tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53170067465985720002024-03-10T23:23:34.352-04:00Fang-tastic FictionDo you want to read your paranormal book reviews in the context of their series? Are you interested in the violence, sensuality, and humor levels of paranormal series? You’ve come to the right place. On this blog, each book is reviewed within the blog entry for its series. When a new book is published, the series entry is updated to include that book. Each series is rated on a 1-5 scale for violence, sensuality, and humor.Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.comBlogger1476125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-13796902364797350722017-12-31T23:59:00.001-05:002018-01-01T00:00:52.743-05:00UPDATE! Faith Hunter's SOULWOOD SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1brWqMJqkdslBy_tykvxMH_L28DPFgYmPsVXVtOb6CRI3PAjsRMeCrqYOEtfn59g3i3VFnB5M8kXJ0tzdUkiEYkYNYjWt6upp2Cjuz_s3qBe85_J7bQIa-j0fmPn5Vv1l8ly_7AoHzg/s1600/24602059.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="295" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt1brWqMJqkdslBy_tykvxMH_L28DPFgYmPsVXVtOb6CRI3PAjsRMeCrqYOEtfn59g3i3VFnB5M8kXJ0tzdUkiEYkYNYjWt6upp2Cjuz_s3qBe85_J7bQIa-j0fmPn5Vv1l8ly_7AoHzg/s320/24602059.jpg" width="198" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Faith Hunter's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2016/07/new-series-faith-hunter-soulwood-series.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">SOULWOOD SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">Flame in the Dark,</span></i> the third novel in the series.</b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-75619052250342109922017-12-24T23:24:00.001-05:002017-12-24T23:24:36.303-05:00UPDATE! Kim Harrison's HOLLOWS SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMD2tluHIjHV9DfpjarYQWVPGmrvEwIzLZeLmH_hxqdPXw4y9brK6rczXSEAVFncAMGgwHIa-r1iZE1RJJ67qdB0YkGCRDavj2mOnFSj8S13qdnhi8wXtyVZUIymF9nSThmYlevUKMss/s1600/31140515.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="314" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyMD2tluHIjHV9DfpjarYQWVPGmrvEwIzLZeLmH_hxqdPXw4y9brK6rczXSEAVFncAMGgwHIa-r1iZE1RJJ67qdB0YkGCRDavj2mOnFSj8S13qdnhi8wXtyVZUIymF9nSThmYlevUKMss/s320/31140515.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Kim Harrison's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2011/03/kim-harrison-hollows.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HOLLOWS SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <span style="color: yellow;"><i>The Turn,</i></span> the prequel novel for the series. What a treat!</b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-23062003948162788522017-11-08T16:30:00.000-05:002017-11-15T17:23:40.452-05:00NEW NOVEL: "When the English Fall"<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQyZJsvd7q7UjK2HZCpyHQyMQCcUPwGbdxEFP0DrLWELqu6EPmyWNEETbC6tHPYdGYWxLv5zz6uDShHxcsrc3Y5pUL20A0KX2orQSH6a01Y78zWLGULhKgWM-kyPxdSHnqe1hKe3L2l8/s1600/51FAoRD6MQL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnQyZJsvd7q7UjK2HZCpyHQyMQCcUPwGbdxEFP0DrLWELqu6EPmyWNEETbC6tHPYdGYWxLv5zz6uDShHxcsrc3Y5pUL20A0KX2orQSH6a01Y78zWLGULhKgWM-kyPxdSHnqe1hKe3L2l8/s200/51FAoRD6MQL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: yellow; font-size: small;">Author:</span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; text-align: justify;">David Williams</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Title:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><i><b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-English-Fall-David-Williams/dp/1616205229/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510092904&sr=1-1&keywords=when+the+english+fall+by+david+williams"><span style="color: #ea9999;">When the English Fall</span></a> </span></b></i></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow; font-weight: bold;">Genre:</span><b> </b><a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/definitions.html"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">Post-Apocalyptic Fiction</span></b></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence—4; Sensuality—1; Humor—2</span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Publisher</b>:</span> Algonquin Books (7/2017)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER’S BLURB:</span></span></b><br />
<div style="text-align: start;">
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">A riveting and unexpected novel that questions whether a peaceful and </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small; text-align: justify;">non-violent community can survive when civilization falls apart.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>"Again, all are asleep, but I am not. I need sleep, but though I read and I pray, I feel too awake. My mind paces the floor.</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>There are shots now and again, bursts here and there, far away, and I cannot sleep. I think of this man in his hunger, shot like a rabbit raiding a garden. For what, Lord? For stealing corn intended for pigs and cattle, like the hungry prodigal helpless in a strange land.</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><br /></i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i>I can hear his voice."</i></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> When a catastrophic solar storm brings about the collapse of modern civilization, an Amish community is caught up in the devastating aftermath. With their stocked larders and stores of supplies, the Amish are unaffected at first. But as the English (the Amish name for all non-Amish people) in the cities become increasingly desperate, they begin to invade nearby farms, taking whatever they want and unleashing unthinkable violence on the gentle communities.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Written as the diary of an Amish farmer named Jacob who tries to protect his family and his way of life, </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">When the English Fall</i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> examines the idea of peace in the face of deadly chaos. Should members of a nonviolent society defy their beliefs and take up arms to defend themselves? And if they do, can they survive?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> David Williams’s debut novel is a thoroughly engrossing look into the closed world of the Amish, as well as a thought-provoking examination of how we live today and what remains if the center cannot hold.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW:</span></b> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Although this novel can be classified as post-apocalyptic fiction, it does not overflow with violent blood-and-guts confrontations, although there is some mostly off-the-page violence. Instead, this is a two-and-a-half-month diary written by a deeply religious Amish farmer who, a decade or so ago, left behind his father's harsh and rigid religious group and started anew in the Pennsylvania heartland near Lancaster. Jacob (aka Jay) and his wife, Hannah, have two teen-age children: Jacob, who helps his father do the heavy work, and Sadie, who appears to have a touch of the "sight." </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Since childhood, Sadie has suffered from seizures, which is worrisome to her parents, but she also is sometimes able to predict events in the near future, which is worrisome to the community at large. In the very first chapter (September 2), Jacob describes the seizure Sadie had during the night: <span style="color: lime;">"Her eyes are wide and unseeing, and her arms lash out, a dress on the clothesline before a storm."</span> Lately, Sadie's episodes are filled with shouts <span style="color: lime;">"about the lights, and about the darkness. The skies are bright with angel wings, she will shout, suddenly. The English fall! The English fall! Again and again she says this."</span> For a long time, Jacob has been troubled about Sadie's condition, and he writes frequently of praying for his daughter.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Along with his worries about Sadie, Jacob fills the early chapters of the diary with the ordinary details of his family's life: constructing furniture in his workshop, milking the cows, picking apples, going to church, repairing his house and a neighbor's house after a storm, harvesting various crops, planting other crops. His entries can also be quite introspective as he explores his religious beliefs and worries about his friend Mike, and "English" (i.e., non-Amish) man who serves as a middleman for Jacob's furniture business. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Mike is completely non-religious</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">a profane heavy-drinking man who has divorced his wife and is now involved with another woman. Although Jacob and Mike maintain a friendly relationship, Jacob's bishop has warned him not to get too close to this particular English man because of his moral shortcomings.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Day by day, Sadie speaks more and more about the angels and the falling English, and finally, towards the end of September, her vision comes true when a solar storm short circuits all electrical lines and brings an end to modern technology through the destruction of the global power grid. Across the globe, airplanes fall from the skies ("the English fall"), computers and cell phones stop working, city water distribution fails, fuel delivery stops<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span>civilization as we know it comes to a halt.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Jacob's life, though, does not change because his family is off the grid and relies only on their own food production, but for the English, the situation soon becomes dire. On his diary pages, Jacob writes down his thoughts about why his isolated, close-knit community is unchanged by the solar storm while the English society is quickly falling apart.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Joseph meets a young National Guardsman when he delivers
produce and canned goods that will be distributed to people in Lancaster, and
the man explains the difficult situation in the cities. Credit and debit cards
don't work. Pay checks can't be cashed. Retail stories are closed because
people have no money and because stores have no inventory. Families who had
only stored away enough food for a week or two have run out and are now going
hungry. Winter is coming and there is no fuel to heat homes. Jacob thinks about
his own family's situation: a larder and a root cellar full of food for the
entire winter, a wood pile to fuel the fireplace and the stove, cows and
chickens for daily milk and eggs, and neighbors to help with the final harvest.
He muses that, "Our community is, to me, what all the English had
built was to him. But now, for him, all of that is gone."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
In the cities, conspiracy theorists begin to spread rumors
that "the Sun storm was really just a secret weapon to give the
government an excuse to take away guns." Others are calling it <span style="color: lime;">"Lucifer's
Night"</span> or the <span style="color: lime;">"second Flood"</span>—<span style="color: lime;">"God's judgment on
man."</span> As the days pass and the food supplies become depleted, the
situation, predictably, becomes violent, with gangs of violent, armed men
roaming the countryside in search of food from outlying farms and leaving
wrecked homes and dead bodies in their wake. In response, equally violent
groups of armed neighborhood militias spring up to defend their property and
their lives. Almost every night, Jacob hears the far-away sounds of shots
being fired—<span style="color: lime;">"a faint tapping on the door of the night."</span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </b>Jacob
and his fellow Amish must decide whether to hide behind the local militia,
knowing that starving people are being killed as looters just to keep the local
residents safe or whether it is more important to save their souls by coming to
a different solution.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Although the book begins at a slow pace and drops down to a plod in some chapters, the suspense gradually builds up in a crescendo during the second half of the book. Jacob must wrestle with many questions of faith as he decides what is best for his family and his soul. Should he allow Mike and his family to move in so that he and his sons will be safe<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span>even if it means that his own family's food supply will be stretched to the limit? Should he give aid to the starving people from the cities who begin to stagger along the near-by roads, which would further decimate his supplies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As I read Jacob's diary entries in which he discusses the past and present moral questions that plague him, I was reminded of two classic movies that deal with the theme of pacifism versus confrontation. Both are set during the American Civil War, In <i><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Friendly_Persuasion_(1956_film)"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Friendly Persuasion</span></a></b></i> (1956), Gary Cooper plays a Quaker whose family gets pulled into defending their Indiana farm from advancing Confederate troops. In <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shenandoah_(film)"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Shenandoah</span></a></i></b> (1965), Jimmy Stewart plays an isolationist Virginia farmer who gets drawn into the conflict when his youngest son is captured by the Union Army. Both films deal with the same issues that trouble Jacob. Because of its Quaker characters, <i>Friendly Persuasion</i>, in particular, tries to answer the toughest question of all: Is it ever right for a Christian to engage in violence against fellow humans?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> If you want a more recent parallel, look no further than AMC's <i>The Walking Dead</i> and the characters Carol and Morgan, both of whom continue to struggle mightily with all of the killing they have done in order to survive. And don't forget Glenn, who did not kill a human until the end of season six, shortly before he lost his own life. It may seem like an impossible reach to compare a book about the Amish with a TV show about zombies, but in the TV show, the real "walking dead" are not the zombies, but the survivors, who must compromise their pre-apocalypse morality by killing predatory humans in order to survive. If they don't they will surely die. At that basic level, Jacob's situation is no different.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /> This would be a great book club selection because it poses so many fascinating moral questions that could be debated forever. What would you do if you were Jacob? What does it really mean to be "safe"? Is the physical safety of yourself and your family more important than the safety of your soul? Can you have both, or do you have to choose between them? Where do you draw the line when you are the only one left with food supplies? Do you share, or do you hoard? Is it morally right to kill a looter who is only stealing because he and his family are starving? Is it acceptable for a Christian to kill another person in self defense? Once? Twice? As often as necessary? Where is the line drawn?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/When-English-Fall-David-Williams/dp/1616205229/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1510092904&sr=1-1&keywords=when+the+english+fall+by+david+williams"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to an excerpt from this novel on its Amazon.com page, where you can click on the cover art for print or on the "Listen" icon for audio. Click <b><a href="http://wtvr.com/2017/08/03/when-english-falls-by-david-williams/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to listen to an interview with the author. Click <b><a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2011/03/110302-solar-flares-sun-storms-earth-danger-carrington-event-science/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read an article about the Carrington Event<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span>a huge solar storm that took place in 1859 and which was the inspiration for Williams's premise.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> David Williams, a teaching elder in the Presbyterian Church, lives in northern Virginia with his wife and sons. His stories and articles have appeared in publications as diverse as <i>Omni</i>, the <i>Christian Century</i>, and <i>Wired</i>. He is the author of one previous book, <i>The Believer's Guide to the Multiverse</i>, an exploration of theology and the cosmos. <i>When the English Fall</i> is his first novel.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-29223846608079675792017-11-03T22:00:00.000-04:002017-11-04T01:44:39.849-04:00NEW NOVEL! Daryl Gregory’s “Spoonbenders” <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielFgRZdKU4J_d0tweKRlDmG_XBbWxUw-SfEncYIGYlBgf7WlUGjj0BO-OtI4Msd8zEyxvhyphenhyphenFJt3nzI7mt9L9xHpVmAMDmURI-9WRLOolYmb9yuLlS6Tp01c4DIRnPSD1OQO8rRMq4Vx8/s1600/9781524731823.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="302" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEielFgRZdKU4J_d0tweKRlDmG_XBbWxUw-SfEncYIGYlBgf7WlUGjj0BO-OtI4Msd8zEyxvhyphenhyphenFJt3nzI7mt9L9xHpVmAMDmURI-9WRLOolYmb9yuLlS6Tp01c4DIRnPSD1OQO8rRMq4Vx8/s200/9781524731823.jpg" width="133" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Author:</span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><a href="https://darylgregory.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Daryl
Gregory</span></a> </span></span></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">Title:</span></b><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><i style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spoonbenders-novel-Daryl-Gregory/dp/152473182X/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509140730&sr=1-1&keywords=spoonbenders+by+daryl+gregory"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Spoonbenders</span></a></b></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Genre:</span> Literary
fiction with a large dose of magic</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence—4;Sensuality—3; Humor—3 </span></a><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Publisher</b>:</span> <b>Alfred
A. Knopf (6/2017)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER’S BLURB:</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Teddy Telemachus is a charming con man
with a gift for sleight of hand and some shady underground associates. In need
of cash, he tricks his way into a classified government study about telekinesis
and its possible role in intelligence gathering. There he meets Maureen
McKinnon, and it’s not just her piercing blue eyes that leave Teddy forever
charmed, but her mind—Maureen is a genuine psychic of immense and mysterious
power. After a whirlwind courtship, they marry, have three gifted children, and
become the Amazing Telemachus Family, performing astounding feats across the
country. Irene is a human lie detector. Frankie can move objects with his mind.
