Book Spotlight: Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes

Welcome to the blog tour sci-fi/ horror Sand and Shadow by Laurisa White Reyes! Read on for more details and a chance to win a $20 Amazon e-gift card!

Sand and Shadow

Publication Date: September 6th, 2021

Genre: Sci-Fi/ Horror

Seven Survivors.

One Monster.

Nowhere to hide.

Mission Specialist Adán Fuentes awakes from cryo-hibernation to discover that most of his fellow crewmates are dead and the shuttle Carpathia is not where it’s supposed to be. Surrounded by a vast barren landscape, he and the other survivors wonder how they can accomplish their mission, to establish a home for future colonists.

When an unseen creature attacks them, the Carpathia’s crew must turn their attention to surviving and solving the true purpose behind their mission.

Inspired by the 50’s sci-fi flick FORBIDDEN PLANET, SAND AND SHADOW plumbs the depths of the human psyche and the power of its influence. As the Carpathia’s crew’s secrets and flaws are revealed, readers may find themselves compelled to examine their own dark places.

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Excerpt

“Hold it here!” Adán jabbed a finger at the corner of the tent still attached. Tink obeyed, gripping the fabric with his gloved hands. Adán grasped the canvas several feet above Tink. Then he began to pull it, gradually drawing the fabric toward him. It was like trying to haul an anchor up from the ocean floor, the effort requiring every ounce of strength he could muster. He wasn’t sure his plan would work. He was battling a storm that at any moment could snatch him up and carry him off.

“Get me down!” Scott screamed, his voice piercing through Adán’s comm.

“I’m trying! Just hold on!” Adán kept pulling, but he made little headway with the wind pulling so hard in the opposite direction. “Scott, use your hands! Try to climb down!”

Scott started hand-over-hand down the column of living canvas. The distance between Scott and Adán slowly began to shrink. The sand pelted Adán so hard now that he could feel it through his gear.

“The rest of you get inside!” he called out. “It’s too dangerous out here!”

Fess grabbed the heating unit that Scott had dropped and made his way toward the shuttle. Tink held tight to the tent behind Adán.

“Tink! I’ve got it! Go on!”

“You don’t have it,” said Tink. “I’m not leaving!”

“But you have to—” Suddenly, a powerful gust tried to rip the silver tarp from Adán’s hands. The knuckle in his pinky finger snapped in a stabbing flare of excruciating pain, but he did not let go. Scott flipped around in the air, as helpless as a marionette on strings, though he was a good eight feet closer to the ground than he had been minutes before.

Adán tried to hold tighter to the fabric, but the pain in his hand throbbed ruthlessly and had robbed it of its strength.

“Scott! You’re going to have to let go!”

“Let go? Are you insane? This wind will blow me away like a kite!”

“Curl up into a ball! Wrap your arms around your knees and drop to the ground!”

Adán heard Tink’s voice. “This strap is tearing! When it rips all the way, that tarp is taking you with it, Scott!”

“Scott, you’ve got to let go now!”

He did. Scott released the fabric and pulled his knees to his chest. He fell like a stone to the sand below. He hit the ground, his limbs sprawling out in every direction. Then, getting to his hands and knees, he scurried away like a bug just as the tarp tore free from its strap. The silver snake curled and whipped like a flag in a hurricane and then vanished into the darkening sky.

Adán, his back to the wind, dropped to his knees beside Scott. “You all right?” he asked. “Can you get up?”

Scott collapsed into the sand, moaning. Adán felt a wave of relief. Their commander was dazed, possibly even hurt, but he was alive. A few yards off, Tink fought against the storm’s assault. He clutched the transmitter case to his chest and staggered forward one step at a time. The sky was so dark now and the sand so thick that the shuttle looked like nothing more than a broad mass of shadow.

Adán slid one of his arms beneath Scott’s shoulder and hoisted the barely conscious commander into a sitting position. “Dryker, listen to me! We’ve got to get back to the shuttle or we’ll die out here! Get up, Commander! On your feet!”

