Review of The Scorpio Races by Maggie Stiefvater

I finally got around to reading and reviewing Ms. Stiefvater’s book.  I’m pleased that I did because this book is a gem. 

“It is the first day of November and so, today, someone will die. 

Even under the brightest sun, the frigid autumn sea is all the colors of the night: dark blue and black and brown.  I watch the ever-changing patterns in the sand as it’s pummeled by countless hooves.

They run the horses on the beach, a pale road between the black water and the chalk cliffs.  It is never safe, but it’s never so dangerous as today, race day.”

The first line reeled me in, the next two paragraphs spun me around, and I was caught in Stiefvater’s net.  You would think the story is about the races, horses running on the beach, but that is only an event.  I admit it’s a big event, but it’s only the backdrop to the real story.

The main story centers around the love of family, friends and budding young love, relationships that are beginning, or ending or long gone, and the passion of dreams.  But, pulling all of that together is the willingness to sacrifice all, for love, whether it be for man or beast.

Lordy, lordy, tears came when I didn’t expect it to and this book and it’s characters will stay with me for a long while. 

Worldbuilding:

Stiefvater created a world colored in grey, highlighted by the colors of gold, rust and brown.  The small island of Thisby where the horse races take place has a timeless and weathered feeling to it.  For me, it was a place to visit but I don’t think I would want to stay.

Characters:

Puck is Kate’s nickname and I wondered about that. When I think of Puck, I think of Midsummer’s Night Dream and the mischievous Puck in the play.  I didn’t see Kate as roguish, more on the lines as straightforward, courageous and outspoken.  I thought that the nickname could be a metaphor for the hard disk played in hockey and her racing in the dangerous Scorpio races with her small horse surrounded by the big, wild, blood lusting seahorses.

Sean the young man in the story, is not the usual heart throbs found in teen stories, nevertheless he stole my heart.  Here’s Puck’s description of him:

“And then I see him.  A dark-haired boy who is made of all corners.  He is standing next in line by the counter, silent and still in his blue-black jacket, his arms folded across his chest.  He looks out of place and wild in here: expression sharp, collar turned up against the back of his neck, hair still windblown from the beach.  He is not looking at anyone or away from anyone; he’s just standing there looking at the ground, his mind obviously far, far away from the butcher’s.  Everyone else is being crowded and jostled, but no one crowds or jostles him, though they don’t seem to avoid him either.  It’s like he’s just not in the same place as the rest of us.”

I want to mention, Corr, the red-haired seahorse as a character.  He is driven by a natural passion to want to return to the sea but is pulled back because of his love for Sean.  This is a relationship built on trust, respect and a common love for the sea.  

Pros:

Overall excellent writing, plot and characters.

Con:

The pacing was a bit slow while Stiefvater builds your relationship with the characters.  I think that’s only a problem if you are use to very fast pacing.  I found it refreshing and enjoyed it.  I believe it shaped the phenomenal impact at the end. 

Conclusion:

I would recommend this book to anyone who doesn’t mind characters staying with them long after finishing the story. 

Till next time,

Elizabeth

Fantastic Fantasy Trailers

As NaNoWriMo hits its grueling stride, one thing that always keeps my spirits up is thinking of all the great movies I'm going to go see after it's over. And there are some pretty amazing ones coming out this winter, including the new James Bond flick, Skyfall, the iresistably quirky vampire comedy, Vamps, and of course, the long-awaited first Hobbit installment. Here are a few of my favorite trailers for your viewing pleasure. I threw in the Hansel and Gretel: Witch Hunters preview for good measure, although I'm not sure when that one is coming out.




Keep rocking those words, WriMos!

Cheers!
Ella

Lark's End is Here!

Welcome to the end and the beginning.  Christina Leigh Pritchard surprises with a surreal journey into her YA fantasy series, The Fall of Gadaie.

Here's the blurb:
From the author of the C I N Series, comes an epic fantasy world filled with nothing but constant action and adventure. A new world, new life forms, and another twisted and complex story from author Christina Leigh Pritchard!

Mary wants to kill them. But, someone stands in her way...

