease them into my world, but with the deliberate plan to move them toward what I think is unique about my series. As an example, Tahn, one of my main characters, seems at first like an orphan farm boy. (You’ve heard that story, right?) But by the end of THE UNREMEMBERED, you start to realize that’s not the case at all. And in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS you realize nothing could be further from the truth.

The same holds true for the rest of my storylines in the series. I suppose I’m guilty of wanting more people to read fantasy, because I think the genre is a rich one. And I hope my work might just hook a few into giving fantasy a go.

Sell us - why should someone read THE UNREMEMBERED and your soon-to-be-released book 2 of the series, TRIAL OF INTENTIONS?

Hmmm. Well, I’m probably not a great salesman. But I can tell you about some of what I really like about the books.

The music. Music has been done before, of course. Even music magic has been done. But I’ve never seen it done the way I’m doing it, and I’ve had reviewers tell me the same. My music magic system is something I’m rather proud of. And I get a fair amount of email from readers saying how much they like what I’m doing there. So, if you like music, or if you like unique magic systems, you might dig it.

The science. There’s not much of it in THE UNREMEMBERED. But in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS, there’s this whole science thing. I can’t say much without doing spoilers, so I’ll restrain myself. But if you like things like astronomy and physics and math and philosophy and cosmology . . . well, you get the idea.

The war. And not for the reasons you might think. Yes, I have war. And there’s even an entire kingdom who excels at something I call gearworks, creating siege engines and the like—a war nation, if you will. But one of my main characters also spends time (and this is where some of the science comes in) trying to avert war. It was an interesting challenge to write simultaneous plotlines where some are unifying and escalating to war while others are using rational means to try and prevent it from happening in the first place. The discovery process in each of these was a blast to write.

The magic. I’ve mentioned there’s a music magic system. But at a higher level, I spent time devising what I call a “governing dynamic” for my world and magic systems. In other words, you’ll find more than five discreet magic systems in my world (that’s just what I’ve built so far), but they all ladder-up to a unifying set of principles. And primarily it’s what I call: Resonance. It just stood to reason, to me, that a world would have governing laws, akin to celestial mechanics, that indicate how things will work. But also that cultures would tap into those governing laws in their own ways. They might not even all call those governing dynamics the same thing. But readers would be able to look across them all and say, “Yeah, I get it. It’s all operating on the same set of principles.” I dig that idea, too.

The self-slaughter. This is intimated in THE UNREMEMBERED. And in TRIAL OF INTENTIONS it steps into the glare of the spotlight. I deal with suicide somewhat. Not constantly, of course. But there’s a very salient reason for it. And it’s at the emotional heart of one plot thread. It was tough, because I had a friend do this not long ago. Those scenes are raw. But I think they’re honest.

So, that’s a bit about what I think is interesting in the series.

Beyond being a musician, writer and marketing professional - what do you like to do for fun?

Oh, plenty. I love sports. Most of my writer friends don’t. And I even take flack from them for it, but whatever.

I love the mountains. I have a Jeep, and I love going off-roading. Getting up to places other folks can’t. Remote places.

I love astronomy. I’d rather spend time staring at the stars than most other things. That’s just how much I love the night sky.

More than all this, though, I love spending time with my family. Kids are the awesome!

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PETER ORULLIAN has worked in marketing at Xbox for nearly a decade, most recently leading the Music and Entertainment marketing strategy for Xbox LIVE, and has toured as a featured vocalist internationally at major music festivals. He has published several short stories. The Unremembered is his first novel. He lives in Seattle. www.orullian.com.

About the book:

Powerful storytelling. Epic characters. THE UNREMEMBERED has been critically acclaimed, earning starred reviews and glowing praise. But in working on the second book in the series, Peter Orullian realized that some core truth was missing. He found that truth and further realized that to tell the story correctly, he needed to go back. To the very beginning.  For one of the few times in our publishing history, Tor is choosing to relaunch a title in order to honor the author’s vision of a compelling recasting of this epic fantasy series.

The gods who created this world have abandoned it. In their mercy, however, they chained the rogue god—and the monstrous creatures he created to plague mortal kind—in the vast and inhospitable wasteland of the Bourne. The magical Veil that protected humankind for millennia has become weak and creatures of Nightmare have now come through. Those who stand against evil know that only drastic measures will prevent a devastating invasion. Tahn Junell is a hunter blissfully unaware of the dark forces that imperil his world. Then two strangers—an imperious man who wears the sigil of the feared Order of Sheason and a beautiful woman of the legendary Far—come to the Hollows, urging Tahn, his sister and his two best friends to leave. They will not say why, but the journey upon which they embark will change Tahn’s life…and the world…forever.

First released in 2012 THE UNREMEMBERED is now available in Trade Paperback.

Tor Books | April 2015 | Trade Paperback | 480 pages

Review: Elisha Barber by E.C. Ambrose

Review by Shellie for Elisha Barber (Book 1 of The Dark Apostle) by E.C. Ambrose

Shellie’s quick take:  A very readable, thrilling, and lurid historical fantasy set in a dark, medieval world.