Scott moaned again, but Adán felt his muscles stiffen as he attempted to get his legs under him. With a bit of effort on both their parts, Scott was soon standing, though he leaned much of his weight against Adán. Adán looked back at Tink, who hadn’t made as much progress as he’d hoped.

“Tink, drop it!” Adán shouted.

Tink shook his head furiously. “We need it to communicate with the other shuttles! They’ll never find us without it!”

Tink’s words came back to Adán broken and staccato. He tapped on his earpiece. The storm had damaged his comm. “Tink? Can you hear me?”

This time Adán heard only static. He looked back to the shuttle, a mere ten yards away. Dema and Fess, clinging to each other, were scrabbling for the hatch lever. Adán looked back at Tink, half that distance behind him. He’d get Scott to safety, he decided, and come back for Tink.

“I’ll be back to help you in a second!” he said, though he couldn’t be sure if Tink had heard him, then he trudged forward with Scott in tow.

The two minutes or so that it took for him to hand Scott over to Dema and Fess felt like hours. He was exhausted and in pain, but Adán turned and headed back out for Tink, now on his knees hunched over the transmitter just four or five yards away.

He had just reached him when Adán saw it—a dark mass rising up from the ground behind Tink. “What the hell is that?” he said more to himself than to anyone else.

Dema’s voice crackled over the comm. “Adán, do you read me? Scott’s okay. A bit stunned but okay. Fess is with him in the common room now. Do you have Tink and Lainie?”

Lainie. Adán had forgotten all about her. But Tink. . .

“There’s something out here!” said Adán.

There was a pause before Dema’s voice returned. “Adán, get out of there. The sensors are picking up something solid, something big!”

He reached Tink and pulled him to his feet. Together, with the transmitter still clutched in Tink’s arms, they staggered toward the shuttle, which they could now barely make out through the thick haze of sand.

“Lainie!” Adán waited a moment for a reply. “Lainie, do you read me?” He shook his head. “The storm’s interfering with the frequency!”

“She was carrying the generator,” said Dema, her words nearly impossible to make out through the static. “She was closer to the shuttle than we were. You should see her!”

Adán and Tink continued trudging forward. Then just to right of the shuttle hatch, they spotted something square and black half buried in the sand at their feet. It was the generator tipped onto its side, but there was no sign of Lainie.

Available on Amazon

About the Author

Laurisa White Reyes is the author of the SCBWI Spark Award winning novel The Storytellers and the Spark Honor recipient Petals. She is also the Senior Editor at Skyrocket Press and an English instructor at College of the Canyons in Southern California.

Laurisa White Reyes | Skyrocket Press | Facebook | BookBub

Giveaway: $20 Amazon e-Gift Card

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Blog Tour Schedule

September 6^th

Reads & Reels (Spotlight) http://readsandreels.com

Nesie’s Place (Spotlight) https://nesiesplace.wordpress.com

Lunarian Press (Spotlight) https://www.lunarianpress.com/

September 7^th

B is for Book Review (Spotlight) https://bforbookreview.wordpress.com

Breakeven Books (Spotlight) https://breakevenbooks.com

Misty’s Book Space (Spotlight) http://mistysbookspace.wordpress.com

September 8^th

Liliyana Shadowlyn (Spotlight) https://lshadowlynauthor.com/

@bookaholic__reviews (Review) https://www.instagram.com/bookaholic__reviews/

Musings of a Final Girl (Review) https://musingsofafinalgirl.wordpress.com/

September 9^th

Jessica Belmont (Review) https://jessicabelmont.com/

Rambling Mads (Review) http://ramblingmads.com

@dreaminginpages (Review) https://www.instagram.com/dreaminginpages/

September 10^th

PoptheButterfly (Spotlight) https://popthebutterfly.wordpress.com

The Magic of Wor(l)ds (Spotlight) http://themagicofworlds.wordpress.com

The Faerie Review (Review) http://www.thefaeriereview.com

Blog Tour Organized By:

R&R Book Tours

• author interview
• book review
• book spotlight
• books
• fantasy
• science fiction
• short stories

Interview with Fantasy Author and Playwright Judith Pratt

For my next interview in the series, I talk to Fantasy writer and playwright Judith Pratt.

