Title: Pilgrim of the Sky Author: Natania Barron Publisher: Candlemark & Gleam Gebre: Contemporary /metaphysical fantasy Description Just when Maddie Angler thinks she's over the death of her longtime boyfriend, Alvin, she discovers that he's not only alive, but he may just be part god. And a killer. Now it's up to her to unite Eight Worlds she didn't even know existed in the first place, before chaos reigns. My Review Pilgrim in the Sky is a surprising, gripping and somewhat profound contemporary fantasy. It begins in our world, takes us on a shocking journey to another, and just when we think we have it all sorted it, we find ourselves one level deeper again. I loved it, not only because it’s a very different story but because it stretches your mind with metaphysical themes—alternate worlds, beings that are connected, the same yet different, linked, like the eight points of a compass through time and incarnations. Pilgrim in the Sky takes you on a journey that gets … [Read more...]
Another 5 star review of ‘Stalking Shadows’ : A great story with love, jealousy, betrayal, battles, and hard lessons
I'm back at Book Broads today for Stacy's review of Stalking Shadows. She starts by saying she 'just got done with Stalking Shadows and it was really good,' then gives a run down on the story and finished by saying that she's looking forward to reading more of the story. Pop on over to read the review and leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of Lethal Inheritance. http://bookbroads.blogspot.com.au/2013/05/stalking-shadows-blog-tour.html … [Read more...]
YA Fantasy Review: Nameless, A Tale of Beauty and Madness by Lili St. Crow
Review by Kimberley Rose Title: Nameless, A Tale of Beauty and Madness Author: Lili St. Crow Publisher: Penguin Books Australia, Razorbill The description of this book led me to believe I was in for a traditional fantasy novel but I found myself reading a decidedly young adult book, plonked in a fantasy world. Once I realised this I adjusted my expectations accordingly and once I worked out some of the varieties of different species (which wasn’t entirely explained and very confusing at first) I began to enjoy the world.The rich mythology surrounding 'the family' was obviously well planned and explained well. However, I didn’t like the main character. She is weak and makes obviously stupid decisions, deliberately throwing herself in harms way for no clearly given reason. I don’t know any adolescence that stupid. Then all her friends miraculously swoop in to her rescue at an extremely timely moment. Coincidence is a very weak plot device. I did think that the heroines struggle … [Read more...]
Last review of the blog tour and it is AWESOME.
Day 19 of the blog tour has me over my peak download quota and facing a hefty internet bill for this month--I'm so far in the bush that I have to have Satelite internet and it's expensive--but my day was totally made by a review on Book Briefs that humbled me. There is nothing better and more inspiring for an author than to find a reader who not only resonates with their books, but also encourages others to read them. Thank you, Michelle. Readers like you make writing worthwhile. One little quote: If you like fantasy books at all, you HAVE to read Lethal Inheritance. To find out why she thinks that, please visit Book Briefs, and while you're there help send some traffic Michelle's way. (Tweet it etc) http://bookbriefs.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/review-lethal-inheritance-by-tahlia.html … [Read more...]
What is Magical realism?
My young adult novel You Can’t Shatter Me is magical realism, and all my fiction has magical realism elements, in particular The Prunella Smith books . But what does that mean exactly? What is magical realism? Here’s what Wikapedia says about it. “Magical realism is an aesthetic style or genre of fiction [1] in which magical elements blend with the real world. The story explains these magical elements as real occurrences, presented in a straightforward manner that places the "real" and the "fantastic" in the same stream of thought. It is a film, literary and visual art genre.” The question this raises is how is it different to fantasy? Magical realism is set in the real world. Fantasy is set in a fantasy world. Even in urban fantasy, the witches, fairies, vampires and so on that populate the world make it not the real world as we know it. The real difference lies in the purpose of the magical elements. In magical realism they are there to emphasize something, usually a … [Read more...]
Review: Unspent time by Graham Parke, buy for 99c & enter to win a Kindle Fire or a Kindle Touch
Book title: Unspent Time Author: Graham Parke Publisher: OutskirstPress (pb) Amazon (eb) Genre: Fantasy Warning: reading this novel may make you more attractive and elevate your random luck by about 9.332%* (*These statements have not been evaluated by anyone of consequence.) If this catch line for Unspent Time gives you a giggle, you’re in for a treat. Unspent Time is a collection of short stories and I loved it for its humour, originality and general craziness. If you have a prejudice against short stories, drop it and read this. It’s highly entertaining and the author’s commentary links the stories into a unified and satisfying whole. The blurb is a good indicator of the subject matter, so I’ve included it here. Blurb: From the award winning author of ‘No Hope for Gomez!’ comes a collection of 20 impossible tales. Permeating the cracks between the past and the present is the realm of Unspent Time. Pockets of ‘should have been’s and ‘might have happened’s. Time that was … [Read more...]
Review: Mortus by Dennis Hausker
Book title: "Mortus, Book One of the Faenum Quest Author: Dennis Hausker Publisher: Melange Books LLC Genre: epic fantasy Mortus is an epic fantasy about a witch, a troll, an elf, a dwarf , and a human, who set off to defeat an evil dictator with unbeatable magic power. Sound familiar? Yes, this is true to the traditional epic fantasy style. What’s a little different is that the central character, Dave (an unlikely name for a hero) is a man from our world. His mother has just died and his uncle, whom he has never met, appears and tells him that his father came from another world and that he is needed there to stop some great evil. Dave is a bit of a gung-ho innocent and he doesn’t (a little unbelievably – I would at least pack a gun) require much convincing to leave with his uncle. He travels through a void and arrives in the other world, having lost his uncle on the way, then he sets off to see what he can do. He happens to run into the other characters and one by one they join … [Read more...]
Single short stories now available in all ebook formats
Reader's favourites from my short story collection, 'A Matter of Perception' are now available as individual books on all ebook formats. The heartwarming magical realism tale of Norris and his Goddess, 'A Hole in the Pavement' is 99c, available here, and the poignant story of two women facing death in vastly different cultures and times yet linked via their dreams, 'Not Me, It Can't Be,' is FREE and available here. … [Read more...]
Review: The Disenchanted Pet by Kate Policani
Title: The Disenchanted Pet Author: Kate Policani Publisher: Kate Policani Available now at Amazon and Smashwords Category: Adult/young adult Science Fiction/fantasy The Disenchanted Pet is pure Indie gold, one of those books that makes me really glad that authors can publish their work so easily these days. If that weren’t the case, I would never had read this little gem. It’s a good example of something that would never be picked up by a publishing house, not because it’s not good enough – it is in fact extremely well written - but simply because it doesn’t fit the narrow parameters of what the traditional publishing industry is looking for. There would have been no point in Kate offering it to even an agent and for many of the reasons that makes it so wonderful. It’s too short for it to be profitable in print, but a perfect movie-length read for the ebook market. It’s set in the future but isn’t your usual kind of science fiction. It’s thought provoking, one of the … [Read more...]
