Fantasy Review: Capering on Glass Bridges (The Hawk of Stone Duology, Book 1) by Jessica Hernandez

Capering on Glass Bridges (The Hawk of Stone Duology, Book 1)
by Jessica Hernandez

Released: August 21, 2016

Description:
The Utdrendans have spoken, and everything has changed as a consequence. People normally avoid the fog surrounding the cursed Kingdom of Mar, but now they are asking sixteen-year-old Kaia Stone to venture into it. The Utdrendans implied that there is something special about Kaia. They claimed that she could help free the land; she need only carry out their instructions and deliver a message to the Marian king.

Mar, however, is a land in which dark secrets abound, and many will stop at nothing to ensure that it remains forever cursed. Determined to work against Kaia, unfriendly forces have already begun to gather.

Will Kaia choose to abandon the only life she’s ever known—perhaps indefinitely—in pursuit of the greater good…in pursuit of her purpose?

My Review:
Well, this one was a bit surprising. Capering on Glass Bridges is a fantasy adventure in which Kaia, a young girl, is called upon to deliver a message that could release the country, Mar, from a curse. It starts off heavy on family dynamics, focusing on Kaia’s struggles not to be jealous of her younger sister’s pairing with her new companion, Ree. Then the family is summoned, and the plot broadens.

I like that I wasn’t able to guess the book’s outcome, though there are hints at some of the revelations I just didn’t pick up on the first time through. My first reaction upon putting the book down was, “Crazy!” Of course, I didn’t want to just post that word alone without explanation. I meant crazy as in surprising, I didn’t guess that, and wow.

Anyhow, I also like the stories sprinkled in throughout the book. The one the sisters made up was pretty creepy, and they never did finish it, but I liked it. And the others explained elements of history and culture in the world of the book, but they’re told like proper, complete stories. Nicely done.

The main thing I found difficult in the story was keeping up with all the names. There are a lot of characters, and they’re brought into the story in packs, with a mixture of modern and fantasy names. Once the cast was reduced to a manageable size, it became a lot easier to keep up.

The other thing I found difficult links to there being so many characters. There were a couple of places where I had to flip back in a conversation to retrace who was saying what. Not impossible when it’s only two characters speaking, but there were times this happened with group conversations. There are hints in the things they’re saying, but it was easy to get lost.

Overall, I really liked this story, particularly because it had a surprising outcome. Fans of fantasy quests and adventures will likely enjoy this story.

I received the review copy of this book from the author.


Book Links:
Amazon.com
Goodreads


About the Author:

 

Hello, everyone! My name is Jessica. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. :) Allow me to share a bit about myself with you. I was born and raised in the beautiful, sunny state of Florida. I attended the University of Miami, where I spent more time than I care to admit daydreaming of a faraway land called Acu. Upon graduating with a degree in English and Political Science in 2014, I put pen to paper and brought Acu to life—so was born the Hawk of Stone duology.


Author Links:
Goodreads
https://jessthestoryteller.wordpress.com/  
Twitter @jessy_marie77

Funny Fantasy Review: Class Dis-Mythed (Myth Adventures #16) by Robert Asprin and Jody Lynn Nye

Class Dis-Mythed  (Myth Adventures #16)
by Robert Asprin, Jody Lynn Nye

Description:
After years as a court magician and inter-dimensional hero, Skeeve needed a rest. So he took some time off to study magic and relax. When a few months later several members of the M.Y.T.H. Inc. Team each ask him to train some talented, young magicians in "practical magic" he has to agree. But after the assassins attack and a manticore tries to eat them, the Khlad mage soon discovers that there is more going on than learning. His students are preparing for a very deadly magical game and you won't believe where. Worse yet, the game may be fixed, and the only way to save his students’ lives is for Skeeve to risk his own.


My Review:
Class Dis-Mythed takes us back to Skeeve, who's on a long-term hiatus on his home dimension, Klahd, trying to become the awesome magician everyone thinks he is. But somehow trouble always manages to find him. This time, trouble comes in the form of a random group of young magician wannabes who are looking for instruction from The Great Skeeve in practical magic.

This installment seems to be everything I've always loved about the Myth series. Robert Aspirin and Jodie Lynn Nye wrote it together, and unlike in the last couple of books, their styles seem indistinguishable in this one. The tongue-in-cheek humor, the bit of mystery, the randomness that feeds into a coherent conclusion, all are very well done and a lot of fun.

Overall, I loved this book and got a lot of laughs from it. I'd strongly recommend this to folks who love fantasy and humor, particularly corny humor.