Tell us about yourself! What would you like readers to know about you?

Judith Pratt: I began as an actor and mime (!) Then I taught acting and theatre history in a college, fundraising materials for another college, and freelance writing for colleges and non-profits.. 

I wrote my first play in the early 1990s. The main character had more of her story to tell me, but it would not fit on a stage, so I wrote a novel, The Dry Country, and self-published it. Now I write stories, essays, plays, and am working on another novel. My plays have been produced in small theatres around the US and—I love this—in Cape Town, South Africa.

Alexis: Exciting! When I first started writing, I actually wrote Reader’s Theater plays for my students (I taught 8th grade English at the time). I like to think it did wonders for my writing, in the since that 8th graders do not hesitate to give their honest opinions about anything, and plays are great for hearing your writing read out loud.

What book or books have most influenced you as a writer?

Judith Pratt: Robin McKinley, Ursula LeGuin, Neil Gaiman, Sarah Addison Allen. A few favorite books: Station Eleven, College of Magics, Practical Magic, Vinegar Girl, Child of a Rainless Year, Thirteenth Tale

Alexis: I’ve read lots of Neil Gaiman and Ursula LeGuin as well.

What are some tropes of fiction in your genre that you hate? Why?

Judith Pratt: Family secrets are revealed. Because it’s incredibly overused, in both plays and novels. But people seem to love it. I do not!

The princess who has to save her kingdom. Another overused notion.

However, if you do either of those things brilliantly (see Stevermer’s College of Magics) you get a pass!

Who is your favorite character in your book? What do you like about them? (or, which character do you hate most and why)

Judith Pratt: Well, the main character, Andrea, wouldn’t be the main character if I didn’t like her. (Although I’m reading an Eric Ambler book where the main character is a jerk, I can’t write like that, sigh!) Andrea can be a pain, but she manages (mostly)  a confusing situation and a difficult family.

Andrea’s stepfather was very hard to write. He’s sort of the villain, so I “hated” him, but I had to give him reasons for his actions. I love to hate Andrea’s little brother, Jake! I have a little sister—who, of course, has grown up and seems like she’s my age now. But I channeled some of her into Jake.

Siljeea Magic by Author and Playwright Judith Pratt, interview by Alexis Lantgen of Lunarianpress.com

What are you doing to de-stress during the pandemic? Is there any coping mechanism you’d recommend (or NOT recommend)?

Judith Pratt: As a writer, I can definitely keep busy with all the story ideas that rattle around my head. Also, my husband and I are lucky. We have a house and a yard, and we live in a place where, so far, the virus hasn’t hit hard.

Walking or cycling are my best de-stressors. A couple of miles in the countryside, looking at flowers and cows and interesting houses, opens up the world and helps me sleep better.

I do not recommend reading the news very often. Facebook and Twitter really destroy my attention span as well as depressing me. Tell me that again when I go headfirst into one of them!

Alexis: I know. It’s so hard to stay away from the news, but it feels so overwhelming and necessary to read it too! I’m starting to hate Facebook more the more time I spend on it, to the point where I’m seriously considering deleting the app from my phone.

What do you like to do other than read or write? Do you have any interesting hobbies?

Judith Pratt: Because I started out as an actor, teacher of acting, and playwright. I go to the theatre constantly. Now, of course, I check out all the virtual theatre stuff. Live theatre is better!

Recently, I began doing Tai Chi, and still do it in my living room, since classes had to be cancelled.

