Showing posts with label YA Historical Fantasy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label YA Historical Fantasy. Show all posts
Friday, October 5, 2018
Wednesday, September 12, 2018
Guest Post by M.K. Wiseman - author of The Kithseeker
Today, we have a guest!
(and yes, balloons, confetti and little horns are sounding everywhere)
M.K. Wiseman,
author of The Kithseeker,
has stopped by as part of her tour to talk about something us bookworms love to do!
Those Books You Read Over and Over again...
When I was in grade
school, we were given a copy of the Reader Bill of Rights. I don’t remember all
that it said (I’m actually betting that I have a copy tucked away somewhere in
my school ephemera) but I do remember the Right to Read & The Right To Not
Read.
I found these rights
to be incredibly freeing. It was permission to read what I wanted … and like
it.
Now, don’t get me
wrong. At the time I absolutely loved books. I read widely and often. I might
have even read more than I do today—in the case of sheer numbers and ‘original’
reads. Nowadays, I tend to read a lot of old favorites over and over.
This post is about one
such read.
I have read Carol
Kendall’s The Gammage Cup upwards of three dozen times.
I will probably read
it six times that amount before the end of my life time (if I’m lucky.)
I’ll likely someday die with my well-worn copy sitting on my nightstand. And
you know why? *takes a deep breath* I love that book. I love every single thing
about it.
It wasn’t aways that I
could say that. For a time, I forgot those Rights of the Reader. I read the
things I was supposed to read. Because of what was fashionable, popular,
age appropriate, Important, Serious, timely, etc etc. I let my reading habits
become bent to the whims of others. Sure, there’s some merit to that—after all,
my discovery of Gammage Cup came from a Scholastic Book Fair, which
meant that someone, somewhere was indirectly telling me to read this
particular book.
I’m not even sure when
I re-remembered my Rights as a reader. It did not come to me as a
lightning-bolt epiphany. But I am glad that it happened. For, even now, as an
author of YA historical fantasy—penning tales of wizards and magick and
adventure—I still am subject to pressure from folks. There is pressure to write
Serious Literature. Some people would rather I write for adults. For me? It’s
the story and the telling of it that matters.
And so I charge you,
dear reader: Go read. Let the book cover be seen. Smile as you read the thing you
have chosen to read. Enjoy your right to not have read
[Insert-Latest-Trend-Here]. And, of course, feel free to read that same old
comfort-food equivalent of story again and again as you see fit.
And here is her latest book!
THE KITHSEEKER
Bokkminder series, Book Two
by M.K. Wiseman
YA Historical Fantasy
France, 1680
Liara's defense of the Wizard Nagarath has rendered Anisthe incantate--bereft of magick--but even this cannot guarantee her safety. Because the death of her father-in-magick would seal the girl's fate, necessity demands she and her wizard maintain a watchful eye on the war mage, while protecting her from his dark designs.
Anisthe has embarked on a journey across Europe, aided by his half-fey manservant with an agenda all his own. They search for a legendary mirror that contains the world's most powerful magick. Although the stuff of fairytales, the possibility of its existence compels Nagarath and Liara to seek the artifact themselves. Both know that should Anisthe lay claim to that power, Liara would be at his mercy and not even Nagarath could save her.
Thus, the pair find themselves at Versailles, surrounded by agents who ferret out magick users and destroy them. Uncertain who is friend and who is foe, with their rival on their heels, they must discover the mirror before Anisthe releases its evil, or worse, it lays claim to Liara's magick and brings doom upon them all.
Liara's defense of the Wizard Nagarath has rendered Anisthe incantate--bereft of magick--but even this cannot guarantee her safety. Because the death of her father-in-magick would seal the girl's fate, necessity demands she and her wizard maintain a watchful eye on the war mage, while protecting her from his dark designs.
Anisthe has embarked on a journey across Europe, aided by his half-fey manservant with an agenda all his own. They search for a legendary mirror that contains the world's most powerful magick. Although the stuff of fairytales, the possibility of its existence compels Nagarath and Liara to seek the artifact themselves. Both know that should Anisthe lay claim to that power, Liara would be at his mercy and not even Nagarath could save her.
