• Blog Tours

    Blog Tour: Birds of Paradise – Oliver K. Langmead

    Today, I’m excited to welcome you to my stop on the Titan Books tour for Birds of Paradise by Oliver K. Langmead. This is one of the wackiest books I’ve read in a long time, but it’s weird in all the best ways. It imagines a scenario where Adam (yes, that one from the Bible) is still alive and so are the first animals – though able to take human shape, and there are pieces of paradise still to be found on Earth… Think a cross between Neil Gaiman’s American Gods and Jasper Fforde’s work. It’s out there, but it’s addictive.

    Many thanks to Lydia Gittins and Titan Books for including me on the tour and sending me a copy for review. All opinions are my own.

    RELEASE DATE: 08/04/2021

    STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

    SUMMARY: Many millennia after the fall of Eden, Adam, the first man in creation, still walks the Earth – exhausted by the endless death and destruction, he is a shadow of his former hope and glory. And he is not the only one. The Garden was deconstructed, its pieces scattered across the world and its inhabitants condemned to live out immortal lives, hiding in plain sight from generations of mankind.

    But now pieces of the Garden are turning up on the Earth. After centuries of loneliness, Adam, haunted by the golden time at the beginning of Creation, is determined to save the pieces of his long lost home. With the help of Eden’s undying exiles, he must stop Eden becoming the plaything of mankind.

    Adam journeys across America and the British Isles with Magpie, Owl, and other animals, gathering the scattered pieces of Paradise. As the country floods once more, Adam must risk it all to rescue his friends and his home – because rebuilding the Garden might be the key to rebuilding his life. (from Titan)

    OPINIONS: This is such an addictive story. I could not put it down and read it in a single sitting. It’s weird and wacky and wonderful. I loved how it plays with theology, taking elements of the Bible and reworking them into something completely unique – Adam and some of the first animals tracking down pieces of Paradise on Earth to re-build their home. It is smart and fun, combining elements from fantasy, science fiction, heist-story and thriller (yes, I’d argue this is a book that counts for hard mode in the r/fantasy bingo!).

    Adam, the first man, alive for a very, very long time, is a fantastic leading character. He is world-weary and tired, but keen to return to his roots and simply garden. He is not power hungry, and in his modesty almost super-human. It would have been easy for Langmead to take him and make him into a caricature, but the version that is published could not be further from that. He is utterly human, flawed and humble. I was a bit sad that Eve didn’t play a role in the story, though that is something that is solved well in the end. And Crow! She was probably my favourite of all the animals. Badass, matter of fact and charming.

    All in all, while Birds of Paradise isn’t a perfect story, it is a compelling and well-written one, and one I highly recommend you take a look at it. Add Birds of Paradise to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

  • Something Special

    Debut Author Interview Project: R.W.W. Greene

    Another wonderful Angry Robot debut author! Please welcome R.W.W. Greene and his debut, The Light Years. Add it to Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

    Please tell us about your book:

    My debut is called The Light Years and it came out Feb. 2020 just as everyone was gearing up to shut down.  The book is about a lot of things, but I think Kirkus said it best with, “On the surface, you get an engrossing space opera, but if you look deeper you will find explorations of poverty, arranged marriage, and the toll that difficult moral choices take on families.”

    How did you celebrate its release?

    I was fortunate to have a few live events … including one with cake … before the lock downs started.  A couple of nights after the publication date, we did an event at Gibson’s Bookstore in Concord, NH. I played guitar, did a little reading, answered some questions, ate cake, and drank (really) cheap wine.

    Why and when did you start writing in earnest?

    I was a print journalist for about a dozen years after college, but I didn’t get serious about fiction until 2010 or so. I’d segued to teaching high-school English, and the work I was doing with my creative-writing students lit a fire under me.

    What was your publishing journey like?

    I started getting short stories published around 2012 and began nibbling at the ‘find an agent’ thing. I’d written a book as my MFA thesis and sent that out a dozen or so times before shelving it. In 2017, I sent a different book to Angry Robot as part of their Open Door unagented submission process. About a year later I got an email back, and two years after that they published The Light Years.

