Touch of Power Book Review

Post by Dylan


For the past year and a half I have run my own book review blog, Epic Book Reviews. So, this week I have decided to post one of my very own book reviews here. This one is for one of my personal favorite author's new book, Touch of Power. I have also done and interview with Maria V. Snyder at my blog, so feel free to drop on by.

Touch of Power is Maria V. Snyder’s newest novel, the first in a brand new series. Just knowing that Maria V. Snyder wrote this book means that it is going to be amazing, and I go into these books with a ton of expectations….Fortunately, Touch of Power exceeded those high expectations.

Touch of Power is about Avry of Kazan, a Healer, one of the eleven types of magicians, in The Fifteen Realms. Unfortunately for Avry a plague has run rampant through the land and the common people blame Healers for starting the plague that killed their loved ones. For the last three years, Healers have been hunted and killed. Avry has avoided being killed, until now. She is caught by the people of Jaxton and is due to be executed in the morning. That is until Kerrick, a leader of a band of men with their own agenda, rescues her and take her on a quest to have her heal his plague-stricken friend. Or that was the plan until Avry discovers this friend is a prince who wishes to take control of all of the Fifteen Realms.

This book was amazing, without a doubt. It was fast-paced and had loads of action, while not needing to rely on the romance subplot for strength. The novel’s action was superior to Snyder’s former books and had me turning pages. To have more action then her normal books was astounding, considering they are all very fast-paced. Touch of Power also contained so many plot twists it made my head spin. It was riveting.

On top of having a break-neck pace with a stifling amount of action, the world building in this story was amazing. This is by far Mrs. Snyder’s most original world to date, even better than Ixia/Sitia. While this was, for the most part, a typical medieval setting, the world itself was unique. I have never before seen man-eating flowers, except in Touch of Power.

Another component that blew me away was the characters. Maria V. Snyder has such a gift for characterization and creating compelling characters. Never have I read a book by her that has not had great, witty, 3-dimensional characters. And Touch of Power is no exception here. Avry is charming, witty and compassionate and the antagonist is downright evil, the type that makes you cringe because he thinks he’s doing the right thing. Truly wonderful characters in this series, and I expect great things to come from the Healer series.

There were only two things that bugged me. One, Touch of Power was predictable. I am pretty good at seeing where a story is going and judging what is going to happen. Some may still be completely blindsided by the plot twists. Fortunately, while Touch of Power had a pretty predictable nature to it there were still some surprises. The second thing was that the ending was semi- deus ex machina.  I did understand that it had to happen, but I was not completely thrilled.

Besides that, Touch of Power is a promising novel that every fantasy reader should read. This book has action, betrayal, man-eating plants, tons of magic and romance. Touch of Power has it all and I cannot wait to read the sequel, Scent of Magic. Just from this installment I can see that this series has the potential to be the best ever,  blowing away the Insider duology, Glass series and maybe even…dare I say it, the Study trilogy.

Check out my interview with Maria V. Snyder here.

Content:
-Language: There are some choice words, no F-bombs, and it is not used in profuse amounts.
-Violence: there is loads of action so yes there is violence and death and the such. None except for one scene which involves healing is particularly graphic.
-Sexuality: There are some implied scenes that start on-screen and innuendo, but besides that, nothing much past kissing.
-I recommend this for ages 14 and up.

My rating:  9.5/10

**Have you read this book? If not, is there anything, based on my review, that intrigues you about the book?**


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Writing Spoils Reading

My name is Linda Osmundson. While Kerrie takes a break from posting the Wednesday blog, I'm filling in.  

I wear many hats, among them – writer, reader, editor. As a writer and reader, the editor in me often distracts my mind as I read for pleasure.

Take for instance, as a volunteer docent at the Loveland Museum/Gallery, I’m required to read background material which isn’t always research. In the current exhibit, “Portraits of the Prairie,” watercolors depict the Nebraska landscapes which inspired the well-known writer Willa Cather. 

I hesitate to admit if I ever read her books, I’ve forgotten. So, I checked out her first, Alexander’s Bridge. Right away the editor side of me took over.

Written in 1912, several things “jumped out”, as we say in our critique group. As a positive, she painted pictures with words. Each description left an indelible image.

