Contemporary Fantasy Review: Where Have All the Elves Gone? by Christian Warren Freed

Where Have All the Elves Gone?
by Christian Warren Freed

Description:
Light Elves. Dark elves. Dwarves. Trolls. A dragon living under the city who spends his time watching reruns of 80s shows and a Grateful Dead loving Giant wearing tie dye and forging weapons?

Fantasy author Daniel Thomas never imagined the mythical creatures he wrote about actually existed and wishes they weren't. Daniel is about to embark on the longest and worst night of his life as he is drawn into an elf civil war happening in Raleigh, North Carolina. The only thing keeping him alive are two dwarf brothers who smoke too many cigars and have more guns than the US Army.

Making matters worse is a secret government organization determined to keep it all a secret.

Where Have All the Elves Gone? is part James Bond, part Eddie Drood, and all chaos as Daniel sets out to save two worlds before they collide.


My Review:
The story is set in and around Raleigh, NC, an area with which I am very familiar. As such, much of my enjoyment was in recognizing the locations and in picturing the epic fantasy-meets-reality clashes between humans, dwarves, elves, and gnomes. In particular, the zoo scenes, my adopted hometown, and the fairgrounds. It's obvious the author has done his research or is a local.

As for the fantasy, it's interesting. I always enjoy a new take on "what if" elves, dwarves, etc. are real, and in this story, that is paired with "what if" an author's stories reflect reality. Besides that, I found a few of the features of the fantasy creatures a bit too convenient, and I was getting hung up on how they were going to cover up the destruction.

Overall, worth a read. I enjoyed it because I like fantasy/reality mash ups, reluctant heroes, and action.

I received the review copy of this book from NetGalley.

About the Author:
Christian W. Freed was born in Buffalo, N.Y. more years ago than he would like to remember. After spending more than 20 years in the active duty US Army he has turned his talents to writing. Since retiring, he has gone on to publish over 20 military fantasy and science fiction novels, as well as his memoirs from his time in Iraq and Afghanistan, a children's book, and a pair of how to books focused on indie authors and the decision making process for writing a book and what happens after it is published.

His first published book (Hammers in the Wind) has been the #1 free book on Kindle 4 times and he holds a fancy certificate from the L Ron Hubbard Writers of the Future Contest. Ok, so it was for 4th place in one quarter, but it's still recognition from the largest fiction writing contest in the world. And no, he's not a scientologist.

Passionate about history, he combines his knowledge of the past with modern military tactics to create an engaging, quasi-realistic world for the readers. He graduated from Campbell University with a degree in history and is pursuing a Masters of Arts degree in Digital Communications from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

He currently lives outside of Raleigh, N.C. and devotes his time to writing, his family, and their two Bernese Mountain Dogs. If you drive by you might just find him on the porch with a cigar in one hand and a pen in the other. You can find out more about his work by following him @ https://www.facebook.com/ChristianFreed or on Twitter @christianwfreed.

I think up weird stuff; sometimes I write it down

by Patricia Hamill

I think up weird stuff; sometimes I write it down.

I think that's standard fare for fiction writers, and I can attest it's true for myself, even though I haven't actively written a story for a couple of years now.

The lack of writing these odd thoughts, random musings and ridiculous scenarios hasn't stopped them from invading my thoughts in my day to day life. Sometimes I blurt them out to a mix of chuckles, confusion, or awkward silence. I'd like to think the chuckles win out.

Still, I think this flair for thinking up the impossible and improbable or imagining "what if" scenarios with only a tenuous link to reality are what make fiction possible.

But it's the writing it down that I struggle with.

I see a lot of writers who carry around a little notebook, not letting a single one of these gems go by, but the habit has never stuck with me. Instead, only a few make it onto a post it or stick around long enough for me to take a harder look at them.

I tried my hand at a diary once, and I imagine the notebook would be similar. The first week or two, solid notes every day. Then it skips a week, or two, or a month. Pretty soon, it's three years later and I've found the thing under the side table in the living room housing a family of spiders who, in all honesty, are welcome to stay there because it's not worth the cringe factor to evict them.

So, writing it down is a challenge. I wrote this statement down (the one at the very top), and that's why I'm expounding on it now. So yeah, maybe I should do that more.

And that brings me to the last point. 

Thinking it up and writing it down are critical, but you have to go back and look at it again, do something with it.

Even if I did write every idea in a notebook, how likely would it be that I would open the thing, flip through, and look at what I wrote? And if I didn't do that, how likely would it be that I would turn one or more of those random thoughts into a story or article?

