fantasy faction

December 27, 2017

Spend your holiday money on Patricia A. McKillip’s World Fantasy Award-winner THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized best of 2017, fantasy faction, karina reads, malice corp, patricia a mckillip, the forgotten beasts of eld, Thomas Canty

KARINA READS includes Patricia A. McKillip’s THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD among her favorites of 2017.

This story was a wonderful surprise! If you enjoy fantasy books and take only one recommendation from this list, make it this one. It totally blew me away, it is clear to see why it won the World Fantasy Award in 1975. McKillip’s writing is magnificent, it is incredibly immersive and she expertly weaves very human emotions and events with magic. The character development of the protagonist is a joy to watch unfold. From isolation high in the mountains, we follow Sybel, a young, beautiful and powerful sorceress who has grown up surrounded by magical beasts. She has had very little human interaction and the story really begins when she is charged to raise a baby boy. What follows is an incredible adventure full of high stakes, deadly villains and angry kings, all while demonstrating the power of true love. I’ll leave you to discover what kind of love McKillip choses. There is no good vs evil here, but shades of grey. Each character has to follow their instincts, but it’s how their decisions affect others that the intricacy of this novel really comes to life. Despite its short length, THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD sure packs an emotional punch. It is amazing how much McKillip is able to explore and I mean it when I say that I have truly never read anything like it. The worldbuilding is breathtaking and all the characters, man and beast alike, have well developed, complex personalities that just jump from the page. This is how fantasy should be written.

FANTASY FACTION asked their readers to give one book that everyone should their holiday money on. Among the titles were two by McKillip.

The Changeling Sea by Patricia A. McKillip

THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia A. McKillip

Not everyone has them. They are short, too, so perfect for a stocking stuffer. – Joe Perry

Photo: Stephen Gold/Wikimedia Commons

MALICE CORP recommends the book.

Finished once again with that Harry Potter novel? What if I told you that I have an old-school novel with fantastic animals, including a greedy dragon, a talking boar, and a giant killer falcon? If that sounds fun, try THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD by Patricia A. McKillip. It’s a story of magic, romance, and revenge. It also has one of the strongest female protagonists I’ve seen yet.

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The book is set on a backdrop of powerful political forces fighting for control of the kingdom. Instead of that conflict being the main focus, though, we’re drawn into a more intimate view of the fight. It’s not about this noble house versus the king, or even about the boy who will sit on the throne. It’s about one woman and her growth as she’s caught in this tangle that she never wanted to be a part of.

Sybell is amazing as a strong protagonist who shows growth. She starts the story at sixteen years old, with an attitude born from isolation and introversion. She is emotionally stunted and aggressively defends her way of life, to the point where she almost has the baby-toting man thrown off the side of the mountain by a giant falcon. Said falcon reminds her that killing people is a great way to find a mob on your doorstep, effectively putting a halt to that plan. By age twenty-eight, she has grown to loving a few people but without compromising her character. She’s not sweet or even nice just because she’s learned to love someone besides herself. She is still cold and dangerous.

Even the writing reinforces this personal growth. Though written in the third person, we get this sense of mystery when it comes to other people and their motivations. The fight for the throne seems remote and almost unreal, like we have lived on this mountain with Sybel and her menagerie. We almost see the actions of others through her eyes; she is observant but doesn’t understand people, and the narrative doesn’t explicitly state motivations. Like her, we are left to our own devices to puzzle other people out.

For more info about THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty

September 18, 2017

Meet fan favorite Peter V. Brett at Fantasy-Faction’s Grim Gathering

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, event, fantasy faction, fantasy-faction’s grim gathering, peter v brett, the core, the demon cycle, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, waterstones

Photo: Karsten Moran

Peter V. Brett, creator of the DEMON CYCLE series, will be participate in the 7th Fantasy-Faction’s Grim Gathering on September 25, 6:30 PM at Waterstones Bath.

The main panel features Brett, Joe Abercrombie, Anna Stephens, Mark Lawrence, and Peter Newman.

FANTASY-FACTION will not make any money from this event. Waterstones policies mean they must charge a ticket price.