And Buddy, the youngest, can see the future. Then one night tragedy leaves the
family shattered.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Decades later, the Telemachuses are
not so amazing. Irene is a single mom whose ear for truth makes it hard to hold
down a job, much less hold together a relationship. Frankie’s in serious debt
to his dad’s old mob associates. Buddy has completely withdrawn into himself
and inexplicably begun digging a hole in the backyard. To make matters worse,
the CIA has come knocking, looking to see if there’s any magic left in the
Telemachus clan. And there is: Irene’s son Matty has just had his first
out-of-body experience. But he hasn’t told anyone, even though his newfound
talent might just be what his family needs to save themselves—if it doesn’t
tear them apart in the process.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"><br /></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Harnessing the imaginative powers
that have made him a master storyteller, Daryl Gregory delivers a stunning,
laugh-out-loud new novel about a family of gifted dreamers and the invisible
forces that bind us all.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PLOT SUMMARY FROM THE
PUBLISHER:</span> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Teddy Telemachus meets Maureen McKinnon
when they take part in a classified government study about ESP in 1963. Teddy
is just a con man, a charismatic cardshark with a huge heart. Maureen, however,
is the real deal—a full-on psychic. Together they have three gifted children and
become the Amazing Telemachus Family, performing incredible feats on national
television—until a tragic event takes the magic away.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Decades later, the Telemachus children are
in disarray. Frankie who once moved objects with his mind, is in debt to the
Mafia; Irene, the human lie detector, can’t trust anyone; and Buddy, who can
see the future, has inexplicably dug a giant hole in the backyard. Life as they
know it may be over, until Matty, Teddy’s grandson, discovers a little bit of
the old Telemachus magic in himself, which might just save them and make the
Telemachuses amazing once again.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Compassionate, rollicking, and just a bit
magical, <b><i>Spoonbenders</i></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> is a welcome reminder of the importance of family
and the supernatural power of love. It’s a hilarious, tender, extraordinary
novel about the invisible forces that bind us.</span><br />
<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></span></b>
<b style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW:</span> </span></b><br />
<span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
mso-themecolor:hyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment--> In a <a href="http://www.theotherstories.org/episodes/episode-117-excerpt-spoonbenders-daryl-gregory/"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>podcast interview</b></span></a>, Gregory explains
that he used John Irving’s early novels (<i>Hotel New Hampshire, The World
According to Garp, A Prayer for Owen Meany</i>) as models. For each character, he wanted to be
sure <span style="color: lime;">"that the
emotions were all real,"</span> and to <span style="color: lime;">"get the heart of it right,"</span> but he
also wanted the story to end like one of Shakespeare’s plays, where all of the
story threads come together in the final act</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">—</span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">with everyone milling about the stage, doors
slamming, and action erupting everywhere. To get us to that point, Gregory has
his main characters take turns telling the story from their separate
perspectives, flashing back and forth from past to present—and even to the future (in
Buddy’s chapters). The story begins in the present—June 1995—and ends on Labor
Day, which may or may not be the day the world ends for one or more (or all) or
the Telemachus family.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In
the first four chapters, Matty, Teddy, Irene, and Frankie introduce themselves
and submerge us in their complicated lives. In July, we meet Buddy, who lives
in a world in which past, present, and future time constantly swirl and mix in his
mind. Buddy knows that something terrible is going to happen on Labor Day (aka Zap Day), and
it’s up to him to save as many lives as possible.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Gregory
takes us inside each of the characters’ minds. Teddy struggles with the fact
that he can no longer pick up a deck of cards, much less shuffle them in a way
that will trick a mark into handing over his money. (The full story of Teddy’s tragic injuries to his hands is, tantalizingly, left untold until
well into the story.) And then there’s Frankie, who has only a few vestiges of
his former telekinetic powers and who is over his head in debt to the local
mob. Irene, the human lie detector, has met a wonderful man, but she knows that
he will eventually lie to her and she’ll know it immediately, so how can she
make any romantic commitment to him? Fourteen-year-old Mattie, Irene’s son, is
keeping a huge secret. Under certain erotic conditions, he can become an
ephemeral spirit that can fly around looking down on his unconscious physical
body and at anything and anyone else in the vicinity. He has no idea what’s
going on and is terrified to ask any of his family members about it—mostly
because he doesn't want to admit to anyone what triggers the episodes. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Buddy’s chapters are written in a
stream-of-consciousness manner because that’s how Buddy thinks: <span style="color: lime;">“Buddy was in
his own world, a high-gravity planet he left only with great difficulty.”</span> The
rest of the family has come to view Buddy as being on the edge of madness, but
the truth is that he is living within three timelines—past, present, future—all
at the same time, which would make anyone act a bit crazy.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As
each character’s story line meanders through the novel, it begins to connect
with other characters’ story lines until all of the conflict is resolved during
the crazy, action-filled final showdown scene that meets every expectation that
Gregory had for it. By that time, the cast has expanded to include secretive,
middle-aged government agents; a squad of Mafia goons; an ancient, pizza-making mob boss whose wardrobe and hair style still live in the 1970s; an attractive, run-away widow; and a gang of inquisitive kids. Add
some explosives, and you’ve got yourself a finale that is definitely
Shakespearean in scope. Can you think of another novel plot that hinges on a
green cartoon lunch box and a plastic box containing a dead man's teeth?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The
rollicking plot, which can switch in the blink of an eye from pathos to hilarity
to terror—travels along at a compelling pace, pulling the reader along from one
catastrophe to the next. But what makes the book so readable is Gregory’s deep
dive into the emotional effects of the psychic “gifts” (or curses) of each
family member: Teddy's yearning for revenge, Irene’s bitter loneliness, Matty’s embarrassed confusion,
Buddy’s surreal terror, and Frankie’s sweaty desperation.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Gregory
writes with crispness and snarky humor. Here are a few examples: Teddy, an inveterate womanizer, explains
why he picks up women in Dominick’s (a high-end grocery) rather than Jewel’s (a
working-class store): </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;">“You go to the Jewel
on a Tuesday afternoon…you get old women in shiny tracksuits looking for a
deal, holding soup cans up to the light….In Dominick’s…it was still possible to
find classy women, women who understood how to accessorize.”</span> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Later in the
book, Irene has a job interview with </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;">“Amber
the HR rep, a twentysomething nymph constructed entirely of freckles and
positive attitude.”</span> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Irene drives a Festiva, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;">“a car that won the award for most ironic distance between name and
driving experience.”</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> This
novel has it all: charming, well-explored, layered characters; a quick-paced,
exciting plot with just enough complexity to make it interesting, but not confusing; and a
slam-bang ending that ties together all of the disparate story lines. It’s a
winner that you shouldn’t miss.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spoonbenders-novel-Daryl-Gregory/dp/152473182X/ref=sr_1_1_twi_har_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1509140730&sr=1-1&keywords=spoonbenders+by+daryl+gregory"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>HERE</b></span></a> </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">to go to this novel’s
Amazon.com page to read or listen to an excerpt by clicking in the clover art
for print or the “Listen” icon for audio.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span> <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Daryl
Gregory is the author of <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Afterparty</i></span>, <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">The
Devil’s Alphabet</i></span>, and other novels for adults and young readers. His
novella “We Are All Completely Fine” won the World Fantasy Award and
the Shirley Jackson Award. He lives in Oakland, California. Click <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daryl_Gregory"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></b></a></span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: medium;"> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">to go to
Gregory’s Wikipedia page for a bibliography of his works.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Gregory
also wrote the novel, <i>Harrison Squared</i></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">, which I reviewed
back in 2015. The author is now working on the second and third novels in this
trilogy and plans for them to hit the market in 2018. Click <b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2015/04/daryl-gregory-harrison-squared.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read my review of <i>Harrison Squared</i>. Here is an excerpt from that review: </span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;">“Gregory is a great story teller who excels
in characterization and dialogue. His well-developed cast of eccentrics lead us
effortlessly though a highly entertaining, if creepy, plot. Just when you think
the story can't get any stranger, it does…and then it does again. Once I
started this book I couldn't stop reading, mostly because the story moves
along so quickly and with so much dark humor that you just want more. The
epilogue guarantees that there will be a sequel to tie up some unresolved loose
ends.</span></span></span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">"</span></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
mso-themecolor:hyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-22829678822048987112017-10-16T23:00:00.000-04:002017-10-17T00:54:17.158-04:00NEW FANTASY SERIES! Katherine Arden's WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiCqrsLLq2tz2n4AUw2j3v2oSpb_KhwBbx9-OVDps1teTvbg06qq74X4entH2KSUhK5wgU-C-9dA07VUHo7Vjx6QFjMUg6vtd9O93FrX-pEVjAvZs96z8q6AkYTJeYpLgBg4oe7AZFVY/s1600/KArden.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="665" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEiCqrsLLq2tz2n4AUw2j3v2oSpb_KhwBbx9-OVDps1teTvbg06qq74X4entH2KSUhK5wgU-C-9dA07VUHo7Vjx6QFjMUg6vtd9O93FrX-pEVjAvZs96z8q6AkYTJeYpLgBg4oe7AZFVY/s320/KArden.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span></b><b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://www.katherinearden.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Katherine Arden</span></a></span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Series: </span></b><b>WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY</b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Genre: </span></b><b style="text-align: justify;">Fantasy (based on Russian fairy/folk tales)</b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span></b><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><span style="color: black;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—4; Sensuality—2; Humor—2 </span></b></a><b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher:</span></b><b><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><b>Del Rey </b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><b><i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Nightingale-Novel-Winternight-Trilogy/dp/1101885955/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508022358&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bear+and+the+nightingale+by+katherine+arden"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Bear and the Nightingale</span></a> </span></i></b><b style="text-align: justify;">(6/2017)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: black;"> <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Girl-Tower-Novel-Winternight-Trilogy/dp/1101885963/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1508024489&sr=1-2&dpID=51h0SRAxtRL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=detail"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Girl in the Tower</span></a></i> </span></b><b>(12/2017)</b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-align: start; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">This first
entry in my ongoing review of the WINTERNIGHT TRILOGY begins with a brief overview of the series world-building
followed by the publisher's blurb for </span><b><i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Nightingale-Novel-Winternight-Trilogy/dp/1101885955/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1508022358&sr=1-1&keywords=the+bear+and+the+nightingale+by+katherine+arden"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Bear and the Nightingale</span></a></span></i></b><span style="color: yellow;"> along with my
review. I will add to this post as the remaining novels are published.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-color: white; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;"><span style="color: #444444;">
WORLD-BUILDING
</span></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
The first thing you need to know is that Arden uses many Russian terms
in her storytelling. Luckily for the reader, she includes a glossary to explain
each one of them. Whenever I use any of those Russian words in this post, I
will highlight it in <b><span style="color: orange;">orange</span></b>. Whew, what a relief it was to find
that glossary at the end of book one! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
The series is set in the 14th century in northern Russia and
focuses on the family of Pyotr Vladimirovich. Pyotr is a <b><span style="color: orange;">boyar</span></b>—a
member of the aristocracy second in rank only to a prince—but he lives
the same humble life style as his tenants. Arden includes extensive
descriptions of the natural features of Pyotr's lands, particularly the forest,
which is the favorite place for his youngest daughter, Vasilisa (aka
Vasya) to wander. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Vasya is the heroine of the series—at least that is the case in
the first novel, which follows her from her birth to her teen-age years. But
Pyotr also provides a large group of richly developed secondary characters,
both human and mythical/magical, with whom Vasya interacts. In fact, magic
plays a major role in the series in the form of various creatures, including
helpful spirits and guardians, evil demons, and even the dreaded <b><span style="color: orange;">upyry</span></b> (Russian
vampires). Although most of the villagers believe that these mythical creatures
exist only in an invisible form, Vasya alone can actually see them and interact
with them, a fact that she tries to keep hidden from her family and neighbors
for fear of being labeled a witch.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQtXRI1Ravt7cBSF3ueFVyCGkd-bZynDZ_wFljaWcnNQiMH_rJv1W-63maYyyzi8WM5ohXPLdrwdrSD4CkaBDz4_9cVBIoux1GM0YNu7OEPgQ_xdFS6xqFOzrXN0u46oJO9PklrMgysk/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="274" data-original-width="184" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTQtXRI1Ravt7cBSF3ueFVyCGkd-bZynDZ_wFljaWcnNQiMH_rJv1W-63maYyyzi8WM5ohXPLdrwdrSD4CkaBDz4_9cVBIoux1GM0YNu7OEPgQ_xdFS6xqFOzrXN0u46oJO9PklrMgysk/s200/download.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="134" /></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">ABOUT
THE AUTHOR:</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> Born
in Austin, Texas, Katherine Arden spent a year of high school in Rennes,
France. Following her acceptance to Middlebury College in Vermont, she deferred
enrollment for a year in order to live and study in Moscow. At Middlebury, she
specialized in French and Russian literature. After receiving her BA,
she moved to Maui, Hawaii, working every kind of odd jobs imaginable from
grant writing and making crêpes to guiding horse trips. Currently she lives in
Vermont. For more information, click </span><b><a href="http://www.katherinearden.com/about"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-size: small;">HERE</span></a></b><span style="font-size: small;"> to
go to the "About" page on Arden's web site.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p>
Click <b><a href="http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/10/katherine-arden-russian-lit-bear-nightingale/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read an online interview
on the <i>Unbound Worlds</i> website in which Arden answers questions
about Russian literature and <b><i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i></b>. </span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana"; font-size: 12.0pt;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: start;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: white; color: #444444;"> NOVEL 1: <i>The Bear and the Nightingale</i> </span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span></span></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> A magical debut novel for readers of Naomi Novik’s </span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Uprooted</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">,
Erin Morgenstern’s </span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Night Circus</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">, and Neil Gaiman’s myth-rich
fantasies, </span><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Bear and the Nightingale</span></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> spins an irresistible
spell as it announces the arrival of a singular talent with a gorgeous voice.</span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> At the edge
of the Russian wilderness, winter lasts most of the year and the snowdrifts
grow taller than houses. But Vasilisa doesn’t mind—she spends the winter nights
huddled around the embers of a fire with her beloved siblings, listening to her
nurse’s fairy tales. Above all, she loves the chilling story of Frost, the
blue-eyed winter demon, who appears in the frigid night to claim unwary souls.
Wise Russians fear him, her nurse says, and honor the spirits of house and yard
and forest that protect their homes from evil.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> After
Vasilisa’s mother dies, her father goes to Moscow and brings home a new wife.
Fiercely devout and city-bred, Vasilisa’s new stepmother forbids her family
from honoring the household spirits. The family acquiesces, but Vasilisa is
frightened, sensing that more hinges upon their rituals than anyone knows.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
And indeed, crops begin to fail, evil creatures of the
forest creep nearer, and misfortune stalks the village. All the while,
Vasilisa’s stepmother grows ever harsher in her determination to groom her
rebellious stepdaughter for either marriage or confinement in a convent.</span></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
a:link, span.MsoHyperlink
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:blue;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
a:visited, span.MsoHyperlinkFollowed
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
color:purple;
mso-themecolor:followedhyperlink;
text-decoration:underline;
text-underline:single;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As danger circles, Vasilisa must defy even the people she loves
and call on dangerous gifts she has long concealed—this, in order to protect
her family from a threat that seems to have stepped from her nurse’s most
frightening tales. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY
REVIEW:</span></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
The book begins in the depths of the Russian winter. Here is the
opening sentence: <span style="color: lime;">"It was late winter in northern </span><b><span style="color: orange;">Rus'</span></b><span style="color: lime;">, the
air sullen with wet that was neither rain nor snow. The brilliant February
landscape had given way to the dreary gray of March, and the household of Pyotr
Vladimirovich were all sniffling from the damp and thin from six weeks' fasting
on black bread and fermented cabbage."</span><b> </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As the family members huddle around the
huge <b>oven</b> trying to keep warm, Dunya, the children's elderly
nurse, tells them the tale of Frost, who is both an evil demon (called Morozko)
and the god of death (called Karachun). Dunya's story is a folktale in which a
villainous stepmother hates her husband's young daughter, Marfa, so much that
she wishes her dead. After mistreating Marfa badly, the stepmother forces her
husband to take Marfa deep into the snowy woods and leave her as an offering to
Morozko, hoping that the girl will freeze to death. But Marfa charms Frost and
he sends her home with many rich gifts. The stepmother is enraged and jealous
so she insists that her husband take her own daughter, Liza, out into the woods
and leave her in the snow, just as he did with Marfa. But Liza is rude to Frost
so he leaves her to freeze to death. When the husband goes to retrieve Liza and
brings back her frozen corpse, the wife drops dead with grief. This story
comprises the entire first chapter, and you can be sure that it plays a huge
part in the overall plot of the novel. You'll see it coming when Pyotr's wife,
Marina, dies in childbirth early in the story only to be replaced a number of
chapters later by a very unlikable stepmother.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
We soon learn that Vasya, the child who survived the birth that
killed her mother, has inherited "the sight" from her mother's side
of the family. In this rural, isolated countryside, people leave offerings of
food and drink to the spirits or guardians of various places (for example, the
hearth, the stable, the woods, the lake). But Vasya is the only one who can
actually see those spirits and converse with them. By the time she realizes
that people don't know who she is talking to when she speaks aloud to the spirits,
most of the villagers believe that she is a witch (which, actually, she is).
Vasya loves the forest and spends much of her childhood running off to talk
with the spirits who live there, including the <b><span style="color: orange;">leshy</span></b> (woodland
spirit and protector of animals) and the <b><span style="color: orange;">rusalka</span></b> (female water
nymph).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
The story takes us through the seasons, with Arden providing
enchanting descriptions of the natural changes of the land and life styles as
the weather transitions from frigid to warm to hot and back to cold. She
describes the many changes in the fields and forest as the years and the
seasons pass and how those changes affect the lives of Pyotr
Vladimirovich's family. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Arden divides the story into three parts. The first part
introduces Pyotr's family, their complicated history, and the importance of the
ancient spirits to the daily life of his people. Arden's realistic and
touching descriptions of the interactions among the members of Pyotr's family
are impressive, particularly the relationships among Vasya and her siblings:
three brothers and a sister. Vasya's bond with her brother Alyosha is particularly
close. Although they have their differences, they stand up for one another and
have a deep familial bond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
The second part adds complications to their peaceful life when Pyotr
and his two oldest sons go off to Moscow, and he returns with a deeply unstable
new wife named Anna. Soon thereafter, another new arrival adds even more
turmoil: an arrogant new priest named Konstantin. Tension begins building as
soon as they arrive when Anna immediately takes a deep dislike to Vasya. Then
the priest begins to preach against the ancient spirits in emotional, hellfire-and-brimstone
sermons calculated to frighten them into turning all of their attentions to the
single God to whom he prays. Vasya refuses to join the other villagers in
bowing only to Konstantin's God. She sees that the ancient spirits are fading
away from neglect and that the crops are failing and the storms are destroying
the land, so she speaks out against the priest's fear-mongering: <span style="color: lime;">"I am only a country
girl...I have never seen...angels, or heard the voice of God. But I think you
should be careful...that God does not speak in the voice of your own wishing.
We have never needed saving before."</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Meanwhile, deep in the forest, Frost learns that a demon that he
bound a century ago has awakened and is on the verge of breaking free. In the
final section of the book, magic plays a much bigger role as Arden accelerates
the action, amps up the suspense, and resolves most of the conflicts. Although
there are some light-hearted moments in the first two sections, it is in the
final section that Arden adds several truly funny moments (mostly in the form
of snarky dialogue) to the drama and violence of the major showdown that brings
the book to a close.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
This book doesn't exactly have an <b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/definitions.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HEA</span></a></b> ending. It's not sad (well,
except that a few characters don't make it through to the end), but for Vasya,
it's more like a question mark—a what's-coming-next kind of ending.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Arden does a magnificent job of weaving together Russian folklore
with the everyday elements of life in feudal Russia. Her descriptive language
allows the reader to feel the cold and the rain, to smell the earth in the
spring and summer fields, and to hear the leaves blowing in the wind. Here is a
lovely description of the coming of fall:<b> </b><span style="color: lime;">"Fall came at last to
lay cool fingers on the summer-dry grass; t</span><span style="color: lime;">he light went from gold to gray and
the clouds grew damp and soft."</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Also impressive are Arden's realistic and touching descriptions of
the interactions among the members of Pyotr's family, particularly Vasya and
her siblings, three brothers and a sister. Vasya's
bond with her brother Alyosha is particularly close. Although they
have their difference, they stand up for one another and have a deep familial
bond.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
I confess that I am not a big fan of fairy-tale fantasies set in
ancient times, but this book drew me in immediately with its fantastical plot,
layered characters, and slowly building suspense. Vasya is a terrific
heroine—an independent young women in a culture that does not reward
free-thinking females.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Click <b><a href="http://www.katherinearden.com/excerpts"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read excerpts on Arden's
web site with comments from the author. Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bear-Nightingale-Novel-Winternight-Trilogy/dp/1101885955/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr=&dpID=51DuDUQYWQL&preST=_SY344_BO1,204,203,200_QL70_&dpSrc=detail"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to excerpts
on the novel's Amazon.com page by clicking either on the cover art for print or the
"Listen" icon for audio. Click <b><a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/251789/the-bear-and-the-nightingale-by-katherine-arden/9781101885956/readers-guide/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> for a reading guide to the
novel on the publisher's web site.</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-30184014683151962452017-10-11T14:00:00.000-04:002017-10-11T14:09:30.716-04:00NEW DYSTOPIAN NOVEL: Jesús Carrasco's "Out in the Open"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1DbKW5Q28B1vSqs2ClVcR5aKUGSk5c-UnBX5FvjRrlf66lJ5lDCFsdpOGgHQYcEFVVIZH1mfBZHY1gSBlsek73TGCdB4LmANhwe264WkWoD53tdUzyVtP3sCMWsbLqdC8GtZIXOVwFQ/s1600/9781594634369.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="180" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht1DbKW5Q28B1vSqs2ClVcR5aKUGSk5c-UnBX5FvjRrlf66lJ5lDCFsdpOGgHQYcEFVVIZH1mfBZHY1gSBlsek73TGCdB4LmANhwe264WkWoD53tdUzyVtP3sCMWsbLqdC8GtZIXOVwFQ/s200/9781594634369.jpg" width="127" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;">
<b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Author:</span> <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/authors/2146813/jesus-carrasco"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Jesús Carrasco</span></a></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Translator
(from Spanish):</span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Margaret_Jull_Costa"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Margaret Jull Costa</span></a></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Title:</span> <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Out-Open-Novel-Jes%C3%BAs-Carrasco/dp/159463436X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1507583426&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Out in the Open</span></a></i></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Plot
Type:</span> Dark Dystopian Fantasy </b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—4; Sensuality—2; Humor—1</span><span style="color: windowtext;"> </span></b></a><b> </b></span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher: </span>Riverhead
Books (Penguin Random House LLC)</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Publication
Dates:</span> Original Spanish text: 2013; English translation: 2017</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">ABOUT
THE AUTHOR AND THE TRANSLATOR:</span></span></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b><span style="color: orange;">Jesus
Carrasco</span></b> was born in Badajoz, Spain, and now lives in Edinburgh,
Scotland. He received the European Union Prize for Literature in 2016. <b><i>Out
in the Open</i></b> is his debut novel. It was a bestseller in Spain, has
been published in twenty-five languages, and is the winner of many
international awards, including an English PEN award.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> <b><span style="color: orange;">Margaret
Jull Costa</span></b> has been translating Spanish, Portuguese, and Latin American
fiction—including authors like Javier Marias—for more than twenty years.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span></span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> A searing
dystopian vision of a young boy's flight through an unnamed, savaged country,
searching for sanctuary and redemption—a debut novel from one of Europe's
bestselling literary stars.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
A young boy has fled his home. He’s pursued by dangerous
forces. What lies before him is an infinite, arid plain, one he must cross in
order to escape those from whom he’s fleeing. One night on the road, he meets
an old goatherd, a man who lives simply but righteously, and from that moment
on, their paths intertwine.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Out in the Open</span></i><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> tells the story of this journey through a
drought-stricken country ruled by violence. A world where names and dates don’t
matter, where morals have drained away with the water. In this landscape the
boy—not yet a lost cause—has the chance to choose hope and bravery, or to live
forever mired in the cycle of violence in which he was raised. Carrasco has
masterfully created a high stakes world, a dystopian tale of life and death,
right and wrong, terror and salvation.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW: </span></span></b> <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Contrary to
the title, the opening scene centers on a young boy who is hiding in a place that is anything but open: <span style="color: lime;">"From
inside his hole in the ground, he heard the sound of voices calling his name,
and as if they were crickets, he tried to pinpoint the precise location of each
man within the bounds of the olive grove. The desolate howling of fire-scorched
scrub. He was lying on one side, knees drawn up to his chest, with barely enough
room to move in that cramped apace. His arms either around his knees or serving
as a pillow, and only a tiny niche for his knapsack of food. ... He sensed that
the men were getting very close now and so he lay utterly still. He heard
his name proliferating among the trees like drops of rain falling onto a sheet
of water." </span>As he lies in his hole, he thinks about his father
and <span style="color: lime;">"the black flower of his family's betrayal [that] still gnawed at
his stomach."</span> So...what do we know about this young boy, who is
perhaps eight or ten years of age? All of the men in the village, including the
sheriff, are searching for him, because he has <span style="color: lime;">"caused an
incident,"</span> an incident that somehow involves duplicity by his family.
All this nameless boy can think about is escaping to a safe place—turning his back on the
village and the olive grove and heading north into the unknown plain, certain that
his carefully collected horde of food and water will be enough to propel him
into a new life.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
What could this little boy possibly have done to cause this massive
search? The boy assures us that he <span style="color: lime;">"hadn't killed anyone, he hadn't
stolen, he hadn't taken the name of God in vain,"</span> so what did he do?