I like gardening. Flowers, not vegetables. For vegetables, we’d have to create a giant fence to keep out the critters--rabbits, deer, and woodchucks. Since I can barely keep up with the flowers, I decided against that!

Alexis: I like the theater, but as a classical musician, my passion is opera. One of the few good things about Covid 19 is how many opera companies started streaming their shows. It’s bee great to see these incredible performances I’d never be able to see otherwise. I also love gardening, and I have several rabbits that regularly get into my garden. I don’t mind too much though, because they’re so cute and I love watching them!

Tell us about a mystery/urban legend from your hometown (or another place you’ve lived).

Judith Pratt: Great question. I went and looked it up. I didn’t think Massachusetts, or New England, had any. However, I’m working on a story where the Wampanoag creature, the nikommo, appears to a contemporary white woman.

Alexis: Interesting! I often wish that more writers from the Americas would use local myths and legends in their writing. So often, even American writers still seem stuck in Europe, with elves and fairies, instead of looking at the amazing stories all around you.

What TV shows/Movies do you like to watch or stream? 

Judith Pratt: My husband and I each have advanced degrees in theatre. But we love Marvel movies, martial arts movies, and movies that are so bad, they are good. Education has its limits!

Alexis: I totally get it. I love opera and enjoy reading great classics, but I’m also a huge fan of Thor movies and comics.

What’s your favorite animal?

Judith Pratt: Ducks. I had pet ducks as a kid. I’ve written a story featuring a magic duck.

Do you have pet(s)? If so, share a picture of your pet!

Judith Pratt: Three cockatiels. Because cats (I love cats!) give me asthma. Here’s a picture of the youngest, Stanley. We didn’t know she was a girl when we named her.

Alexis: She’s so cute!

Stanley the Cockatiel, who would respectfully like you to know that she identifies as a girl even though her name is Stanley.

What advice do you have for other writers or people just getting started in writing?

Judith Pratt: Write every day.

 Read Anne Lamott’s Bird by Bird, and always write a shitty first draft.

How do you choose what books you want to read?

Judith Pratt: I read book reviews in several online magazines, and get Amazon’s list of cheap Kindle reads. I like magical realism, but read other things. So if something looks good, I check it out on Goodreads or Amazon; then list it on Goodreads. 

Also, things fall off the shelf into my hands. Or friends recommend them

Finally, I’m a big re-reader of books I like.

Alexis: I’m a huge re-reader as well. I’ve read Katherine Addison’s The Goblin Emperor more times than I can count. It’s such a great book in an amazing world.

Do you like Greek/Roman/Norse/Asian/African mythology or folklore? What’s your favorite myth? 

Judith Pratt: I like it all. As a kid, I had a book of Greek myths that I loved. And I actually wrote a play, Spiralling, based on masks from Africa and northwestern Native Americans. But I’m kind of obsessed with the Cassandra myth. Another story waiting to be written!

Find out more about Judith Pratt!

Books: Siljeea Magic, The Dry, and The Wright Place

Web site: www.judithpratt.com

Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Goodreads

Subject A36 by Teri Polen

If you’re looking for a new young adult sci-fi thriller, check out Subject A36 by Teri Polen, which is coming out on Feb. 13, 2020! Here’s the blurb:

If genetic engineering could guarantee you and your family perfect health and unparalleled beauty, would you pay top dollar for it? Would you kill for it?

Residents of the Colony would. And do.

Only the Insurgents can stop them.

Asher Solomon is a premier operative with the Insurgents. He and his team have rescued countless hostages, saving them from painful deaths in Colony labs as desirable genetic traits are stripped from their bodies.

He’s also suffered more losses than anyone should have to.

Then Asher gets intel that might give his people the upper hand. The Colony is searching for Subject A36. If the Insurgents determine the subject’s identity first, they might be able to turn the tide of the war.

Asher and his team embark on their riskiest mission ever, and the stakes have never been higher. But even if he survives the physical dangers, the devastating secrets he uncovers might destroy him.