However, her use of inactive verbs, “ly” and “ing” words, and her somewhat Victorian language distracted me - words like “jolly” and “gaily.” I reminded myself she wrote in 1912 not 2012. Writing has changed as has language. Don’t get me wrong, I loved the story by the time I finished the rather short book. Now I look forward to the other Cather books on my shelf.

Sometimes story overrides my editor instincts. Most of the time, I read to escape from research. I rely on “no think” or “chick lit” books which propel me out of the moment. Although I find a few “jump outs,” story pace helps me ignore them.

For some reason, editor tendencies disappear with children’s books. Are children’s authors more adept in their use of active language? Perhaps that is true. In children’s books every word must count. Word limits prevent excesses. And people think writing for children is easy!

All that said, do you find as a writer, writing spoils reading for pleasure? Does the editor in you take over? 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         

9 Dragons

Post by Jenny

Today marks the first day of Chinese New Year, so here’s my second annual Gung Hay Fat Choy (best wishes, congratulations, and have a prosperous and good year) post. In case you’re wondering, there’s nothing in my heritage that warrants celebrating Chinese New Year. I do it because it’s fun and involves tasty food.

This is the Year of the Dragon, a revered and auspicious symbol in Chinese culture. Legend has it that Dragon has nine sons, each with his own strength. I thought it would be fun to apply the nine dragon qualities to writing. (As with all legends, there are different versions):

1st son loves music. Soothing, energizing, inspiring...whatever facilitates melodious prose. I like the sound of that;

2nd son loves fighting. Conflict in a writer’s life can be bad. Conflict in a character’s life is essential. Additionally, I hope I’m not the only one who feels the need to channel martial arts energy when confronting the evil foes Procrastination and Writer’s Block;

3rd son loves adventure and keeping guard. That strikes me as a good balance between risk and safety;

4th son loves howling. I don’t know about you, but some days, I just want to howl—in elation, frustration, or at the moon. Permission granted;

5th son loves quietness, sitting, fire, and smoke. Kids at school, me at my desk, a candle flickering nearby…that has the makings of great writing time;

6th son has strength. A general definition of manual labor is work done with the hands. That’s what writing is. Our work might not strain our backs or buff our biceps, but writers need physical, mental, and emotional strength. How else are we to put 90,000 words together in logical fashion?

7th son loves justice. Let’s hear it for fair treatment for writers everywhere, regardless of political and geographical boundaries;

8th son loves literature. It might be a good year to brush up on the classics; and

9th son loves water. Hydration, a hot bath, quiet time on the river, a fountain, and flow…all very good things for writers.

I’ve read a number of predictions, both wonderful and awful, for this dragon year. But I’ll leave you with this: The dragon is the only one of the 12 Chinese signs that is not a real animal, so in Dragon years, we may be able to achieve that which seems impossible.

What not-so-impossible goal would you like to reach this year?

Dream Journals- Handy or not handy?

Post by Laney

One thing I always like to ask authors is how they find their inspiration? And what advice they would give to new and aspiring writers, like me. On numerous occasions I have heard dreams as a major source for inspiration. It always made sense to me, but rarely had I ever experienced a dream where I wanted to jump out of bed and write a novel. Until early this morning (3:30 A.M. to be exact) when I woke up with a clear idea at the front of my head. The main character seemed almost to be poking my head, urging me to write his story. Of course, I was sleepy and didn't feel like writing a sentence let alone a book. So instead I got out of bed and wrote the idea in one of my numerous journals.

Before last night I had never seen the importance of dream journals. But now I see they make complete sense. Dreams are the being of our subconsciousness. They put thoughts together we would never think of on a daily basis. Journals become handy for that very reason. If you wake up and have an idea and your journal is next to you, you'll be more likely to write the idea down and in the long run, remember it. I'm guessing I've had a million great ideas when I sleep but I am too lazy to get my computer and write them down. Then the next morning I'm snapping my fingers in frustration trying to remember just what that idea was. But if I had a dream journal I would be excited to write the clever ideas my dreams provoke. In the long run, waking up at 3:30 in the morning, even though at the time it seemed horrific, helped me learn something that will hopefully better my writing in the future. 