To both questions: not very.

So, what do I do? 

I only write a few of them down, usually the ones I can't get out of my mind or that seem to resonate with myself or others. And then I make a point of going back and doing something with them, whether that be an article, a story, a meme, or a random post on social media.

When inspiration strikes, the key is to go back to it, to use it, to share it with the world.

If you don't, it's lost to all but you and the spiders, and the spiders don't care.


---
P.S. If you're not a fan of spiders, my apologies. If you are a fan, no worries. No actual spiders were harmed or displaced in the writing of this article.

~~~~~

I read too much! is going on break for the next few months.  Subscribe to the blog or follow me on Twitter so you'll know when it's back. Happy reading!

Middle-Grade Review: My Best Friend Runs Venus by Katrina S. Forest

My Best Friend Runs Venus
By Katrina S. Forest
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: June 1, 2019


Description:
At 12.9 years old, number-obsessed Kade Walker has never heard of death. Literally. But neither has anyone else he knows. Kade is one of hundreds of kids "living" across the solar system through robotic avatars while their real bodies sleep in pods on Earth. Unfortunately, robot bodies can be hacked.

One day during an (innocent!) experiment, Kade unwittingly breaks a major security wall and releases an infamous hacker. The madwoman targets all the royal avatars, including Kade’s best friend, Princess Tamika of Venus.

If Kade and Tamika don’t want to become the hacker’s puppets, they’ve got to stop her fast--even if it means waking up on Earth to fight with bodies they never realized could be hurt.


My Review:
In My Best Friend Runs Venus, there’s a lovely blend of sci-fi, adventure and whimsy. The main characters are a couple of pre-teens who have been paired up as companions and sent to Venus via robotic avatars to run the planet. Their curiosity gets the better of them, and they activate a teleporter that releases a dangerous criminal who is intent on taking over their sims and destroying the status quo.

Had I read this as a kid, I think I would have loved it. As it is, I just really liked it, which isn’t all that different, really. I very much enjoyed the planet hopping, the banter between Kade and Tamika, the illustrations, and the imaginative technology that made everything possible: the flavor sticks, the teleporters, the avatars, the environmental overlays. And I thought the story was well executed and well organized. Just overall good!

Still, the idea of sending children to rule the planets of the solar system was interesting, but I couldn’t help but sense the unfairness of it all. The kids are essentially locked into sleep pods and expected to live out their lives as their avatars. The companions are basically the appointed best friend of each of the royals, and they aren’t even allowed to look human, that that seemed to bother Kade too much.

Through it all, I had questions. Did the parents go about their lives on the home world when not overseeing their children? Who else is on each of the planets? How are these children going to have families of their own and keep humanity going if they are living virtual lives? As an adult reader trying to understand the world, these kept me wondering. Would a young reader ask the same? I don’t know.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I would recommend it to younger readers who enjoy science fiction and adventures, particularly those who like imagining the possibilities of space colonization. Adults looking for a lighter read may also enjoy this, particularly if they enjoy middle-grade fiction.

I received the review copy of this book from the author via Lola’s Blog Tours.

About the Author:

Katrina S. Forest is a teacher by day, author by any-other-time-she-can-get. Her work has sold to a variety of magazines, ranging from Flash Fiction Online to Highlights to Children. She loves nerdy conventions and believes video games can be a force of creative good instead of evil.

You can find and contact Katrina S. Forest here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

Fiction is a thought experiment

by Patricia Hamill

Fiction is a thought experiment.

This came to my mind during a recent Toastmasters meeting, and I had to write it down, though it's not likely a new or unique epiphany in the grand scheme of things.

But think about it. We use fiction to explore the world (both as writer and reader). We experience things we would never have experienced, both good and bad. We imagine new technology, or superpowers, or a new love. We solve murder mysteries or save the day from a mad scientist. We're young again, or we're old.

And back to the idea of a thought experiment, fiction has an influence on the real world. Look at Star Trek and cell phones. The little flip communicators look a lot like our original flip phones. And fiction, particularly science fiction, continues to lead and guide emerging technology, inspiring current and future scientists and inventors to challenge the very scope of what is real and what is possible.