Shellie’s description:  Elisha Barber is the main character who carries the title of his profession as his last name. As the title suggest he’s a barber, which during medieval times was a pseudo-doctor of sorts. This immediately brings out horrific and cringe-inducing thoughts; and this book definitely delivers. It is of course gruesome work, but Elisha has the gift of a healer and is not as barbaric as some of the other “doctors” that he is forced to work among.

When the story begins Elisha attempts to assist with the birth of his brother's child. When a tragedy occurs he’s accused of murder and is faced with the choice of working as a surgeon in the King’s war or facing death. When he travels to the battle field, Elisha doesn’t realize that he has powers that are beyond his barbering skills.

Shellie’s thoughts:   First off this book is VERY dark and can be shocking. It has details that can be considered gruesome which may not be to the liking of some readers (so potential readers are forewarned). However, the details are often medical in nature and readers who enjoy medical thrillers may like the book. I definitely did. I was completely engrossed from the first pages till the end, and even more so since it felt like I was reading a guilty pleasure. I liked the author’s writing style with gory situations only adding to the intensity of the story for me.

As a historical fantasy there are of course historical details from the 1400s England where it’s set. So there is an authentic feel to the book, even though the language is modern. However, there is no basis of historical fact for the novel. I was actually a bit disappointed to find that none of the characters are based on real people from the past. There is also a strong romantic thread, but it is certainly not a romance. I did like this aspect of the novel since the romance is twisted, which is another plus for horror and dark fantasy lovers.

I would recommend this book to readers who enjoy medical thrillers, horror, and especially dark fantasy, since it appears that the fantastical element becomes stronger within the second book. It’s a 3-star rating for this debut novel – I liked it. The second book has already been released in hardcover with the title Elisha Magus. I will be reading it hoping for more of the pure escapist pleasure that this first book in the series delivered.

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Mass Market Paperback | 400  Pages | 3 Jun 2014 | DAW

Review: Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen

Review by Shellie for Alias Hook by Lisa Jensen.

Shellie’s quick take:   Geared for an adult reader, this is a fun and entertaining imagining of the life and times of Captain Hook before and after his ill-fated story with Peter Pan. And it has romance.

Shellie’s description:   Captain James Benjamin Hook has survived the attack from the mythical crocodile that purportedly ended his life, but he is consequently trapped in Neverland - a purgatory with endless battles against the boys of Neverland which serves as entertainment for the “Pan”.

But things aren’t as simple as they seem. Hook is not really the evil bad guy that the stories about Peter Pan have led readers to believe. He has a complicated past which has helped him to be caught in Neverland. And Peter Pan is not the sweet child that we all have learned to love. In this story Lisa Jensen writes from the debonair and educated perspective of the persecuted Hook.

Shellie’s thoughts:   This was such a fun read. The best part was the excellent voice of Hook. Written in first person and spoken with an affluent old fashioned British accent (Jensen does a fabulous job with this as well as with the more working class accents of the pirates too), we get to hear the other side of his in-depth story.

And it feels authentic, like one is reading historical fiction although set in a make-believe setting which is a combination of realistic and fantastical. The book also has a map of Neverland which further adds to the book’s appeal and understanding of the story line.

In addition to the fantastical setting the reader gets romance, drama, violence, fairies, mermaids, Indians and the Lost Boys, all combined with realistic and fairytale elements. I like this so I would categorize the book as historical fantasy. We find out about how Captain Hook lost his hand, his hedonistic experiences during the late 1600s and early 1700s, why he is actually a protagonist that we should be rooting for – all with romance, drama, and violence; elements that help to create an intriguing story.

This is recommended for readers who enjoy historical fiction and who love pirates, since you will get what feels like a realistic version of them. It doesn’t hurt that Lisa Jensen has historical knowledge and has written previously about the subject – and you can certainly tell that she is a veteran writer. It is highly recommended at 4 stars. A fabulous re-telling of Peter Pan, it eloquently captures a blend of historical fiction and fantasy.

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Thomas Dunne Books/Macmillan | 7/8/2014 | Hardcover | 368 pages

We also have an excellent guest post from Lisa Jensen where she features some other misunderstood villains that I recommend reading - Top 5 (Redeemable) Villains.

Review: Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard

Review by Shellie for Moth and Spark by Anne Leonard.

Shellie’s quick take:  A detailed and romantic epic fantasy which features intelligent dragons and magic.

Shellie’s description:  In a place that feels almost medieval, Prince Corin, heir to the throne, and a beautiful commoner named Tam meet by chance in his castle’s library. She is at the capital city and in the castle in hopes of finding a husband. It is love at first sight. However, he cannot marry someone of such low standing so they try to keep their attraction secret - at first. They know that it is only a matter of time before the castle’s courtiers find out that they are together. Both fear that the court’s petty jealousies and deep rivalries will create problems for Tam, since it is the etiquette of the time that women remain chaste until married.