    How many books did you write before your debut and what did you learn from them?

    Three or four full manuscripts and a few partials. The first was my MFA thesis, and I wrote it thirty pages at a time with a critique of each installment. I likely would not do things that way again. I prefer to crank out a full draft – beginning, middle, and end – and then go back to it rather than move from stepping stone to stepping stone. Probably the most important thing I learned was that writing a book was possible and then repeatable. I recently hit 30K with my current manuscript, and it struck me that once-upon-a-time I would have found that number mighty intimidating.

    How has your relationship to writing changed after finding out that your debut would be published?

    I’ve been putting my writing in front of people for a long time — as a “poet” in high school, a journalist, and now as a guy with a book — and the doubts and worries have never gone away. It’s a mix of “Hey, I wrote a book!” and “Please read my humble offering” and “Don’t hurt me!” Writing is a tool that I use fairly well, but there’s still a hard knot of fear in putting it out there.

    What do you wish you had known before publishing your first book?

    I did a lot of work to educate myself in advance, including going to conferences and joining (and later running) my statewide writers’ organization, The New Hampshire Writers’ Project. I got into the writing community pretty deep, and I believe I was as prepared as I could have been.

    What challenges do you face as a published author?

    The biggest challenge is staying published and trying to build a career out of it. I wrote The Light Years by getting up at 4:30 in the morning for months and banging on a typewriter before going to work. Then revisions. And edits. And queries and submissions.  And you can’t just write one book. An agent is going to ask you “what else ya got?” and you’re going to want a drawer full of work to turn to. It’s almost too hard write successfully solely as a hobby.

    Do you feel the industry has been welcoming to you?

    I think so. It was difficult to break into, but now that I’m here, the industry seems curious about the stories I have to tell.

    How has the pandemic affected you creatively?

    I had a really hard time getting anything going for the first several months. The combination of pandemic and Trump created way too much static for me to think through.  I wrote a book in there somewhere, but it getting it out wasn’t easy.

    Do you think that current events have changed the reception of your debut?

    I don’t believe it changed how it was received, but it might have affected whether or not it was. True, I had a couple of reviews say the book was “too woke,” and that was kind of a Trumpy-political reaction, but the sheer amount of information flying around last spring made it hard to see anything that wasn’t COVID or US election related. And then it go to the point where I couldn’t leave the house to flog it, and I became just another “look at me” on the Internet.

    How do you approach reviews, what was your first negative review like?

    I tend to think reviews are for the readers rather than for the writers, and thus don’t spend a lot of time perusing them. By the time someone reviews something of mine, it’s already out, and there’s no way to bring it back for another round of revisions.  That said, it’s wonderful to get a good review, and sometimes there is truth in a bad review. I’m not perfect, and there is always more to learn about telling a story. The first review that got under my skin was a dude who played the “too woke” card.

    What are you planning next?

    I’ve another novel, Twenty-Five to Life, coming out through Angry Robot in August 2021, and I’m currently working on book two of a planned trilogy. 

    Do you have a set writing routine?

    I prefer writing in the morning, but now that I’ve left teaching, morning starts at eight or nine rather than 4:30 [am] . I have a daily 1,000-word goal. Sometimes that takes two hours, sometimes three, sometimes four, but I rarely shut down Scrivener without hitting my mark.

    What is your preferred writing soundtrack?

    I like jazz or hiphop or punk or classical turned down low so I can feel it rather than hear it. I want the rhythm not the words.

    Coffee, tea or other writing fuel?

    Black coffee by the quart, tea and water by the pint.

    What was your favourite moment on the journey to publication?

    I’m a U.S. writer, and Angry Robot is a UK publisher. My favorite part was the immediate expansion of my active awareness. All of a sudden, I had friends and colleagues in the UK, and my world got bigger and more interesting.