Carrasco doesn't tell us exactly what happened until much later in the
story, leaving only sickening hints—forcing the reader to make his or her own
dark guesses as to who or what the boy has escaped from and what will happen to
him if/when he is caught by his primary pursuer. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">In an <b><a href="http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/07/opens-jesus-carrasco-love-apocalypse/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">interview</span></a></b>, Carrasco says, <span style="color: lime;">"When I wrote the novel I tried to create an incomplete psychological profile of the boy. Not just because he was a 'personality in progress' but because I wanted to attract the reader to the characters by giving them a sort of mystery. When I read I'm always tempted to fill in with my own experience of life what is suggested but not said, I think we all do. When the blank says 'fear,' it is more suggestive when the reader fills the blank with their own fear instead of a neat description of what the writer thinks that the character feels."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;"><br /></span></span>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyQqATSpPCW8fnrKzNShFAYO04OkE563lNcGInQ8tlCvxXqFdWCvGXUP5vgezWFaorfVGritXaG9bnqSc61IfPHGz3NNfxRQfZ1bR6Fm75OHSvWoqAvCvbHk2A8vulMmTTtj8EvYCKHs/s1600/A_young_boy_rides_on_a_donkey_loaded_with_panniers_as_he_lea_Wellcome_V0039608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="426" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIyQqATSpPCW8fnrKzNShFAYO04OkE563lNcGInQ8tlCvxXqFdWCvGXUP5vgezWFaorfVGritXaG9bnqSc61IfPHGz3NNfxRQfZ1bR6Fm75OHSvWoqAvCvbHk2A8vulMmTTtj8EvYCKHs/s200/A_young_boy_rides_on_a_donkey_loaded_with_panniers_as_he_lea_Wellcome_V0039608.jpg" width="141" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: yellow;">This is how the old man<br />looks as he rides his<br />donkey, which is loaded<br />with panniers (saddle</span><span style="color: orange;"><span style="color: yellow;"> </span></span></span><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-small;">bags) filled with his </span><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-size: x-small;">possessions. </span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Once the boy
escapes from his hole and makes his way into the desolate, tinder-dry,
drought-ridden countryside, Carrasco draws the reader into the boy's mind as he
trudges for miles with the sun beating relentlessly down on his unprotected
body. That night, after his meager provisions have been eaten and drunk, he
comes upon an aged goatherd who catches him when he tries to steal some food.
Instead of punishing the boy, the goatherd shares his food and water, and after
some initial distrust, the boy, the goatherd, and his animals continue to make
their way north. <span style="color: lime;">"The old man
and the donkey were at the front, the dog chasing madly after them, and last of
all came the goats, leaving behind a slipstream of dung like the tail of a
comet." </span>The boy is still somewhat distrustful of the goatherd
because he is sure that a reward for his capture has been posted, and the
goatherd is desperately poor, but he truly has no choice but to team up with
this monosyllabic old man if he is to survive.</span> <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;">
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<!--EndFragment--></span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
</div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ3UmaMyzeRuoAhkhb73fs3EdmqQcfc0QtdSqMADsCjBZ5jJylvQp7AzIWjB8ss98yTNvEezn_Hm_pRiCEF7O6K_QaUhLfI5mP_UK7KNBK3vTi23ic-Q5o1GUeiNfDb8PditlP1WKeTU/s1600/mQ2nR1pmmJLbImjph3ej7CQ.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="169" data-original-width="225" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDZ3UmaMyzeRuoAhkhb73fs3EdmqQcfc0QtdSqMADsCjBZ5jJylvQp7AzIWjB8ss98yTNvEezn_Hm_pRiCEF7O6K_QaUhLfI5mP_UK7KNBK3vTi23ic-Q5o1GUeiNfDb8PditlP1WKeTU/s200/mQ2nR1pmmJLbImjph3ej7CQ.jpg" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">A rope lighter</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-size: medium; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> <span style="color: yellow;">Note:</span> </b>The goatherd habitually uses a rope lighter (<i>encendedor de mecha</i>) to light his cigarettes as well as the campfire. Click <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=whXDsTFvKTI"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to see a video of how a rope lighter works. It's pretty neat.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
The next chapters follow the group of animals and the two
humans as they move slowly across an arid, dusty, rocky plain pocked with bone-dry stream beds. Although some have criticized this section of the book for
being too slow, I found it fascinating to watch the primitive but principled goatherd begin to mentor
the boy, almost as if the old man is readying the boy to take his place when the time comes. This part of
the book is truly a coming-of-age process for a youngster who has never been
beyond the boundaries of his own village and who has always relied on his
family for sustenance and shelter. Now, he has only himself—and the goatherd—to
keep him alive. Carrasco's writing is filled with the meticulous details of
surviving in this unforgiving landscape (which is based on Carrasco's childhood
in a drought-ridden area of Spain).</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Comparisons can be made between the boy's search for safety
and Don Quixote's quest for chivalry. In an <b><a href="http://www.unboundworlds.com/2017/07/opens-jesus-carrasco-love-apocalypse/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">on-line interview</span></a></b>, Carrasco makes the
following statement on this subject: <span style="color: lime;">"There are many parallels
between the books. Both are, in some way, travel books, unfolding in the same
landscape, and danger is a substantial part of the plot. The difference is that
while Don Quixote seeks danger, the boy in this novel, flees from it. In my
opinion the need for safety that the boy feels is actually finally fulfilled by
the encounter with the goatherd. It is, anyway, a psychological safety, which
has been sourced from a newly acquired feeling of autonomy. For the first time
in his early life, he feels that it is himself who is in charge of is own
life. It is good to be aware that life is not cocooned in safety and that
it finally ends."</span> The book has also been compared to Cormac
MacCarthy's <b><i>The Road</i></b>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Eventually, of course, the boy's pursuers catch up with him
in a horrific scene set in the ruins of an ancient castle. From that point on,
suspense builds at a compelling rate as we root for the boy and his savior to
emerge from this virtual nightmare alive. <span style="color: lime;">"The elements had pushed
him far beyond what he knew and didn't know about life. It had taken him to the
very edge of death...."</span> The boy struggles to understand the
goatherd's motivations for helping him. He wonders
why the old man has put himself at high risk and has suffered extreme pain and
hardship just to help him escape from his pursuers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> After many
trials and tribulations, the boy <span style="color: lime;">"had been guilty of meting out
violence, exactly as he had seen those around him do, and now he was demanding
his share of impunity."</span> But when the boy wants to leave an enemy for
dead, the goatherd reminds him, <span style="color: lime;">"He, too, is a child of God."</span><b> </b>From
this old man the boy eventually learns the importance of compassion to the human
soul. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Although there are a number of extremely violent scenes in
the second half of the book, Carrasco takes a <b><a href="http://nofilmschool.com/2017/03/watch-breaking-down-what-it-means-be-hitchcockian"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Hitchcockian</span></a></b> approach to them,
never giving us the full graphic details, but instead relying on shadows,
sounds, and smells to communicate the horrors. Like <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Hitchcock"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Alfred
Hitchcock</span></a></b>, Carrasco uses his storytelling as a means of forcing
his audience to project their worst fears and anxieties—to place the reader
just outside the scene as a silent, powerless observer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In one brief
scene the boy's most feared pursuer meticulously collects a variety of food,
leisurely eats his meal, and then uses his knife to open a handful of walnuts,
carefully scooping out the whole nutmeats. As the terrified boy watches, the
man holds <span style="color: lime;">"one half of a nutshell in each hand. Then holding each
half between two fingers, he put them together so that they fitted perfectly
like a brain with four hemispheres."</span> He looks at the boy and
says, <span style="color: lime;">"It's important to do things properly. ... And you
haven't."</span> When read in full context, this little vignette will make
the hairs on the back of your neck stand straight up. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Out-Open-Novel-Jes%C3%BAs-Carrasco/dp/159463436X/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1507583426&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to an
excerpt from novel on its Amazon.com page. You can click on the cover art for
print or the "Listen" icon for audio.</span></span></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:.5in .5in 41.75pt .5in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
-->Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-2463375724115571942017-10-07T18:00:00.000-04:002017-10-07T18:00:22.409-04:00UPDATE! Diana Rowland: WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYcPQvrBbQp5KxnX9oY9EvK9n7qlRAhDyF0ROpuqeL2FwhitnoWpK-DEWzXzK9OqckL_gw_b0eF9eom0NltgojnkJgPus7KEn9w20XHDqgSGPXWF3Arg_liNdaaM62QarWvRbiF6L3SQ/s1600/wtzu-cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="321" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCYcPQvrBbQp5KxnX9oY9EvK9n7qlRAhDyF0ROpuqeL2FwhitnoWpK-DEWzXzK9OqckL_gw_b0eF9eom0NltgojnkJgPus7KEn9w20XHDqgSGPXWF3Arg_liNdaaM62QarWvRbiF6L3SQ/s320/wtzu-cover.jpg" width="195" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Diana Rowland's</span> <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2011/07/diana-rowland-white-trash-zombie.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">WHITE TRASH ZOMBIE SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">White Trash Zombie Unchained, </span></i>the sixth (and probably the <span style="color: cyan;">FINAL</span>) novel in the series.</b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-29511320798346894392017-10-02T13:40:00.002-04:002017-10-02T13:46:34.813-04:00UPDATE! Charlaine Harris--renewal for "MIdnight Texas" TV show<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-ON-aF12xbwu1nRYmtFuKdjTw1ttCUW7jJSYsDeIzXVa6ROvWkgMfRcgEr7-9CUN7Zjnn53grhp_FOgdNL2hBqug_S6BeZj1BuVJkpMXgSVoFkTxtfNcLUBie0BlS9haWdWMlplFO3Q/s1600/MidnightTexas-ShowImage-1920x1080-KO.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="640" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhC-ON-aF12xbwu1nRYmtFuKdjTw1ttCUW7jJSYsDeIzXVa6ROvWkgMfRcgEr7-9CUN7Zjnn53grhp_FOgdNL2hBqug_S6BeZj1BuVJkpMXgSVoFkTxtfNcLUBie0BlS9haWdWMlplFO3Q/s320/MidnightTexas-ShowImage-1920x1080-KO.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Charlaine Harris just posted on Facebook that the renewal of the television version of <b><i>Midnight, Texas</i></b>, is hanging in the balance. She asks supporters to make their opinions known at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/str/%40nbc+midnighttexas/keywords_blended_posts"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>@MidnightTexas</b></span></a> </span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">on Facebook.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Click <b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/search/str/Charlaine+Harris/keywords_blended_featured_posts?esd=eyJlc2lkIjoiUzpfSTEzMDEyOTI5MzY2Mzk3MjoxOTA2MjQ5NDM2MDUxOTQwIiwicHNpZCI6eyIxMzAxMjkyOTM2NjM5NzI6MTkwNjI0OTQzNjA1MTk0MCI6IlV6cGZTVEV6TURFeU9USTVNelkyTXprM01qb3hPVEEyTWpRNU5ETTJNRFV4T1RRdyIsIjE0MDA1MjYzOTM4MzA2MToxNDA4NzA5OTk5MTgzOTc5IjoiVXpwZlNURTBNREExTWpZek9UTTRNekEyTVRveE5EQTROekE1T1RrNU1UZ3pPVGM1In0sImNyY3QiOiJ0ZXh0IiwiY3NpZCI6IjQ2MmViMDExMmVmNGI4ZGZkY2U0ZGFhZjNhYzRlODVmIn0%3D"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go directly to Harris's Facebook page. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Click <b><a href="https://www.nbc.com/midnight-texas?nbc=1"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go to NBC's Midnight Texas page where you can watch the full season, including the big finale.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Although I wasn't overjoyed with all aspects of the show, by the end I had made peace with most of my complaints, particularly about the lousy casting of a few of the characters (particularly, Joe the fallen angel). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Once a book falls into the hands of TV executives, it is always going to become a very different product than the one we read on the printed page. That happened with <b><i>True Blood</i></b>, just as it happened with <b><i>Midnight</i></b>. Thankfully, the producers of <b><i>True Blood</i></b> did a much better job and stayed relatively true to Harris's character development and story lines.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I'm just grateful that the <i><b>Midnight</b></i> series was better cast and plotted than the dreadful <i><b>Aurora Teagarden</b></i> series on the Hallmark channel, which is filled with sappy, air-headed characters and drips with saccharine-sweet drivel that is far removed from Harris's wry, dry wit.</span></div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-73925201160945521182017-09-30T18:00:00.000-04:002017-09-30T18:00:03.411-04:00UPDATE! Kelley Armstrong's CAINSVILLE SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3vU4PRXrAs_jhKlyeUo5CrazI9o8GBmy9yDQYf3GTR_UFuDnhZZE0jvjNd5InzVfSHtvSHeRXJes_BOen5tJ0JyST1SrTbr7NJzWFZkJ9E1lgcKal4WhIEjSG0qV4YIyBZvDvjNz3bM/s1600/25174926.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="317" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgT3vU4PRXrAs_jhKlyeUo5CrazI9o8GBmy9yDQYf3GTR_UFuDnhZZE0jvjNd5InzVfSHtvSHeRXJes_BOen5tJ0JyST1SrTbr7NJzWFZkJ9E1lgcKal4WhIEjSG0qV4YIyBZvDvjNz3bM/s320/25174926.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Kelley Armstrong's</span> <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2013/09/kelly-armstrong-cainsville-series.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">CAINSVILLE SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <span style="color: yellow;"><i>Rituals,</i></span> the fifth and <span style="color: cyan;">FINAL</span> novel. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-54120304305440953012017-09-27T18:00:00.000-04:002017-09-27T18:00:13.590-04:00NEW NOVEL! Christina Henry's "Lost Boy"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxOq6EOABAxJgnIuO0HN7G96YwQxOvHTn7rWZx91NyG87enpwYqf6uZy3f5HBq4tVndkSY5w1iJgFEERgtGF9sNCQNEFChgkMV59hdJqVVbGaPR2m_uRyt2DONLv4faBf_q6ozVWUUuc/s1600/LostBoy-399x600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="399" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjAxOq6EOABAxJgnIuO0HN7G96YwQxOvHTn7rWZx91NyG87enpwYqf6uZy3f5HBq4tVndkSY5w1iJgFEERgtGF9sNCQNEFChgkMV59hdJqVVbGaPR2m_uRyt2DONLv4faBf_q6ozVWUUuc/s200/LostBoy-399x600.jpg" width="132" /></a></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span> <a href="http://www.christinahenry.net/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Christina Henry</span></a></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Title: </span> <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Lost-Boy-True-Story-Captain/dp/0399584021/ref=sr_1_1_twi_pap_2?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1506386836&sr=1-1&keywords=lost+boy"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Lost Boy: The True Story of Captain Hook</span></a></i></b> </span></span><br />
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Genre:</span> </b>Fantasy </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span></b> <b style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html" style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4; Sensuality</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span></span><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2; Humor</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—2 </span></b></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></b></span></div>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher:</span></b> Penguin Random House (7/2017)</span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"> </span></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> From
the national bestselling author of <i><b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Alice-Christina-Henry/dp/0425266796/ref=pd_bxgy_14_3?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=0425266796&pd_rd_r=BQS529P1N5393APN33F5&pd_rd_w=bGUlH&pd_rd_wg=Tk37B&psc=1&refRID=BQS529P1N5393APN33F5"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Alice</span></a></b></i> comes a familiar
story with a dark hook—a tale about Peter Pan and the friend who became his
nemesis, a nemesis who may not be the black-hearted villain Peter says he is…</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> There is one version of my story that everyone knows. And then there is the
truth. This is how it happened. How I went from being Peter Pan’s first—and
favorite—lost boy to his greatest enemy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Peter brought me to his island because there were no rules and no grownups to
make us mind. He brought boys from the Other Place to join in the fun, but
Peter's idea of fun is sharper than a pirate’s sword. Because it’s never been
all fun and games on the island. Our neighbors are pirates and monsters. Our
toys are knife and stick and rock—the kinds of playthings that bite.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Peter promised we would all be young and happy forever. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Peter lies.</span> </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">MY REVIEW:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In a <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S09miKbRf-o"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b>video interview</b></span></a> about this novel for Fangirl Nation, Christina Henry explains that she frequently finds <span style="color: lime;">"imaginative space"</span> within literary works—places where the author has left something out, something that she wants to know more about. After reading <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan"><span style="color: #ea9999;">J. M. Barrie's <i>Peter Pan</i></span></a></b> to her eleven-year-old son, Henry wondered why Captain Hook hates Peter Pan so much? What would make a grown man despise a child so much that he wants to kill him? In <b><i>Lost Boy</i></b>, Henry has created a prequel to <b><i>Peter Pan</i></b> that answers that very question.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> You may have seen the <b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Pan_(1953_film)"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Disney animated movie</span></a></span></b> or <b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hook_(film)"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Hook</span></a></i></b>, with Robin Williams as Peter Pan, but if you go back to the <b><a href="https://americanliterature.com/author/james-m-barrie/book/peter-pan/summary"><span style="color: #ea9999;">original story</span></a></b> and read between the lines, you'll see that Peter isn't as happy and carefree as he appears on the surface. Henry searched carefully for those hints and spun them into a dark and violent tale that explains exactly what happened between Peter and Captain Hook that made them mortal enemies. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Long before Captain Hook was a vengeance-obsessed, one-handed pirate, he was Peter's very first boy and his name was Jamie. Jamie tells his story in his eloquent first-person voice (which Henry handles masterfully). Jamie ends the Prologue with these words: <span style="color: lime;">"Peter will say I'm a villain, that I wronged him, that I never was his friend. But...Peter lies. This is what really happened." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As the story begins, Jamie has been on Peter's island for 150 seasons (approximately 38 years), but he still looks as if he is about 12 years old. <span style="color: lime;">"It was the island that kept us all young, though some of us wouldn't stay that way. Some of the boys, for reasons none of us could comprehend, grew up like normal. It didn't happen too often, for Peter was pretty good at choosing the right sort of character for the island and I think that had something to do with it, the desire to stay a boy and do boy things for always."</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Early in the book Jamie muses about the good old days when, <span style="color: lime;">"I was the only one who was special, truly special, for I was the first, and would be the last if it came to that. It would always be Peter and me, like we were in the beginning." </span>But gradually, the relationship between Peter and Jamie has changed. Over the years, Jamie has become a caretaker for the lost boys</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">a big brother, or perhaps even a mother figure. He makes sure that they get enough food and rest, that they don't fight too much among themselves, that they can take care of themselves in the woods, and that they help with the work around the camp. <span style="color: lime;">"Peter was for fun, for play, for adventures. Me, I kept his playmates alive—even when he didn't want them anymore."</span> Now the boys turn to Jamie rather than to Peter for support, which makes Peter grow more and more jealous of Jamie. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.2" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">panose</span>-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.3" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.4" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">charset</span>:0;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.5" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-generic-font-family:auto;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.6" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-pitch:variable;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.7" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.8" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.9" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">charset</span>:78;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.10" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-generic-font-family:auto;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.11" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-pitch:variable;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.12" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.13" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">Verdana</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.14" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">panose</span>-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.15" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.16" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">charset</span>:0;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.17" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-generic-font-family:auto;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.18" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-pitch:variable;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.19" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.20" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">Cambria</span> Math";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.21" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">panose</span>-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.22" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.23" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">charset</span>:0;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.24" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-generic-font-family:auto;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.25" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-pitch:variable;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.26" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.27" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">MsoNormal</span>, <span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.28" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">li</span>.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.29" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">MsoNormal</span>, div.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.30" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">MsoNormal</span>
{<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.31" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-style-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.32" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">unhide</span>:no;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.33" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-style-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.34" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">qformat</span>:yes;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.35" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.36" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.37" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">Verdana</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.38" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.39" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>-font-family:"MS 明朝";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.40" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.41" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>-theme-font:minor-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.42" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.43" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.44" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>-font-family:"Times New Roman";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.45" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.46" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>-theme-font:minor-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.47" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>;}
p
{<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.48" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-style-priority:99;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.49" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.50" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.51" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.52" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.53" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>-font-family:"MS 明朝";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.54" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.55" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>-theme-font:minor-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.56" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.57" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.58" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.59" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">MsoChpDefault</span>
