I have two particular criticisms for this version of the book. They are small things, but worth noting.
First, the publisher put “A Dead Djinn In Cairo” at the back of this book. I know it’s a short story (or novella – I forget how it was classified) but in the time line this story happens before the novel that was just finished. I would highly recommend skipping to this and reading it first.
Second, (SPOILER ALERT)
They save the world. They fight off the biggest and baddest of bad guys and now… what? Where do you go when you save the whole world in the very first book? I don’t know how this character and the rich, wonderful world she lives in moves forward. That is disappointing because I did very much enjoy this story and the characters in it.
I absolutely recommend this book – you should read the novella (Haunting of Tram Car 15) and the short story at the end then definitely dig into this book!
I usually put up some version of the cover with my reviews, but this fan art was a lot of fun and helped put a picture to these cool characters. Be sure to check out this artists work at their website HERE.
This is when the real work of writing happens. When there’s no muse. There’s not a ‘special thing’ going on or any sort of ‘hey – look at the shiny distraction’ moments.
Putting words on a page isn’t an easy thing… or more correctly it’s not an easy thing to do well. Like any other muscle, the ability to write efficiently and effectivly requires practice. Anyone can splash words acorss the empty screen, but it’s a challenge to create.
I’m certain I’ve talked aobut this before, but I will again because that post was likely lost here (but my irritation clearly was not). There was a time when I was reading the ‘paper’. Not technically on paper anymore, but same idea. There was a column – written by a PAID columnist – that basically said “I’ve got nothing to say” in about 500 words or so. It was infuriating. That’s absolutely terrible – a columnist holding a position and potentially bumping some other important story and having NOTHING to say, and writing exactly that.
So, as a writer striving to be an author of a published novel (someday), this is where the work is. There’s no muse here. Just a blank page looking for more words in the story.
There is work in progress, but writing there means not neccessarily writing here. We shall see how it all shakes out…
What do you do when you’re not feeling inspired? How do you push past it?
I absolutely recommend taking whatever chances you can to go someplace new. Travel, see things, meet people and experience what a new place has to offer. I understand the trip my family took isn’t something everyone could afford to do, but this applies to any sort of travel. IF you have the chance, go.
We’ve taken two trips recently – both of them out of the country.
Our first trip was thanks to dear friends who invited us along to Niagara Falls when the eclipse happened. The weather wasn’t great and we didn’t really get to see the eclipse, but the trip itself was worth the effort. We got to see a true natural wonder and spend time with friends. There were very few time commitments and allowed us to just go and enjoy time away.
Our second trip, not long after this journey to Canada took us all the way across the Atlantic to Switzerland and France.
My daughter was an exchange student in France for a year. We took the opportunity to leverage her language capabilities and go to see some of the places she had been. We went to visit people we knew as well – our exchange daughter lives in France, so visiting her was added to the route. We flew to Geneva.
We stayed and toured there, then took the train into France to meet the host family where my daughter lived. Next up was the train across the country to Le Mans to see our exchange daughter and her family. Along the way we got to experience life less like a tourist and more like somebody living there. We didn’t go to any specific tourist destination, but rather took in various places and experiences along the way. We didn’t rent a car, we took the train. We walked and learned some of the public transport systems. We got to tour both the modern aspects of the cities we were in, and the older parts of the cities.
Cathedrals were two stops that were absolutely worth going to see. We went to both the cathedral in Geneva and the cathedral in Le Mans. Standing inside those structures, getting the true sense of scale was wonderful. It’s easy to understand how people would be in awe of these towering places and the beauty they delivered. Not major tourist spots. No planned tours, but absolutely worth the effort to go.
And that’s really the point. IF you have the chance, GO. Get out. See something new. Add weird things to the list of things you’ve done. Now I can say I’ve had McDonald’s on 3 continents – and I can say I’ve eaten actual ratatouille in France. Run the gamut, see all the places, and do all the things. You’ll be glad you did – and maybe, you’ll make some friends along the way.
Outside of my normal genre, reading true crime IS a thing I’ve delved into before. I don’t like to read it generally because I see enough true crime in the news. I don’t seem to have the fascination that others do.
I was drawn to this book by the story of the author herself, and the fact that she wasn’t able to finish this work before she died unexpectedly (and far too young). My fears about reading this book stemmed directly from “Confederacy of Dunces” that has garnered so much praise. I was drawn in by the author’s story on that book and hated it.
Gone in the dark is incomplete. The people in the author’s life pulled together the book after her passing, but what I wish we got was the complete work from the author herself. She definitely had her own style and that was not something the others could emulate.
It’s an interesting story, and if you’re into true crime it’s worth digging into. I will also be checking out the documentary series they made about this story. Adding the visuals to this story will probably help me.