    What books (or other media) have you loved recently?

    Too many. So many. I love that Netflix allows me to see sci-fi from all over the world. “3%” from Brazil, “Ad Vitam” from France, “Space Sweepers” from Korea … it’s really exciting. I’ve also been getting into plot-heavy video games like “Detroit: Becoming Human” and “The Last of Us.” I just read The Only Good Indians by Stephen Graham Jones, the First Law Trilogy by Joe Abercrombie,  Afro Puffs are the Antennae of the Universe by Zig Zag Claybourne, and The Wayward Children books by Seanan McGuire.

  • Reviews

    Ariadne – Jennifer Saint

    So. I’m a huge nerd. And one of the things I’m super nerdy about is mythology. I’m a sucker for any story that has survived the centuries, and I have adored Ariadne for being a badass to defy her father for years. I’ve also loved Madeline Miller’s retellings of Greek myths, and actually used an anthology of classical mythology inspired stories I conceived of for a project in my MA. You bet I was all over Ariadne by Jennifer Saint as soon as I heard about it. And, damn, if you like Circe, you need this one too.

    Massive thanks to Wildfire and Netgalley for the eARC (though I’m very sad that the physical ARC never arrived… Oh well, excuses to get a finished copy). All opinions are my own.

    RELEASE DATE: 29/04/2021

    STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

    The stunning cover is by Micaela Alcaino who is probably my favourite designer in the UK right now.

    SUMMARY: As Princesses of Crete and daughters of the fearsome King Minos, Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up hearing the hoofbeats and bellows of the Minotaur echo from the Labyrinth beneath the palace. The Minotaur – Minos’s greatest shame and Ariadne’s brother – demands blood every year.

    When Theseus, Prince of Athens, arrives in Crete as a sacrifice to the beast, Ariadne falls in love with him. But helping Theseus kill the monster means betraying her family and country, and Ariadne knows only too well that in a world ruled by mercurial gods – drawing their attention can cost you everything.

    In a world where women are nothing more than the pawns of powerful men, will Ariadne’s decision to betray Crete for Theseus ensure her happy ending? Or will she find herself sacrificed for her lover’s ambition? (from Wildfire Books)

    OPINIONS: I have been terrible at reading recently. I keep getting distracted and struggle to focus and switch books every 50 pages or so. But Ariadne was exactly what I needed and only sleep got me to put it down. It is brilliant, and perfect for all of you who adored Circe. This is similarly themed around a woman whose life was driven by gods and heroes and tries to reassert control about her own destiny. The titular Ariadne is a wonderful character, going from sheltered and naive princess to figuring out who she is after being abandoned by Theseus (sorry if that’s a spoiler, but that much was given from the source material), to finding herself in a sort of confined social space again and breaking free again.

    The original story of Ariadne is a starting off point for this reinterpretation, not its full basis. Ariadne goes far beyond the known myth and makes it into a story driven by its heroine. Apart from Ariadne, it also focuses on Phaedra, her lesser-known sister, and I found her storyline very relatable too. They are both complex characters, far from perfect but trying to make the best of their situations. Ariadne is full of heartbreaking moments, but also beautifully written episodes of unbridled joy.

    I loved this book, even though I thought it started to drag a little bit in the second half. I was all set to award it five stars, but in the last third or so I noticed myself wandering more and more, and felt that it could have closed off tighter (it might also be that I was more distracted, so could also be just me!). But for the most part, I found Ariadne incredibly compelling and really enjoyed the voice of the titular character. She is far from a chosen one, and doesn’t have any special abilities, but she is a survivor. And that might be the most important quality a heroine in Greek mythology can have.

    I highly encourage you to pick up Ariadne. You can add it on Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

  • Reviews

    A Desolation Called Peace – Arkady Martine

    A Memory Called Empire was probably one of the most innovative science fiction novels of recent memory. And now, the follow-up and conclusion to the duology, A Desolation Called Peace was just released. So you can bet I was excited to dive back into the world of the Teixcalaanitzlim! It was an interesting experience reading book two in text after audiobooking the first one – so many things are spelled very differently to how I expected them to be!