{<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.60" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-style-type:export-only;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.61" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-default-props:yes;
font-family:<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.62" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">Verdana</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.63" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.64" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">ascii</span>-font-family:<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.65" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">Verdana</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.66" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.67" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>-font-family:"MS 明朝";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.68" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.69" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>-theme-font:minor-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.70" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">fareast</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.71" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.72" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">hansi</span>-font-family:<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.73" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">Verdana</span>;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.74" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.75" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>-font-family:"Times New Roman";
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.76" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.77" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>-theme-font:minor-<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.78" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">bidi</span>;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.83" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-header-margin:.5in;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.86" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-footer-margin:.5in;
<span class="goog-spellcheck-word" id=":df.89" tabindex="-1" role="menuitem" aria-haspopup="true" style="background: yellow;">mso</span>-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> Peter
likes to have 15 boys in his group, so if he loses one or two in battles or to
illness, he goes through the magic rabbit hole back to the Other Place to
seduce replacements from the crowds of homeless street boys who are desperate
for a happy life. <span style="color: lime;">"To Peter all children were replaceable (except
himself). When he lost one...he would...get a new one, preferably an unwanted
one, because then the boy didn't miss the Other Place so much and he was happy
to be here and to do what Peter wanted. Those who didn't listen so well or
weren't happy as the singing birds in the trees found themselves in the fields
of the Many-Eyed [vicious monsters] without a bow or left near the pirate camp
or otherwise forgotten, for Peter had no time for boys who didn't want his
adventures." </span></span><span style="font-family: Verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Usually, Peter takes Jamie along on his "recruitment" journeys, but not the last one, which resulted in two new boys who definitely do not fit the usual mold. Charlie is the youngest boy ever to live on Peter's island. He is about five years old, and Jamie is pretty sure that Peter did not find Charlie on the streets because Charlie speaks fondly of his mother—the hugs she gave him and the songs she sang to him. The other boy is Nip, an older, tougher boy whose primary demeanor is sullen and mean. Nip constantly challenges Jamie's orders, and Jamie soon realizes that Nip plans to step up and take his place as </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">second-in-command. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As Jamie tells his story, he reminisces about how he felt about Peter in the old days when life really was all fun and frolic. <span style="color: lime;">"I was smaller then, and Peter was big and brave and wonderful. He said, 'Come away and we'll have adventures and be friends always,' and I put my hand in his and he smiled and that smile went into my heart and stayed there."</span><b> </b>But even back then, Jamie hated the violent interludes that Peter insisted on—the periodic bloody raids on the pirates (who never came inland to bother them, so why attack them?); the occasional attack by one of the Many-Eyed (huge spidery monsters who live in the north meadow); and the intermittent battles between boys (which are always fought on the Battle Rock). Peter insists on battles whenever two boys argue over something or get into fights—or whenever Peter just wants to enjoy watching some violence. In these battles the boys fight with sharp rocks and sticks and hard fists and kicks so they are always very bloody, but the Battle Rock magically absorbs all of the blood. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Recently, Jamie has been getting less and less happy about living on Peter's island, and less and less friendly toward Peter, who senses Jamie's changing attitude. And one more thing...Jamie is beginning to grow—just an inch every once in awhile, but he is definitely growing taller, another fact that Peter notices. It takes Jamie awhile to figure out why he's growing, but it's obvious that Peter knows exactly what's going on with his first boy.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As the story plays out, Peter gets more and more vicious, and Jamie gets more and more defensive and protective of</span><span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Charlie and of another new member of Peter's tribe. Eventually, just as in William Golding's </span><span style="font-size: small;"><b><i><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lord_of_the_Flies"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Lord of the Flies</span></a></i></b>, the lost boys' society falls violently apart and everyone's life either ends abruptly or changes completely. I won't tell you any more of the plot because the enjoyment of the book lies in watching the events play out to their horrific conclusion. (<span style="color: yellow;"><b>Warning! </b></span>If you are a reader who likes to peek at the last few pages before starting a book, don't do that with <b><i>Lost Boy</i></b> or you will absolutely ruin the story for yourself.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> By the end, Henry has used Barrie's "imaginative space" to answer her question about Captain Hook, and it's a wonderfully satisfying answer. In fact, I prefer Henry's version to Barrie's.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Henry gives her primary characters many layers, so we feel their joyous emotions about doing boy things on the island for the rest of their lives, but also, their uneasiness over Peter's penchant for violence and his annoyance when they are injured or sick. Jamie, of course, bares his soul to us as he tells his sad story—from his nightmares of his dead mother to his fears about who or what Peter truly is and what is going to happen to him and to Charlie. I always found Peter's character to be difficult to interpret in the original story. He always made me feel uneasy, particularly because of his unrepentant hatred for grown-ups. In this book, though, there is no doubt about Peter's intentions because here he is a vicious sociopath who masks his true emotions. You need to remember Jamie's warning in the Prologue: <span style="color: lime;">"Peter lies."</span> You may be thinking, What about Tinkerbell? Yes, she does make an appearance, but in such a subtle, secretive manner that you almost don't notice her at first. By the time you understand her role in <b><i>Lost Boy</i></b>, you are hardly surprised that it bears no resemblance at all to the original story. Trust me, no one is going to be clapping for Tinkerbell in this book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> For me, this was a can't-put-it-down novel that pulled me along with its compelling plot, rising suspense, and sympathetic characters. I worried about Charlie from the moment I met him in the first chapter. Although Barrie wrote his book for children, Henry wrote this one for adults, so beware—it gets very violent and bloody in places because Peter does some truly horrible things to people. Nevertheless, Henry is such a fantastic storyteller that I think you'll enjoy it tremendously, particularly if you got a kick out of Henry's <b>CHRONICLES OF ALICE</b> duology. Click <b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2015/07/new-series-christina-henry-alice.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read my reviews of the two <b>ALICE</b> novels</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;">.</span></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Arial;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 2 2 2 2 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536859905 -1073711037 9 0 511 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
-->Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-54829887813868106022017-09-24T13:00:00.000-04:002017-09-24T13:00:17.440-04:00UPDATE! Terry Spear's HEART OF THE WOLF SERIES (SEAL WOLF)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmcSKszE7OaFCxm3uXZMsBIJGlzXNj8DuP1317dgnVyngRFrql1dL24WMQtmbiJWF41kJ8Tdd9DIjAaV6EWc7O0Q_BO2bVeij8etciF4_r94N682Syc3sEqH5q6QJUSKcPZwMBV8yawI/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="175" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJmcSKszE7OaFCxm3uXZMsBIJGlzXNj8DuP1317dgnVyngRFrql1dL24WMQtmbiJWF41kJ8Tdd9DIjAaV6EWc7O0Q_BO2bVeij8etciF4_r94N682Syc3sEqH5q6QJUSKcPZwMBV8yawI/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post <span style="color: yellow;">Terry Spear's</span> <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2011/03/terry-spear-wolf-series.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HEART OF THE WOLF SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">SEAL Wolf Undercover,</span></i> the 21st novel in the full series (and the fifth SEAL WOLF novel).</b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-44027944912527760312017-09-22T16:00:00.000-04:002017-09-22T16:00:13.848-04:00UPDATE! Ilona Andrews: HIDDEN LEGACY TRILOGY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4knF0wT0UyWNVljImBWExoe28tVVTdbg3z6izY8dOPJ6jT8-dz0vbX6nGxNKXslnGgyLvMngloZLRf4NLa3I27mHiKO2B60uN-VLBWCxCss16_5Wk5vMMPcxYd6EhK9YCv9plp9T1V4/s1600/51dzRcjNU0L._SY346_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="346" data-original-width="219" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhz4knF0wT0UyWNVljImBWExoe28tVVTdbg3z6izY8dOPJ6jT8-dz0vbX6nGxNKXslnGgyLvMngloZLRf4NLa3I27mHiKO2B60uN-VLBWCxCss16_5Wk5vMMPcxYd6EhK9YCv9plp9T1V4/s320/51dzRcjNU0L._SY346_.jpg" width="202" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Ilona Andrews'</span> </b><b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2016/12/ilona-andrews-hidden-legacy-trilogy.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HIDDEN LEGACY TRILOGY</span></a></b><b> by adding a review of <span style="color: yellow;"><i>Wildfire,</i></span> the third and <span style="color: cyan;">FINAL</span> novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-10873796888482347342017-09-20T23:00:00.000-04:002017-09-20T23:00:21.763-04:00UPDATE! Kalayna Price: ALEX CRAFT SERIES<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lku8FO5OfQsfMZRSlT8RX6Xk_qsB5dAB9-DGc_IP32UFvfdO4Yp1xAblEoML2UNcjeV52W3ac74INWO38teBLP-_NVXyjPZjR-yZof1XpWzmUNysEVJqBOCBrAA483Eu76QVypieiEU/s1600/9780451416582.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="450" data-original-width="279" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0Lku8FO5OfQsfMZRSlT8RX6Xk_qsB5dAB9-DGc_IP32UFvfdO4Yp1xAblEoML2UNcjeV52W3ac74INWO38teBLP-_NVXyjPZjR-yZof1XpWzmUNysEVJqBOCBrAA483Eu76QVypieiEU/s320/9780451416582.jpg" width="198" /></a><b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Kalayna Price's </span><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2010/11/kalayna-price-alex-craft.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">ALEX CRAFT SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">Grave Ransom, </span></i>the fifth novel. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-29985286296237369532017-09-17T15:00:00.000-04:002017-09-17T15:00:02.481-04:00UPDATE! Kevin Hearne's IRON DRUID CHRONICLES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF7COgnoGE0-r24oxV6rbocbsKwgbNUfRX-eCQlk0FVQ5Q2S34qF5g0XC-Yea16BJ0OcDUDx_kTYSEwlK9iZnb6s6GjCwTMicWsTm89ZwRALMOlQmWIzuW6w3OTWm223KDU6uKFh0feY/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="277" data-original-width="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizF7COgnoGE0-r24oxV6rbocbsKwgbNUfRX-eCQlk0FVQ5Q2S34qF5g0XC-Yea16BJ0OcDUDx_kTYSEwlK9iZnb6s6GjCwTMicWsTm89ZwRALMOlQmWIzuW6w3OTWm223KDU6uKFh0feY/s1600/download.jpg" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Kevin Hearne's</span> <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2011/06/kevin-hearnes-iron-druid-chronicles.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">IRON DRUID CHRONICLES</span></a> by adding a review of <span style="color: yellow;"><i>Besieged,</i></span> a collection of stories narrated by Atticus and other characters from the series.</b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-35559269737272956492017-09-05T23:00:00.000-04:002017-11-15T17:28:58.429-05:00Kerrelyn Sparks: EMBRACED SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Bz1neZWK-75xM_IwJInJGRbPUexidt-RGbupOFq3wgaNW_QSbA826QDmVSgcQI-JrAGgsW1OURdoFB_buCVZldpe-rJjs3wMcYsVbJ8BrLIpKymbdIG28qbfXVv6uOkpScj-97VXV9o/s1600/23627734._SX540_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="205" data-original-width="540" height="151" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9Bz1neZWK-75xM_IwJInJGRbPUexidt-RGbupOFq3wgaNW_QSbA826QDmVSgcQI-JrAGgsW1OURdoFB_buCVZldpe-rJjs3wMcYsVbJ8BrLIpKymbdIG28qbfXVv6uOkpScj-97VXV9o/s400/23627734._SX540_.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span> </b><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://www.kerrelynsparks.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Kerrelyn Sparks</span></a></span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Series: </span> EMBRACED</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Plot Type: </span> </span><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/definitions.html"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soul Mate Romance (SMR)</span></a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> </span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4; Sensuality</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span></span><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4; Humor</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—2-3</span></b></span></a></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher and Titles:</span> </span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>St. Martin's Press</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> 1 <i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tame-Beast-Seven-Days-Embraced/dp/1250108217?SubscriptionId=AKIAIC4DTHWMHZAANS6Q&tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=1250108217"><span style="color: #ea9999;">How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days</span></a></span></i> (</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>3/2017</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> 2 <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/So-I-Married-Sorcerer-Embraced/dp/1250108233/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1250108233&pd_rd_r=8395CX4K6BE6AKAZBG2J&pd_rd_w=FT6CY&pd_rd_wg=jlNvH&psc=1&refRID=8395CX4K6BE6AKAZBG2J"><span style="color: #ea9999;">So I Married a Sorcerer</span></a></i> (8/2017)</span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> 3 <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Eight-Simple-Dating-Dragon-Embraced/dp/125010825X/ref=pd_sim_14_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=125010825X&pd_rd_r=Y3B7DJM1AP77F6P3696S&pd_rd_w=L34XN&pd_rd_wg=CcfcA&psc=1&refRID=Y3B7DJM1AP77F6P3696S"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon</span></a></i> (8/2018)</span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">This post contains an overview of the series world-building, a full review of novel 1, and the cover art and publisher's blurbs for novels 2 and 3. I will not be reviewing any more of the books in this series, but I will continue to add the publisher's blurbs and cover art for new books as they are published. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="color: #444444;"><b style="background-color: white;"> WORLD-BUILDING </b></span></span><br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> On her web site, Sparks introduces her new series with this description: <span style="color: lime;">"The
Embraced is a new paranormal/fantasy romance series that is best described as
<i>Game of Thrones</i> meets <i>The Princess Bride</i>. </span></span><span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-size: small;">This world
has two moons, and twice a year they eclipse (or embrace). A child born on the
night the moons embrace will be gifted with a supernatural power. They are
called the Embraced. </span><span style="font-size: small;">Each of the
five heroines is Embraced, so they all have a different kind of power. Of
course, the heroes also have some awesome powers! </span><span style="font-size: small;">So what can
you expect? Action, adventure, suspense, spooky stuff, shifters, dragons,
elves, witches, lots of laughs, and of course, plenty of romance!"</span></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span>
</span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIsJKr35i7qWHjhLu5jnbP2ZZ-V34guoTyjKWfxMxgdtxRUKkNU-DBUvOuYxpPvHGJEgj-VlbcQCkbXaIDsO8x_fCQ1pBdcOXjX-q_T_jJMBHoCai4yH6-Lvd0MRC8myEa2SiVCR95Zs/s1600/Untitled.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="282" data-original-width="363" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidIsJKr35i7qWHjhLu5jnbP2ZZ-V34guoTyjKWfxMxgdtxRUKkNU-DBUvOuYxpPvHGJEgj-VlbcQCkbXaIDsO8x_fCQ1pBdcOXjX-q_T_jJMBHoCai4yH6-Lvd0MRC8myEa2SiVCR95Zs/s400/Untitled.jpg" width="400" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">MAP OF AERTHLAN</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Sorry about the line down the middle of the map. </span><span style="color: yellow;">I couldn't </span></span><br />
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">prevent it because the map covers two pages of the book.</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Sparks sets up the series mythology in the Prologue to novel 1 and repeats it in similar form in the ensuing novels. In each novel, she includes a map of Aerthlan, </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">the fantasy empire in which the series is set. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"></span>
The series heroines are all young and beautiful women who have been raised by the nuns who run the Convent of Two Moons on the Isle of Moon. Their religious beliefs are centered on Aerthlan's two moons, as are those of the fishermen and their families who live on the neighboring Isle of Mist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Each hero is a handsome, brave young man who grew up in one of the countries on the mainland: Eberon, Tourin, Norveshka, or Woodwyn. The countries are ruled by kings who are constantly at war with one another. On the mainland, the kings are too macho to worship a female god, so they worship the sun, a male god. There is also Rupert's Island, which is ruled by the pirate and sorcerer, Rupert, who is the hero of the second book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Twice a year, the two moons align (or embrace) and if a child is born that night, he or she receives some sort of supernatural power. These gifted children are called the Embraced. The power-mad kings do not want anyone to have special powers that they don't have, so in their four countries, the Embraced are considered to be abominations who are immediately killed by the kings' assassins. A few parents have been able to send their Embraced children to safety to the convent on the Isle of Moon, where they are raised with no knowledge of or contact with their families. The families pretend that the children died at birth so that they are not punished by the kings. This series tells the stories of five of the Embraced young women, one novel at a time: Luciana, Brigitta, Gwennore, Sorcha, and Maeve.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> In the first novel we get clues as to the homelands of the five girls: the family of Luciana (book 1 heroine) is from Eberon. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Brigitta (book 2 heroine) looks like the people from the kingdom of Tourin. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Gwennore (book 3 heroine) has the lavender-blue eyes and pointed ears of the elves of Woodwyn. Sorcha, with her fiery red hair, probably came from Norveshka. That leaves Maeve, who (based on some not-so-subtle clues in novel 1) probably has relatives on the Isle of Mist. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> <b>NOVEL 1: <i>How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days</i></b></span></span><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span> </b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0K1mVM6w-FTFmJ75VFvkqolvZEDcWZpFXUTd9V9dOyiGYoRKstEgElvTTv7N-LNhx5X8AD83Nw0z8qcaEExKU2_I3H3lAM65sEs83-d5Qng6H5zk81k_iqIjFAu_rCt_l76taWO2788o/s1600/29875893.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="290" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj0K1mVM6w-FTFmJ75VFvkqolvZEDcWZpFXUTd9V9dOyiGYoRKstEgElvTTv7N-LNhx5X8AD83Nw0z8qcaEExKU2_I3H3lAM65sEs83-d5Qng6H5zk81k_iqIjFAu_rCt_l76taWO2788o/s200/29875893.jpg" width="121" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> As one of the Embraced―one born
with magical powers―the beautiful, innocent Luciana escaped certain death after
her father hid her away on the Isle of Moon. Now, nineteen years later, her
father has returned with a frightening request. He will be executed unless
Luciana returns to the mainland and marries a man feared throughout the land: a
terrifying brute known as the Beast.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Luciana accepts her fate and
agrees to wed the Beast―Lord Leo―in order to save her father. Soon she learns
that her betrothed is also one of the Embraced. With the ability to wield
lightning, Leo’s immense power strikes fear into the hearts of men. . .and his
mere touch can put an end to a woman’s life. But Luciana cannot deny the
passion that burns between them. How can she resist the man who scorches her
soul and makes her feel intoxicated with desire―even if surrendering to him
could destroy them both?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">MY REVIEW:</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The first novel (as you can tell from the title) has a Beauty and the Beast story line. The beauty is Luciana, an Embraced with the ability to see and communicate with the ghosts of the dead. She also has some seer power. As the story opens, Luciana's father, Lucas, Duke of Vintello, arrives at the Convent to take her home to Eberon. This is upsetting to Luciana for a number of reasons, foremost of which is the fact that she thought that she was an orphan and is furious that her father dumped her at the convent and never contacted her again. She calms down when she learns that he did it to save her life, but she still doesn't want to leave her friends at the Convent. Then she gets some more mind-blowing information―that she is a twin and that her twin sister, Tatiana, just died and will be buried in the Convent graveyard under a gravestone marked "Luciana." Luciana will then become Tatiana. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Lucas explains to Luciana that he has a huge problem. King
Frederick, the sociopathic madman who rules Eberon, has decreed
that Tatiana must marry his nephew Leofric (Leo) of Benwick,
Protector of the Realm within two months. Frederick has long been itching to
get his hands on the rich vineyards of Vindalyn, and he figures that if he
marries Lucas's heir off to his nephew, he can then have both her and
her father assassinated, leaving Vintello in the hands of his nephew, who will
be next on the assassination list. If the marriage does not take place by the
two-month deadline, the King has threatened to execute Lucas and take over his
lands. It's a no-win situation for Lucas and Luciana.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The titular beast is Leo, who is also
Embraced. Unfortunately, Leo's superpower is so frightening that everyone is
terrified of him. No one has been able to kill him because his power is too
great and they are too frightened to get close to him. Beginning when he was
five years old, Leo became a magnet for lightning, which he absorbs and stores
as energy within his body. Then, he uses that energy as a weapon against his
enemies, frying them like steak on a hot grill until they char and turn to ash. Leo always wears full body armor and heavy gloves so they he doesn't accidentally brush up against someone and burn them.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Needless to say, not many people mess with Leo. But Leo's electrical storage
capability means that he can never touch or be touched skin-to-skin by another
person. He learned that the hard way during that first experience
with lightning when his nanny tried to save him and was burned to death. Ever
since then, everyone has called him the Beast and they fall back in fear when
he comes anywhere near them. Many rumors have sprung up over the years,
including one that he burned his mother to death (not true, and this cruel
gossip is very painful to Leo when he learns about it).</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The primary villain is King Frederick, a clichéd, one-dimensional, power-mad
sociopath who adds absolutely nothing to the value of the story. He has either killed or
banished all of his relatives because he fears that they might try to take the
throne away from him. At a certain point in the story, Leo becomes Frederick's immediate successor. Leo has absolutely no
interest in the throne, but Frederick doesn't believe that. Frederick can't imagine anyone not wanting to be the supreme ruler of Eberon so he keeps coming up with new ways to get rid of Leo. Frederick had hoped that as
Lord Protector of the Realm, Leo would be killed in battle like his father was,
but so far that hasn't happened. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The plot
includes several story lines:</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span></span></div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: orange;">The Romance:</span></b> In the primary story line,
the slowly blooming romance between Luciana and Leo bumps along painfully at
first but then picks up speed in the second half of the book. One of their main problems, of course, is that Leo is afraid to touch Luciana for fear that he will kill her with his electricity. (The resolution of that problem is predictable from the very beginning of their relationship.)</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: orange;">The
Twin Sister:</span></b> Luciana can see and talk with her dead twin, Tatiana, who turns out to be a spoiled brat who (at first) makes fun
of Luciana and has no interest at all in helping her adjust to life on the
mainland. Fortunately, Tatiana eventually has a change of heart and the two become friends.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Leo
and Luciana's Family Histories:</span></b> Both grew up
without a mother (and Luciana had no parents at all during her childhood).