But there is trouble in the land. War is coming to the peaceful city of Caithen and both Tam and Corin will have a part to play if it is to remain peaceful. Corin must heed the call to free the dragons, which have been enslaved by an evil emperor, while Tam, who doesn’t realize her gifts, must help him. With loads of romance the drama unfolds – with the struggle against war and for the freedom of the dragons.

Shellie’s thoughts:  This is Anne Leonard’s debut novel, but it doesn’t show since it’s a readable story with excellent details. I was immersed in the story from the very first few pages. She’s included political intrigue, courtier back stabbing, violent darkness, human insight, detailed description of hair and dressing, and intelligent and beautiful dragons. All fun stuff in fantasy (especially for women).

The publisher has done a fabulous job on the gorgeous covers for both US and UK versions of the book. Onscreen it’s hard to see the iridescent details for the moths that are on the cover of the US version, but they are lovely.

My only complaint about the novel is that there is A LOT of “mushy” romance, especially in the last two thirds of the novel. There was, in fact, one love scene which made me roll my eyes and laugh (not a good thing); I will not share any details but it was that ridiculous. So I would recommend that a potential reader really love romance.

As for other recommendations, because the setting is so similar to a European medieval world, I think it would be a decent read for someone who loves historical romance; also perhaps for readers who are interested in trying out fantasy, since this story is very accessible; and for long-term fantasy fans who would like to read some lighter fantasy. I would say that it’s a book for women rather than men since there is so much romance and dress and hair style information in the story. I give this book a 3.5 stars.

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Hardbound | 384 pages | 20 Feb 2014 | Viking Adult

Top cover picture is for the US hardbound edition and the lower cover picture is for the UK paperbound edition. We also have a terrific question and answer post from Anne Leonard courtesy of the publisher if you’re interested.

Anne Leonard lives in Northern California. She has degrees from St. John’s College, the University of Pittsburgh, Kent State University, and University of California-Hastings College of Law. MOTH AND SPARK is her first novel.

New Release: Tales of High Hallack Vol 1 by Andre Norton

New Release: TALES OF HIGH HALLACK, Volume 1, the collected short stories of Andre Norton.

For the first time, the Grand Dame of science fiction—Andre Norton—has her short stories gathered for her fans’ reading pleasure. Tales reach back to the 1930s, as fresh and relevant today as they were when she wrote them . . . such was Andre’s skill. High fantasy, fables, science fiction, coming of age stories, and more fill three volumes. This impressive, must-have collection includes stories of Witch World. There are cats sprinkled here and there, as Andre treasured them so. And there is magic in the writing, unequaled prose to delight readers of all ages.

High Hallack was a place in Andre’s fiction, and was also the name of her genre writer’s library she opened in Tennessee. It is a wondrous keep that she called home, and now High Hallack opens its gates and allows these amazing stories to tumble out.

Lose yourself in her enchanted words, and read them again and again.

Norton’s stories have been curated in TALES FROM HIGH HALLACK, Volumes 1 (January 14, 2014), 2 (May 20, 2014), and 3 (Fall 2014). This collection of previously published short stories includes many themed anthologies from periodicals that are no longer in print.

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450 pages | Premier Digital Publishing | January 14, 2014

Alice Mary Norton (1912-2005) the “Grand Dame of Science Fiction and Fantasy,” published works for over seven decades as a author, editor and poet. Norton authored over 130 novels, almost one hundred short stories, in addition to editing several collections in the science-fiction, fantasy, mystery, and western genres. Norton was the first female winner of the Gandalf Grand Master of Fantasy prize as well as the Nebula Grand Master prize. Norton additionally obtained Skylark, Barlog, and World Fantasy prizes.

Purchase at Amazon or Barnes and Noble.

Review: The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney

Review by Shellie for The Golden City by J. Kathleen Cheney

Shellie’s quick take:  A complex and fantastical historical mystery and romance set in a make-believe gas-lit Portugal. It contains dark magic, mermaids and Selkies.

Shellie’s description:  Oriana Paredes is a spy. She is also a maid for a local female Aristocrat in The Golden City, which is located in Portugal during the very early 1900’s. She is a “Sereia”, a siren or mermaid of sorts, which she hides from almost everyone since her species has been banned from the city by the current King.

When Oriana finds herself sinking, upside down, in the city’s river inside a room-sized-box with her human employer, she is understandably the only one who manages to survive. She realizes that there is fowl play and perhaps something a bit more sinister and magical, so she becomes determined to find the killer of her employer and friend.

She also begins to realize that the murderer may have killed others too, since the room-sized-box is not the only one anchored in the city’s river waters; there is in fact an installation of them. They are a miniature replica of the Aristocratic houses of The Golden City, placed there as an underwater art show in a representation called The City Under the Sea.

Shellie’s thoughts:  I enjoyed this novel – quite a lot actually. It’s a great first effort for the author since it has a complex plot, an intriguing mystery, and good romantic tension, so it keeps the reader interested and moving along. The author has an intelligent and detailed writing style which makes the novel thought provoking. All these are elements always welcome in a good story. 