About the Author:

Teri Polen reads and watches horror, sci-fi, and fantasy. The Walking Dead, Harry Potter, and anything Marvel-related are likely to cause fangirl delirium. She lives in Bowling Green, KY with her husband, sons, and black cat. Her first novel, Sarah, a YA horror/thriller, was a horror finalist in the 2017 Next Generation Indie Book Awards. Visit her online at http://www.teripolen.com

Author Links

Teri Polen: https://teripolen.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TeriPolenAuthor/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/TPolen6

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tpolen6/

Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.ca/teripolen/

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/profile/teri-polen

The Joy of Reading for Pleasure

As a writer, one of the most common pieces of advice you hear is to read as much (or more) than you write. And while I normally hate advice of almost all kinds, this is one bit I actually like! After all, I love reading! It’s one of my great passions.

But reading for pleasure is one thing when you’re single or in school and another when you’re working full time and raising a family. What’s more, as a writer, you often have books that you’re supposed to read—ARCs, books you’re beta reading, etc. And that list can pile up, until you feel like you’re staring a huge amount of required reading, not unlike the lists you might have gotten in school. And nothing quite takes the joy out of reading so much as seeing it as homework (it’s definitely made me more sympathetic to my middle school students).

So I took a step back. I decided I’d give myself a break on reading any books that I didn’t choose for myself, for pleasure. It’s been truly wonderful. I read books like The Dark Lord of Derkholm and Terry Pratchett’s Hogfather, both of which sat on my shelf for a horrible length of time, because I just didn’t have the time or energy for them. I felt like I’d rediscovered reading, the joy of it, the pleasure and relaxation that comes from a book and not a flickering screen. I’ve discovered that reading in the evening seems to reduce my stress levels in a way that TV and video games don’t (though I still enjoy those). It’s nice! I’d recommend it to anyone, and I hope you find plenty of brilliant new books to read this year!

New Year, New Book News!

It’s been a very busy and exciting year! I’ve published two books, had my first author events, including my first table at a Comic Con and my first small scale book tour, and I’ve found at least some time to write (though not as much as I’d like). I’m happy to have come so far, and hopeful for the future. I’m also so grateful for my lovely friends and my beautiful family.

In recent news, Saints and Curses is on sale this week! It’s only $0.99 in a Kindle Countdown until January 6, 2020, so if you haven’t gotten it yet, now’s your chance! I’ve also happy that Saints and Curses has been getting even more great reviews, including a recent review from the Magic Book Corner.

Varying both in theme as well as in genre, these little short reads explore fantasy and magic from a wide variety of perspectives and settings. Some are humorous, others touching, some will make you tear up and others may even horrify you. But they will all leave a mark.

Saints and Curses got another great review from Writer/Blogger Steph Warren at Book Shine and Read Bows:

There is a mixture of light and dark fantasy here, which means a little something for every taste, and I would definitely suggest these stories if you are looking for a quick, entertaining fantasy selection.

In addition to getting some lovely reviews, had both Saints and Curses and Sapience in several interesting online Book Fairs in the new website, Story Origin (for more information, check out my Newsletter). The fairs include the New Year Sci-Fi KU Bundle, the Readings for a Winter Solstice Fair for Magical Books, the Fantasy Previews Fair, and the Magic and Mayhem Fair.

In short, I’m looking forward to the New Year! I can’t wait to go back to Fan Expo, and I’m planning on finding a way to meet both my personal goals and my writing goals this year. May you have a Happy New Year filled with lots of great books to read!

Book News

I’m excited to announce some of my latest book news! I’ve been using a new website for readers and writers called Story Origin. It’s a great site for books promotions, and I’m happy to announce that both of my books are in online book fairs this month! Saints & Curses is in Unlimited Fantasy and Kindle Unlimited Sci-Fi and Fantasy, book fairs for fantasy books in KU, and Sapience is both “To Infinity and Beyond” and Kindle Unlimited Sci-fi. If you’re looking for new books to read, check them out!

https://storyoriginapp.com/to/iiVHpmU

I’m also excited that my short story “Grackle” from Saints and Curses got a very thoughtful, in depth, and wonderful review from writer and blogger Kristine Donahue!