For more info about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

September 12, 2017

Tachyon tidbits featuring Jane Yolen, Peter S. Beagle, Jo Walton, and Nalo Hopkinson

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized changing hands bookstore, cheryl eddy, chuma hill, edinburgh book festival, elizabeth story, fantasy faction, io9, Jane Yolen, jo walton, kirkus, nalo hopkinson, peter s beagle, the emerald circus

The latest reviews and mentions of Tachyon titles and authors from around the web.

Jane Yolen (photo: Jason Stemple), Peter S. Beagle (Rina Weisman), Jo Wallton, and Nalo Hopkinson (Sanna Pudas)

KIRKUS praises Jane Yolen’s THE EMERALD CIRCUS.

An impressive overview of the author’s breadth and career, this collection will appeal to the author’s existing devotees—or to anyone who has ever thought that “happily ever after” left too many questions.

Cheryl Eddy at IO9 includes Peter S. Beagle’s forthcoming collection THE OVERNEATH among All the Science Fiction and Fantasy Books to Keep on Your Radar This Fall.

This short-story collection includes a callback to the author’s classic, THE LAST UNICORN, along with several other new fantasy tales.

At the 2017 Edinburgh International Book Festival, FANTASY FACTION interviewed Jo Walton

Your most recent series of novels, the THESSALY trilogy, came to an end last year. It deals with time travel, alien planets and Plato’s REPUBLIC. What is it like writing something so complex yet keeping it engaging and approachable?

It is actually quite an old fashioned thing. It is a family saga, a generational saga. The first book is about Greek gods and philosophers from throughout time, a handful of slave children, and a bunch of robots setting up Plato’s Republic. The first book takes place a bit over ten years. It’s kind of a Utopian experiment with, and one of the things I say about it is, what could possibly go wrong? Well, things go wrong and things go right. What I wanted to do with it is explore issues of liberty and consensuality and axiomatically different ways of thinking about living. Different things are important to these people. Plato said, start with ten-year-olds, as if ten-year-olds are nothing, are blank. But ten-year-olds are not blank slates. And, I think, because I read THE REPUBLIC (380 BC) when I was fifteen, I was very aware of that.

You have a short story collection coming out at the beginning of next year.

Yes, yes I do. STARLINGS, which has all of my short stories that have been published, and a play, and a bunch of poetry. I very seldom write short stories, but I write poetry all the time. So this is my first short story collection but my third poetry collection. STARLINGS, is coming out from Tachyon in January.

Now that the Thessaly series has come to an end, what’s next for Jo Walton?

Right now I’m writing a book called LENT, which is about Savonarola. My short hand way of describing this is it’s Savonarola Groundhog Day. It’s not probably what you would expect but I’m really enjoying it. I’ve written sixty thousand words and I’m probably about 60% of the way through it. I was just in Florence for six weeks writing it, and I got so much done. If I had stayed there another two weeks I would have finished it. But I’m hoping it’ll be done by Christmas. I’m very excited about that book.

Changing Hands Bookstore via Instagram shared this about Nalo Hopkinson’s FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS.

For #SciFiSunday today we’re #reading Nalo Hopkinson’s short story collection, FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS. Hopkinson, who was born in Jamaica and has lived in the U.S., Trinidad, Guyana, and Canada, continues to “expand the boundaries of culture and imagination” here. There’s a retelling of THE TEMPEST as a Caribbean myth in this collection that is not to be missed!

For more info on THE EMERALD CIRCUS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on THE OVERNEATH, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more info on STARLINGS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 13, 2017

THE NEW VOICES OF FANTASY delivers beautifully-crafted fantasy morsels

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized camille andre, chain interaction, charlie hopkins, elizabeth story, fantasy faction, fictionist magazine, jackie peterson, jacob weisman, judith moore, peter s beagle, review, the new voices of fantasy

Excitement mounts for Peter S. Beagle and Jacob Weisman’s forthcoming anthology THE NEW VOICES OF FANTASY.

For FICTIONIST MAGAZINE, Jackie Peterson praises the collection.

★★★★★

Nineteen emerging fantasy voices brought together by Peter S. Beagle shine in this new anthology. That sounded like a PR tagline, but I swear, this anthology is great.

It’s honestly a breath of fresh air. I’m anti-spoiler in these reviews, and since these stories are so short, it’s hard to talk about them at all without giving anything away.

Suffice it to say that these stories range from entertaining to creepy to thought-provoking, and the writing is top notch. These little stories stick in your mind like popcorn sticks in your gums. You’ll try to shake one story off before you read the next one, but by page two of the next story, you’re hooked on that one too.