I liked that the story is also set in a familiar world, so it’s easier to read than some fantasies where the location and character names can be vastly different than what we are accustomed to. It’s also easier to sink into this almost realistic world because of its well-known paranormal creatures – water-related beings such as Sereia, Selkies and water Nymphs. All the above are nice aspects for a first novel.

However, I had issues with some of the editing. The story left me with a number of dangling questions about some of the author’s mythology around the fantastical creatures -  especially the Selkies. I also had an issue around the uses of the names “The Golden City” and “The City Under the Sea”; both are so similar and became confusing. Lastly, I found myself rereading a number of sentences that did not make complete sense. I generally take responsibility for confusions such as this, however, it happened often enough that I was forced to take note. Regardless, I ended up ignoring and skipping over these parts so that the flow and enjoyment of the story would continue.

I’d recommend this to anyone interested in historical fantasy, and those who enjoy steampunk (it’s set during the gaslamp era), readers who like mermaids or Selkies, dark magic, or paranormal romance. I will definitely read the next book in the series since I would like to know what happens to the characters and still have questions about the Selkie and Sereia mythology. All in all I rate this debut novel a 3.5 star. A good first effort and start to a series.

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384 pages | 05 Nov 2013 | Roc | 18 - AND UP

For the publisher’s information on The Golden City see our Incoming Books post that includes the book – November 8, 2013.

Review: Cinnamon and Gunpowder by Eli Brown

Review by Shellie for Cinnamon and Gunpowder (audio version) by Eli Brown

Shellie’s quick take:   A fun and fantastical historical novel about a female pirate captain and a kidnapped chef. Combining swashbuckling action and the creation of delicious meals, this one was hard to stop listening to in its audio format.

Shellie’s description:   Set in and around the early 1800’s, Owen Wedgewood is a chef for the household of a powerful tradesman. He’s content with his lot in life until he’s kidnapped by Mad Hannah Mabbot and her men. She is a female pirate to be reckoned with, and she makes a deal with Wedgewood that if he can create a gourmet meal for her every Sunday (with the meager means within the pirate ship), she will spare his life.

So Owen goes about unhappily trying to keep himself alive by creating delicious meals for the captain. As he does so he comes to realize that Mad Hannah’s motives for piracy may not be as selfish and mean spirited as he once believed. Drama, action, and romance ensues as this story comes to it’s terrific climax.

Shellie’s thoughts:   I listened to this book in its audio a version and have to say that it is well articulated by its English-accented reader (James Langton), giving the book an authentic feel. The book is generally fast paced - and what a clever and creative premise for a book! It definitely has the feel of a make-believe story, since it’s unreasonable to believe that there where beautiful female pirates in the early 1800’s; or ever for that matter. This un-believability makes the book an excellent choice for fantasy readers.

With historical themes, exotic locations, colorful characters, and the creation of fantastic meals, this is a fun tale that I really enjoyed. And, the best part of the book is that it has a terrific ending which is not “happily-ever-after”. Highly recommended for historical fantasy lovers, foodies and cooks, and anyone who likes pirates. I will be looking for more by this author and give this entertaining book a 4 star rating.

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Macmillan Audio | June 2013 | Unabridged Digital Audio | Audio Run Time: 11:50

This audio book was borrowed from our local library.

Here’s the publisher’s description:

A gripping adventure, a seaborne romance, and a twist on the tale of Scheherazade—with the best food ever served aboard a pirate’s ship

The year is 1819, and the renowned chef Owen Wedgwood has been kidnapped by the ruthless pirate Mad Hannah Mabbot. He will be spared, she tells him, as long as he puts exquisite food in front of her every Sunday without fail.

To appease the red-haired captain, Wedgwood gets cracking with the meager supplies on board. His first triumph at sea is actual bread, made from a sourdough starter that he leavens in a tin under his shirt throughout a roaring battle, as men are cutlassed all around him. Soon he’s making tea-smoked eel and brewing pineapple-banana cider.

But Mabbot—who exerts a curious draw on the chef—is under siege. Hunted by a deadly privateer and plagued by a saboteur hidden on her ship, she pushes her crew past exhaustion in her search for the notorious Brass Fox. As Wedgwood begins to sense a method to Mabbot’s madness, he must rely on the bizarre crewmembers he once feared: Mr. Apples, the fearsome giant who loves to knit; Feng and Bai, martial arts masters sworn to defend their captain; and Joshua, the deaf cabin boy who becomes the son Wedgwood never had.

Cinnamon and Gunpowder is a swashbuckling epicure’s adventure simmered over a surprisingly touching love story—with a dash of the strangest, most delightful cookbook never written. Eli Brown has crafted a uniquely entertaining novel full of adventure: the Scheherazade story turned on its head, at sea, with food. 

Review: Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling

Shellie’s review for Queen Victoria’s Book of Spells: An Anthology of Gaslamp Fantasy edited by Ellen Datlow and Terri Windling.

Shellie’s quick take:  A fantastical and intellectual collection of stories termed “Gaslamp” (set within Victorian times) with dark themes.

Shellie’s thoughts:   What is Gaslamp fantasy? It’s fantasy set within the time when gas lamps lit England, before electric lights. So there can be a flavor of steampunk, but gaslamp is a broader genre as reflected by these stories.