I received this book as a gift from my husband because he knows I'm a fan of the series and we'd both thought no more of these were being written.


About the Authors:

Robert Aspirin

 

Robert (Lynn) Asprin was born in 1946. While he wrote some stand alone novels such as Cold Cash War, Tambu and The Bug Wars and also the Duncan and Mallory Illustrated stories, Bob is best known for his series fantasy, such as the Myth Adventures of Aahz and Skeeve, the Phule’s Company novels and the Time Scout novels written with Linda Evans. He also edited the groundbreaking Thieves’ World anthology series with Lynn Abbey. Other collaborations include License Invoked (set in the French Quarter of New Orleans) and several Myth Adventures novels, all written with Jody Lynn Nye.

Bob’s final solo work was a contemporary fantasy series called Dragons, again set in New Orleans.

Bob passed away suddenly on May 22, 2008. He is survived by his daughter and son, his mother and his sister.  

Jody Lynn Nye

Jody Lynn Nye lists her main career activity as ‘spoiling cats.’ When not engaged upon this worthy occupation, she writes fantasy and science fiction books and short stories.

Before breaking away from gainful employment to write full time, Jody worked as a file clerk, book-keeper at a small publishing house, freelance journalist and photographer, accounting assistant and costume maker.

For four years, she was on the technical operations staff of a local Chicago television station, WFBN (WGBO), serving the last year as Technical Operations Manager. During her time at WFBN, she was part of the engineering team that built the station, acted as Technical Director during live sports broadcasts, and worked to produce in-house spots and public service announcements.

Over the last twenty or so years, Jody has taught in numerous writing workshops and participated on hundreds of panels covering the subjects of writing and being published at science-fiction conventions. She has also spoken in schools and libraries around the north and northwest suburbs. In 2007 she taught fantasy writing at Columbia College Chicago. She also runs the two-day writers workshop at DragonCon.

Jody lives in the northwest suburbs of Chicago, with her husband Bill Fawcett, a writer, game designer, military historian and book packager, and a black cat, Jeremy.


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You won't find this one on Kindle, but you can probably find a decent mass-market paperback copy on Amazon for a good deal.

Fantasy Review: The Horned Scarab (The Investigative Privateers, #1) by Matthew Marchitto

The Horned Scarab (The Investigative Privateers, #1)
by Matthew Marchitto

Description:
Ghorad-Gha, once magnificent city of clay and bronze, crumbles. Those prosperous few burden the shoulders of the downtrodden. In a city of forgotten glory, the lawless thrive.

A monk turns up dead, and Arn is determined to find out why. Along with his stone skinned companion, Rohqim, they'll be dragged deep into Ghorad-Gha's underbelly, where the Horned Scarab reigns.


My Review:
The Horned Scarab is a short, private-eye mystery set in a fantasy world. The city of Ghorad-Gha kind of reminded me of Venice, but not quite. Arn and Rohqim are investigative privateers tasked with figuring out why a broken off chunk of statue cost their client’s partner his life.

I liked the characters in the story the best, particularly the idea of the sculpted, stone people, Lodee and Rohqim. They’re fascinating. Who shapes them? It’s obvious they can heal, but I’m left curious about just how much stone they are. Anyhow, they’re neat. I also loved Resa. Her plight and her nature are intriguing. There’s some interesting stuff going on in the city, too, with just the right amount of background and world building.

Then again, it took me a while to get into the mystery because I was having trouble keeping everything straight. It seemed to be thought out and well-written, a good cadence to the words and some really fantastic descriptions that just blossom to life, but it wasn’t until almost the end that I realized why I was having trouble keeping up with the actual storyline: the transitions.

First, there are a lot of them. Also, the scenes seem to jump around like lightning. It’s like you blink and you’re now in someone else’s head or several hours have passed or maybe something’s happening at the same time as the scene you just read, both within the chapters and between them, and unfortunately, it isn’t always clear which of these it is. It’s disorienting. I think a few direct words added to the very beginning of each new scene to orient the reader in time, space, and character would go a long way.

So overall, I liked it. It’s a read folks who enjoy fantasy and mystery might enjoy. I’m hoping some of the jumpiness will be sorted in a future edition, but until then, I’d just say read it when you’re fresh so you don’t miss anything. You’ve got to be paying attention.

I received the review copy of this book from the author.


Book Links:
Amazon
Goodreads
Smashwords


About the Author:

Matthew has always had an affinity for fantasy, starting with the Redwall series, and then stumbling into the lore of Warcraft. Robert E. Howard, George R.R. Martin, and Brandon Sanderson were the authors that really cemented the love for fantasy. Matthew is partial to anything with a sword and sorcery twist and unique setting.