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Five stars from me. Perfect, bite-sized pieces of beautifully-crafted fantasy morsels.

Peter S. Beagle (photo: Rina Weisman) and Jacob Weisman

Charlie Hopkins at FANTASY FACTION likes the book.

This is an exceptional collection of stories and I highly recommend picking it up upon its release. I was hugely impressed to find a personal connection with almost every piece of fiction contained within and I have no doubt the one’s I didn’t connect with will find eager and appreciative readers elsewhere. It is a certainty that these emerging and flourishing writers will be making more noise in the future.

For CHAIN INTERACTION, Judith Moore enjoys the stories.

I honestly won’t be surprised if, in a few years, a number of my favourite books have been penned by these authors, I am excited to see where they go next.

My rating: 5/5 stars for the sheer variety!

For more info about THE NEW VOICES OF FANTASY, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Camille André

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

January 5, 2017

The bold and beautiful SLIPPING captures the essence of what it means to be alive

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized bustle, clara bacou, elizabeth story, eric christensen, fantasy faction, kj mulder, lauren beukes, review, sadie l. trombetta, slipping, slipping: stories essays & other writing, strange alliances, worlds in ink

More reviews for Lauren Beukes’ stunning, diverse SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING.

At FANTASY FACTION, Eric Christensen praises the book.

SLIPPING by Lauren
Beukes is a collection of previously published short stories and
nonfiction. Having read—and loved—two of her novels, THE SHINING
GIRLS and BROKEN MONSTERS, I jumped at the chance to read this
collection. Everything I liked about her novels I found here: dark
and unsettling imagery, relationships forming and exploding, clever
turns of phrase, and striking details amid chaos. Oh, and there’s
also a story of a female mecha pilot battling giant hairballs over
Tokyo with the help of Haruki Murakami.

<snip>

As I read these stories, I repeatedly got pulled in by Beukes’s characters. They are a diverse bunch: athletes, fighters, lovers, stalkers, mobsters, artists, celebrities, soldiers, and students. They are ambitious, aggressive, sad, and scared. With only a couple lines of dialog (international snippets of slang, a threat implied by the typos of a sticky keyboard, or the corporate devil on a character’s shoulder pushing them to sell out, just a little bit more), I instantly understood and identified with them.

But no matter how weird or disturbing or fantastic the story, Beukes’s journalistic eye would point to a detail to ground the story, making it real. Or the details round out the story, giving the stories an added layer of texture, more filled out.

<snip>

At 288 pages, this is a somewhat slim collection, and every reader is bound to find some stories better than others. But I didn’t find any to be outright duds. Whether the story takes place in present day, the near future, or somewhere else entirely, through sharp use of dialogue and description, readers instantly get a handle on her characters as they experience fear, love, hate, joy, confusion, exploitation, and adventure. The stories are funny and freaky, sad and scary. They are bold and beautiful, violent and vibrant. Beukes’s talent is on display chapter after chapter, and I think this is a great introduction to her writing. Pick this up, and when you’re done, grab one of her novels.

KJ Mulder of WORLDS IN INK lauds the volume.

SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING collects just over a decade’s worth of short fiction by Lauren Beukes. The 21 short stories and 5 non-fiction essays collected here showcases both her growing talent as author and her keen ability to transform the mundane trappings of the everyday into something unsettling, extraordinary and thought-provoking. Her fiction manages to deal with real issues in unusual and disconcerting ways; Beukes is not afraid to shine a light into the darkness we wilfully try to ignore in order to expose the hard truths hidden in the nooks and crannies of our daily lives. The themes she tackles covers the gamut of modern life – exploitation, the effect of social media on our lives, identity, relationships, censorship and social injustice.

<snip>

SLIPPING is a stunning, diverse collection of genre-spanning short fiction by one of South Africa’s best speculative fiction authors. The stories are gritty, disconcerting and thought-provoking. These are stories with impact; stories that will make you think and alter your perspectives. Stories that will make you sit up and take notice. While this might be a slim volume it packs one heck of a punch! If you are a fan of Lauren Beukes then this is an absolute must have.

STRANGE ALLIANCES enjoys the collection.