Luciana manages to make contact with her mother's ghost and get the whole story
on what happened when she was born. There are a number of angst-filled scenes
involving flashbacks to Leo's early years.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: orange;">Leo's
Friends:</span></b> They play different roles in his
life and one has a special gift that he keeps secret from everyone but Leo. I'm
guessing that at least one of them will be the hero of a future book. The
interactions among these friends are the source of lots of sarcastic "bro"
humor.</span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange; font-size: small;">The Assassination Attempts:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> At a certain point in the
story, the King begins to send assassins to kill Luciana, so Leo has to come up
with inventive ways to protect her and outwit the killers.</span></span></blockquote>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Based on my enjoyment of Sparks's terrific </span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">LOVE At STAKE</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> series, I had high hopes for this new series, but </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I'm sorry to say that I didn't enjoy this novel very much. The characters are so flat and bland that I couldn't make myself care much about their trials and tribulations. The plot lacked any true suspense and had no inventive twists to perk up my interest. I'm guessing that the remaining novels will follow the same formula, so I've decided not to read and review them. I will, however, continue to add the publisher's blurbs and cover art to this review post as each one becomes available. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Tame-Beast-Seven-Days-Embraced/dp/1250108217/ref=pd_sim_14_2?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1250108217&pd_rd_r=H2DZM6CSXANGEQ1ZACG5&pd_rd_w=NECnG&pd_rd_wg=G2EoD&psc=1&refRID=H2DZM6CSXANGEQ1ZACG5"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to an excerpt
from <b><i>How to Tame a Beast in Seven Days</i></b> on its
Amazon.com page. Just click on the cover art for print or the
"Listen" icon for audio. If you haven't read the sixteen <b>LOVE
AT STAKE</b> novels, you should give them a try. Click <b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2010/11/kerrelyn-sparks-love-at-stake.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read my reviews. </span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: cyan; font-size: small;">FULL DISCLOSURE:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b><span style="font-size: small;">My review of </span><b><i><span style="font-size: small;">How to
Tame a Beast in Seven Days</span></i></b><span style="font-size: small;"> is based on an electronic advance
reading copy (ARC) of the book that I received from the publisher through NetGalley in
exchange for an honest review. I received no promotional or monetary rewards,
and the opinions in this review are entirely my own. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
<span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> <b>NOVEL 2: <i>So I Married a Sorcerer</i></b> </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></b></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7YraAsbD96lDAgkYI9-HBsEADrdBWoJ4tP2-hDJ_NEUvQ23v7MGzqXqBiqAqjTByYqW2W9boCEo-nlmq3jPmCUeeHuyumiUidJPMyjyHFQYnQEdP8FC78GaSNbN6el3MUYc70nCUh3c/s1600/33574150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="244" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7YraAsbD96lDAgkYI9-HBsEADrdBWoJ4tP2-hDJ_NEUvQ23v7MGzqXqBiqAqjTByYqW2W9boCEo-nlmq3jPmCUeeHuyumiUidJPMyjyHFQYnQEdP8FC78GaSNbN6el3MUYc70nCUh3c/s200/33574150.jpg" width="121" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Growing up on the Isle of Moon,
Brigitta knew that she was born with the magical powers of the Embraced―even if
she did not know how to wield them. But she has finally learned</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> the truth:
Brigitta is the lost princess of the kingdom of Tourin</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">. She was sent into
hiding as an infant to escape the wrath of her half-brother, the king. And now
he knows just where to find her.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhH7YraAsbD96lDAgkYI9-HBsEADrdBWoJ4tP2-hDJ_NEUvQ23v7MGzqXqBiqAqjTByYqW2W9boCEo-nlmq3jPmCUeeHuyumiUidJPMyjyHFQYnQEdP8FC78GaSNbN6el3MUYc70nCUh3c/s1600/33574150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Rupert is a notorious pirate and sorcerer.
He’s spent most of his life plotting revenge on the evil king―and Rupert
believes that Brigitta could be the key to finally destroying his enemy. But
what begins as a kidnapping of the innocent beauty escalates into something
deeper, and more passionate, than either captor or captive could have imagined.
Rupert soon vows to protect Brigitta against the king―but will they survive
long enough to find their happily-ever-after. . .or does fate have something else
in store?</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/So-I-Married-Sorcerer-Embraced/dp/1250108233/ref=pd_sim_14_1?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=1250108233&pd_rd_r=8395CX4K6BE6AKAZBG2J&pd_rd_w=FT6CY&pd_rd_wg=jlNvH&psc=1&refRID=8395CX4K6BE6AKAZBG2J"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to an excerpt from <b><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">So I Married a Sorcerer</span></i></b> on its Amazon.com page. Just click on the cover art for print or the "Listen" icon for audio.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-size: small;"> NOVEL 3: <i>Eight Simple Rules for Dating a Dragon</i> </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-size: small;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span></b><span style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></span><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi125kVEqLN8ocMx4CEcFTCnCsWGPmcJmm8OhBgCXPaF4SlEVh_4iW_fkiP_5v-B5SFs9pXhOuki_qQ1kPQYFgdBLZLpRHUonO4la8152w8vOn4lGRBya1-iSor32plyUS9BBxi9iUBmUs/s1600/34962717.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="291" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi125kVEqLN8ocMx4CEcFTCnCsWGPmcJmm8OhBgCXPaF4SlEVh_4iW_fkiP_5v-B5SFs9pXhOuki_qQ1kPQYFgdBLZLpRHUonO4la8152w8vOn4lGRBya1-iSor32plyUS9BBxi9iUBmUs/s200/34962717.jpg" width="122" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Gwennore
has a talent. An Elf able to track down the cause of an illness and heal it,
she’s a valuable asset to her people. But when the kidnapping of a young girl
thrusts Gwennore into the very heart of the realm of the dragons, she discovers
not only a place of power and magic, but also a haunted land, plagued by an
ancient curse that all but ensures extinction to the royal family. But when she
meets the smoldering General Silas Dravenko, they strike a bargain—save the
country from its cursed illness, and he will return the kidnapped girl. She’s
been raised never to trust a dragon, but never did making a deal with the devil
feel so good.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Silas has no way of curing the family he’s loyally served for years. But when a
beautiful elf, long considered the enemy of the dragons, comes bursting into
his world, Silas is awakened to passion and desire in a way he’s never felt
before. But can he trust a sworn enemy to save the very existence he holds
dear? And can their love survive those that threaten to tear them apart?</span></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:.5in .5in 41.75pt .5in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
-->Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-8503306007903726802017-08-31T21:00:00.000-04:002017-09-02T14:44:27.410-04:00NEW SERIES: Carrie Vaughn: THE BANNERLESS SAGA<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc8Oei_5cc9kagplNtJ4dzqjvLHZa1F4h8Cqr3UcjkvwFsAWitaN2QO60PobNEIDI4R62nQCi81L88ahI3F7S7lnilhbDEynf6Z0zWJmrkhZeCFX1l9mvH_a9rxWqEzSLCrmRt179mv0/s1600/51Ey3LzH2oL.SX316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc8Oei_5cc9kagplNtJ4dzqjvLHZa1F4h8Cqr3UcjkvwFsAWitaN2QO60PobNEIDI4R62nQCi81L88ahI3F7S7lnilhbDEynf6Z0zWJmrkhZeCFX1l9mvH_a9rxWqEzSLCrmRt179mv0/s200/51Ey3LzH2oL.SX316.jpg" width="131" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span> </b><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.carrievaughn.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Carrie Vaughn</span></a></span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow;">Series: </span> THE BANNERLESS SAGA </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Genre: </span> </span></b><b style="text-align: justify;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Utopian_and_dystopian_fiction#Ecotopian_fiction"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Ecotopian</span></a>; <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Climate_fiction"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Cli Fi</span></a>; <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/definitions.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Post-Apocalyptic</span></a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> </span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3; Sensuality</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span></span><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3; Humor</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—2 </span></b></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher and Titles:</span> </span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>Houghton Mifflin Harcourt</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bannerless-Saga-Carrie-Vaughn/dp/0544947304?SubscriptionId=AKIAIC4DTHWMHZAANS6Q&tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0544947304"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Bannerless</span></a></span></i> (</span></b><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">e-book, paperback, audiobook</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">7/2017)</span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b> </b><i style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Wild-Dead-Bannerless-Saga/dp/0544947312/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Wild Dead</span></a></i><b> (8/20180)</b></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">I wasn't sure
just how to categorize the genre for this series, so I went with a combination
of ecotopian, cli fi, and post-apocalyptic because the series has elements of
all three. Ecotopian fiction and cli fi (aka climate fiction) deal with the
effects of man-made climate change, while post-apocalyptic fiction is set in
the aftermath of a world-changing/world-destroying event or series of
events. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b>BANNERLESS</b> world is set about a century
after the Fall—which comprised a series of disease
pandemics and climate disasters (mostly flooding)—that nearly
destroyed the world, killing off the majority of its people and leaving the
physical structure of their civilizations rotting away into dust or skeletal
metal ruins, depending upon how buildings were constructed. In the small
towns, <span style="color: lime;">"The shadow of that world still remained, the streets in the
same places and the foundations of buildings still visible. But a new skin
had been put over it."</span> For the most part, the pandemics have ceased
and the oceans remain stable at their highest levels, but gigantic,
destructive, hurricane-strength storms still sweep across the land
at frequent intervals.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> On her blog, Vaughn discusses the first novel of the
series: </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"<i>Bannerless</i> is a more subversive, relevant novel
than it was when I wrote it a year ago. In it, I posit a cascading failure for
civilization. As more and more infrastructure and support gets knocked out,
disasters like storms and epidemics become more difficult to recover from,
until recovery is impossible. (For example, imagine Hurricane Harvey happening
in conjunction with an epidemic on par with the Spanish flu of 1918…)."</span></span><br />
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The life style of the descendants of the original survivors is
reminiscent of the early-to-mid-nineteenth century, but with the addition of
some of the knowledge and technology of the 20th and 21st centuries. For
example, the people make heavy use of solar panels to heat their homes and also
use sun energy to power a handful of cars. Fishermen go out to sea in
fiberglass boats dating back to pre-Fall days—patched up over and over again to
keep them afloat. Medics use a combination of old and new drug formulas to
produce antibiotics and other medications to fight off epidemics. During the Fall,
the survivors had to choose what to save. If a product or idea did not directly
contribute to survival in this new world, it was tossed aside and forgotten, so
there are no video games, televisions, diet Cokes, Pringles chips, or any other
frivolity—not even computers. (</span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Mysterious plastic boxes with slots
and wires and dead lights. Screens that stayed dark. Mysterious and a little
bit sad."</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">)</span><b> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This generation knows about these unnecessary
things only from reading about them in old books or, in the case of computers,
seeing them stacked on dusty shelves.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The survivors also learned some lessons from the past about the
perils of overusing natural resources, the evils of hoarding, and the horrific
effects of overpopulation (i.e., famine and starvation). They have books and
hand-written diaries from before and during the fall in which they read about
the famines that swept across the globe when resources were depleted, partly
due to natural disasters but also because of greedy hoarding by the rich. They
are determined to avoid taking that pathway, which would inevitably lead them
to a second Fall.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> In the section of the country seen in this series (at least
in the first novel), people live in households, which combine to make up
villages, which are run by elected committees. The villages lie along the Coast
Road, which borders the ocean (probably the Pacific). The series heroine is
Enid, of Serenity household, which is part of the town of Haven. Almost
everyone belongs to a household, and the ones who do not are viewed
suspiciously as untrustworthy outsiders. Every person in a household is
required to pull his or her own weight, doing whatever tasks he or she is capable
of doing. Those who don't work are thrown out of the household and are unlikely
to be welcomed in any other household. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Two major edicts are of utmost importance in the laws of
this society, and both are enforced by Investigators (of which Enid is
one). </span></span><br />
<br /></div>
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"><b><i><span style="color: orange;">&</span></i></b></span><b><i><span style="color: orange;">>1. </span></i></b><i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1pt;"><span style="color: orange;"><b>Preventing
Overpopulation:</b></span> </span></i><span style="letter-spacing: 0.1pt;">A man and woman are not allowed to produce a child
until they set up a productive household and prove that they can feed and care
for the child properly. If their petition to the town's Committee is approved,
they are issued a banner<b>—</b><span style="color: lime;">"a piece
of woven cloth, a foot square...a red-and-green-checked-pattern for blood and
life"</span><b>—</b>which they proudly display in their home. Both men and women are
free to choose the parent of their child after each receives a banner. Usually
they do not marry, but they frequently live together in the same household
along with several other adults and children. Each female of childbearing age
receives a birth-control implant in her upper arm that cannot be legally removed
until she earns her banner. <span style="color: lime;">"This
was one of the bits of technology they'd worked hard to save after the Fall.
Because if you could manage birthrate, you could manage anything, and they had
the statistics to prove it."</span> If a bannerless pregnancy occurs (either
by accident or by illegal intent), the Investigators must determine what action
is required to settle the case. Banners are the rewards that every household
strives to receive.</span></span></blockquote>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><i><span style="color: orange;">>2. Maintaining Quality of Life While Conserving Resources:</span></i></b> Each household has a
quota that it is required to meet in terms of crop production, woodworking,
blacksmithing, or any other helpful product that is necessary for the prosperous existence of the village. The goal is to hit the quota squarely—not over and
not under. Although exceptions are made for accidental or unavoidable
divergences from the mandatory quotas, punishment is swift if Investigators
suspect fraud in any form. For example, if a household plants a secret field of wheat or corn so that the harvest can be hoarded away from the other households, members of that household (and anyone in the village who assists
them) will pay severe consequences. This quota system keeps natural resources
from being used up too quickly and is based on a long-term outlook that allows
fields to lie fallow for alternate seasons and for trees to be cut down only
when absolutely necessary. On her blog, Vaughn sums up the economic system this
way: </span><span style="color: lime;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">"<i>Bannerless</i> depicts a society where economic
strength is measured by whether or not everyone is healthy and taken care of,
not by how much profit is accumulated."</span></span></span></blockquote>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Punishment for
law-breaking does not rely on a prison system, which the people have learned
through their reading didn't work back before the Fall. Instead, they rely on
either shunning people who commit crimes (i.e., making each one a <b><i><a href="http://www.dictionary.com/browse/persona-non-grata"><span style="color: #ea9999;">persona non grata</span></a></i></b> within the town and up and down the
Coast Road) or by breaking up the household and scattering its members far and
wide to other households. A shunned person or household also loses any hope of ever again receiving a banner, which is a highly motivational tool that
generally keeps people on the right side of the law. <span style="color: lime;">"Being bannerless meant a person lacked protection. Lacked a home and safety."</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> The only people who do not follow these laws are the
outliers who barely maintain a hardscrabble existence in the ruins of the pre-Fall cities. No
one from the villages ever visits the ruins. The townsfolk are content with their lives
and happy to have had strong ancestors who survived the Fall, and they strongly believe in
learning from their ancestors' bitter experiences.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b>PUBLISHER'S BLURB: </b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc8Oei_5cc9kagplNtJ4dzqjvLHZa1F4h8Cqr3UcjkvwFsAWitaN2QO60PobNEIDI4R62nQCi81L88ahI3F7S7lnilhbDEynf6Z0zWJmrkhZeCFX1l9mvH_a9rxWqEzSLCrmRt179mv0/s1600/51Ey3LzH2oL.SX316.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><img border="0" data-original-height="477" data-original-width="316" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuc8Oei_5cc9kagplNtJ4dzqjvLHZa1F4h8Cqr3UcjkvwFsAWitaN2QO60PobNEIDI4R62nQCi81L88ahI3F7S7lnilhbDEynf6Z0zWJmrkhZeCFX1l9mvH_a9rxWqEzSLCrmRt179mv0/s200/51Ey3LzH2oL.SX316.jpg" width="131" /></span></a><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> A mysterious murder in a
dystopian future leads a novice Investigator to question what she’s learned
about the foundation of her population-controlled society.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Decades after economic and environmental collapse destroys much of
civilization in the United States, the Coast Road region isn’t just surviving
but thriving by some accounts, building something new on the ruins of what came
before. A culture of population control has developed in which people,
organized into households, must earn the children they bear by proving they can
take care of them and are awarded symbolic banners to demonstrate this
privilege. In the meantime, birth control is mandatory.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Enid of Haven is an Investigator, called on to mediate
disputes and examine transgressions against the community. She’s young for the
job and hasn't yet handled a serious case. Now, though, a suspicious death
requires her attention. The victim was an outcast, but might someone have taken
dislike a step further and murdered him?</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> In a world defined by the disasters that happened a century
before, the past is always present. But this investigation may reveal the
cracks in Enid’s world and make her question what she really stands for.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">
Vaughn alternates the chapters from present
(odd-numbered) to past </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(even-numbered</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—fifteen years earlier). The
odd-numbered chapters form the core of the novel's plot in which Enid and her
partner Tomas investigate a suspicious death in the town of Pasadan, a
several-days walk from Haven. The even-numbered chapters provide a view of
Enid's childhood and her romantic road-trip adventures with Dak, a traveling musician with
whom she hooks up when she is just a teenager. These flashback chapters provide
invaluable character development for both Enid and Dak, which serves the story well when Dak turns up in Pasadan while Enid is in the midst of her investigation.</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br />
Sero, the Pasadan victim, is rumored to have been a bannerless man. He lived alone by choice and was known by the townsfolk to be quiet and standoffish. Sero's body was found on the floor of his immaculately kept wood shop with a gash on the back of his head. To Enid and Tomas, it is immediately obvious that the three Committee
members are in major disagreement about having Investigators in their town. The
eldest, Philos, insists that Sero's death was obviously an accident, while Ariana (who called
in the Investigators) appears to be holding back information. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Pasadan reminded me of David Lynch's fictional town of Lumberton, the setting for his iconic film, </span><span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Velvet_(film)" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Blue Velvet</span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.</span><b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></i></b></span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">(Click</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wDEzzFtrCTs"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">to watch</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><i>BV</i><span style="font-size: small;">'s</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span>opening sequence, Lynch's snapshot of
perfect small-town life that almost immediately begins to disintegrate.) B</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">oth towns have the outward appearance of honesty, wholesomeness, and pride, but both have an undercurrent of danger and death. Like Lumberton, Pasadan—with its sturdy buildings, neatly gridded streets, whitewashed fences, perfectly squared fields, and green pastures</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">—is </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">attractive on the outside, but beneath its wholesome surface is the stench of betrayal and duplicity. Both Investigators </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">immediately </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">pick up on the uneasiness of many of the townsfolk and their unwillingness to answer questions in a straightforward manner. Hidden secrets must be pried out and pulled into the open, and Enid is just the person for the job.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Enid has been an Investigator for just three years, but this is her first time as Lead Investigator in a murder case, so
she is a bit nervous. She and Tomas look over the crime scene, interview the
villagers, and consign poor Sero to his funeral pyre (which is the means by which
bodies are disposed of in this world). As clues begin to surface, it soon becomes obvious that Sero's death was no accident. Someone slammed his head into a beam, killing him almost instantly. Who is the murderer? (There are several suspects and motives.) Is this case more complex than it seems? Is there another crime the Investigators need to solve?</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Complicating Enid's investigation is the fact that her former lover Dak (from the even-numbered chapters) is currently a member of Ariana's household. Even though Enid is happily settled into Serenity household with Sam, the man she loves, old emotions surface and must be dealt with. Plus...Enid knows Dak well enough to suspect that he knows much more than he's telling her about what is going on in Pasadan. Could he be the killer?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Interestingly, the arts have value in this world. Before Enid’s
former lover, Dak, settled down in Pasadan, he earned his keep by walking the
length of the Coast Road singing songs for the townsfolk and teaching their children
to play his guitar. In the even-numbered chapters, if you look carefully at the
subjects of some of Dak's songs, you might recognize them. In one,</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"the chorus was about dust in
the wind, and how everything would eventually blow away and come to naught."</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">
Dak explains that he learned it from an old man who said that it</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"came from a place called
Kansas."</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> This is a marvelous example of the informational twists that occur as songs (and stories) are handed down generation to generation, and the song itself is a terrific metaphor for this series. (If you don't get
the joke, click</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH2w6Oxx0kQ"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">.) Another
of Dak's songs is</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"about