    Massive thanks to Black Crow PR and UK Tor for sending me a review copy! All opinions are my own

    RELEASE DATE: 04/03/2021

    STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

    SUMMARY: An alien armada lurks on the edges of Teixcalaanli space. No one can communicate with it, no one can destroy it, and Fleet Captain Nine Hibiscus is running out of options.

    In a desperate attempt at diplomacy with the mysterious invaders, the fleet captain has sent for a diplomatic envoy. Now Mahit Dzmare and Three Seagrass—still reeling from the recent upheaval in the Empire—face the impossible task of trying to communicate with a hostile entity.

    Their failure will guarantee millions of deaths in an endless war. Their success might prevent Teixcalaan’s destruction—and allow the empire to continue its rapacious expansion.

    Or it might create something far stranger . . . (from Tor)

    OPINIONS: On one hand, I absolutely loved returning to Arkady Martine’s rich and detailed world. While A Memory Called Empire focused on the inside workings and small-scale politicking, A Desolation Called Peace opened up to the wider world around Teixcalaan, war and diplomacy. But, I felt that in the grander scale of things, individual relationships and characters got a bit lost. I got so excited when Three Seagrass rejoined the story, but sadly the relationship between her and Mahit Dzmare was not explored as much as I would have liked. In that respect, I found the sequel a bit unsatisfying, as their relationship and banter was one of my favourite aspects of the first book.

    What I really liked is that A Desolation Called Peace explored the Imago line further. Mahit and Yskandr – you bet I was taken aback reading their names spelled out very differently than I imagined from the audio – slowly meld together more, and become a sort of new person incorporating aspects of both their personalities. This exploration of what makes one oneself was very interesting to me.

    While I felt like A Desolation of Peace didn’t quite live up to the expectations A Memory Called Empire set, that is likely down to personal preference. I’m not a huge fan of grand scale science fiction and war in space in general, and much preferred the more personal intriguing of the first book. This second book is very different in feeling to the first, and I’m not sure if that’s a good thing or a bad thing. It is still an excellent book, and I think many people will love it, even if it didn’t hit the spot for me personally.

    If you, too, would like to dive back into Teixcalaan, add A Desolation Called Peace to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).

  • Something Special

    Debut Author Interview Project: Chris Panatier

    Welcome to Libri Draconis, Chris Panatier! His book, The Phlebotomist was published by Angry Robot in September 2020, and has one of the most memorable covers I’ve ever seen – AR have been killing it in the design department. Add it to your Goodreads here and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link). And the more I talk to AR authors, they seem like a fabulous publisher, so listen up, aspiring authors!

    Please tell us about your book:

    Thanks for having me! Since it took me so long to get the short synopsis down for The Phlebotomist, that is what I’ll put here, because anything else would miss something:

    To support herself and her grandson Isaiah, Willa works for the blood contractor Patriot. Instituted to support the war effort, the mandatory draw (The Harvest) has led to a society segregated by blood type. Hoping to put an end to it all, Willa draws on her decades-old phlebotomy training to resurrect an obsolete collection technique, but instead uncovers an awful truth.

    Patriot will do anything to protect its secret. On the run and with nowhere else to turn, Willa seeks an alliance with Lock, a notorious blood-hacker who cheats the Harvest to support the children orphaned by it. But they soon find themselves in the grasp of a new type of evil.

    How did you celebrate its release?

    Probably just like every other debut in 2020, in front of my computer! Angry Robot did a great job of introducing the book during the pandemic and I did a host of blog posts and podcast interviews to go along with the release. So, while I’m sure everyone would have preferred to be able to do bookstore events and convention panels, I felt that my book received a nice reception.

    Why and when did you start writing in earnest?

    January 2015. I had just seen the movie Interstellar and read The Science of Interstellar by Dr. Kip Thorne. I was so blown away by the world of astrophysics that I’d been introduced to that I felt compelled to write about it.