Reading can be a passive pastime. Not so with the immediacy of Lauren Beukes writing which exudes such energy it reaches out of the page, grabs you by the throat and gives you a good shake. Her non-fiction is as effective as her fiction, resulting in a collection that is a highly visceral experience. Certainly the book will leave you moved or deep in thought about what you’ve just read.

These short stories and writing are a showcase in how far you can push words on a page as well as the reader, yet Beukes never loses control of the sometimes weird and quite frankly disturbing, as fantasy and the outlandish can be juxtaposed with the recognizable and ordinary.

<snip>

Forensically the non-fiction section is very interesting because it is excellent prose and demonstrates the experiences that have bled through into Beukes’ powerful stories. Her non-fiction prose is as hypnotic as her fiction and I will now be on the hunt for more of it.

Beukes captures the essence of what it means to be alive in all its many forms, as the life force of the characters tears itself right off the page and meets the reader head on.

Sadie L. Trombetta of BUSTLE includes Lauren Beukes in 9 Modern Women Science Fiction Writers You Need To Be Celebrating.

A truly
genre-bending author, Lauren Beukes has written about everything from
time-traveling serial-kilers (THE SHINING GIRLS) to a cyberpunk
dystopian future (MOXYLAND). An innovative author of sci–fi,
literary fiction, urban fantasy, nonfiction, and even more, Beukes is
one writer you’ll never get bored with. If you’re looking for
something on the edge of the genre, look no further.

For more information about SLIPPING: STORIES, ESSAYS, & OTHER WRITING, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Clara Bacou

Design by Elizabeth Story

August 19, 2016

Peter S. Beagle’s exceptional SUMMERLONG is charmingly quiet yet deeply thoughtful

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized elizabeth story, fantasy, fantasy faction, it's monday! what are you reading?, magdalena korzeniewska, peter s beagle, review, richard bray, summerlong, the writerly reader

photo by Paul Todisco

At FANTASY FACTION, Richard Bray praises Peter Beagle’s new novel SUMMERLONG.

Like a warm summer afternoon, Peter S. Beagle’s upcoming novel, SUMMERLONG, is charmingly quiet yet deeply thoughtful, with an ambiance that will keep readers spellbound to the final page.

<snip>

Beagle, of course, is best-known for THE LAST UNICORN, his 1968 publication widely considered one of the greatest fantasy novels ever written. For readers who loved THE LAST UNICORN, SUMMERLONG is a very different story, even as it proves that Beagle remains just as talented at turning a phrase and telling a story.

SUMMERLONG relies upon Beagle’s literary mastery for its success. The setting on a small island outside of Seattle becomes an extra protagonist to the story as our characters conduct their day-to-day lives. From the fish markets of Seattle to the quiet peace of island life, Beagle paints a vivid picture of the community in which these characters live, and sets the foundation for the changes he will visit upon them.

<snip>

It’s Beagle’s exceptional writing skill that makes SUMMERLONG worth reading, if for no other reason than to immerse yourself in his prose, his characters, and his world. It’s a strange novel, blending the monotony of day-to-day living with the world of myths and legends, and even in the spots where it is uplifting, you can’t help but catch a hint of sadness and melancholy, as the choices that allow the characters to find new joys or ease their pain bring entirely new problems. In the end, it’s hard to say whether Abe and Joanna’s chance meeting with a character from Greek myth served them well or ill. I’m certain different readers will come to different conclusions, and for a well-written, thoughtful story such as this, that’s half the fun.

For the meme It’s Monday! What Are YOU Reading?, THE WRITERLY READER mentions SUMMERLONG.

I’m over halfway through SUMMERLONG by Peter S. Beagle and *just* getting the myth aspects. Well, it has been 20 years since my last Classics class.

For more info on SUMMERLONG, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Magdalena Korzeniewska

Design by Elizabeth Story

November 5, 2014

THE UNCERTAIN PLACES is an intriguing read

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized Ann Monn, book chick city, fantasy faction, lisa goldstein, rebecca chandler, review, the uncertain places

For Book Chick City, Rebecca Chandler reviews Lisa Goldstein’s The Uncertain Places.

A fantasy novel inspired by folklore and fairytale, this novel was interesting to read once the bondmaid legend had been established. It took a while to get going, but I warmed to the characters and thought the plot was tied up well. Although there were some instances that were drawn out and confused the plot more than necessary, I nevertheless found this to be an intriguing read and unlike anything I had read before.

Read the rest of Chandler’s review at Book Chick City.