Author Links:

http://www.matthewmarchitto.com/

Twitter @ThewTheSlightly

 

 

New Release and Review: Crisanta Knight: The Severance Game (Crisanta Knight #2) by Geanna Culbertson

Crisanta Knight: The Severance Game (Crisanta Knight #2)
by Geanna Culbertson 

Release Date: December 6, 2016

Description:
 A lot of questions ran through my head as I desperately clung to the roof of a magic train crossing over a gaping canyon. Like: How did I get here? What could I have done to avoid this fate? And, did I remember to shave my underarms before coming on this quest? But even after taking on a witch in a gingerbread house, bloodthirsty actors, and a whole mess of magic hunters and other fairytale shenanigans, the biggest, most pressing question pulsing through my brain as my fingers started to slip and my enemy bore down on me was this: Could I really trust the person whose life I’d ruined to keep me from falling? With antagonists closing in, inner demons threatening to consume me, and vivid nightmares chewing up my soul every time I shut my eyes, I was running out of options. I knew the moment to decide whether or not I could truly trust any of my friends was fast approaching. But my head and heart were stuck. For just like the precarious position I now found myself in, the pain of holding onto the path I’d chosen thus far was outmatched only by the worry I had over (gulp) letting it go…

My Review:

Book 2 in the Crisanta Knight series is a lot of fun, but a little darker than book 1.

In it, Crisanta and her band of friends, plus Daniel, are freshly on the run, but heading right into even more danger. And the whole time, Crisanta bears witness to darker and darker dreams involving her friends, herself, her enemies and even the mysterious Natalie Poole.

Action and adventure are huge in this book with rarely a dull moment, even in Crisanta’s dreams, and all of this is paired with quirky re-imaginings of fairy tale favorites. But that isn’t all. Crisanta is facing some existential issues, doubting who she is and whether she’s been deluding herself her entire life. That, and a growing distrust of her dearest friends that’s putting a strain on everything.

I’m not going to outline which fairy tales make an appearance in this book as that would ruin the surprises. I particularly liked the ones Crisanta and team run into in the forest. I think the more into (or formerly into) fairy tales and Disney movies you are, the more of a kick you’ll get out of all the wacky scenarios and cameos.

Overall, I loved this story for its originality, action, and suspense. Fans of fantasy, fairy tales, and action/adventure will likely enjoy this story.

I received an advance review copy of this book from NetGalley.


Book Links:
Goodreads
Amazon.com

About the Author:

Image from Twitter

Geanna Culbertson adores chocolate chip cookies, watching Netflix in pajamas, and the rain. Of course, in her case, the latter is kind of hard to come by. As her dad notes, In California, we don't have seasons, we have special effects. On the flip side, she is deeply afraid of ice skating and singing in public. Although, she forces herself to do both on occasion because she believes facing your fears can be good for you. During the week Geanna lives a disciplined, yet preciously ridiculous lifestyle. She gets up each day at 5:00 a.m. to train. Goes to work where she enjoys a double life as a kid undercover in a grown-up world. Then comes home, eats, writes, and watches one of her favorite TV shows. On weekends, however, Geanna s heart, like her time, is completely off the leash. Usually she ll teach martial arts at her local karate studio, pursue yummy foods, and check out whatever s new at her fav stores like Banana Republic. To summarize, she'll wander, play, disregard the clock, and get into as many shenanigans as possible.

Author Links:
http://www.crisantaknight.com/
Goodreads
Twitter @gculbert14

Interview: Geanna Culbertson, Author of The Crisanta Knight Series

Today I am excited to share with you my interview with Geanna Culbertson, author of Crisanta Knight: Protagonist Bound and The Crisanta Knight Series. If you are looking for a new spin on fairy tales and folklore, all delivered in a fun and thrilling package, these books deliver.


Anyhow, on to the interview!

I see from your profile that you practice and occasionally teach karate. What are your favorite aspects of this martial art? Does what you have learned from practicing karate show up in your writing, and how?

What I love most about karate is simply the action-packed, empowering nature of the activity. When I was little I had the aspiration of being like the superheroes I so admired in film and television. I wanted to be just like them. Alas, “superhero” is not exactly a career one can pursue as a grown-up. Add to that, when I was younger I was small, round, and confined to a corrective back brace that limited my physical activity. However, as I grew I decided that I would not let that stop me from being the girl I wanted to be. And I realized if I wanted to be my own version of “super” it would be up to me alone to work hard and achieve that. So that’s what I did. Through training, over the years I have worked hard to make myself stronger, faster, and someone I can be proud of. Karate encompasses those feelings. Every time I learn a new maneuver, or spar, or train my students I feel the kind of elation that comes with pursuing something you love, and knowing that every day you are trying to be a better version of yourself.