lemon trees and love gone wrong."</span><b> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">(Click</span><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MLhYghzNfII"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b><span class="apple-converted-space" style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">to hear a performance of this one.)</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I have always enjoyed Carrie Vaughn's novels, and this one adds another winner to my Vaughn list. Enid is a fascinating young woman living in a seemingly simple society that is—at the same time—quite complex and layered. I love this mythology, which Vaughn says that she created more than a year ago. On her blog, Vaughn talks about the new relevancy of the <b>BANNERLESS</b> world, <span style="color: lime;">"</span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: lime;">now [that] we have an administration that has proposed cutting, if not eliminating, so
many of the support structures that are specifically designed to help our
society survive and recover from disasters."</span> As I write this review, Houston is just beginning to recover from the devastation wreaked by Hurricane Harvey, yet the U.S. has pulled its support from the international coalition of countries trying to solve our world's worsening climate problems (which include an ever-increasing number of severe storms and a relentless rise in sea levels). </span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Don't get me wrong, Vaughn's novel is by no means a screed against climate change. It is a riveting story about a society that remakes itself on the ashes of the society in which we are living right now—a cautionary tale with wonderful characters, a suspenseful story line, and just enough twists and turns to keep you guessing all the way to the end.</span></span></div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-justify: inter-ideograph; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small; word-spacing: 0px;"> Vaughn includes some interesting sections in which Enid muses about the stories she heard during her childhood from Auntie Kath, one of the last survivors of the Fall. </span><span style="font-size: small; word-spacing: 0px;">Kath told her listeners that back then, people <span style="color: lime;">"didn't know what they needed to save. They couldn't save it all, so they had to choose. How later she wished there were things people in the early days of Haven had saved."</span> </span><span style="font-size: small; word-spacing: 0px;">Kath regaled the townsfolk with memories of objects like cameras and latex gloves</span><span style="font-size: small; word-spacing: 0px;">—</span><span style="font-size: small; word-spacing: 0px;">things that the people of Haven can't even imagine. Enid and Tomas chuckle over Kath's description of plastic wrap, which <span style="color: lime;">"had been an obsession with Auntie Kath, who insisted the item had a million uses, and she brought it up every time one of those uses occurred to her. No one had ever really understood what she was talking about."</span><b> </b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="word-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="word-spacing: 0px;"> If our world were to collapse as this one did, what would our </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">descendants make of a fidget spinner or a piece of dead electronic wizardry (like a cell phone or a Fitbit)? Will all of our scientific knowledge be locked into unreadable files on dead computers? Will paperback romance novels be the only books available for our descendants to study the history of the 21st century? (That last one makes me smile!)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Bannerless-Saga-Carrie-Vaughn/dp/0544947304?SubscriptionId=AKIAIC4DTHWMHZAANS6Q&tag=speculativefic05&linkCode=xm2&camp=2025&creative=165953&creativeASIN=0544947304"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go to this novel's Amazon.com page to read or listen to an excerpt by clicking on the cover art for print or the "Listen" icon for audio.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: cyan;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: cyan;">FULL DISCLOSURE:</span> </b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">My review of </span><b><i>Bannerless</i></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> is based on an electronic advance reading copy (ARC) of the book that I received from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. I received no promotional or monetary rewards, and the opinions in this review are entirely my own.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: orange;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="color: orange;">BONUS:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Here is a preview of the second novel, which has a publication date of 7/17/2018:</span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> NOVEL 2: <i>The Wild Dead</i></span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Decades
after environmental and economic collapse, pockets of settlements struggle to
maintain a much-reduced civilization by strictly rationing resources—including
the ability to have children. Enid of Haven, an investigator in this community,
travels to a far-flung village with her new, inexperienced partner to settle a
minor resource dispute. But while there, the murder of an outsider demands her
attention, and leads to explosive secrets.</span></div>
</div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
-->Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-13399191435054237662017-08-28T21:00:00.000-04:002017-08-28T21:00:00.346-04:00NEW NOVEL: Victor Lavalle's "The Changeling"<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS-Kah3Xk9T66AtR9O9Gc2YG0m0zrNIlTr3PIFCfeBs8sw1HnGtBEzhlcI614eVimzMsdM-7Gz_0qyJlW1ZTrS3G0U4zV1bRZ95EXh50D1SxBh_OJ2oYG_SUkwei5rX5O-wHXhJXd1d0/s1600/61pksIOoD7L._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="329" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzS-Kah3Xk9T66AtR9O9Gc2YG0m0zrNIlTr3PIFCfeBs8sw1HnGtBEzhlcI614eVimzMsdM-7Gz_0qyJlW1ZTrS3G0U4zV1bRZ95EXh50D1SxBh_OJ2oYG_SUkwei5rX5O-wHXhJXd1d0/s200/61pksIOoD7L._SX327_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="131" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span></b><b><span style="color: black;"> <a href="http://www.victorlavalle.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Victor LaValle</span></a></span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Title: </span></b><b><span style="color: black;"> <i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Changeling-Novel-Victor-LaValle/dp/0812995945/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1503790855&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #ea9999;">The Changeling</span></a><span style="color: black;"> </span></span></i></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: yellow;">Genre: </span></b></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Dark
Fairy Tale/Fantasy</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span></b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: black;"> </span></b><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><span style="color: black; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—4; Sensuality—3; Humor—2 </span></b></a><b> </b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow; font-weight: bold;">Publisher: </span>Spiegel
& Grau (an imprint of Random House) </span></span></div>
<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="color: yellow; font-weight: bold;">Publication Date:</span><b> </b>6/13/2017</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: #444444;">
PUBLISHER'S BLURB </span></span></b></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span>When
Apollo Kagwa’s father disappeared, all he left his son were strange recurring
dreams and a box of books stamped with the word IMPROBABILIA. Now Apollo is a
father himself—and as he and his wife, Emma, are settling into their new lives
as parents, exhaustion and anxiety start to take their toll. Apollo’s old
dreams return and Emma begins acting odd. Irritable and disconnected from their
new baby boy, at first Emma seems to be exhibiting signs of postpartum
depression, but it quickly becomes clear that her troubles go even deeper.
Before Apollo can do anything to help, Emma commits a horrific act—beyond any
parent’s comprehension—and vanishes, seemingly into thin air.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Thus begins Apollo’s odyssey through a world he only thought he
understood, to find a wife and child who are nothing like he’d imagined. His
quest, which begins when he meets a mysterious stranger who claims to have
information about Emma’s whereabouts, takes him to a forgotten island, a
graveyard full of secrets, a forest where immigrant legends still live, and
finally back to a place he thought he had lost forever.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> This captivating retelling of a classic fairy tale imaginatively
explores parental obsession, spousal love, and the secrets that make
strangers out of the people we love the most. It’s a thrilling and emotionally
devastating journey through the gruesome legacies that threaten to devour us
and the homely, messy magic that saves us, if we’re lucky. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b style="background-color: white;"><span style="background: white; color: #444444;">
MY REVIEW
</span></b><span style="color: black;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: x-small;"> </span>There is
so much I love about this book, but I don't want to spoil the reading
experience for you by revealing too much, so if this review seems a bit
disjointed, it's because I wanted to point out the best bits without including
spoilers.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In the preface to an <span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-victor-lavalle-interview-20170727-htmlstory.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><b><i>LA Times</i></b><b> </b></span></a><b><a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-victor-lavalle-interview-20170727-htmlstory.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">interview with the author</span></a></b></span>, Nichole
Perkins summarizes the plot of <b>T<i>he Changeling</i></b>, as <span style="color: lime;">"a
horrifying fairy tale about the maze of parenthood, shrouded by the shadows of
our own upbringing. The award-winning author blends literary allusions, horror
and social commentary to create a riveting piece of work that will have readers
examining their own views about parenthood while worrying if they’ll ever sleep
again.”</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Although the title of LaValle's novel takes its name
from the </span><b><a href="http://www.mythicalcreaturesguide.com/page/Changeling"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">changelings</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> of ancient folk and fairy
tales, the story itself is a changeling of a different sort, beginning as a
family saga set in the reality of 21st century New York City—specifically,
Queens—and then slipping into a horrific, dark world of betrayal and abandonment,
drowning and burning, and—eventually—monsters and witches and things that go
bump in the night. So...don't be deceived by the early chapters that lay out
Apollo's family history like an Ancestry.com summary of a typical American
immigration experience. If you read carefully, you'll recognize the dark seeds
that LaValle has planted throughout the story—seeds that will sprout and
blossom and then, just as quickly, wither and die.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> LaValle divides the 103 short chapters into eight sections, the
titles of which give you an outline of its early lightness followed by its delirious descent into madness and horror. The first three sections (30 chapters) introduce Apollo;
Lillian, his mother; Brian, his long-absent father; Emma, his wife; Brian,
their baby; and Patrice, Apollo's best friend and fellow book seller.
Those titles are: 1. "First Comes Love"; 2. "Then Comes
Marriage"; 3. "Then Comes Baby in a Baby Carriage." But then, we
come to Section 4, (which, here, includes a lot of dashes to mask the
profanity): "Sh-t, D-mn, Motherf----r," and you know immediately that
this family's story has jack-knifed into a very dark and scary place.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> <i><b>The Changeling</b></i> is a cautionary tale for modern parents
who deluge their Facebook and Instagram accounts with dozens of pictures of
their beautiful, talented children doing all sorts of cute things. The
lesson to be learned about social media is verbalized by one of the villains in
this story when he warns Apollo, <span style="color: lime;">"There are no secrets anymore.
Vampires can't come into your house unless you invite them. Posting online is
like leaving your front door open and telling any creature of the night it can
enter."</span><b> </b>Apollo certainly opens that door, snapping photo after
photo of Brian, sending them to Emma, and sharing them with friends and family
on social media. But then Emma begins to receive photos of Brian that don't
come from Apollo, and when she pulls out her phone to show him, the photos are
always gone—as if they were never there. Apollo tells Emma that she is
overtired and is just imagining things, but she is certain that those pictures
were there. If Apollo is right, is Emma suffering from fatigue and postpartum
depression? If Emma is right, then who is spying on them? And why? By this
point, I was riveted to the page, dying to know what was going on and what
would happen next. That feeling never left me. In fact, it was almost
impossible for me to put the book down, even for a moment.</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Along with the social media warning flags, LaValle stirs in
elements of an old fairy tale—not a Disney fairy princess story, but a dark,
violent, scary story with roots in the original 19th century Grimm Brothers' tales that
were meant not to entertain children but to frighten them into behaving
properly. If you have never read any of those unsanitized original fairy tales,
you can click <b><a href="http://www.pitt.edu/~dash/changeling.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> for more background on the
changeling legend in folklore. You can also find a more modern version in
Maurice Sendak's book entitled <b><i><a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/05/09/152346819/on-not-fearing-the-dark-in-sendaks-outside"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Outside Over There</span></a></i></b>, which features
prominently in Apollo's childhood because it was the book that his father read
to him over and over again before he disappeared. Apollo still knows the book
by heart and flashes back to it many times during the darkest parts of the
novel. This part of the story, of course, plays on the ultimate fear of all
parents: the fear of losing their child. At the core of the story is the need
of parents everywhere to be good parents, to do the right thing, and to protect
their child at all cost. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> One of the ongoing themes of the novel is the lies people
tell themselves in order to justify their own behavior. At one point, Apollo
muses about a time when he was impatient with and cruel to Emma. <span style="color: lime;">"[H]ow
had he justified it to himself? He was trying to focus on Brian to be the kind
of father he'd never had. What lengths will people stretch to believe they're
still good?"</span> Many of the people in the book, including Apollo's own mother, keep secrets and tell lies because they believe that they are doing the right thing, only
to realize the damage that such secrets and beliefs cause in other's lives.
They tell themselves that they are good people while committing unforgivable emotional and physical acts against their loved ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Another theme running through the story relates to living happily
ever after—that </span><b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/definitions.html"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">HEA</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> ending of modern fairy tales (and
all paranormal romances)—which we all wish for ourselves and our loved ones. But
Apollo learns early that although periods of happiness are certainly possible,
it's the "ever after" that is the problem. Early on, Apollo
finds a rare, signed first edition of </span><b><i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">To Kill a
Mockingbird</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> at an estate sale and happily dreams of how the money he
will receive for it will change the lives of his young son and his beautiful
wife. But he soon learns that the particular happiness of that moment will
never happen. As events in Apollo's life take him into dark, violent places, he
learns that happiness must be taken as it comes and that there is no guarantee
that it will even last the day, much less for ever after.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> LaValle uses Harper Lee's opposing portrayals of Atticus Finch (in <i><b>Mockingbird</b></i> and in <i><b>Go Set a Watchman</b></i>) to reinforce the duality of most people's personalities and the masks they use to put their "good" side forward. In signing the rare Mockingbird first edition, Lee has written <span style="color: lime;">"Here is the daddy of our dreams,"</span> as if she knew very well that her readers would prefer the perfect Atticus—the dream daddy—in <i><b>Mockingbird</b></i> over the racist version of the same man in <i><b>Watchman</b></i>. In an <b><a href="http://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-ca-jc-victor-lavalle-interview-20170727-htmlstory.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">interview</span></a></b>, LaValle states, <span style="color: lime;">"It’s interesting to me, as I became a father and in thinking about my own missing father, to understand how much power we give to the idea of the father and how much many people need to believe in the idea of a good and beneficent father." </span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> There are times in the later chapters when it seems almost certain
that Apollo will never have another moment of true happiness, but as dark as
Apollo's situation becomes, LaValle—masterful writer that he is—slips in
unexpected jolts of dark, dry humor. In a scene between Apollo and the most
evil man in the book, the old man—a Scandinavian immigrant—riffs on the <b>HEA</b> ending. <span style="color: lime;">"Do
you know how much harm 'happily ever after' has done to mankind? I wish they
said something else at the end of those stories instead. 'They tried to be
happy.' Or "Eternal happiness is a fruitless pursuit.' What do you think?"
</span>Apollo stares at him and deadpans, <span style="color: lime;">"You're definitely Norwegian."</span><b> </b>I
laughed out loud at that line, but maybe you have to be a <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garrison_Keillor"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Garrison
Keillor</span></a></b> fan to really appreciate the dry humor in Apollo's
succinct, poker-faced response. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> One of the joys of the story is the way LaValle portrays Apollo's
relationships with his mother, his wife, and his best friend, Patrice—a
computer whiz and military vet with PTSD. Early in his life, Apollo started his
own used book business selling the worn and well-used books and magazines that his mother
begged from various businesses in order to feed his reading habit. By the
time he meets Patrice at an estate sale, Apollo, though young, is a veteran in
the used book business. He and Patrice become fast friends and their easy
back-and-forth dialogue is so natural and real that I wished I could run into
them at an estate sale and have a conversation with them about books and
life. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> New York City becomes a major player as Apollo takes off on
his quest for the truth about his father, his wife, and his son. In an <b><a href="http://ew.com/books/2017/06/16/the-changeling-author-victor-lavalle-childhood-fears-fatherhood-terrors/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">interview</span></a></b> with <b><i>Entertainment
Weekly</i></b>, LaValle explains, <span style="color: lime;">“New York City is incredibly well-known,
but I still think people don’t know all of these tiny, little weird [places] we
have. That kind of magic is here, but it’s far from where people actually want
to go to. ... There are hidden islands in the East River … And without giving
too much away, there’s actually a really big forest in the middle of New York,
not in Manhattan, but it’s an enormous piece of land that could hide some
profound, magical secrets. It’s a real place in Queens, my hometown.”</span><b> </b>(Oddly
enough, a few years ago, I read an urban fantasy novel that included a
major battle scene that took place on the same East River island that features in <b><i>The Changeling</i></b>. I wish I could tell you the title, but
it's lost somewhere in my subconscious. Perhaps one of my readers can jog my
memory.)</span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Lavalle’s observations about race are stinging and humorous at the same
time. In a prime example, when he gets stopped by the police shortly after
arriving in a white section of Queens, Apollo, who is
black, looks impassively at them and says, <span style="color: lime;">“That was
fast.”</span> (LaValle goes on to use what Apollo receives during that police
stop to solve a plot issue a few chapters later, and it all flows along quite
naturally.) And here's another example: In an early scene, Apollo convinces a
group of black teenagers to block the windows of a stalled subway car in which
Emma is giving birth to Brian (on the floor). Luckily, the kids do their
job so well that the TV stations have no birth video to show on the
11:00 news. The only cellphone footage available <span style="color: lime;">"showed four
black kids waving and smiling and looking gleeful, and generally speaking news
outlets don't find that sort of thing worth sharing."</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> LaValle's imagery is a source of immense satisfaction. My favorite
comes when Apollo steps into a brown, shag-carpeted room and feels like he
is <span style="color: lime;">"inside a Wookiee’s armpit.”</span><b> </b>In a more violent
image, Apollo wakes up to find himself attached to a hot steam pipe with a bike
lock. When he pulls his head forward, <span style="color: lime;">"the back of his exposed
neck touched the steam pipe like a pork cutlet pressed against a hot skillet.
He hissed, the same sound as frying meat..."</span> That scene is so
real that I felt as if I were a horrified, helpless bystander.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">I highly
recommend this novel for the many reasons I have discussed above, particularly
its magnificent imagery, beautifully drawn characters, compelling plot, and
electrifying suspense. LaValle has created a fresh and inventive hybrid—a mash-up
of fairy tales, horror elements, social commentary, and the literalization of
myth (in this case, Internet trolls vs. folktale trolls). Although this is the
first of LaValle's books that I have read, I now plan to dip into his previous
novels and novellas for more of his vibrant, exciting fiction. </span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Here are links to four excellent reviews of <i><b>The Changeling</b></i>.
I include them so that you can appreciate the wide diversity in the reviewers'
perceptions of LaValle's work. Just click on the <b><span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span></b> titles below to go to the
reviews:</span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin: 0in; text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">> <b><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="http://www.npr.org/2017/06/17/531929876/the-changeling-is-itself-a-changeling-of-a-book"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"The Changeling Is Itself, a Changeling of a
Book,"</span></a></span></b><span style="color: #ea9999;"> </span>by Amal el-Mohtar in <b><i>The Atlantic</i> (6/17/2017).<o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">> <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/07/17/books/review/victor-lavalle-changeling.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"This New York Love Story Subverts Its 'Happily Ever
After',"</span></a></b> by Terrence Rafferty in the <i><b>New York
Times</b></i> (7/17/207).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">> <b><a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/06/20/books/review-changeling-victor-lavalle.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"In <i>'The Changeling,'</i> the Dark
Fears of Parents, Memorably Etched,"</span></a></b><span style="color: #ea9999;"> </span>by Jennifer Senior in
the <i><b>New York Times</b></i> (6/20/2017).<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in; text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 40.5pt 0.0001pt 0.5in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">> </span><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/life/books/2017/06/13/the-changeling-a-novel-victor-lavalle-book-review/102515950/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"</span><span style="color: #ea9999;">LaValle's <i>'The Changeling'</i>: A Creepily Good
Modern Fairy Tale,"</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> by Brian Truitt in </span><i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">USA
Today</span></b></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> (6/13/2017).</span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Times; font-size: medium; font-style: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; margin: 0in; orphans: 2; text-align: justify; text-decoration-color: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px;">
<div style="font-family: Times; font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="background: rgb(255, 255, 255);"><span style="color: #444444;"> ABOUT THE AUTHOR </span></span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Here
is LaValle's biography
from his official web site: <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Victor LaValle is the author of
the short story collection <i><b>Slapboxing with Jesus</b></i>, four
novels, <i><b>The Ecstatic</b></i>, <i><b>Big Machine</b></i>, <i><b>The Devil in
Silver</b></i>, and <i><b>The Changeling</b></i> and two novellas, <b>"Lucretia<i>
</i>and the Kroons"</b> and <b>"The Ballad of Black Tom."</b> He is also the
creator and writer of a comic book <i><b>Victor LaValle's DESTROYER</b></i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">He has been the recipient of
numerous awards including a Whiting Writers' Award, a United States Artists
Ford Fellowship, a Guggenheim Fellowship, a Shirley Jackson Award, an American
Book Award, and the key to Southeast Queens.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0.5in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">He was raised in Queens, New York.