In their stories the authors from this collection take “a poke” at the era with its blatant superior belief systems and its male-dominated and class-ridden social structure - as Terry Windling excellently addresses in the beginning to this anthology with her Introduction: Fantasy, Magic, and Fairyland in Nineteenth-Century England. Here the author academically describes how fantasy and magic where seen during Victorian times in England, setting the stage for the stories in this collection.

With eighteen stories, I did not love every one (some of the writing styles where difficult for me to digest), so I have only listed my very favorites. In my opinion these short stories definitely make the book worth the read. Each favored title has a short description including my quick thoughts – perhaps to persuade you to pick up and read one or two.

“The Fairy Enterprise” by Jeffrey Ford - An arrogant industrialist has an idea on how to make money by using fairies. It is wonderfully horrific and has a revengeful ending. I love great revenge stories.

“From the Catalogue of the Pavilion of the Uncanny and Marvelous, Scheduled for Premiere at the Great Exhibition (Before the Fire)” by Genevieve Valentine - An unusually told story based upon a true event – The Great Exhibit of 1851 in London and the fire. The story creatively catalogs the fantastical items which where lost in the fire which destroyed the exhibit.

“The Governess” by Elizabeth Bear - Is a dark feminist take on the selkie myth and is one of my top picks for the collection.

“The Unwanted Women of Surrey” by Kaaron Warren  - A story set around a group of women whose husbands keep them in a home and away from their families for various reasons. The women get involved in some horrific mischief that is particularly memorable and historically significant to the era.

“Phosphorus” by Veronica Shanoes - And lastly another big favorite of mine is the dark tale based upon the women workers who made matches during the era; they worked under terrible circumstances and absorbed some of the phosphorus from the matches into their bodies.

What I liked about my favorites is that they had an accessible writing style where I was absorbed into the stories; and most brought to light some of aspect of real life horror happening during the time.

In the end I recommend this book for readers looking for a dark fantastic journey into Victorian England, especially readers who enjoy the literature from the era. I’d give 3.5 stars for this short story collection.

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Tor Books; March 2013; Trade Paperback; 352 pages.

Review: Tomorrow the Killing ~ by Daniel Polansky

Review by John for Tomorrow the Killing ~ by Daniel Polansky

The second in the Low Town series, this is a hard-boiled noir thriller with a touch of fantasy mixed in for good measure. A remorseless, violent and twisty story that is filled with intriguing characters.

About: The Warden, the main character, sort of rules over a squalid and drug-infested corner of Low Town. An ex-soldier and intelligence office who has fallen far from grace, he now sells (and frequently consumes) drugs. The Warden is hard, smart and extremely bitter, and he oozes cynicism.

With frequent flashbacks to the years he spent fighting for his country in a dreadful, carnage-filled war, the story starts when the Warden is summoned to the house of an old general, and finds out that the general’s daughter has run off and disappeared into Low Town. She is trying to find out why her brother was murdered several years before and who was responsible for his death. Her brother was an inspirational leader who also fought in the war; and the Warden knew him well. The Warden reluctantly agrees to help but, to no-one’s great surprise, the daughter too is brutally murdered.

This sparks a trail of revenge and destruction that envelopes both the guilty and the innocent – though it seems like in Low Town no-one is entirely innocent. Fuelled by drugs and old enmities, the Warden is pulling strings and orchestrating a lot of the violence, but inevitably things spiral way beyond his control as higher powers and politicians strive to achieve their hidden agendas.

John’s thoughts: I like the Warden – he’s a terrific character. Horrendously scarred by his troubled past, he is now a dark and dangerous man, but he hasn’t quite lost his humanity and just sometimes is driven by his sense of justice. Living in a dark and corrupt world, you can almost forgive him for some of his selfishness and outrageous actions. Here the Warden plots and schemes and has to work hard to try and stay one step ahead of an ever growing list of adversaries. He mostly succeeds but regularly ends up on the wrong side of a beating. This is not a squeaky clean hero who always gets his way. Meanwhile the Warden (or Polansky) has a great way with words and many of his acidic descriptions and banter brought a big smile to my face.

In this book he is surrounded by many other interesting characters – including the Warden’s giant one-eyed army buddy and business partner, the malevolent Old Man that runs the country’s internal security forces, the witch-woman Mazzie of the Stained Bone, and the psychopathic young vice-lord Adisu the Damned. As these people are woven into the story, the plot twists and turns and is unpredictable – always a good thing.

Compared with Polansky’s first Low Town novel (reviewed here http://www.layersofthought.net/2011/10/review-and-guest-post-low-town-by.html), Tomorrow the Killing has less magic and fantastic elements and is a somewhat more realistic tale, albeit set in an alternative world. The war that provides a main foundation for the plot has a lot of parallels with World War One, and Polansky does a great job of describing its horrors. You now understand a lot more about what has shaped the Warden and made him what he is. Personally I like the more realistic orientation of this story and prefer it to his first novel.