The world that Alexis creates in Grackle is incomparable. I’m unsure if Jane is magical in this story or not, but her boyfriend clearly is, as he takes out a wand and casts a spell to try to harm her. There are magical beings, including “security gargoyles”, which I thought was delightfully appropriate in the setting. One can also purchase magical items of varying quality – drug store charms are referred to, which implies that there are designer and professional items of magic that can also be purchased for more money. I think the world building in this short story was absolute perfection, with the world being close enough to ours to be relatable, but with clear differences and expansions due to the presence of magic. This was very well done!

Thank you so much. Katherine!

I’m also in the Elf’s Shelf Book Fair from the Fantasy Sci-fi Reader’s Lounge! Check out all these great books, all of which are on sale or less than $3.99 this month.

I also have a recent author interview out on Chat About Books. This is my favorite quote:

If you wrote an autobiography, what would your title be?

“There and Back Again.” Just kidding, maybe “Tales of a Non-Alcoholic Writer: My Life in Root Beer.” Or “I Swear I’m Not Crazy I Don’t Care What That Doctor Said.”

BTW, I do love root beer. It’s easily my favorite soft drink, with maybe cream soda and Fresca coming in second. And ginger ale, which is so refreshing.

As always, if you’d like to hear more about my books and upcoming events, don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter!

Guest Post and Review of Sapience

I’m happy to say that Sapience got another lovely review, this time on Killian Wolf’s blog!

I gotta say, WOW! Thanks to Alexis Lantgen this will not be the last science fiction I pick up. I really enjoyed reading these. 

Check out the rest of the review on KillianWolf.com!

I also have a guest post on Mrs. Average Evaluates on being a mother and a writer, so check it out!

Becoming a mother is a beautiful but difficult transition. You’re so exhausted, so overwhelmed, that it’s hard to find the mental energy for the complex thinking required to write well.

I’m happy to write more guest post for other blogs or website, so if you’re interested in having me write for you, use the contact form below!

Review: Sister Emily's Lightship by Jane Yolen

Since I’ve been writing short stories, I thought I’d mention some more short story collections that I’ve read by other authors!

I first discovered Jane Yolen through her children's books, the adorable "How Does a Dinosaur?" books. I checked them out of the library to read to my little girl, and we ended up buying How Do Dinosaurs Clean Their Room?. These are lovely books for toddlers and young children--good messages delivered in a charming and imaginative way. However, on a later library trip, I discovered Sister Emily’s Lightship, and realized the author of some of my daughter's favorite books was also an award winning science fiction and fantasy writer for adults! I had to check the book out.

This book has twenty eight short stories, each one unique. In fact, it's hard to sum up Yolen's work, since the stories are so diverse in tone. Yet each one was interesting in its own right. I loved the lyricism of stories like "Become a Warrior" or "The Traveler and the Tale," as well as the cheeky impertinence of "Lost Girls." Yolen has a particular gift for re-telling fairy tales in a fresh, often startling way. "Granny Rumple" is penetrating examination of the Rumpelstiltskin story, one that reveals the original's unsavory origins. Likewise, "Allereirauh" and "Godmother Death" are haunting versions of folk tales and the bitter truths they hide. "Allereirauh" deals with the tragedy of incest and child abuse, and the horrid cycle it produces in one generation after another. Yolen also has several very funny stories, including a hilarious critique of Romeo and Juliet in "Dusty Loves" and the raunchy but enjoyable "Dick W. and his Pussy; or, Tess and her Adequate Dick."