And then, back to fantasy fiction, sure, we may not have elves, dwarves, wizards, and hobbits running around, but there's meat to these stories. Often, you'll find battles and fight scenes. The writer experiments with different strategies and imagines how they would play out. Some of them are plausible. For a fight scene, the same thing. It's essentially the application of a martial art in a fictional situation.

When I practiced karate regularly, we would do something very similar when practicing our forms, not just going through the movements, but through imagination, building purpose behind each action. An opponent strikes, and we block. Our head turns as another approaches, and we shift our feet and adopt a defensive stance. The first opponent comes in for another strike and we execute a side kick to send him back so we can focus on the new one. All in the mind, but enhancing the learning of the martial art.

And in fantasy, particularly the epic kind, are political machinations. There are a finite number of existing and past countries to study, some well documented and some not, but fiction is limitless and can be experienced from any perspective, not just that of an observer. Through fantasy, one can be a king and explore the benefits and drawbacks of such. One can imagine a coup in the works or fight one off, depending on the perspective. One can fight adversity or be the cause of it. Dictatorships, democracy, autocracy, monarchy, all are fair game in fiction.

That being said, dystopia is one of the more prevalent political experiments I've noticed in this day and time, reflecting the observations and worries of our young people and adults alike. Most of it presents the dystopia as a thing of the present, and then the protagonists, who are often young adults born into the mess, fight to correct the course of their world, usually succeeding, but not always.

All of it is a thought experiment. A way of learning about and understanding our world through storytelling. Both inspired by and inspiring our reality.

And the best part is? Anyone can join in. Just pick up your pen and imagine...

Fantasy Review: Defy Trilogy by Sara B. Larson

Defy Trilogy
by Sara B. Larson

Description From Book 1: 
Alexa Hollen is a fighter. Forced to disguise herself as a boy and serve in the king's army, Alex uses her quick wit and fierce sword-fighting skills to earn a spot on the elite prince's guard. But when a powerful sorcerer sneaks into the palace in the dead of night, even Alex, who is virtually unbeatable, can't prevent him from abducting her, her fellow guard and friend Rylan, and Prince Damian, taking them through the treacherous wilds of the jungle and deep into enemy territory.

The longer Alex is held captive with both Rylan and the prince, the more she realizes that she is not the only one who has been keeping dangerous secrets. And suddenly, after her own secret is revealed, Alex finds herself confronted with two men vying for her heart: the safe and steady Rylan, who has always cared for her, and the dark, intriguing Damian. With hidden foes lurking around every corner, is Alex strong enough to save herself and the kingdom she's sworn to protect?

My Review for Book 1, Defy:
Fantastic!

This is what I'm looking for in a fantasy adventure/romance. The main character, Alexa, is inspiring, and her plight, especially in book one, hooked me from the start. She not only has to pretend she is a male but does so by joining the army and earning a top spot on the prince's guard. The alternatives are unthinkable.

Adding to this, she's fighting off her growing interest in both Rylan (longtime friend on the guard) and Prince Damian, knowing that both relationships could never go anywhere. Not if she wants to keep her freedom. The tension, both from her secret and from the love triangle, is gripping.

I also love that the narrator for the audiobook speaks in character, lowering her voice as Alexa would while pretending to be Alex of the guard. The emotional scenes are nailed, the fight scenes, too! Her range is good for the other characters, differentiating them enough for the reader to be able to tell who's who, even without a dialog tag. I very much enjoyed the audio and would recommend it.

I was also pleased that the narrator is the same person in all three books. I always prefer this in the audiobooks for a series, primarily for continuity. It also helps keep me in the story, not having to adjust to a new voice for an established character.

The only thing I noticed in this book and its sequels was a tendency towards repetition, particularly in the main character's inner monolog, reminding herself of things, using the same words to describe how she feels or is reacting to Damian or Rylan. It's enough to notice, though I felt the overall plot, character arcs, and pacing of the story made up for it.

Overall, I loved this book, and the trilogy, and would strongly recommend it to folks who enjoy fantasy and romance.

I borrowed each audiobook of the trilogy from the local library.

About the Author:

Sara B. Larson is the author of the acclaimed YA fantasy DEFY trilogy: DEFY, IGNITE, and ENDURE, and the forthcoming DARK BREAKS THE DAWN. She can't remember a time when she didn't write books--although she now uses a computer instead of a Little Mermaid notebook. Sara lives in Utah with her husband, their children, and their Maltese, Loki. She writes in brief snippets throughout the day (while mourning the demise of naptime) and the quiet hours when most people are sleeping. Her husband claims she should have a degree in "the art of multitasking." When she's not mothering or writing, you can often find her at the gym repenting for her sugar addiction. You can visit her at www.SaraBLarson.com.

Goodreads  |  Amazon  |  Twitter@SaraBLarson

Books by this Author:

Defy Trilogy

Dark Breaks the Dawn Duology

And, coming in November 2019!

New Release Review: Remember the Future: Episode Nine of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian by Shanna Lauffey

Remember the Future: Episode Nine of The Chronicles of the Harekaiian
by Shanna Lauffey

Description:
A dangerous man holds Harlan hostage in time. A hormonal teenager with a gun hunts Akalya, instinctively following a tag that she created between them herself. Hidden notes within a secret file reveal a leak in the Time Shifters' traditional silence and behind it all, Akalya is beginning to bend under the stress and remember happier times when she lived with Marcus and a little cat called Bodi.

Will keeping her promise to Harlan leave him at the mercy of Mason's increasingly psychotic demands? Can her most recent protégé protect her from his murderous younger self? Will Bodi ever forgive her? Will Marcus?

My Review:
Wow, this one was exciting! It seems the action is building up towards a resolution, though that happened in a few of the others in this seriel, too.

As always, I find the unique approach to time and space travel in this book intriguing and consistent. Not so much hopping around this time, at least not the mundane kind.

Lots of Brand, who I believe was introduced in the last one? The dynamics of a friend/enemy across time are very well done.  Reminded me a bit of the Doctor Who season that started with the Astronaut in the U.S. "Hello sweety," and all that.

I think the author does a great job balancing the idea that the past has already happened while still keeping the future past a surprise.

Overall, a good addition to the seriel. If you like stories that feature time travel or teleportation, this is the best of both, and you'll probably dig this one. Start from the beginning, though. These are all one big story, episodic, like watching a TV series (in print).

I received the review copy of this and the prior books in this seriel from the author.

About the Author:

Shanna Lauffey is a native Californian currently living in Europe. She spends her time between homes in Sweden, France and the UK. She writes Science Fiction, Urban Fantasy and Paranormal Romance in her spare time between attending university and travelling.

Her first novel, She-Wȕlf, was released 1st January 2012. A Science Fiction series involving time travel is in progress.

Follow Shanna on Amazon, Goodreads, and Twitter @ShannaLauffey.


Books by this Author:
Chronicles of the Harekaiian Volume 1 (Books 1-5)


Chronicles of the Harekaiian

Katrina S. Forest's Top Ten Best Friends in Books: Tour Stop for My Best Friend Runs Venus

This is my stop during the blog tour for My Best Friend Runs Venus by Katrina S. Forest. This blog tour is organized by Lola's Blog Tours. The blog tour runs from 3 till 16 June. See the tour schedule here.

For my stop I'll be sharing a top ten list from the author!

Katrina's Top 10 Favorite Best Friends in Books

This is a tricky one! My tastes are pretty varied, so this list will probably end up looking like a hodgepodge of genres and age levels. There's a couple graphic novels that spring to mind, too, when I think of powerful friendships in fiction. I think my favorites actually aren't the ones where the characters get along great and everything is wonderful between them. I prefer friendships in which two characters struggle--where one or both of them genuinely messes up big time, and the other might struggle to offer forgiveness.
So, with that in mind, here's my list. In no particular order, of course: 

1. Kate Harker and August Flynn from This Savage Song/Our Dark Duet by Victoria Schwab 

2. Momoko Ryugasaki and Ichigo "Ichiko" Shirayuri from Kamikaze Girls by Novala Takemoto.

3. Miaka Yuki and Yui Hongo from Fushigi Yuugi by Yuu Watase

4. Milo and Tock from the Phantom Tollbooth by Norton Juster

5. Leo Pellissier and George Dumas from The Jane Yellowrock series by Faith Hunter

6. Prince Aleksandar and Deryn Sharp from the Leviathan series by Scott Westerfeld

7. Harry Potter and Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter series by J. K. Rowling

8. Elijah Baley and R. Daneel Olivaw from the Robot series by Issac Asimov

9. Cece and Laura from El Deafo by Cece Bell

10. Marie and Lena from I Hadn't Meant to Tell You This by Jacqueline Woodson

Wow, great list, Katrina! And now for a look at Katrina's new book (and a giveaway).

My Best Friend Runs Venus
By Katrina S. Forest
Genre: Science Fiction
Age category: Middle Grade
Release Date: June 1, 2019

Description:
At 12.9 years old, number-obsessed Kade Walker has never heard of death. Literally. But neither has anyone else he knows. Kade is one of hundreds of kids "living" across the solar system through robotic avatars while their real bodies sleep in pods on Earth. Unfortunately, robot bodies can be hacked.