If you haven’t read the first Polansky novel and are worried about reading this in case it doesn’t make sense – don’t! This is a complete story and stands on its own two feet. I’d rate this four stars and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who likes noir, crime thrillers or earthy urban tales. If you enjoyed reading Low Town, this is a “must read”.

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Tomorrow the Killing ~ by Daniel Polansky ; Hodder; UK publication is 11th October 2012;  368 pages.

Also included in the link for John’s review link for Low Town (or The Straight Razor Cure – UK title) is a guest post from the author which highlights his clever and direct writing style.

www.DanielPolansky.com

Giveaway: Shadow Blizzard ~ by Alexey Pehov

Giveaway ~ We have five copies for US addresses on offer from the publisher of Shadow Blizzard ~ by Alexey Pehov; Tor Books; April 24, 2012.

It’s the latest adventure from “Russian Master of Fantasy”, Alexey Pehov, and is book three of the bestselling and translated - Chronicles of Siala. Link to check out the book trailer!

About the book: 

Shadow Harold’s quest is almost at an end: he and his companions have fought long and hard to make their way to the tomb Hrad Spein, in search of the magic horn that is their only hope to defeating The Nameless One. The journey was perilous, and many in their company did not survive. Together, however, they have come further than anyone else ever has—but their struggle isn’t over just yet…

Pehov has already proven himself as the fastest growing young fantasy writer in Russia. Shadow Prowler, the first of the Chronicles of Siala, became one of Russia’s most successful and unexpected debuts when released in 2002, and overall, the series has sold over a million copies in total and received the Russian fantasy community’s highest professional honor, the Silver Kaduzei. Video games based on the series are now in development. Tor is proud to offer the series in English for the first time and translated by Andrew Bromfield.

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You do not need to be a follower to enter this giveaway but please fill out the Google form completely.

 

Winners will be chosen randomly via random.org. Your address will only be used for the purpose of this giveaway and will be deleted once the winners have been chosen. Promise.

If you liked this giveaway become a reader of Layers of Thought since we have more books that you can win coming up soon. Here are your options to keep up to date:

1. Google: via the blog’s side bar (I will follow back if I can find your blog.) or
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Good luck!

The Basics Challenge ~ books read

The Basics Challenge ~ books read list.

What is it?  A personal project located at The Basics Challenge site, where I (Shellie) explore Speculative Fiction (Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror) and where YOU can explore any genre(s) you wish!

It’s a “perpetual” 100 book challenge, with a 25% forgiveness rate, and a five year time limit. The plan is to prevent a story writer from “re-inventing the wheel”, or to help a reader to be more knowledgeable within the area of their interest(s). It’s a challenge that is open to anyone who cares to join. Let me know in the comments if it’s something you would like to do.

Titles link to Shellie’s review for each book.

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2012

1. A Long Long Sleep ~ by Anna Sheehan (YA – dystopian)
2. Darkfever; Bloodfever; and Faefever ~ by Karen Marie Moning (review coming) (paranormal romance)
3. Jamrach’s Menagerie ~ Carol Birch (review coming) (literary w/paranormal elements)
4. Other Kingdoms ~ by Richard Matheson (review coming) (historical fantasy)
5. Oryx and Crake ~ by Margaret Atwood (review coming) (sci fi)
6. The First Days (As the World Dies #1) ~ by Rhiannon Frater (horror)
7. The Whisperer ~ by Donato Carrisi (paranormal crime)
8. “The Women of Nell Gwynne’s” ~ by Kage Baker (steam punk)

2011

1. Blue ~ Lou Aronica (modern fantasy)
2. Changeling Moon ~ by Dani Harper (paranormal romance)
3. Delirium ~ by Lauren Oliver  (YA – dystopian)
4. Eddie - The Lost Youth of Edgar Allan Poe ~ written and illustrated by Scott Gustafson (YA – historical paranormal)
5. Electric Ant ~ by Philip K. Dick (adapted by David Mack; illustrated by Pascal Aline) (sci fi – graphic novel)
6. Feed (audio) ~ by M. T. Anderson (YA – dystopian)
7. Galore ~ by Michael Crummey (historical paranormal)
8. In Other Worlds: SF and the Human Imagination (Audio) ~ by Margaret Atwood (sci fi – non fiction)
9. Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell (in audio) ~ by Susanna Clarke (historical fantasy)
10. Kafka on the Shore ~ by Haruki Marakami (modern fantasy)
11. Nebula Awards Showcase 2011 ~ edited by Kevin J. Anderson (collection) 
12. Possession ~ by A.S. Byatt (in audio) (historical – literary)
13. Promises to Keep ~ by Charles De Lint (urban fantasy)
14. Shadow Bound ~ by Erin Kellison (paranormal romance)
15. Spellwright (Spellwright, #1) ~ by Blake Charlton (epic fantasy)
16. The Afflicted Girls ~ by Susy Witten (historical horror)
17. The Conference of the Birds ~ by Peter Sis (fable)
18. The Girl Who Circumnavigated Fairyland in a Ship of Her Own Making ~ by Catherynne M. Valente (YA – fantasy)
19. The Hermetica of Elysium ~ by Annmarie Banks (historical fantasy)
20. The Hobbit ~ by J.R.R. Tolkien; adapted by David Wenzel (epic fantasy – graphic novel)
21. The Oracle of Stamboul ~ by Michael David Lukas (literary – magical realism) 
22. The Penelopiad: The Myth of Penelope and Odysseus (in audio) ~ by Margaret Atwood (myhology – retelling)
23. The Picture of Dorian Gray (in audio) ~ by Oscar Wilde; read by Simon Vance (classic horror)
24. The Sandman - The Dream Hunters ~ by Neil Gaiman; illustrated by Yoshitak Amano (fable – graphic novel)
25. The Uncertain Places ~ by Lisa Goldstein (urban fant)
26. Those Across the River (audio) ~ by Christopher Buehlman (horror)
27. Trouble and Her Friends ~ by Melissa Scott (sci fi – lgbt)
28. Warm Bodies ~ by Isaac Marion (literary horror)
29. Willy ~ by Robert Dunbar (literary horror)
30. Wither (Chemical Garden Trilogy # 1) ~ by Lauren DeStefano (YA – dystopian)
31. Wuthering Heights ~ by Emily Brontë  (classic paranormal)