For more info on The Uncertain Places, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn

January 2, 2014

Congrats to Michael J. Sullivan for his many best of the year honors

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized Awards, Best of 2013, bibliosanctum, Bookworm Blues, elizabeth story, fantasy faction, Marc Simonetti, Michael J. Sullivan, preview, reddit, riyria chronicles, shadowhawk's shade, stabby

Several venues included Micheal J. Sullivan among their best of the year selections.

Bibliosanctum: Top 10 Reads of 2013

Hollow World by Michael J. Sullivan

MOGSY SAYS: It’s a great time to be a speculative fiction reader right now, with so many great and original ideas having found their way to being published in recent years. Crowdfunding sites like Kickstarter have their place too, because if it weren’t for them I wouldn’t have had the pleasure of reading this incredible book in 2013.

What struck me about Hollow World isn’t so much the story, but the main character’s personal journey – the things he learns about himself and the questions he asks about life and love. I didn’t expect such heavy subject matters when I first picked this one up, but it was a welcome surprise. The book took my emotions on a roller coaster ride – I felt ecstatic, shocked, angry, sad, annoyed, disturbed, deeply touched, so moved that I was almost in tears…all that and more just from reading the story, and any book that can give me the kind of feels that Hollow World did certainly qualifies ashaving resonated with me. (Review coming in Spring 2014 closer to release)

Shadowhawk’s Shade: Best of the Best Novels-Top 6

4. Riyria Chronicles #1: The Crown Tower by Michael J. Sullivan

Link | Goodreads | Author Blog | My Review | Guest Post: On Self-Publishing | Guest Post: Dealing With Success

Two men who hate each other.

One impossible mission.

A legend in the making.

Hadrian Blackwater, a warrior with nothing to fight for, is paired with Royce Melborn, a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Hired by an old wizard, they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most prized possessions.

But it isn’t gold or jewels that the wizard is after, and if he can just keep them from killing each other, they just might succeed.

Bookworm Blues: Best Books of 2013

Michael J. Sullivan
Okay, so I’m breaking my rule twice, but I really love Sullivan’s writing and his books always seem to scratch my itch perfectly. I love his characters, his plots, the easy flow of events. Everything about him is wonderful. His books have been huge hits with everyone who reads them, and there’s a reason for that. Sullivan is just a solid author. You know that his books will be worth the time it took to read them, because they are always good. Furthermore, Sullivan is a success story that so many authors aspire to. He’s a hell of a guy, a magnificent author, and I’m beyond thrilled that I’m one of the people who gets to read his books. Pay attention to this one. He is one of the best.

Fantasy-Faction: Best Fantasy Books of 2013

9) The Crown Tower & The Rose and the Thorn by Michael J. Sullivan

A warrior with nothing to fight for is paired with a thieving assassin with nothing to lose. Together they must steal a treasure that no one can reach. The Crown Tower is the impregnable remains of the grandest fortress ever built and home to the realm’s most valuable possessions. But it isn’t gold or jewels the old wizard is after, and this prize can only be obtained by the combined talents of two remarkable men. Now if Arcadias can just keep Hadrian and Royce from killing each other, they just might succeed.

The Riyria Revelations and The Riyria Chronicles are two separate, but related series, and you can start reading with either Theft of Swords (publication order) or The Crown Tower (chronological order).

Michael Sullivan’s Riyria Revelations are straight up adventure stories with a very fun duo of thieves in the middle of it. His new series, The Riyria Chronicles, serves as a prequel story, telling the tale of how Royce and Hadrian met and became the team of thieves we are familiar with from Riyria Revelations. As we expected, Sullivan delivered a very enjoyable adventure story. We get a better picture and understanding of what caused Royce and Hadrian to become such opposite personalities, and we get more insight into what makes them tick. We are shown how they team up and learn to work together and how they really complement each other. We also get to hear Gwen’s story and how she came to be the character we are familiar with in Riyria Revelations. It’s enjoyable, the characters are as loveable as ever and we have no doubt you’ll finish it and wonder where all the pages went…

Additionally, Sullivan was given the 2013 Reddit Stabby for r/Fantasy Community Achivement Award for Best Overall Editor.

A FREE extended preview of Hollow World which contains the first four chapters of the book (66 pages) is still available.

For information on Hollow World, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Marc Simonetti. Design by Elizabeth Story.

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