    What was your publishing journey like?

    Well, after seeing/reading about all that awesome science, I immediately dashed off an epically mediocre “middle grade” epic fantasy/sf thing, convinced it would break the world. When eighty agents didn’t agree, I was disappointed, but moved on to the next project. Writing had its hooks in me. So, I began writing other novels and also really dove into short fiction in 2018. Short fiction, at least for me, has been key in honing my skills.

    After 150+ agent rejections over two novels, Angry Robot said yes. It’s certainly no lie that you have to put out the absolute best work you can, and then find one person who connects with it.

    How many books did you write before your debut and what did you learn from them?

    That’s a hard question to answer because there were (and probably are for most writers) a lot of partials. So, I had one full novel written and then four or five partials into which substantial time had been invested. The Phlebotomist was my second finished novel.

    At this stage in my career, all of those words were about learning. My writing, aka ‘the prose’, got better by leaps and bounds—this is, I think, the first thing to improve with practice. After that, came understanding story structure and character development. The chief Big Thing I learned was that all problems in writing are solved with time and practice. I’m still learning a lot.

    How has your relationship to writing changed after finding out that your debut would be published?

    It became a whole lot scarier. That’s not as bad as it sounds, but all of a sudden, you learn your work is going to be out there and judged. It’s a dream come true—and anyone who gets a book deal should celebrate that—but I’m so tightly wound, my celebration was short lived. I worked even harder after I knew The Phlebotomist would be published. Revised and edited until my eyes fell out. More hours, reading more, interacting more with other writers. Since then, I’ve chilled some. I have more perspective, but I’m still largely driven by fear.

    What do you wish you had known before publishing your first book?

    Angry Robot really takes care of its authors in terms of preparing them and helping to drive publicity for their books. I didn’t feel all on my own. That said, most of the things you learn along the way is really stuff you can only learn by going through it. Experience is the real teacher, I guess.

    What challenges do you face as a published author?

    There is pressure, of course, to improve on the last thing, to avoid a sophomore slump, I guess. My next book is nothing like The Phlebotomist, so I know that it won’t appeal to everyone who liked the first book. Every author feels that pressure, I’m sure, so I’m not unique in that respect. All the same, I have bouts of doubt, imposter syndrome, and all the rest. Hopefully it is successful enough to continue building an audience.

    Do you feel the industry has been welcoming to you?

    Absolutely. The community is very supportive. I have a tight group of fellow writers that I call my friends who I’ve never met in real life!

    How has the pandemic affected you creatively?

    There was a lot going on over the last year that affected everyone, I’m sure. The pandemic was like, just another layer in the crap cake we were all being fed. I had a tough time focusing for a few months, but with no end in sight, I just decided to get cracking. I’ve written basically two full first-drafts since last June. In that respect, it’s become a productive time.

    Do you think that current events have changed the reception of your debut?

    My book wasn’t shy about addressing current events in an allegorical—and sometimes on-the-nose—sense. I did see a number of reviews noting that the social commentary of The Phlebotomist was apt for our time. It addressed government control, consent, media manipulation, etc.

    How do you approach reviews, what was your first negative review like?

    I have never received a negative review. 😉

    Authors wiser than me warn against reading reviews or caring what they say. That’s great and all except that I am physically unable to restrain myself. I’m a complete junky, I admit it. My first negative review ruined my morning. Having someone point at your baby and say, “that baby is hideous” is tough to stomach. Nowadays, though, negative reviews impact me far less. You get used to it. Writing will teach you real fast that you can’t please everyone.

    What are you planning next?

    I’ll keep writing novels and short fiction. My next novel, Stringers is a humorous sci-fi adventure with all the requisite probing you’d expect from an alien abduction story. It comes out from Angry Robot in April of 2022.

    Do you have a set writing routine?