2009 ~ 2010

1. Alone ~ by Marissa Farrar (vamp horror/uf)
2. Cursed ~ by Jeremy Shipp (horror- bizarro)
3. Dracula ~ by Bram Stoker
4. Haunted Legends ~ edited by Datlow and Mamatas
5. Hothouse Flower ~ by Margot Berwin (magical realism)
6. Inside Out ~ by Maria Snyder (young adult – girls science fiction)
7. Keeper ~ by Kathi Appelt (young adult/tween, mythic - slipstream)
8. Life As We Knew It (#1) and 
9. This World We Live In (#2)
10. The Dead and The Gone (#3) ~ by Susan Beth (all linked here in one post) – (apocalyptic, young adult)
11. My Name is Memory ~ Ann Brashares
12. One Bloody Thing After Another ~ by Joey Comeau (lgbt horror)
13. Our Tragic Universe ~ Scarlett Thomas
14. Pathfinder ~ by Orson Scott Card
15. Post-Human ~ by David Simpson (sci fi)
16. RELEASE ~ by Nicole Hadaway – (horror, vampire)
17. Soulless ~ by Gail Carrigan – (urban fantasy, steam punk, vampire, werewolf)
18. Tender Morsels ~ by Margo Lanagan – (dark fantasy, fairytale retelling )
19. The Arrival ~ (a wordless novel) by Shaun Tan
20. The Handbook for Lightening Strike Survivors ~ by Michele Young Stone
21. The Healer's War ~ by Elizabeth Ann Scarborough
22. The Magic Warble ~ by Victoria Simcox (children’s fantasy)
23. The Metamorphosis ~ by Frank Kafka (horror, classic, literature)
24. The Passage ~ by Justin Cronin (horror)
25. The Reincarnationist;
26. The Memorist;
27. and The Hypnotist ~ by MJ Rose (all three books in one post) (paranormal)
28. The Russian Dreambook of Color and Flight ~ by Gina Ochsner (slip stream, literary)
29. The Song of The Whale ~ by Uri Orlev (fant/myth)
30. The Stupidest Angel - by Christopher Moore (horror, humor, zombie)
31. The Tempest ~ rewritten by Ann Keay Beneduce
32. The Things That Keep Us Here ~ by Carla Buckley (adult apocalyptic)
33. The Unit ~ by Ninni Holmqvist (dystopian sci fi)

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For a total of 74 books read in a less than a 3 year period. I have 26 more books to read to reach my 100 goal.

This list will be updated periodically and accessible via the tabs at the top of the blog.

Here’s to hoping that lists of books don’t bore you to pieces cause I have a few more coming up. I am still playing catch-up for our “real-life event” filled 2011. Not the best year, but what can one do? “Have a cup of tea, and get on with it!” as the English say.

Thanks for reading.

Guest Post and Giveaway: Jane Kindred’s ~ The Fallen Queen (ebook international)

Guest post and giveaway with Jane Kindred ~ The Fallen Queen (#1 of The House of Arkhangel’sk series).

Jane Kindred is here to enlighten us about angels in mythology (including our current header which contain cupids), and about the world building in The Fallen Queen. The novel is the first in a planned trilogy that contains the winged beings as its main characters, and is a high romantic fantasy with some erotic aspects. This creates a terrific read to enjoy during the “love season” – Spring time and Valentine’s day.

Best yet is that we have on offer - up for giveaway is one ebook copy for an international winner!

Thank you Jane for sharing your insight around angels, and how you built the complex world in your latest novel. It’s a pleasure and welcome!

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Angelology and World Building

Thanks for having me today on Layers of Thought. First, I have to say, I love your seasonal banner. The Birth of Venus is a gorgeous painting. An interesting note about the cupids is the similarity between those in secular paintings (called putti, or in this case amorini) and the images of Cherubim in religious paintings. (I only know this because one of my favorite authors, Lynn Flewelling, blogged about putti last Valentine’s Day and I had to look it up. I’m an obsessive Googler and Wikipedia addict, and end up researching anything and everything just because it’s there.)