Out of so many vastly different stories, I found it hard to pick my favorites, but if I had to, I'd say either "Sister Death" or "The Memoirs  of a Bottle Djinn." "Sister Death" is a dark tale about Lillith, yet the twist at the end, especially with its uncertain hope of redemption, makes it a powerful tale. I enjoyed "The Memoirs of a Bottle Djinn" because it was so evocative of the glories and joys of life, and the way that asceticism and religious fundamentalism rob life of its meaning. But the best part of the story was its wise protagonist, who recognizes that all the pleasures in the world are meaningless without love and companionship.

I'd recommend this book to anyone who loves science fiction and fantasy. And I'd also recommend Yolen's children's books to parents everywhere!

Ian Mortimer: One of My Favorite History Writers

In an earlier post, I wrote about how much I enjoy listening to history on audible or reading it. I think it’s very useful research for fantasy writers, and the stories in history are so fascinating! One of my favorite history writers right now is Ian Mortimer, who wrote “The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England,” and many other great books. I already discussed the “Guide to Medieval England” in my previous post, but I’ve read or listened to many other excellent books by Mortimer. Here are a few I’ve enjoyed:

Edward III: The Perfect King

So my poor friends have had to listen to me nerd out about this book too much, so I should probably write about it! It’s an incredible look at one of the most successful, beloved, and glorious of England’s Medieval Kings. Yet his reign had one of the most inauspicious beginnings any King could have—his father was deposed by his mother’s lover, Roger Mortimer, when he was still underage. He quickly fell under Mortimer’s control, and had to survive some very real threats to his life and his crown. But in a dramatic turn around, Edward and his trusted companions made a bold move to sneak into Mortimer’s castle to capture and overthrow him. And that’s just the beginning of a very intense and dramatic reign, but one that also reflects the most exciting and romantic parts of the Middle Ages—jousting, poetry (Geoffrey Chaucer was a member of his court), feasts, and chivalry. He survived the Black Death and established the Order of the Garter. The book is an incredible story of the most pivotal man of the age, and I’d recommend it to anyone interested in Medieval history.

Henry IV: The Righteous King

This is a follow up book to Edward III: The Perfect King. Henry IV, like his cousin Richard II, was a grandson of Edward III. What I love about this book is how Mortimer manages to use the scant historical detail to create a living portrait of a man in a very difficult, unforgiving position. The reader feels the very real fear and dangers Henry IV faced, and the remarkable way he adapts to his circumstances and tries to find the right thing to do. Mortimer portrays a gallant and glorious man, a champion of the joust, who also has a deep love of books and music. Despite his reputation as a usurper, Henry IV showed remarkable patience and restraint towards Richard II, who several times threatens to murder Henry’s father, John of Gaunt. It’s a fascinating depiction of a king rarely discussed in English history.

The Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England

I loved The Time Traveler’s Guide to Medieval England, so I was excited to read Mortimer’s follow up, the Time Traveler’s Guide to Elizabethan England. I loved this book as much as the first one! It’s full of colorful and interesting depictions of Elizabethan life. It’s also an evocative portrait of Queen Elizabeth I herself, and how her own personal religious and cultural preferences fundamentally shaped both the age that bears her name and the history of England (and in particular the Church of England). If you have any interest in learning about real Elizabethan life, I’d highly recommend it.

Neil Gaiman: One of My Favorite Science Fiction and Fantasy Authors

I've love reading Neil Gaiman's books since I discovered Sandman. I listened to The Ocean at the End of the Road on audible last year, and enjoyed his short stories in several different anthologies. So I listened closely on my way to work when I heard Gaiman giving an interview on NPR. As part of the interview, he read aloud part of The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains, and I was entranced. I found the book on one of my trips to the library I could read it.