Tahmi has nightmares of an old man in a sailor's suit, dropping her off, on her doorstep. When she tells her parents about him they look sick. Could her dream have some truth to it? Is that old man the reason they won't allow her in the woods behind their house?

What are they hiding from her? Who is she?

TAHMI, she's just an ordinary girl, right?

Lark’s End, is the first of eight books in the epic fantasy series The Fall of Gadaie. For extras, (characters, illustrations, book trailers, maps) please visit the blog dedicated to the series: www.gadaie.com

BONUS MATERIAL INCLUDED AFTER STORY (kindle version only)

As a well-read adult I have to admit that there are certain genres I have avoided. OK I did watch Un Chien Andalou, (warning: the link is to the actual film and is not for the squeamish) the classic surreal short film from the '20s. It was directed by Luis Bunuel and Salvador Dali and is definitely NOT a YA film. Lark's End, however, is tempting me to investigate the literary world of that film and the movement that inspired it.

The world of Lark's End is topsy-turvy. How else to you describe falling up from your roller-coaster seat down into a trap door that you climb up out of ? I admit that I was prepared to be confused and disappointed when I started reading this story. Shifts of location left me feeling lost and for a YA book the language seemed too simplistic. After the first couple of chapters I was comfortable feeling lost. And very grateful for the language. By the middle of the book I was breathless keeping up with the journey of the companions.

Far from being simplistic, Lark's End requires your full attention to follow the dream-like transformations and fast-paced movement--

Tahmi woke.

She sat against the wall, barricaded inside the cave. Her skin and clothes were clean. There wasn't a speck of oil left on her body! She felt her hair and giggled. "I had the most horrible nightmare," she said.
Her voice echoed in the dark.
"Jerry!"
It was black as pitch and the only noise she could decipher was tiny drips splattering onto the limestone.
Splat.
Splat, splat.
"Jerry, are you there?"
Drip
Drip, drip, drip.
Green eyes blinked inches away. Tahmi screamed, pressing herself against stone.
Splat, splat.
More eyes gathered, closing in.
"What do you want!?"
Fire lit the room, illuminating at least ten black roaches and the scorpion who towered over her with it's tail pointed.
Where was Jerry?

After reading Lark's End, I don't think there would be any trouble getting your YA to read Kafka or Borges. I know I would have liked the help!

OH, and check out the work of cover illustrator Mohammed Zakzouk. Lovely.

Happy reading,
m

About the Author:

Christina Leigh Pritchard was born and raised in South Florida. Her first stories were written at the age of nine in $0.15 wide ruled spiral notebooks (which were supposed to be used for class) ;o)~ and in the various diaries she kept. Stories she wrote from age nine to twelve fill about four storage boxes!

Since she's upgraded to a computer, she's completed over fifty books and still going strong. Her genres include dark fantasy, young adult, drama, suspense, historical romance, multicultural, comedy, poetry and many more.

Her main aspirations in life are: her dog, Teacup; the beach, writing and well, writing! The author says, "I breathe novels.”

www.Gadaie.com

www.Twitter.com/teeny120

www.Teeny120.wordpress.com
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DRALION—Eastern Dragon & Western Lion—Fantasy Theme of Cirque Du Soleil’s Show

A week ago my husband and I went to see the Cirque Du Soleil Dralion show. It was a delayed celebration of our June thirteenth wedding anniversary, and it was a wonderful treat to have tickets in the front row.

The experience was truly magical, combining spectacular acrobatics, dance, drama, live music, costumes, lighting effects, and set design. The huge metallic set suggested a futuristic Chinese temple or a giant plate of medieval armor, depending on the lighting and use. Time after time my breath caught, feeling like I was flying with the crossed circle performer, Kala, the graceful circle hoop dancer in the Hibana aerial act, or many others.

There are 21 different shows, but many are resident shows in Las Vegas, and one remains in Disneyworld. Dralion draws heavily upon Eastern philosophy and the quest for harmony between the human world and nature. The show's name is derived from its two emblematic creatures: the dragon, symbolizing the East, and the lion, symbolizing the West.

In Dralion, the four traditional Chinese elements (air, water, fire, earth) that govern the natural order take on human forms. In the show, each element is represented by its own evocative color: air is blue; water is green; fire is red; earth is ochre. In the fantasy world of Dralion, diverse cultures blend, Man and Nature become one, and balance is achieved.