One day during an (innocent!) experiment, Kade unwittingly breaks a major security wall and releases an infamous hacker. The madwoman targets all the royal avatars, including Kade’s best friend, Princess Tamika of Venus.

If Kade and Tamika don’t want to become the hacker’s puppets, they’ve got to stop her fast--even if it means waking up on Earth to fight with bodies they never realized could be hurt.

You can find My Best Friend Runs Venus on Goodreads.

You can buy My Best Friend Runs Venus here.

Artwork
This book includes some artwork, check out a few of the illustrations that are included in the book below:

About the Author:
Katrina S. Forest is a teacher by day, author by any-other-time-she-can-get. Her work has sold to a variety of magazines, ranging from Flash Fiction Online to Highlights to Children. She loves nerdy conventions and believes video games can be a force of creative good instead of evil.

You can find and contact Katrina S. Forest here:
- Website
- Facebook
- Twitter
- Goodreads
- Amazon

Giveaway
There is a tour wide giveaway for the blog tour for My Best Friend Runs Venus. One winner will win a signed copy of My Best Friend Runs Venus along with a $25 Amazon gift card.

For a chance to win, enter the rafflecopter here:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Sci-Fi Review: Armada by Ernest Cline

Armada
by Ernest Cline

Description:
Zack Lightman has spent his life dreaming. Dreaming that the real world could be a little more like the countless science-fiction books, movies, and videogames he’s spent his life consuming. Dreaming that one day, some fantastic, world-altering event will shatter the monotony of his humdrum existence and whisk him off on some grand space-faring adventure.

But hey, there’s nothing wrong with a little escapism, right? After all, Zack tells himself, he knows the difference between fantasy and reality. He knows that here in the real world, aimless teenage gamers with anger issues don’t get chosen to save the universe.

And then he sees the flying saucer.

Even stranger, the alien ship he’s staring at is straight out of the videogame he plays every night, a hugely popular online flight simulator called Armada—in which gamers just happen to be protecting the earth from alien invaders.

No, Zack hasn’t lost his mind. As impossible as it seems, what he’s seeing is all too real. And his skills—as well as those of millions of gamers across the world—are going to be needed to save the earth from what’s about to befall it.

It’s Zack’s chance, at last, to play the hero. But even through the terror and exhilaration, he can’t help thinking back to all those science-fiction stories he grew up with, and wondering: Doesn’t something about this scenario seem a little…familiar?

At once gleefully embracing and brilliantly subverting science-fiction conventions as only Ernest Cline could, Armada is a rollicking, surprising thriller, a classic coming of age adventure, and an alien invasion tale like nothing you’ve ever read before—one whose every page is infused with the pop-culture savvy that has helped make Ready Player One a phenomenon.


My Review:
As with others who've read this one after absolutely loving Ready Player One, I must say this one is a step down. It feels rushed or under edited in places (not full of errors, but not as polished as I was hoping).

I did like the premise of Armada. The main character sees a spaceship from a game he's been playing, then finds out the game is based on real life. And then, in a nod to The Last Starfighter, he's recruited to battle against the unstoppable enemy. As with Ready Player One, there are a lot of these nods, but they don't as easily fit into this story as they did in that one.

I also thought some of the connections between the characters and the ease of some of the reunions were a bit too easy to be believable. I read the bit from the author at the end and it seems to imply this might become a movie. I think it might translate well to the screen, and perhaps that intent is why the book doesn't dive as deep as it could, only enough to prove the concept for the movie makers.

Overall, I enjoyed the story, but it isn't the amaze-fest I experienced upon reading Ready Player One for the first time. Fans of the 80s, and of video gamers using their skills to save humanity in particular, might enjoy this, but they shouldn't try to measure it with the same stick they used for Ready Player One lest they be disappointed.

I borrowed the audiobook from the library.


About the Author:

ERNEST CLINE is a novelist, screenwriter, father, and full-time geek. His first novel, Ready Player One, was a New York Times and USA Today bestseller, appeared on numerous “best of the year” lists, and is set to be adapted into a motion picture by Warner Bros. and director Steven Spielberg. His second novel, ARMADA, debuted at #4 on the NYT Bestseller list and is being made into a film by Universal Pictures. Ernie lives in Austin, Texas, with his family, a time-traveling DeLorean, and a large collection of classic video games.

http://www.ernestcline.com 

 Twitter@erniecline 

 Goodreads