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Another month gone, more than 50% of the year has passed me by, and somehow I feel like I'm moving backwards. Okay, that's not true. It just seems like it at times, I'm not quite getting the forward momentum I would like.
On the writing front: Revision. I finished up the revision on the rewrite request. I took a little extra care than perhaps normally, but you know, it was a maybe, and I wanted to turn that into a yes. That story has been shipped off. Revised a second story, and that will be off to critique group. I have two false starts this month. Well, one false start (story shelved but fingers crossed not permanently) the other I'm still working on right now. With luck it will be a complete first draft, though I already see how I want to drastically change it. That could slow me down some.
One story out on submission.
Reading: Three books read.
Blood and Iron, by Elizabeth Bear. I was tempted to call this an urban fantasy. Yet, though a portion of the action appears to take place in Manhattan, in reality, the bulk of the action isn't. It's still takes place mostly in a bit of other-worldliness, or other less urban settings. It is certainly a modern fantasy, in the sense that it takes place in the modern (if alternate) era. The writing is crisp, and though the first few chapters felt a bit slow, once I got past that, the story built momentum, and kept that building going through to the climax of the story. Yay for authors whom I can't casually deduce all their tricks ahead of time. One thing that made me arch an eyebrow was a rather odd choice. I won't go into detail, but at a certain point, things involving point of view changed. I don't think I understand that particular choice, to me, the change didn't really manifest a better or different understanding. It wasn't much of a distraction either, it just was, though it took place in a logical moment. Still a good read, and I look forward to the followup novel, which is rising to the top of my to be read pile.
A Companion to Wolves, by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear. I was quite fortunate, in that I won an advanced reader's copy of this novel. I intend to do a more detailed review, but here's a brief look. This was a twist on a typical fantasy trope, the companion animal. But this is most definitely not a young adult story. Life in Iskryne is graphic, and raw--among the more gritty and guttural of worlds. The roots tap into a nordic setting. It felt like life up near the artic circle in an alternate past, with strong warriors, their wolfish brothers and sisters, fending off not merely harsh life but very inhuman trolls and their pet wyverns. I especially liked how different the non-humans feel in this work (including the wolves). I didn't get a sense of, look, it's a human in a different shape. Perhaps most powerful,are the interpersonal relationships throughout the novel, deep and diverse, and none of which I would consider simplistic. Well written, engaging from the start, and provocative.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling. If you haven't been living under a rock for the past decade you know that this month marked the publication of the culmination of the great Harry Potter story that has captured the world by storm. If you have been following this series, odds are high you own this book by now, and quite likely have read it by now. If you decided not to join the fandom that swept the world, then no description of this book is going to make you interested. I enjoyed it immensely. Though its always sad to see an enjoyable series end, this was not a surprise. The author made no secret that the series was planned to be seven books for seven years at school for quite some time now. I was pleased that the resolution felt real, and more importantly, this novel instead of merely wrapping things up in a simple massive climactic battle (yes, yes, there is a big battle I know) but I think more importantly, it also revealed more of the characters. More about Harry, perhaps a bit less new about Hermione and Ron, and even in death, there's yet more to learn and appreciate about Dumbledore. Other characters get their due as well. Most importantly, I was right.
On the writing front: Revision. I finished up the revision on the rewrite request. I took a little extra care than perhaps normally, but you know, it was a maybe, and I wanted to turn that into a yes. That story has been shipped off. Revised a second story, and that will be off to critique group. I have two false starts this month. Well, one false start (story shelved but fingers crossed not permanently) the other I'm still working on right now. With luck it will be a complete first draft, though I already see how I want to drastically change it. That could slow me down some.
One story out on submission.
Reading: Three books read.
Blood and Iron, by Elizabeth Bear. I was tempted to call this an urban fantasy. Yet, though a portion of the action appears to take place in Manhattan, in reality, the bulk of the action isn't. It's still takes place mostly in a bit of other-worldliness, or other less urban settings. It is certainly a modern fantasy, in the sense that it takes place in the modern (if alternate) era. The writing is crisp, and though the first few chapters felt a bit slow, once I got past that, the story built momentum, and kept that building going through to the climax of the story. Yay for authors whom I can't casually deduce all their tricks ahead of time. One thing that made me arch an eyebrow was a rather odd choice. I won't go into detail, but at a certain point, things involving point of view changed. I don't think I understand that particular choice, to me, the change didn't really manifest a better or different understanding. It wasn't much of a distraction either, it just was, though it took place in a logical moment. Still a good read, and I look forward to the followup novel, which is rising to the top of my to be read pile.
A Companion to Wolves, by Sarah Monette and Elizabeth Bear. I was quite fortunate, in that I won an advanced reader's copy of this novel. I intend to do a more detailed review, but here's a brief look. This was a twist on a typical fantasy trope, the companion animal. But this is most definitely not a young adult story. Life in Iskryne is graphic, and raw--among the more gritty and guttural of worlds. The roots tap into a nordic setting. It felt like life up near the artic circle in an alternate past, with strong warriors, their wolfish brothers and sisters, fending off not merely harsh life but very inhuman trolls and their pet wyverns. I especially liked how different the non-humans feel in this work (including the wolves). I didn't get a sense of, look, it's a human in a different shape. Perhaps most powerful,are the interpersonal relationships throughout the novel, deep and diverse, and none of which I would consider simplistic. Well written, engaging from the start, and provocative.
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, by J.K. Rowling. If you haven't been living under a rock for the past decade you know that this month marked the publication of the culmination of the great Harry Potter story that has captured the world by storm. If you have been following this series, odds are high you own this book by now, and quite likely have read it by now. If you decided not to join the fandom that swept the world, then no description of this book is going to make you interested. I enjoyed it immensely. Though its always sad to see an enjoyable series end, this was not a surprise. The author made no secret that the series was planned to be seven books for seven years at school for quite some time now. I was pleased that the resolution felt real, and more importantly, this novel instead of merely wrapping things up in a simple massive climactic battle (yes, yes, there is a big battle I know) but I think more importantly, it also revealed more of the characters. More about Harry, perhaps a bit less new about Hermione and Ron, and even in death, there's yet more to learn and appreciate about Dumbledore. Other characters get their due as well. Most importantly, I was right.