I was swept up by this theme, which coincidentally forms the framework of the magical systems in my current fantasy romance series, Enchanted Bookstore Legends. Many fantasy fiction works are created against a backdrop of this Eastern philosophy for good reason. The dream of unity among all elements of the physical and spiritual worlds is a compelling goal in the battle between good and evil, a requisite for any fantasy plot.

In Dralion, four characters exist outside the representation of Chinese elements and guide the performers of the four elements toward unity. The Little Buddha is the chosen child, possessing special powers that allow him guide the others. Later, that child will grow to join the L'Âme-Force . That force includes the two vocalists of Dralion, who sing an invented ethereal language, modeling and guiding the harmony between the four elements. The fourth guiding character is Kala, performing in the crossed wheel, symbolizes time and the infinite cycle. His internal propulsion of the double wheel makes time evolve. From moment one, I wanted to fly inside that wheel. The second video below gives a sample of his spectacular skill and artistry.

If you get a chance to enjoy one of the Cirque shows, it is a real treat to see fantasy come to life before your eyes.

~ ~ ~ Marsha A. Moore is a writer of fantasy romance. The magic of art and nature spark life into her writing. Read her ENCHANTED BOOKSTORE LEGENDS for adventurous epic fantasy romance: Book One, SEEKING A SCRIBE, and Book Two, HERITAGE AVENGED. She has also authored the Ciel's Legacy series, with fast action mermaid/pirate storylines: TEARS ON A TRANQUIL LAKE and TORTUGA TREASURE.  For a FREE ebook download, read her historic fantasy, LE CIRQUE DE MAGIE, available at Amazon and Smashwords.

Guest post: The Lure of Fantasy by Jane Toombs

THE LURE OF FANTASY  by  Jane Toombs

  Never mind that all fiction essentially is fantasy in that it isn’t “real” but created by an author.  Even as I child I knew the difference between fiction and true fantasy. I was taught by a master--Edgar Allan Poe.  

   My parents never restricted my reading, something I’m eternally grateful for.  I must have been about ten when I pulled Poe’s book of poems from the family bookcase.  It was a small black book and the printing was tiny, but I persisted. I soon realized I held magic in my hands.  I don’t claim to have understand exactly what he meant at that age, but loved the mystery of  words like “the ghoul-haunted woodland of Weir.”

I believe the mystery is what I enjoy the most about fantasy.  Not mystery as in who killed whom, but a speculative kind of mystery that Poe must have loved as much as we do.  As readers we can enter worlds that never were and enter lands that never were, but we believe in those lands, those times, and what‘s happening for the time we’re happily engrossed in the book.

I  can’t be sure when I changed from simply enjoying speculative  fiction to wanting to write it.  The first book I sold in 1973 was a gothic and was loaded with weird stuff.   I had made the heroine  of Tule Witch a nurse who was at work in an  ER in the basement of an old hospital where water dripped from pipes running across the ceiling.--a setting that actually existed at the time, but suitably spooky.  

Still, a nurse heroine doesn’t sound like fantasy.  And what I wrote didn’t seem too weird until a bit later on in the book.  I was thrilled with the sale and wrote six or seven gothics after that book which also sold, every last one of them a fantasy.    What happened?  Well, I sold another of my weird gothics to  Harlequin so long ago that they still referred to that book as a “product.”  As a matter of fact I have the rights back and eventually will scan it. But now I was a Harlequin author and I quickly discovered they wanted no part of anything weird or spooky (these were early days.)  So I had to fit in a “line.”    

Yes, I confess I did what they wanted me to.  Hey, the money was good and kept coming.  Who turns down money?

I didn’t foresee the day when I couldn’t stand to do this any longer and need to immerse myself in weirdness again. But here I am happily writing fantasy for ebooks and not making all that much money--but I’ve reached an age where I have to love what I‘m doing.  

And now, once again, I do.  Fantasy is always just beyond our reach in real life, but easy to find in books, thank heaven…  And yes, I’ve written about that ghoul who lives in a cemetery called Weir.  He’s green and in love with a human. The story is called “It Can’t Be Mine!” and is in an ebook called TEN PAST MIDNIGHT.