I had always wondered why Cherubim were depicted as babies in classical paintings, since their description in the Bible is so imposing: fierce, fiery creatures that simultaneously have the face of a man, a lion, an eagle, and an ox. When I was planning The House of Arkhangel’sk series, I researched angelology and the classical heavens because I wanted to take these concepts and give them my own fantasy twist. While the Cherubim don’t make an appearance in my series until Book Two: The Midnight Court, the other two orders of angels in their choir, the Seraphim and Ophanim, feature prominently in The Fallen Queen.

I had a lot of fun creating my own angelic hierarchy, particularly with this choir of angels, which I call firespirits. In traditional angelology, there are nine orders of angels, grouped into three “choirs.” In the Arkhangel’sk world, I added a fourth choir so that I could assign one of the classical elements—earth, air, fire, and water—to each choir. The main reason for this was to give my angelic and demonic characters specific powers based on their elements, but the most fun part of that was creating their wings. I decided only firespirits could have wings in Heaven, and I would make my firespirits “pure elementals” who were made of living fire, with towering wings of flame. Out of the three of them, I especially enjoyed coming up with the physical appearance of the Ophanim, because these are angels most people haven’t heard of. I gave them a colder, whiter fire than the other two orders, with an electric quality that makes their touch and the sound of their voices excruciating. Because of the nature of the fire elementals, they were ideal as the law enforcers and bounty hunters of Heaven.

My heroine, Anazakia, is a waterspirit, and when she falls to the world of Man, she discovers her wings for the first time when she tries to drown herself in despair after her family is murdered. Water is her element, and she releases her wings reflexively, not even knowing at first what’s holding her up above the Neva River until she looks up to see the translucent liquid wings over her head. The demon Belphagor soon follows with his own airspirit wings—those were harder to describe. How do you have wings of air when you’re in the air? I decided his were nearly transparent, but visible because of a swirling spectrum of dark color like you might see in an oil slick. And though my demon firespirit Vasily isn’t a full-blooded elemental like the Cherubim, Seraphim, and Ophanim, he does get a chance to spread his wings of ruby-colored flame when he’s in the world of Man.

The other purpose of my angelic hierarchy was to echo the class system of tsarist Russia. In my world, rather than being creatures from Hell, the demons are the peasant class of the Heavens, while the angels are the ruling nobility. The classical Seven Heavens also work well as a setting for this political dynamic, serving as a sort of empire where each Heaven is a separate princedom subject to the tsar-like Principality of the Firmament. The Russian Empire was actually much vaster than my Heavens, but seven is traditional—and a lot more manageable. You only get to see one of these princedoms in The Fallen Queen, but the others become much more important in the rest of the series.

World building can be a delicate balancing act, trying to decide how much detail you need to convey your world to your readers without overwhelming them—much like this blog post. ;) But with such a rich field of literature and mythology to draw from, I had a blast researching these books, and even more fun writing them.

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Thank you Jane for such an intriguing post!

Bio:  Jane Kindred began writing fantasy at age 12 in the wayback of a Plymouth Fury—which, as far as she recalls, never killed anyone…who didn’t have it coming. She spent her formative years ruining her eyes reading romance novels in the Tucson sun and watching Star Trek marathons in the dark. Although she was repeatedly urged to learn a marketable skill, she received a B.A. in Creative Writing anyway from the University of Arizona.

She now writes to the sound of San Francisco foghorns while two cats slowly but surely edge her off the side of the bed.  You can find Jane on Twitter: @JaneKindred; on Facebook: www.facebook.com/somewherebetweenheavenandhell; or on her website: www.janekindred.com

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The Fallen Queen; December 2011; Entangled Publishing – Here is the blurb:

Heaven can go to hell. 

Until her cousin slaughtered the supernal family, Anazakia’s father ruled the Heavens, governing noble Host and Fallen peasants alike. Now Anazakia is the last grand duchess of the House of Arkhangel’sk, and all she wants is to stay alive.

Hunted by Seraph assassins, Anazakia flees Heaven with two Fallen thieves—fire demon Vasily and air demon Belphagor, each with their own nefarious agenda—who hide her in the world of Man. The line between vice and virtue soon blurs, and when Belphagor is imprisoned, the unexpected passion of Vasily warms her through the Russian winter.

Heaven seems a distant dream, but when Anazakia learns the truth behind the celestial coup, she will have to return to fight for the throne—even if it means saving the man who murdered everyone she loved.

Giveaway:

We have one ebook available internationally! You do not need to be a follower to win this book, all you have to do is fill out the Google form below. Please note that there are erotic elements within this story, so please be over 18.

If you are viewing this via email – the form may not appear. So link on by to enter the contest. Good luck!

Also we want to let all our readers and friends know we are traveling again for the week. Posting will be at standstill, so will twitter, but we have some interesting stuff coming up when we return.

Have a five star week!