    I do! I get up at 5:00 a.m., brew coffee, and try to write until at least 7:30 a.m. If the day allows, I’ll write again later on. Getting up early is an awful, terrible, thing and no one should ever do it, but it does keep me from tweaking all day wondering when I’m going to write, because I’ve already done it. Most of my life is spent trying to manage my Type A-ness.

    What is your preferred writing soundtrack?

    Total silence, ambient coffee shop, or instrumental music (Russian Circles, Loscil, Red Sparrows, Tides of Nebula, or Ludovico Einaudi)

    Coffee, tea or other writing fuel?

    Coffee. Occasional mint tea.

    What was your favourite moment on the journey to publication?

    Finding an offer from Angry Robot to publish The Phlebotomist in my junk mail. No lie.

    What books (or other media) have you loved recently?

    Books: Hill House by Shirley Jackson, Shrouded Loyalties by Reese Hogan, Gate Crashers by Patrick Tomlinson, one of several Murderbots by Martha Wells, The Expanse by James SA Corey, We Are Legion (We Are Bob) by Dennis E. Taylor, etc.

    Podcasts: Ty & That Guy (Expanse Podcast), Writing Excuses, My Dad Wrote a Porno, The Writer Files, Smartless, Our Opinions are Correct, National Geographic Overheard.

  • Blog Tours

    Blog tour: Empire of Wild – Cherie Dimaline

    Today, I’m thrilled to kick off the blog tour for Empire of Wild by Cherie Dimaline, out today from Weidenfeld & Nicholson. While this has been out in Canada for a bit, today is its UK release. This is based on traditional Métis legends, something that I have no prior knowledge about but that made this extremely appealing to me. I have read far too few books by indigenous writers, and this is an excellent one to start with if you feel similarly.

    Many thanks to Will O’Mullane and W&N for sending me a review copy. All opinions are my own.

    RELEASE DATE: 01/04/2021

    STAR RATING: 4/5 ✶

    SUMMARY: Broken-hearted Joan has been searching for her husband, Victor, for almost a year – ever since he went missing on the night they had their first serious argument. One hung-over morning in a Walmart parking lot in a little town near Georgian Bay, she is drawn to a revival tent where the local Métis have been flocking to hear a charismatic preacher. By the time she staggers into the tent the service is over, but as she is about to leave, she hears an unmistakable voice.

    She turns, and there is Victor. Only he insists he is not Victor, but the Reverend Eugene Wolff, on a mission to bring his people to Jesus.

    With only two allies – her Johnny-Cash-loving, 12-year-old nephew Zeus, and Ajean, a foul-mouthed euchre shark with deep knowledge of the old Métis ways – Joan sets out to remind the Reverend Wolff of who he really is. If he really is Victor, his life and the life of everyone she loves, depends upon her success. (from W&N)

    OPINIONS: This is equal parts a mystery, psychological thriller to an extent as a speculative fiction novel. I loved Jean’s character, a smart, take-no-bullshit lady in her thirties, trying to figure out what happened to her husband, who disappeared almost a year ago. Through glimpses into the past, we see how she evolved from a directionless young woman into one who is sure of herself and what she believes in. And, oh, how satisfying it was to read a book that was so explicitly rooted in Métis culture. It is something I knew very very little about aside from stereotypes, and I learned so much (yes, I am the nerd who learns about the world from novels). It’s not a book that deals with identity in the traditional sense, but one that is steeped in its culture.

    I think it is very fitting for our times that one of the antagonists of the story is one of the few explicitly white-coded people. A business man, using Christianity for his personal aims. Feel like you’ve seen that before? Welcome to the history of the world. But Cherie Dimaline manages to implement it in a manner that’s not preachy (pun intended), but rather challenges the reader to explore their notions about the world.

    This is not a perfect book, and there are things I wish had been done differently – for example, I wasn’t that happy about the ending, but it is a very good book, and an important one, packaging contemporary issues in a personal story.

    Add Empire of Wild to your Goodreads here, and order a copy from Bookshop here (affiliate link).