Ten Past Midnight Blurb:

An awkward heroine who has no sense of smell and wants to be loved. Her so-called friends pull a prank on her, which makes her so angry that when she passes the Weir Cemetery on her way home and sees someone green, she believes it's some guy dressed up for another scam and is determined to confront  the prankster. 

A hero who is a starving green ghoul living in a cemetery called Weir. He can't believe it when a human woman actually talks to him. Is it possibly she can't smell his scent, which is foul to humans?  

This is one of the weird stories in Ten Past Midnight, but it does end happily, unlike some of them,  all my books can be found at my website with buy links, or Amazon.

Ten Past Midnight may be purchased at Amazon.

website: www.JaneToombs.com

Author Bio: Jane Toombs, author of ninety published books if you count novellas, lives across the road from Lake Superior with her calico cat, Kinko, in Michigan's beautiful Upper Peninsula wilderness. She writes in most genres, but fantasy is by far her favorite.

At the speed of Lightspeed!

I grew up with a shelf-full of Science Fiction and Fantasy magazines. My mother's favorites. I didn't read them, myself. I didn't really get it. Until now. I (horrors!) still don't read SF&F except for research. There is, however, a magazine that I like a lot, one that seems to be the contemporary equivalent of The Venerable.

Lightspeed magazine is an online science fiction and fantasy magazine that I discovered as a subscription e-book that gets delivered to my Kindle monthly.

In the issue I'm reading (I've got a few back issues on my Kindle), I started with a short sci-fi story by Kristine Kathryn Rusch. I discovered her Retrieval Artist series through the library as an audio book. If you like detective stories set in a future that have alien colonies on the moon and corporate skullduggery, head in her direction. Her short story, "The Craters", is chilling. Although set in the future and not part of her on-going novel series, its concept is based in the past as well as the present, and challenges our ideas of who is expendable and how we justify our choices.

Given my penchant for fairy tales, it took a while for me to recognize the theme of "Her Words Like Hunting Vixens Spring" by Brooke Bolander. It didn't matter though. The flow of language, the energy of characterization and landscape, swept me along like a tumbleweed in a windstorm. I have a new favored author and want to hear more from her mouth.

The most recent read, and another fairy tale reference, is "The Mermaid and the Mortal Thing" by Chris Willrich. It's not your usual Little Mermaid retelling. Darker and with a twist that makes me smile, it's one I would probably rate as retellable.

For those of you with a penchant for podcasts, Lightspeed has one of those also. And, if you are like me and like someone to read to you while you are doing something else, you can have the story read to you.

I used to package medical samples with a couple of other women when I lived in San Francisco. That is where I discovered the wonderfulness of listening to books being read. Way back then, we tuned the radio to KALW which was a public radio station. We listened to The Spider's Web and a reading of Little House on the Prairie. That was it for me. I was hooked on the sound of radio and story. I credit that time spent in company, doing work, and being serenaded by story for my continuing chase of the podcast, the aural, the voice of story,.

When did you last enjoy someone reading to you? Do you have a favorite story to tell someone else about? What story can you still tell with delight?

An Invitation to Dream

On Sunday, I will be entering a world of dreams. A world that unfolds under a big tent where inside I will be transported to a place of beauty, imagination and harmony.  In this special place,  horse and man will share a world in total trust and freedom.  A place like no other. A place where dreams come alive. 

I’m going to see the Cavalia show “Odysseo” in Atlanta, Georgia.  I have seen two other productions over the years and each one has lifted me into the fantasy realm.  Their shows are like the Cirque du Soleil with horses.  Here is Cavalia’s official blurb:

“Odysseo is a journey into the imagination, a voyage through space and time, and an exploration of nature’s greatest wonders – deserts, waterfalls, canyons, glaciers and more.

The spellbinding show is a renewed tribute to the relationship humans and horses have forged over thousands of years. With our faithful companions by our side, we have travelled to the four corners of the globe, built bridges between cultures and brought people from all over the planet closer together. Odysseo is a singular expression and celebration of this exceptionally moving journey. ”

I love to experience shows like this because it hits home why I love writing fantasy.  

Till later,

Elizabeth