He now lives in Washington Heights with his wife and kids. He teaches at
Columbia University</span><span style="font-family: "verdana";"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; margin-top: 0in;">
<br /></div>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click </span><b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victor_LaValle"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">HERE</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> to
go to LaValle's </span><i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Wikipedia</span></b></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> page. Click </span><b><a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2017/06/finding-the-emotional-truth-in-horror-writing/530145/Finding%20the%20Emotional%20Truth%20in%20Horror%20Writing"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">HERE</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> to read an essay entitled
</span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">"Finding the Emotional Truth in Horror Writing"</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> that LaValle wrote
for </span></span><i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">The Atlantic</span></b></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> (6/13/2017). Click </span><b><a href="http://www.npr.org/2012/08/29/160246687/why-monsters-stalk-mentally-ill-in-devil-in-silver"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">HERE</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> to listen to and read excerpts
from an interview LaValle did with Terry Gross on NPR's </span><i><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">Fresh Air</span></b></i><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> back
in 2012. (Click on the white arrow in the blue circle at top left to access the
audio.) </span></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
-->Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-72631441819772896512017-08-24T23:00:00.000-04:002017-08-24T23:00:12.348-04:00UPDATE! Jeaniene Frost's BROKEN DESTINY TRILOGY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBCgqEV-D019lcNGfj_bKTatNCA2HLaAigXY5QI2yLOMdbxihSA1lUnHs9YREYgQQ2oaXS5fSs1qIgCx_l0_CrnZvCRCMR4zJe4qIxk76IiobpX7b2WC50JDQ4CwZYgccd5rv_jkvxns/s1600/download.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="283" data-original-width="178" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnBCgqEV-D019lcNGfj_bKTatNCA2HLaAigXY5QI2yLOMdbxihSA1lUnHs9YREYgQQ2oaXS5fSs1qIgCx_l0_CrnZvCRCMR4zJe4qIxk76IiobpX7b2WC50JDQ4CwZYgccd5rv_jkvxns/s320/download.jpg" width="201" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Jeaniene Frost's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2017/03/jeaniene-frost-broken-destiny-trilogy.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">BROKEN DESTINY TRILOGY</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">The Sweetest Burn,</span></i> the second novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-5576827289464449582017-08-23T18:00:00.000-04:002017-08-23T18:00:04.391-04:00UPDATE! Shelly Laurenston's CALL OF CROWS SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYQSz6Zns6M6BSIDH5dWQkwBZdeY97NDTkKWN0z5iYpJLhhieoEB0qcn2j4ZmbQ24gcXfKFTCrg9cEedDtRgfWXgADtrwp28jMaJ81FzHPrbNzHkir22B29BscdMK1Wf5fYao54Mm0q4/s1600/the-unyielding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="682" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAYQSz6Zns6M6BSIDH5dWQkwBZdeY97NDTkKWN0z5iYpJLhhieoEB0qcn2j4ZmbQ24gcXfKFTCrg9cEedDtRgfWXgADtrwp28jMaJ81FzHPrbNzHkir22B29BscdMK1Wf5fYao54Mm0q4/s320/the-unyielding.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Shelly Laurenston's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2015/04/new-series-shelly-laurenston-call-of.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">CALL OF CROW SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">The Unyielding,</span></i> the third novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-7005349212194079292017-08-19T23:00:00.000-04:002017-08-19T23:00:05.540-04:00John Scalzi: "The Dispatcher"<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH6ACj7as6Z-PLQnSxuTBO9_N_CN0uTGlne-UY4oBFgrT_WI7EJMcuHB4gZAUvC8MIaG0J8xOEdQW-Pdf9VjVYP80Qot-9UxF8bl2PNT2_YaBWu1MHnTUgWM9ECsAt_cpHAE7YnTBGY8/s1600/512s%252BTtUQaL._SX342_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="344" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiH6ACj7as6Z-PLQnSxuTBO9_N_CN0uTGlne-UY4oBFgrT_WI7EJMcuHB4gZAUvC8MIaG0J8xOEdQW-Pdf9VjVYP80Qot-9UxF8bl2PNT2_YaBWu1MHnTUgWM9ECsAt_cpHAE7YnTBGY8/s200/512s%252BTtUQaL._SX342_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="137" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span> </span></b><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">John Scalzi</span></a></span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Title: </span> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dispatcher-John-Scalzi-ebook/dp/B06XZ41MYR/ref=sr_1_1_twi_kin_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1502998735&sr=1-1&keywords=DISPATCHER+SCALZI"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"The Dispatcher"</span></a></span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Plot Type:</span> Science Fiction </span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> </span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">3; Sensuality</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span></span><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">0; Humor</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—2 </span></b></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher:</span> </span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>Subterranean Press (4/2017, e-book, audio CD, audiobook, & </b></span></span><b style="text-align: justify;">[expensive limited edition] hardcover)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #444444; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> WORLD-BUILDING </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In this alternate Chicago, when a person is murdered, he or she almost always returns to life. There's only a one-in-a-thousand chance that the dead person will remain dead forever. At first glance, this mythology may seem simple, but in actuality it is astonishingly complex</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">jam-packed with ethical and moral conundrums.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> In order to maintain control over reincarnations, the government trains and licenses Dispatchers, whose job it is to kill (i.e., dispatch) people on the brink of death—under tightly controlled conditions and strict regulations—so that they will revive in the same condition in which they were several hours prior to their death. Most Dispatchers work in hospitals, where they dispatch patients who have been declared by a physician to be teetering irretrievably on the edge of death after car accidents, heart attacks, surgeries gone wrong, etc. Don't forget...only murder victims come back from the dead, so the only way that patients dying from non-murderous causes will revive is for someone to kill (dispatch) them. As soon as the doctor officially "calls" a patient's imminent death, the Dispatcher steps up and administers a shot of liquid nitrogen to the victim's brain, after which (if everything goes as it should), the person dies, disappears in a whoosh of air, and reappears stark naked in a place he or she deems to be safe and secure—usually at home in bed.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> So...you ask, why are Dispatchers needed? If almost all murdered people come back to life, why can't anyone kill a dying person in order to bring him or her back? There is a key phrase in that question: the words "almost all." For example, if a father kills his beloved son just before he dies from injuries suffered in a chain-saw accident, what happens if his son does not revive? Answer: That father would have to live with the fact that he murdered his own child, and he would spend the rest of his life in prison for murder. Also, Dispatchers are trained to dispatch people only under specific conditions, and their means of killing is as quick and clean as possible because the people they kill remember everything about their deaths, including all of the pain and suffering.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Anytime death and reincarnation are possible on a large scale, there are going to be legal gray areas. Here, Tony (the story's protagonist) gives an example: <span style="color: lime;">"[A] film crew [is] filming a complicated stunt...it all goes wrong and the stunt person breaks their neck...That...person isn't ever going to walk again</span></span><span style="color: lime; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">—but they're not going to die from it...It's <i>not</i> my job to dispatch people who are critically, horribly injured but aren't going to die...but...<i>no on</i>e in this situation...wants this guy to go on living like this...So [someone]...hands you an envelope with forty thousand dollars of cash in it and asks you to take care of it. And you go over...and pop one into their skull. The stunt person shows up at home, neck unbroken, gets on a plane to Chicago...and everyone's back to work the next day." </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> This novella deals with a Dispatcher who finds himself in desperate trouble after he takes a private job that goes horribly wrong.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span></b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> One
day, not long from now, it becomes almost impossible to murder anyone</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">999
times out of a thousand, anyone who is intentionally killed comes back. How? We
don't know. But it changes everything: war, crime, daily life. </span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> Tony Valdez is a
Dispatcher</span>—<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">a licensed, bonded professional whose job is to humanely dispatch
those whose circumstances put them in death's crosshairs, so they can have a
second chance to avoid the reaper. But when a fellow Dispatcher and former
friend is apparently kidnapped, Tony learns that there are some things that are
worse than death, and that some people are ready to do almost anything to
avenge what they see as a wrong. </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> It's a race against time for Valdez to find
his friend before it's too late...before not even a Dispatcher can save him.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW:</span></b> </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Tony Valdez has been a Dispatcher for eight years, and he has a perfect record so far—hasn't lost a single patient. Earlier in his career, Tony stepped into the legal gray area, taking some dodgy private jobs for the money and doing some things that he's not proud of. That all stopped several years ago; now he's clean and plans to stay that way.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> One day, Tony gets a call from Jimmy, another Dispatcher, who asks him to take over a job because he has an unavoidable schedule conflict. Since Tony is on call that day, nothing about Jimmy's request seems out of the ordinary. Tony heads for a Chicago hospital's surgery rooms and dispatches an elderly man who nearly dies on the operating table. The hostile reaction of the surgeon to Tony's presence in her operating theater is fascinating. Dr. Chao views Tony as a looming presence that hints that she may fail at her job. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;">She
verbally attacks Sheila, the hospital administrator who accompanies Tony: <span style="color: lime;">"You're
taking away my right to give the best care I can to my patients, and all you
have to say to me about it is 'the insurance insists on it.'...It's crap and I
shouldn't have to work this way. No surgeon should have to."</span><b> </b>Shiela
reminds her, <span style="color: lime;">"We have to allow him into the room. If we don't and
something goes wrong, the hospital is open to being sued for negligence. And so
are you."</span><b> </b>Tony believes that doctors
hate him and his fellow Dispatchers <span style="color: lime;">"because I remind them that
they're not God,...And that if there is one, I'm closer to Him than they
are."</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> While Tony
fills out his paperwork for that job, Nona Langdon, a Chicago PD detective,
interrupts him to announce that Jimmy has gone missing and to request his assistance
in locating him. The camaraderie that slowly builds between Tony and
Detective Langdon is beautiful to watch. They begin as prickly
adversaries, but gradually (and with much snark) become allies as they work
together to track Jimmy's movements during the days preceding his
disappearance. Back in the day, Tony was instrumental in getting Jimmy some
lucrative private, off-the-books jobs that weren't entirely legal. After Tony
turned his life around, Jimmy's wife nagged him enough that he also cleaned up
his act. Unfortunately, it appears that Jimmy has returned to his old ways, and
that's what has gotten him into a world of trouble.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> The cause and effect of Jimmy's situation is impossible to predict because Scalzi plays it all out so perfectly with a scary stand-off, an unexpected dispatch, an ambiguous parceling out of clues, a steady rise in suspense, and a rush of action at the end as the conflict is resolved.</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Scalzi has done an amazing job of creating this fresh and inventive
mythology in just 130 pages. Every time I began to form a mental
question about an aspect of the world-building, a scene in the story would
answer it in a dramatic but natural manner. I truly wish that this novella had
grown to novel length and breadth because I was so taken with the concept and
the characters.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> I enjoyed this story immensely and would love to see Scalzi develop it into a series. Tony and Nona could get into all sorts of weird and wonderful situations on the mean streets of Chicago.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Dispatcher-John-Scalzi/dp/1596067861/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1502998735&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go to this novella's Amazon.com page to read or listen to an excerpt by clicking either on the cover art for print or the "Listen" icon for audio.</span></span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">ABOUT THE AUTHOR:</span></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"> John
Scalzi is one of the most popular and acclaimed science fiction authors to emerge in the
last decade. His massively successful debut, <i>Old Man’s War</i>, won him science
fiction’s John W. Campbell Award for Best New Writer. His <i>New York Times</i>
bestsellers include <i>The Last Colony</i>, <i>Fuzzy Nation</i>, and <i>Redshirts</i>, which won
2013’s Hugo Award for Best Novel. Material from his widely read blog <i>The
Whatever</i> (whatever.scalzi.com) has also earned him two other Hugo Awards. He
lives in Ohio with his wife and daughter. Click <b><a href="http://whatever.scalzi.com/about/books-by-john-scalzi/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> for a full list of his published works.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<o:p></o:p></div>
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
</div>
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:Times;
panose-1:2 0 5 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
p
{mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-margin-top-alt:auto;
margin-right:0in;
mso-margin-bottom-alt:auto;
margin-left:0in;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:10.0pt;
font-family:Times;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
<br />
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
--><style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-font-charset:78;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Verdana;
panose-1:2 11 6 4 3 5 4 4 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-1593833729 1073750107 16 0 415 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Verdana;
mso-ascii-font-family:Verdana;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Verdana;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
</style>
-->Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-77341260120101227042017-08-16T18:00:00.000-04:002017-08-16T18:00:25.060-04:00UPDATE! Simon R. Green: ISHMAEL JONES SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmv3v4Z7wozlt6OpbKUCiW9glgzVnP8PgCOv3QiBwSwmP64_GAI3xzg8ORn6c72okK9yllveCdGGkbGtt3AadGSP3lcQXtxNEGLeWUU6Rie2WwkFK59wrCzSek4uoKutJGinUjo3eq84/s1600/51AcPbtN5xL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmmv3v4Z7wozlt6OpbKUCiW9glgzVnP8PgCOv3QiBwSwmP64_GAI3xzg8ORn6c72okK9yllveCdGGkbGtt3AadGSP3lcQXtxNEGLeWUU6Rie2WwkFK59wrCzSek4uoKutJGinUjo3eq84/s320/51AcPbtN5xL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Simon R. Green's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2015/05/new-series-simon-r-green-ishmael-jones.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">ISHMAEL JONES SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">Death Shall Come,</span></i> the fourth novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-16508651916933582932017-08-11T23:00:00.000-04:002017-08-11T23:00:22.511-04:00UPDATE! Dianna Love: BELADOR SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgVnOHp2724st5YP75WNUNMVDX7p3GvJcu6rrgjb-ZCmNUWsfj6IrJEC2bi5XXg8tgqMbjprcWpsCbGhmO6DBZB-EtmxMTS2caZKBSV5ApwKBGZa3mkzgjC_DmdrfyRv-7ikzcOaYUOY/s1600/51pz4So8VGL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="499" data-original-width="333" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTgVnOHp2724st5YP75WNUNMVDX7p3GvJcu6rrgjb-ZCmNUWsfj6IrJEC2bi5XXg8tgqMbjprcWpsCbGhmO6DBZB-EtmxMTS2caZKBSV5ApwKBGZa3mkzgjC_DmdrfyRv-7ikzcOaYUOY/s320/51pz4So8VGL._SX331_BO1%252C204%252C203%252C200_.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b>I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Dianna Love's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2011/02/sherrilyn-kenyon-dianna-love-belador.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">BELADOR SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <i><span style="color: yellow;">Dragon King of Treoir,</span></i> the eighth novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-23337095706077134302017-08-09T16:00:00.000-04:002017-08-09T16:00:25.205-04:00UPDATE! Jennifer Estep's ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIIPxElPYjhOSNfajOK0j-VsT-Z1GEM0OYbEcnrCjRbUiEjWOXgGC9FJLzooOs7rvHoh-rH84x2zWXQisb4Wyhp8zdjxjXHOyE4ShJjV3XkVMImjLe4NbjzmnoXs58ERRFx8L1Bf6wgc/s1600/url.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="287" data-original-width="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEIIPxElPYjhOSNfajOK0j-VsT-Z1GEM0OYbEcnrCjRbUiEjWOXgGC9FJLzooOs7rvHoh-rH84x2zWXQisb4Wyhp8zdjxjXHOyE4ShJjV3XkVMImjLe4NbjzmnoXs58ERRFx8L1Bf6wgc/s1600/url.jpg" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Jennifer Estep's</span> <a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2010/09/jennifer-esteps-elemental-assassin.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">ELEMENTAL ASSASSIN SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <span style="color: yellow;"><i>Snared,</i></span> the sixteenth novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-57386805337277960732017-08-07T18:00:00.000-04:002017-08-07T18:00:17.745-04:00UPDATE! Kresley Cole's IMMORTALS AFTER DARK SERIES<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPY32t80fhCTakDZPVpRFIap7bxkOTMhIz_THfqg0KbW1zFDIeblS98MSROWJx1kEV-3JR3hCqGVLPtR4KMeBDGkTfPNvRvZxSSUdOPu5oJ1BEbC4nJZSOAvX-PzIe1dj-OhMi1miYC8/s1600/29760149.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="454" data-original-width="300" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPY32t80fhCTakDZPVpRFIap7bxkOTMhIz_THfqg0KbW1zFDIeblS98MSROWJx1kEV-3JR3hCqGVLPtR4KMeBDGkTfPNvRvZxSSUdOPu5oJ1BEbC4nJZSOAvX-PzIe1dj-OhMi1miYC8/s320/29760149.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
<b style="color: yellow; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: xx-large;">UPDATE!</b><br />
<div style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<div style="border: medium none;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div style="border: medium none; text-align: justify;">
<div style="text-align: left;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="mso-layout-grid-align: none; mso-pagination: none; text-autospace: none;">
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: xx-small;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><b style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">I have just updated an ongoing review post for <span style="color: yellow;">Kresley Cole's</span> <a href="https://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2010/10/kresley-cole-immortals-after-darkq.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">IMMORTALS AFTER DARK SERIES</span></a> by adding a review of <span style="color: yellow;"><i>Wicked Abyss</i>,</span> the 18th novel in the series. </b></span></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;"><br /></span></b>
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Click on the <span style="color: #ea9999;">pink-link</span> series title above to go directly to the new review.</span></b></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5317006746598572000.post-30260668081696951212017-08-04T17:00:00.000-04:002017-10-11T14:24:16.684-04:00NEW SERIES: Thea Harrison's MOONSHADOW TRILOGY<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAVFKG_RsPfxWoUGDMb-gFVq1hN5AUQ6zhTuB5VhRdtDbsSQTd-9qOKtS684CLekzFr-ovdYnENMTWAkkzvniCjPc7tq58A1af_sIgXcAPhZMQCTxHiYTnY0u6CIPkE6wG4wxRAkYoOA/s1600/E1VFZd-KXES._SY135_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="135" data-original-width="181" height="148" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJAVFKG_RsPfxWoUGDMb-gFVq1hN5AUQ6zhTuB5VhRdtDbsSQTd-9qOKtS684CLekzFr-ovdYnENMTWAkkzvniCjPc7tq58A1af_sIgXcAPhZMQCTxHiYTnY0u6CIPkE6wG4wxRAkYoOA/s200/E1VFZd-KXES._SY135_.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Author: </span></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://theaharrison.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Thea Harrison</span></a></span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Series: </span>MOONSHADOW TRILOGY </span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Plot Type: </span> </span><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/definitions.html"><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Soul Mate Romance (SMR)</span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></b><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Ratings:</span> </span><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Violence</span></a></span></b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/p/ratings.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;"><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4; Sensuality</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>—</b></span></span><b><span style="color: #ea9999; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">4; Humor</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="color: #ea9999;">—2 </span></b></span></a><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: yellow;">Publisher and Titles:</span> </span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>Teddy Harrison LLC (print & audio); Amazon Digital Services LLC (Kindle)</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <i><span style="color: #ea9999;"><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moonshadow-Book-1-Thea-Harrison-ebook/dp/B01LZ608DH/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1501701296&sr=1-1&keywords=moonshadow"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Moonshadow</span></a></span></i> (</span></b><span style="text-align: justify;"><b>12/2016</b></span><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">)</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <i><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spellbinder-Moonshadow-Book-Thea-Harrison-ebook/dp/B072N6LC5W/ref=tmm_kin_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><span style="color: #ea9999;">Spellbinder</span></a></i> (7/18/2017)</span></b></span><br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b> </b><b><i>Lionheart</i></b><b> (2018)</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="color: yellow; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">This ongoing review post begins with an overview of the world-building, followed by my reviews of the first two novels in the trilogy.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></b></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">NOTE:</b><span style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;"> Some sources are labeling the novels in this trilogy as </span><b style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">ELDER RACES SERIES #10, #11, and #12</b><span style="color: orange; font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">, but I am reviewing them here as a stand-alone series because they don't really overlap much with the original series (even though they are set in that world0.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> WORLD-BUILDING</span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Although this trilogy is set in the <b>ELDER RACES</b> world, it turns its back on America and focuses on the Fae of Great Britain. On Harrison's website, she describes the trilogy in these words:</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><span style="color: lime;">“The three stories follow the classic
ELDER RACES format chronicling ancient, ongoing conflicts told in modern settings