I am predisposed to liking this authors work, so you should know that up front.
It feels disingenuous to critique the characters or storyline of such a prolific and successful author. I really enjoyed the journey and the growth for the sisters and for the reluctant god of bravery. I thought their interactions and their reveals along the way were just excellent.
What I really enjoyed, and wanted to dig into more was one of the things the author was best known for – the magic system. Breath, magic and awareness of the world around you being tied to color. That capacity for using color and the magic of it was great to see developed through the story.
NO spoilers, but there was one move by one character that in hindsight I should have seen coming and didn’t – and that really made the story that much better for me. Refreshing to have a fantasy story with new magic and actions that weren’t predictable.
IF you’re a fan of fantasy and new magic systems I would recommend this book.
I didn’t realize the gap I’ve had since the last time I was on here and posting. I really wish there were a way to tie the things I post to my other social media here… that I understood and could easily use.
There was one, very early on and that functionality was taken away. I don’t understand how to make it work – nor do I particularly want to. I already do so many things I absolutely do NOT want to add “web developer” to that list. I really hate programming and program languages.
Yes, in the day job there have been more than one time that I’ve needed to learn LISP routines or some variation on visual programming or… I think the new one is python? I don’t know. I really hate doing them. They’re terrible and I am not meant for that kind of creation.
So – this is the ‘lump’ of things that will follow the huge gap. Hopefully the gaps will be smaller and the lumps less lumpy, but I’m certain I’ve said that sort of thing before.
For the first time in at least a year, I have made a writing submission. I’m glad I did it. I’m working hard at reviving my creativity and planning the time in my day for it.
It’s not easy to put yourself out there and wait for judgement. I admire people that have developed a thicker skin than I have.
It was a very small risk, small reward submission, but it went.
This was originally published in Watch The Skies, January 2024 issue.
For a couple of years now I’ve focused my written pieces for Watch The Skies on films and television. While that sort of entertainment is wonderful, I feel that we need to shift from film to other forms of art. As a group, science fiction fandom has some of the most imaginative and talented creators anywhere. If there’s a way to create something, they’ll find it. If it can tie in with a favorite book or show, so much the better.
My hope is to get some of our members to show off their creations here in the fanzine this year. I would love to see what other folks are making and how it’s related to their fandom.
I’ll go first! Normally our group sees my artwork on the cover of the ‘zine each month. That isn’t the only form of art I create. I draw, paint, model and craft as well. As part of an online crafting group I was able to enter a contest for the creation of a “magic potion”. Using a bottle and a number of other supplies, I was able to create the “magic potion” Release. It’s a real, full size bottle with sculpted pieces, painted glass and hand sketched parchment. While it didn’t win the contest, I was really pleased with the results.
I’ve been busy doing bunches of things, but I wanted to share this one. Sometimes you should reach outside your comfort zone and try to do a thing.
A friend of mine decided that she wanted charcuterie for her birthday party. Everyone was asked to bring something along. I (with the help of my lovely daughter) laid out a plan to create a balloon and flowers as a board.
So, after discussions and planning and at least one extra trip to a store… I set to work laying everything out. The kiddo jumped in and helped with the flowers as she had looked at the technique back when we first saw it done.
I think the result was really good for a first time ever charcuterie board!
What are some of the things you’ve stretched out and attempted before?
I got an email from Goodreads stating that I was in the top 25% of readers for the year last year. I’ve been logging my books on Goodreads for a number of years now and I’ve always had at least a passing interest in the tally for my previous year. When I looked back I was a bit surprised that I’ve been logging books on Goodreads since 2009. I didn’t realize this was year 15 for me.
Recently, as in the past couple of years, I’ve had a great deal of trouble achieving the level of reading I was previously accustomed to. There are a lot of factors involved there, but in the end those factors combined to stop me from reading as much as I really like.
2023 – 23 books
2022 – 9 books
2021 – 17 books
2020 – 39 books – this is actually a peak year for me
Being in the top 25% with less than two dozen books is, not surprising but a little disappointing I think. Not for me, but for the general statement that makes on how much people read (or more correctly, don’t read).
The numbers for 2023 are a good sign for me. I’m trending back up. I’m working hard at mitigating a large number of the factors that slowed or stopped me from reading. I suspect I’ll be able to meet or exceed 2023 with this year’s total. I’m not going to use a goal setting app or whatever – this is supposed to be a pleasurable thing. I should read new and interesting things and tell people about them because I enjoy it, not because some random app or goal is pressuring me to do that. I’m going to keep reading. I’m going to keep reviewing those books and posting up my thoughts and opinions on them. How many will I get to? Who knows? But I will have read a number of good stories in order to get there.