The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains

The Truth Is a Cave in the Black Mountains is a graphic novel with haunting illustrations by Eddie Campbell. It feels shorter than a typical novel--more like a novella or a short story in terms of word count. Yet each scene has an intensity and dread that builds to a harrowing climax. The  main character is a man the size of a dwarf, but he reveals that he can run faster and longer than a normal man, and he's far stronger than he looks. He opens the story with a heart-rending monologue about whether he can forgive himself for the things he's done, and he can, except for the year he spent hating his daughter. The mystery of the man's daughter and her cruel fate hang over him as he journeys to a cave filled with cursed gold. His guide, a wolfish man, is a former reaver with dark secrets of his own. He warns the dwarf about the curse, which made life seem duller, colder, and less beautiful after he took the gold.

This book is excellent for anyone who enjoys dark fantasy or graphic novels. It's creepy psychological horror at its best--a treat for all Neil's fans.

Smoke and Mirrors

After reading The Truth is a Cave in the Black Mountains, I decided I'd like to read more of Neil Gaiman's short fiction. On my next visit to the library, I found a copy of his short story collection Smoke and Mirrors, so I decided to check it out. While a few of the stories fell flat for me, most were creepy and brilliant, and one or two stand out as incredible works of art. 

In particular, I loved Gaiman's "Snow, Glass, and Apples," a memorable and terrifying retelling of "Snow White" from the point of view of her perhaps-not wicked stepmother. Likewise, though I originally avoided reading "Murder Mysteries" (I'm not a fan of the mystery genre), once I read it, it became one of my favorite stories in the book. The story within a story is deeply compelling, and once it starts to fit within the larger picture and the two stories merge, it becomes a haunting tale of love, death, and regret. Gaiman has a gift for drawing a reader into a story only to reveal that the true story is far deeper than the one you originally thought you were reading.

The only stories that didn't work for me seemed ones with a strong masculine point of view. For example, while I appreciated the writing and the story from "Looking for the Girl," it didn't move me all the much, perhaps because I just don't relate to the male gaze it depicts. Still, several stories did give me a interesting glimpse into a man's POV, including "Foreign Parts" and "Mouse." This last story is another great example of the true story not being what you think it is. The main character agonizes over killing a mouse, yet is coldly unsympathetic to his wife after she has an abortion at his behest. It takes talent to make such a selfish and unlikable character conflicted and sympathetic, suggesting that he's buried his emotions so much that he uses symbolic acts to express what he can't even allow himself to consciously think.

Overall, I'd recommend this book to anyone who likes dark, yet whimsical fantasy or horror with a touch of comedy. 

Fragile Things

This is another short story collection that I checked out from my local library. I'm a fan of Neil Gaiman, and I really enjoyed reading Smoke and Mirrors, so I figured I'd read another of his short story collections, Fragile Things. Besides, I've been writing a lot of short stories lately, so I thought Gaiman's stories would be a good inspiration. 

Overall, this collection is even stronger than Smoke and Mirrors. Every story hooked me, and many of them left a lasting impression. I loved "October in the Chair" which had all the ethereal beauty of Gaiman's best stories, yet with a creepy, unsettling note that felt more terrifying for being understated. Likewise, the bizarre, surreal world of "A Study in Emerald" left me deeply uneasy (in the best kind of way), all the more so for the main character's placid acceptance of a horrifying status quo. Other stories, like "Feeders and Eaters" or "Bitter Grounds" had more overt horror.

Not all the stories were creepy, however. "The Problem of Susan" addresses the casual cruelty of C.S. Lewis' dismissal of Susan at "The Last Battle." It's a thoughtful story that manages to call into question the entire "Narnia" series, or at least C.S. Lewis' intentions with it, while telling a haunting story of survival. Fragile Things finishes with a novella featuring Shadow, the hero of Gaiman's American Gods. The novella is easy to follow even if you haven't read American Gods, though it definitely leaves the reader wanting to know more about Shadow and his past. 

I'd definitely recommend this books to anyone who enjoys dark fantasy and science fiction. As I've mentioned before, short stories can be great to read if you feel you don't have the mental endurance to dig into a novel, and this book has a wide variety of fascinating tales.