Thus, the pair find themselves at Versailles, surrounded by agents who ferret out magick users and destroy them. Uncertain who is friend and who is foe, with their rival on their heels, they must discover the mirror before Anisthe releases its evil, or worse, it lays claim to Liara's magick and brings doom upon them all.
Purchase
Links
Here she is...
M. K. Wiseman has
degrees in animation/video and library science – both from the University of
Wisconsin-Madison. Today, her office is a clutter of storyboards and
half-catalogued collections of too, too many books. (But, really, is there such
a thing as too many books?) When she’s not mucking about with stories, she’s
off playing brač or lying in a hammock in the backyard of her Cedarburg home
that she shares with her endlessly patient husband.
Social
Media Links –
Friday, April 20, 2018
Review: Viking's Chosen by Quinn Loftis
THE VIKING'S CHOSEN
by Quinn Loftis
Clean Teen Publishing
YA Historical / Fantasy
300 pages
His orders are clear: launch a raid against England and bring home the spoils of war. But the prophecy is also clear: General Torben will take a foreign bride — one who is a seer and healer just like his mother. The eldest princess of England is said to be just that… a beautiful, charming, and headstrong woman. But he's a Viking army general and she's an English princess — and one who is already promised to the king of Tara.
Two worlds collide in this epic historical fiction centered on an undeniable chemistry that smolders against the odds. Richly written and injected with moments of humor, this action-packed romantic tale will leave you breathless.
Quinn Loftis is the author of twenty novels, including the USA Today Bestseller Fate and Fury.
MY TIDBITS
Viking rawness and strength collides with all the pomp of the English courts in a mix of adventure, intrigue, fate and even a touch of magic.
Torben is respected and feared by his folk, but as a leading general he's more than aware of his King's growing madness, which has them soon on a risky mission to invade a part of England. To make matters more difficult, his mother, the town's Oracle, expects him to fulfill her vision and mate with an English woman. The idea of taking a foreign bride cuts his pride, but that is the least of the problems. Tara, the one he is seen to wed, is an English princess about to be married to a very powerful king, and the lives of those in her kingdom are hanging on the joining. And she's not about to let down her own people.
I was really looking forward to this book and was not disappointed. The author does a fantastic job at bringing both worlds to life. The vikings are as rugged as expected, and the English court is as regulated, proper and yet harsh in its own right. This does not have the flair of a light fairy tale, but sticks to a more historical atmosphere and doesn't fall into the trap of making life more grand than it was.
Still, this is an adventure with a touch of magic and lore. The oracle carries all of the mystery and harshness of a witch. She's got a warm heart buried in there somewhere, but is a result of her rough circumstances. The entire viking tribe is that way. . .even when the men break down to a little joking and humor. Which makes Torben a force not to oversee. He's rugged and crude, yet intelligent, ethical and wise. He's a true viking hero to root for.
Tara is not a spoiled princess but has matured and understands her position very well. She's tough but knows her place, and will live up to what is expected of her and her rank. Sometimes, she comes across a little weak and her decisions seem misguided at times. Still, without flaws, she wouldn't be easy to like. Plus, it fits the era well.
This was one of those books I didn't want to put down. The action rolls from page one all the way through. New problems constantly arrive, and the obstacles grow seemingly insurmountable and heart-wrenching to guarantee high tension to the last page. But the tension doesn't end there. Rather, this has an open end, which makes it hard to wait for book two to find out what happens next. And I do want to know that.
The romance is a wonderful push and shove with snarky wit built in. Both parties are not willing, although there is a spark of 'love at first site'. The oracle's predicted makes the direction of romantic tension clear, but there's enough intrigue and evil on the side to make it clear that vision or not, it's going to be a ruthless fight for both of them. Especially with a villain as evil as the one in this book.
In other words, its a fast-paced, exciting read for viking fans or those who love old England stories of royal intrigue. . . .and all with a touch of magical fantasy.
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