My father and I just finished rereading Eight Days of Luke by Diana Wynne Jones

My father and I just finished rereading Eight Days of Luke by the great Diana Wynne Jones, Mistress of the Multiverse and Lady of Endless Surprises.

What can I possibly say about a book when almost everything I can think of would constitute a major spoiler?! Merely this: be careful when uttering gibberish curses because you just might find yourself fighting flaming snakes bursting from the earth alongside a strange boy who can be afterward summoned by the lighting of a match. This is the story of David and the eight days that changed his life forever. 

A story which, though written in simple language, shows the imaginative genius and cunning of Diana Wynne Jones. It was an utter joy reading again, catching all that we missed the first time (which was basically everything).

Riddles teach humility

One thing I love about doing riddles is how it builds self-confidence in 99% of students while deflating the egos of the few braggarts who think they are the sharpest arrow in the quiver. Not only do they teach creative, outside-the-box thinking but humility too – and that Mastery is hard-earned.

(I am sure my previous students can guess what would prompt me to write such a post. Something a tad extreme – for riddles – and certainly a good story/lesson.)

Mages' Legacy: Sequel to my Dragonkin Legacy

"Many disturbing and wondrous tales come out of the Archipelago of Cynnahu, none the least those relating to its ancient inhabitants the Dragonkin. Yet even the Last King could not see all ends, for another force beyond the compass had claimed one of his own and no land, even one as self-contained as Cynnahu, may remain so forever. This harrowing tale, one that even the Loremasters possess only fragments of, proves such. This is the story of Kami and Leal."

The sequel to my The Dragonkin Legacy series, Mages' Legacy is a very different story. Once of consequences, duty, war, and love; and the beginning of a very special plan of mine that connects to my also upcoming (eventually) Sisters of the Desert. Mages' Legacy, however, has only one round of edits left, so should actually be published within the year (I hope).

I hope you like the cover. It is, as ever, a fine product of GetCovers plus some adjustments made by my mostly humble self.

Pacific Book Review

My book The Dragonkin Legacy has gotten nothing less than a stellar review from Pacific Book Review. You can read the full review via this link, and below are the highlights:

"The past is never truly dead. While much of the past and its history are often written by the victors – ancient relics, forgotten cities, and hidden legacies often find a way of unveiling themselves as the sands of time blow away little by little. Sometimes by looking to the past and learning from those who came before, a person or group of people can gain insight and foresight to face challenges that can change the course of an entire civilization.

Immediately readers are thrust into a world of magic, war, and visceral imagery. The world-building the author utilized in this omnibus was phenomenal, making each and every chapter and setting feel rich with history and the characters alive on the page. The author expertly weaves mystery and suspense into the story to make the world feel richer and more alluring, with each chapter unveiling a new aspect of the land of Cynnahu’s political power structure and the ways in which the mages use magic, making this world feel both fantastic and wondrous and yet incredibly dangerous as the Snake-Folk and their connection to the ancient Dragonkin are unveiled.

Fans of high-fantasy based storytelling and epic fantasy novels with a coming-of-age infusion will love this omnibus. The character-driven narrative was incredibly strong, from the father and son dynamic that delves into questions of legacy and living up to it between Myrriden and Emrys, to the dangerous and emotional path of vengeance that drives Sakura after losing her family and her entire people in the first bloody conflict of the series. The exploration of grief and how it motivates people in the wake of great tragedy was a great way to add more depth to her character arc and engage in a more grounded aspect of such a powerfully magical narrative. A story filled with twists and turns, epic world building full of history that feels ancient as the reader devours the book, and a memorable prose in the author’s writing style that really makes the reader feel rooted in the world made this blend of politics, war, and fantasy a must-read."

There is news on the wind. Emphasis on the plural.

Quote of the month

"If you want to write anything that works, you have to go with the grain of your talent, not against it. If your talent is inert and sullen in the face of business or politics...but takes fire at the thought of ghosts and vampires and witches and demons then feed the flames, feed the flames." - Sir Philip Pullman 

I have started The Legion of Flame, book two of Anthony Ryan's The Draconis Memoria trilogy

I have started The Legion of Flame, book two of Anthony Ryan's The Draconis Memoria trilogy.

The White has awoken. It is logical, perhaps, that after centuries of human Blood-blessed drinking the blood of drakes to build vast realms that drakes would want to return the favor. Yet the White builds nothing, only Spoils and destroys, warping living minds and flesh even as the flames and spears of its winged cousins and Spoiled slaves burn and kill. No longer a legend, now the White is real and many – and determined to incinerate the world of humans.

So here's hoping the vision-prophesy Clay ironically got from the White's blood can lead to a means of destroying it, and that Lizanne has similar luck behind Corvantine lines. Regardless, I think the Imperial and Corporate Age is about to come to a fiery conclusion.