while focusing on passionate love stories between strong heroes and heroines.”</span></span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>JA</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
<w:UseFELayout/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="276">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]-->
<!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Verdana;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<!--StartFragment-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<!--EndFragment--><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The opposing Fae groups—the Dark (Unseelie) Court and the Light (Seelie) Court have been at war with one another for centuries. As the series opens, Isabeau, Queen of the Light Court, is in control because Oberon, King of the Dark Court, is in a deep coma and his power is raging out of control. Isabeau has increased her strength by enslaving the infamous <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_le_Fay"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Morgan le Fey</span></a></b>, who serves as her chief enforcer and commander of her deadly Hounds.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Centuries ago, the Dark and Light armies clashed at a crossover passage (aka portal to another realm) on the border between Wales and England. During that battle, Morgan used his power over the land to destroy the passage, leaving the Daoine Sidhe Knights of the Dark Court stranded on Earth with no way to return to their homeland of Lyonesse. For hundreds of years, these warriors have been pursued by Isabeau and her forces, and their numbers were whittled down from 100 to just nine: Rhys, Ashe, Thorne, Gareth, Cael, Rowan, Braden, Gawain, and their commander, Nikolas Sevigny. The dark Knights are vulnerable to attack by Isabeau's forces because they must stay away from one another most of the time to prevent Morgan's Hounds from detecting their power signature, which becomes extremely strong when they are together. As the series opens, they are low on funds and are fighting despair and loneliness. Some of the warriors have family on the other side—back in Lyonesse—and they fear that they'll never see them again. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The Dark Knights appear to be human, but in moonshadow their true nature is revealed. For example, Nikolas looks like a tall, dark, and handsome modern man, but in moonshadow he wears medieval armor and leopard spots flash across his skin. While standing in moonshadow, Gawain's gargoyle nature is in full array: <span style="color: lime;">"[His] face came straight from a nightmare, and gigantic wings flared behind him. He wore chain mail armor, and a sheathed sword marked with magic runes was strapped to his back." </span>Ashe and Rowan are dhampyres <span style="color: lime;">"born of a union between a half-breed Fae or Elf and a human undergoing the transformation to Vamypre." </span>Several, like Nikolas, have Wyr blood, with some having stronger animal natures than others. Cael is a <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medusa"><span style="color: #ea9999;">medusa</span></a></b>. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: lime;">"The Fae of the Light Court called them abominations. Nikolas called them brothers."</span></span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"> </b><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <span style="color: lime;">"They were all Fae yet not fully Fae. They were among the rarest of all the Elder Races. In modern-day slang, they were 'triple threats,' creatures with the blood of three different races flowing through their veins. The strongest, most magical—the most tainted."</span> Nikolas' three natures are leopard, knight, and prince. The Knights are fair-minded, skilled warriors who are dedicated to the protection of Oberon and the Dark Court, and all they want is to go home. </span></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">If they don't find a crossover passage soon, they will certainly lose more Knights, and with Oberon unconscious and unable to control his powers, Lyonesse is threatened with destruction by rising seas and famine caused by the loss of its farmland.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Click <b><a href="http://theaharrison.com/forfans/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go to a page on Harrison's web site with links to various aspects of the <b>ELDER RACES</b> universe. Click <b><a href="http://fangfiction.blogspot.com/2011/06/thea-harrison-elder-races.html"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go to my review page for the <b>ELDER RACES</b> series, which includes a discussion of its world-building as well as reviews of all of the novels, novellas, and stories in the series. Click <b><a href="https://wickedscribes.wordpress.com/elder-races-character-guide/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to go to Wicked Scribe's annotated bibliography of the cast of characters in <b>ELDER RACES</b>. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"><br /></span></b>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> NOVEL 1: <i>Moonshadow</i></span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span> </b></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu09u1QgtrqfYnln_IQ8uSbQVcmrOMqMUbFt1nlo8Qy7N-5p3VhtsyfXwb0dANLOnYn-DxYcv1qH4VvdiHa9-wN5_gaqxw9RuOAceVjnrrN47VLyXnWlYofNdXqaCo-Whw73mMtUZ8R8/s1600/Moonshadow_Kindle_1800x2700-683x1024.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="683" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibu09u1QgtrqfYnln_IQ8uSbQVcmrOMqMUbFt1nlo8Qy7N-5p3VhtsyfXwb0dANLOnYn-DxYcv1qH4VvdiHa9-wN5_gaqxw9RuOAceVjnrrN47VLyXnWlYofNdXqaCo-Whw73mMtUZ8R8/s200/Moonshadow_Kindle_1800x2700-683x1024.jpg" width="133" /></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> From
bestselling author Thea Harrison comes the first in an explosive new trilogy
set in the Elder Races world.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Her past is a blank, her future uncertain. Recovering from a shooting, LAPD witch consultant Sophie Ross leaves her job
and travels to the U.K. to search for answers about her childhood. When she
encounters a Daoine Sidhe knight of the Dark Court, she becomes entangled in an
ancient hatred between two arcane forces.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> He has given his body and soul to fight for his people. Barred from his homeland along with his surviving brother knights, Nikolas
Sevigny is embroiled in a conflict that threatens everything he holds dear.
Only by uniting their resources can his people hope to prevail against Isabeau,
the deadly Queen of the Light Court. He will do anything and use anyone to
return home to Lyonesse.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> When Nikolas encounters Sophie, he sees a tool to be used. The insouciant witch
might be the key to unlocking every passageway that has been barred to the
knights of the Dark Court, even as a fascination for her takes root in what's
left of his soul.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Sophie has no intention of becoming anyone's pawn, yet the fierce Nikolas is so
compelling, she can't deny the temptation that endangers her guarded heart.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> As magic threatens Lyonesse, Queen Isabeau unleashes her merciless Hounds, and
Nikolas and Sophie become embroiled in a race for survival. Meanwhile, the
passion that ignites between them burns too hot to be denied and quickly turns
into obsession. Thank goodness they both know better than to fall in love.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<b><span style="color: #9fc5e8; font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW:</span></b> </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Sophie is recovering from three gunshot wounds received during a mission with the Los Angeles Police Department, for whom she works as a magic consultant. She has strong magical powers, partly because she is part Djinn but mostly because she has actively sought out teachers and mentors who taught her runes and spells that she then tweaked to make them personal and powerful. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">She is an orphan and</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> has always hoped to find her biological parents, but has never been successful.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Early in the book, Sophie has a meeting with Dr. Kathryn Shaw (a Wyr Falcon woman who appears in several <b>ELDER RACES</b> novels), who has some information about Sophie's childhood. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Dr. Shaw explains that her father rescued Sophie from human traffickers when she was a toddler. Unfortunately, his records contain no information as to the identity of Sophie's biological parents. Then, Dr. Shaw offers Sophie</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> the possibility of full ownership of the Shaw family's estate in the Welsh Marches on the border of Wales and England if Sophie meets a single condition.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> All Sophie has to do is provide proof that she has entered the house. This may sound simple, but in fact, no one has been able to get into the house for centuries because the house itself decides who can enter. Dr. Shaw's ancestor built the house on top of a broken crossover passage that was the location of a huge magical battle centuries ago. Consequently, the mansion is full of magical power, and its rooms and hallways contain many shifts in time and place. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Sophie, who has always loved adventure and new experiences, jumps at the chance for a new life.</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Click <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Welsh_Marches"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read more about the Welsh Marches, which</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">by the way</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Harrison mislabels as "West" Marches in this book</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">perhaps a typo or an over-zealous autocorrect. The <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scottish_Marches"><span style="color: #ea9999;">West Marches</span></a></b> did actually exist, but they were on the border of England and Scotland. Harrison corrects this error in the second book.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> As Sophie is driving to the village nearest to the estate, her car breaks down and she has to walk the last few miles. During that walk, she finds a stray dog with the remains of a dark-magic chain around his neck. Kind-hearted Sophie rescues the "dog," who is much more than a family pet and who turns out to be a key player in this series.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Nikolas knows exactly who/what that dog is, so he heads for the same village that is Sophie's destination. They have the usual I-hate-you/well-I-hate-you-more meeting that is common in paranormal romances, so you know from the beginning that they are soul mates. All through the book, they bicker back and forth as Nikolas tries to order Sophie around and she profanely refuses to do anything he asks. Sophie has a particular fondness for the curse word, f--k, which she uses constantly in all of its varying forms: noun, adjective, verb, interjection...whatever. Of course, all of this heated arguing ramps up the sexual tension so that it quickly escalates from a flicker to a flame. Once their emotions erupt in fiery passion, their scenes together become hot and graphic. Their consummation scene comes halfway into the book, and we get Nicolas' inevitable <span style="color: lime;">"Mine, he thought. Mine."</span><b> </b>declaration shortly thereafter. Their relationship is studded with the usual doubts, misunderstandings, and anxieties, so there are lots of angst-filled interior monologues strewn throughout the story.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> When Nikolas meets with his men early in the book, he summarizes their needs: </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">money, a magical healer, a sanctuary, and</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">most of all</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">—</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">for Oberon to wake up and vanquish the Light Queen. As soon as you read the word "sanctuary," you know exactly how Sophie and her mansion fit into this picture.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Meanwhile, Sophie has to get into the huge mansion so that she can claim the property as her own. That becomes even more important when Isabeau sends Morgan and his Hounds after the couple. The story ends in a mixture of victory, betrayal, love, and fellowship, but there are sill plenty of loose ends for Harrison to tie up in the next two novels.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> This is a typical paranormal romance, but it doesn't quite meet the standard Harrison set in <b>ELDER RACES</b>. The relationship between the starring lovers—hunky über-alpha hero and profane über-feisty heroine—has been done to death; therefore it was so predictable that it didn't really hold my interest. The over-arching story line involving the war within the British Fae world has possibilities. We'll see how it goes in the second book, which features Morgan as its hero.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Two final quibbles: </span></span><br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">1. Harrison tries to have her cake and eat it too when it comes to Nikolas' use of language. She has him make old-timey exclamations like, <span style="color: lime;">"Oh dear Lord and Lady...Cease talking."</span> on one page and then switches him to modern slang on the next page: <span style="color: lime;">"You're a damn mouthy broad." </span>Considering that he keeps slipping into his ancient language and speaks rather formally most of the time, calling her a "mouthy broad" seems quite out of character (and there are other similar examples sprinkled through the story). </span></blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">2. The two are always giving each other <span style="color: lime;">"speaking looks,"</span> which is a phrase that's fine to use once or twice, but not over and over again. It would be more effective and less annoying to the reader to use a specific adjective to replace "speaking" (e.g., an eye-rolling look, an exasperated look, a disbelieving look, a disapproving look).</span></span></blockquote>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Moonshadow-1-Thea-Harrison/dp/0997120185/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=1501701296&sr=1-1"><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to an excerpt from <b><i>Moonshadow</i></b> on its Amazon.com page by clicking on the cover art for print or the "Listen" icon for audio. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify; text-justify: inter-ideograph;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white;"><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> NOVEL 2: <i>Spellbinder</i></span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b><b><span style="background-color: white; color: #444444;"> </span></b></span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">PUBLISHER'S BLURB:</span> </span></b><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCfrDqvzuP1y91ph4CHyPt-AHy2Qw4Gy5hzQj_rTH24wh5LYA7AfOe0ieaEFhUfaLCJC6ad0vt_JX6klFaBNpj6BpbzB2Oh0u3kgFC7-vrVbw9Nv8qrz7PB3pOyYs5mfVFX8uyCgx-aA/s1600/9780998139142_p0_v1_s192x300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="300" data-original-width="187" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxCfrDqvzuP1y91ph4CHyPt-AHy2Qw4Gy5hzQj_rTH24wh5LYA7AfOe0ieaEFhUfaLCJC6ad0vt_JX6klFaBNpj6BpbzB2Oh0u3kgFC7-vrVbw9Nv8qrz7PB3pOyYs5mfVFX8uyCgx-aA/s200/9780998139142_p0_v1_s192x300.jpg" width="124" /></span></a><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Kidnapped
while on tour, musician Sidonie (Sid) Martel is transported to the mystical land of
Avalon. A human without magical ability, she is completely vulnerable to the
deadly forces surrounding her. When
she defies her captors and refuses to share her music, an act of violent
cruelty leaves her broken, her ability to play silenced, maybe forever. Her
only hope is a whisper in the dark, gentle hands that offer healing, and a man
who refuses to show her his face yet who offers advice she dare not ignore.</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> One
of the most feared and powerful sorcerers in history, Morgan le Fae serves a
Queen he despises, Isabeau of the Light Court. Once a famous bard and an
advisor to kings, Morgan has been enslaved to Isabeau for hundreds of years,
acting as enforcer and the commander of her deadly Hounds.</span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Sidonie’s
music touches Morgan in places he had abandoned centuries ago, and her fiery
spirit resurrects feelings he had believed long dead. For Sidonie, trapped in
captivity, passion offers a comfort she cannot resist. </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> But
Isabeau holds Morgan bound in magical chains that only Death can break. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">And
in the court of a cruel, jealous Queen, the only thing that burns hotter than love
is revenge. </span></span><br />
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;"><br /></span></b>
<b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #9fc5e8;">MY REVIEW:</span></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Harrison mines the <b><a href="https://www.arthurian-legend.com/"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Arthurian legend</span></a></b> for her two major male characters in this novel. The hero is <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Morgan_le_Fay"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Morgan le Fey</span></a></b>, slave to the Light Queen Isabeau and commander of her Hounds. Harrison describes Morgan as a mash-up of Morgan le Fey and Merlin from the traditional <i>Legend of King Arthur</i>. We met Morgan as the antagonist in <b><i>Moonshadow</i></b> when he and his Hounds attacked the ancient mansion in which Sophie and the Daoine Sidhe Knights of the Dark Court had taken refuge. Although Morgan appears to be in his late thirties, he is centuries old and has extremely powerful magic skills. His most spectacular talent is his land power, which is what he used to shift the earth beneath Sophie's mansion, nearly destroying it. The villain is </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mordred"><span style="color: #ea9999;">Mordred</span></a></b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, Isabeau's lover and sadistic right-hand man. (Note: Morgan also appears in the </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">ELDER RACES</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> novella, </span><b style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">"Pia Does Hollywood,"</b><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> in which he poses a threat to both Dragos and Pia.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Although most of the magical world believes that Morgan is working with Isabeau of his own free will, that is not the case. Centuries ago, Isabeau met Morgan when he was a human soldier and decided that she wanted him in her service. She slashed him with a dagger called Azrael's Athame (aka Lord Death's knife), which bound Morgan to her, put him under a geas, and turned him into a lycanthrope (werewolf). Ever since then, Morgan has had</span> to follow Isabeau's orders to the letter, which meant killing and torturing people, destroying property, and doing many other horrific things because he can never refuse to do anything that Isabeau commands him to do. The geas also prevents him from telling anyone about the geas so there is no way for people to know that Morgan is essentially Isabeau's slave—not her willing accomplice.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> As this book begins, Morgan is still recovering from the silver-inflicted wounds he incurred during the battle with Nikolas and his Dark Knights. When Queen Isabeau banishes him from her sight until he is completely healed, Morgan realizes that she has given him a perfect way to keep himself out of her clutches. All he has to do is keep injuring himself so that he never heals. Unfortunately, Isabeau soon realizes what she has done, so she sends the Hounds after Morgan and he is on the run throughout the entire book.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Morgan skedaddles from Isabeau's castle and heads for Earth to hide out while he researches Azrael's Athame. He is determined to discover a way to break the geas. One night, he decides to enjoy an evening of music. Long ago, when he was still human, Morgan was a talented bard and lute player and truly loved music. When he hears Sid's beautiful performance, he becomes obsessed with her and her music and follows her from concert to concert. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Thirty-year-old Sidonie Martel is a musical prodigy who has been performing since she was a child. She is skilled at playing five different stringed instruments, but is particularly proficient on the violin. Sid is an internationally acclaimed star who has won multiple Grammies and many other awards. She also suffers from <b><a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/obsessive-compulsive-disorder-ocd/index.shtml"><span style="color: #ea9999;">OCD</span></a></b>, which frequently puts a damper on her personal relationships. Sid is quite familiar with the Other world—the Elder Races. In fact, some of her biggest fans are the Djinn, who owe her several favors for allowing them to attend her concerts in their natural (invisible-to-humans) form. (These favors from the Djinn become a key plot point late in the book.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Unfortunately, a magical creature we met in book one takes note of Morgan's fascination with Sid and arranges for her to be kidnapped and sent to Isabeau. This creature (who knows nothing about the geas) wants to drive a wedge between Morgan and Isabeau and believes that Morgan will rush to Sid's rescue and stand up for Sid against Isabeau.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> After Sid is thrown into a filthy, rat-infested, windowless dungeon cell, a stranger visits her each night, healing her fingers (which Mordred broke with a mallet) and providing food and water. He won't reveal his name or anything else about himself, but she gradually begins to like and then trust and love him even though he warns her not to. Much of the story is devoted to their clandestine visits, during which she never sees his face (which is highly implausible).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Eventually, Sid (who is quite resourceful and very feisty, of course) figures out a way to get out of her cell, and that's when the action picks up. Morgan and Sid work on a plan to free themselves from Isabeau's clutches (with assistance from a helpful frenemy). Some of the plot points are somewhat improbable because the author has to stretch things in order to make the conflict resolution work, but still, this is a fantasy, so <i>everything</i> is improbable. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Just as in book one, the love action begins about halfway into the book with the couple's first kiss and quickly accelerates into a stream of graphic scenes filled with sensual bedroom athletics. If you are looking for high levels of sexy love scenes, you'll find plenty of them in the second half of this book. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> </span>The lead characters in <span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><b><i>Spellbinder</i></b> follow the usual paranormal romance tropes: the beautiful, feisty-but-flawed heroine (who is, of course, an orphan); the handsome, brave-but-flawed </span>über-alpha hero; and the one-dimensional villains. I wonder if it is possible to write a paranormal romance with a fresh, inventive approach and new and dynamic personalities. So far, that has not happened in this trilogy, but if you love the old, familiar paranormal romance style and character types, you will probably enjoy this series.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> The funniest scene occurs when Sid plays her music for the Queen. She doesn't play her usual concert pieces. Instead, she chooses pop classics that are actually insults to Isabeau—if she only knew the lyrics...songs like <b><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mrs._Robinson"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"Mrs. Robinson"</span></a></b> and <b><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6UAYGxiRwU"><span style="color: #ea9999;">"You're So Vain."</span></a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> <i><b>Lionheart</b></i>, the final novel in this trilogy, will go back to the Dark Fae and tell the story of what is happening in </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Lyonesse </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">as Oberon lies in his ensorcelled sleep while his out-of-control magic continues to destroy his realm. (Note: It was Morgan who put Oberon into his coma.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"> Click <b><a href="https://www.amazon.com/Spellbinder-Moonshadow-2-Thea-Harrison/dp/0998139149/ref=tmm_pap_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr="><span style="color: #ea9999;">HERE</span></a></b> to read or listen to an excerpt from <b><i>Spellbinder</i></b> on its Amazon.com page by clicking on the cover art for print or the "Listen" icon for audio. </span></div>
<!--EndFragment--></div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
Patricia Mathewshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10868982126449899353noreply@blogger.com0