Conclusion: Dreams journals are handy (at least in my opinion).

What do you think?


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My Blackberry is Not Working!

We all love technology...when it working. A computer, the Internet, a smartphone, all of these things can make a writer's life easier. But when our favorite electronics go on the fritz, it can cause us major headaches. If this has happened to you recently (or ever), watch this video and hopefully it will cheer you up.



Click Here to see the video if you are reading this as an email.

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Dream On

Post by Jenny

Today, many of us celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the contributions he made to this world during his too-short life. In addition to the other messages of the day, I’ve found myself thinking about Dr. King’s most famous speech in the more general terms of dreams and how they shape our lives.

Judging by my dog’s behavior, I doubt we’re the only creatures who dream while sleeping, but it’s the nature of our waking dreams that sets us apart. The day dreams often have the element of intention that the more passive night dreams lack. Like most of you, I have dreams of a better world, of peace and prosperity for all. I also have more personal dreams for my family, dreams for my community, dreams that I will someday find the perfect boots that do not make my legs look like mushroom stems. (Okay, so that boot thing may not apply to you.) And, of course, dreams for my writing.

But how does a dream go from the state of feel-good brain fluffiness (I imagine dreams as so much cerebral cotton candy) to a tangible product or effect out there in the real world? It requires action. If Dr. King had written his speech and filed it away in a drawer, this country would be a different place. But as we all know, he took action of a most heroic nature.

All of this makes me wonder what action my dreams need. If I have an idea for a story and then write the story, that’s a great start. But if my dream is to have the story published, then I must continue to take action. Repeated action. Probably why-in-the-world-am-I-still-working-on-this? action. However, with luck, and perseverance, the process spirals, with the ever-tighter turns bringing me closer to my goal.

So, writer friends, in the immortal words of Aerosmith, “dream on.” And then act. It doesn’t have to be a March-on-Selma-caliber act. It could be as simple as committing ideas to paper. Taking a class. Joining a critique group. Attending a conference. Maybe, if some version of Sir Isaac Newton’s Laws of Motion applies to writing, you will be rewarded with an equal and opposite reaction.

(By the way, I’m giving myself extra points for mentioning Dr. King, Aerosmith, Isaac Newton, and cotton candy in the same post.)

What actions are you taking to further your dreams this year?

Revising and Re-reading

Post By Dylan

I will admit that I was drawing a blank when it came to blog topics this week. Well, I was until I read an article on author Kate Elliott’s blog. This blog was about the importance of re-reading and narrative. By the time I was done reading I knew what I was going to blog about: the importance of re-reading and its importance to the revising process.

While Mrs. Elliott’s blog was mostly about human nature and how stories can connect us all, that is not my message. She talked about re-reading stories instead of carrying on with what she calls the “what’s next” feeling (It is common now-a-days, and I am a major offender of this). This is when we do not slow down and re-read those books that gave us so much insight. Instead we carry on to read the next book and get the next thrill.

While I was musing over Mrs. Elliott’s words I realized what a source of inspiration re-reading can be. I reflected on all of the books I’ve read and the different point of view I would bring when I revisited those texts. That inspired me and made me realize that this process could become pivotal to revising,  because when you are re-reading your own writing, you approach it with a different point of view because you are a different person than you were when you initially wrote your story. Just like re-reading one of your favorite novels.

I feel like we are constantly evolving throughout our lives, not only as writers, but also as people. So, when we look back on our old manuscripts, the most common reaction is, “what was I thinking when I wrote that?” Re-reading a book could do the same thing for you, putting the tale in a completely new light that can inspire you, allowing you to see intricate new workings in your story. Embracing this new point of view is important while editing because throughout the course of your second, third and fourth drafts you hope that your story is improving and becoming more in depth while your point of view evolves. Each draft sheds more light in a way you never saw before.

Re-reading a book can really grease the pumps for the revising process, because it now opens your eyes to that new point of view that has been developing. It fine tunes it so you can be better prepared to nit-pick the material in your prior draft.

So, next time you are thinking about the revising process try re-reading a book that inspired you.

Dylan is a writer and a high school sophomore at Erie High School.