My karate teachings do show up in my writing. As a general rule, I wanted every action sequence in my series and every fight my characters get into to be physically possible and make sense. So while I can’t run drills with Pegasi or dragons as I write, I do run through the physical dynamics and physics of my fight scenes to the best of my ability. I’ve tested knife maneuvers on my karate teacher, I run through the battle choreography of my characters in my garage with various types of workout equipment, I’ve even had mock sword fights with friends in conference rooms during breaks from work. My knowledge of different weapons definitely helps with this. It is way easier to write action for swords, knives, shields, etc. If you understand the way they move and how your body reacts to them.

I'm from California as well. What do you most love about living there?

The food. Hands down. I’m a lover of good food, and my favorite pastime is going on eating adventures with my mom (a.k.a. my partner in crime). And the great thing about California is the diversity of food you can experience. If you want ramen, head to Little Tokyo. Fancy a delicious sushi dinner? Happy hour at Blue C Sushi at Fashion Island is the best. The world’s greatest chips and salsa? La Sirena Grill in El Segundo. The world’s greatest guacamole? Rosa Mexicano at LA LIVE downtown is to die for. Need I go on?

When I lived in California, I used to love going to Knott's Berry Farm. Do you like going to theme parks? If so, what do you like about them?

You know, in all honesty I’m not really a theme park person. Though I did just go to the Harry Potter World that opened at Universal Studios Hollywood and I had a great time! My friend and I got chosen by our wands (Holly Wood with a Dragon Heartstring Core, thank you very much), drank delicious pumpkin juice, and went on the rides so many times we got dizzy. It was awesome!

I found your Crisanta Knight character to be complex but lighthearted and fun, as well. How much of her personality reflects your own? Who else provides inspiration for the characters in your story? Have any of them recognized themselves in the pages?

I would definitely say that Crisanta’s personality is a reflection of my own. She is not an exact copy. The analogy I like to use is that she is to me what Iron Man is to Tony Stark—we share the same core and heart, but are different personas. My friends do tell me that when they read the books they hear my voice shining through, though. I think that’s because a lot of the big personality traits are the same, particularly her sass and sense of humor, but also (as you noted) the balance between complex/serious and lightheartedly fun. I also gave her a lot of my random quirks and characteristics, like my love of boots!

In terms of other characters, the rest of the main protagonists (Blue, Jason, SJ, and Daniel) weren’t inspired by anyone in particular. But there are some side characters throughout the series that pull inspiration from people I’ve known in life, both good and bad. I also like to give little shout outs to people or places who mattered in my life through names of characters and settings in the series. The kingdom of Harzana, for example, was in honor of my good friend and sorority big sister Alexa Harzan.

What else would you like to share about yourself or your writing?

I think readers will be surprised by a lot of what’s coming. Like Crisanta Knight herself, this series doesn’t play by the rules. We’re going to explore a lot of characters, settings, and themes. Given that CHANGE is one of the main thematic elements of the series, I intend to keep it fresh at every turn.

Your new book comes out soon. What would you like to share about that?

I am so excited about Book Two coming out! The Crisanta Knight Series is comprised of eight books. Having finished writing Book Five recently, I feel like the storyline with Book Two was one of the hardest to write so far because I put Crisanta through the wringer so much. I intend for her to grow into someone incredible, but that means she has to go through a lot of internal challenges and growth first. With the story being told in such an in-depth first person narrative, as an author I really get into the struggling mindset of my characters and that is an intensive endeavor.

That being said, Book Two (like all books in this series) is full of the same humor and heart as Book One, which makes the story fun to read. That element of FUN is very important to me. As the series develops, the plots and twists and challenges will get more intense, but I never want the story to lose that spark of magic and humor and fun. That was my favorite element of The Harry Potter Series. Even as the characters became older and the world grew darker, you still smiled during the stories and had a good time reading them. And that’s what I want for my readers—at the end of the day, I want them to have a good time reading this series.

Author Links:
Crisanta Knight Website
Goodreads
Twitter @gculbert14


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You can pick up the first two books of the Crisanta Knight Series on Amazon.  Book Two comes out December 6, 2016, but it's available on pre-order now. I've read both and loved them!