the great bazaar & brayan’s gold

July 3, 2015

Reviews of recent Alastair Reynolds, Peter V. Brett, and Hannu Rajaniemi titles

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized alastair reynolds, brayan's gold, collection, demon cycle, elizabeth story, fantasy, hannu rajaniemi, hannu rajaniemi: collected fiction, lius lasahido, novella, open book society, peter v brett, review, risingshadow, science fiction, short stories, slow bullets, space opera, supernaut, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, Thomas Canty

Photo: Barbera Bella (Alastair Reynolds)/Kasrsten Moran (Peter V. Brett)/(Hannu Rajaniemi)

OPEN BOOK SOCIETY lauds Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS.

Alastair Reynolds’ SLOW BULLETS pontificates this and more in a pulse pounding novel that is easily the equal of any Arthur C. Clarke and Phillip K. Dick story rolled into one.

<snip>

Stylistically this is a masterpiece to behold. Slick and polished, SLOW BULLETS will please the palette of any reader of any genre, not just science fiction. Word economy is tight and nothing is wasted on the reader. Suspense, intrigue and the thought provoking instances that occur in time all play an equal part to the collective whole; adding in characterization, the whole is definitely more than the sum of its parts. All attempts at keeping the reader’s imagination open are left open wide and the book is better for it.

All in all, SLOW BULLETS by Alastair Reynolds, is a remarkable read. Fans of contemplative science fiction, like The Matrix, Johnny Mnemonic, or books like Joe Haldeman’s The Forever War or any Phillip K. Dick story, will find themselves treading familiar waters here. Make no mistake about it, though. SLOW BULLETS will more than likely garner a few more discerning readers. For a thought provoking read, look no further than SLOW BULLETS.

RISINGSHADOW praises Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

I give this collection strong 4.5 stars on the scale from 1 to 5 stars for its entertainment values, because I enjoyed reading the stories and the deleted scenes.

Peter V. Brett’s The Great Bazaar & Brayan’s Gold is an entertaining collection of two novellas. It’s a must-read collection for fans of Peter V. Brett because of its thrilling blend of traditional fantasy elements, action, magic and originality, but it’ll also please newcomers who haven’t read any of the author’s novels. If you’re looking for entertaining fantasy stories to read, you can’t go wrong by reading this collection, because it offers fantasy, demons, good characterisation, action and originality in one package.

Good and well written fantasy entertainment for adults!

And finally, SUPERNAUT reviews the sold out HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION.

The cover! I haven’t had a good cover conversation with myself in a long time, mostly unmemorable, or in the case of almost all non-fiction, not applicable (“blue-grey cloth hardback with gold-embossed serif type … mmmhuh.”) Collected Fiction, he got a good typeface finally, two in fact, nice mix of condensed serif (with drop shadow) and monospace. And then there’s theAlien/Borg/Ex Machina/face of hot white chick attached to spiky cyborg body with boobs. And arse! On a sort of Asian/Japanese-y sunset-red disc and swirly blue-green background. Plus a couple of Egrets flapping their feathers loose. Definitely in Questionableland. Kinda like it. Still questionable.

<snip>

And then I read The Jugaad Cathedral. This story is up there somewhere with Anne Leckie’s Ancillary Justice in its simplicity and sheer radicality. It has ideas I’ve read before (possibly in other Rajaniemi works, maybe in Charles Stross’ Rule 34 or Halting State), but it’s what he does with these, the outcome, that’s critical and glorious, and I wanted a whole novel of this, not just a mean barely score of pages. I often question the reality or substantiality of the internet, doing things like building websites, it often seems low on meaning or value or realness. It’s a question of perspective. To use what is there to affect physical things, to gain agency and control of one’s self through an abstract chain of seemingly trivial, childish, imaginary things, this makes it as real as any engine or apparatus.

I don’t want to spoil the story, so I’ll just say it made me smile and laugh and filled me with such happiness, and when I blab the fuck on about diversity and representation, it’s this kind of story I mean.

For more info about SLOW BULLETS, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Thomas Canty

Design by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

For more info on HANNU RAJANIEMI: COLLECTED FICTION, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Lius Lasahido

Design by Elizabeth Story

July 2, 2015

Tachyon sightings and mentions

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized andrew wheeler, brayan's gold, collection chuma hill, demon cycle, falling in love with hominids, fantasy, feminist, horror, jamie lee moyer, kate elliott, kelley armstrong, led astray, led astray: the very best of kelley armstrong, mind meld, nalo hopkinson, novella, paranormal romance, patricia a mckillip, peter v brett, science fiction, SF Signal, short stories, t. frohock, the antick musings of g.b.h. hornswoggler, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, the very best of kate elliott, Thomas Canty, victoria hooper, wonders of the invisible world

Tachyon titles and authors attracted some recent attention around the web.

Over at THE ANTICK MUSINGS OF G. B. H. HORNSWOGGLER, GENT., proprietor Andrew Wheeler acknowledged two forthcoming releases.

FALLING IN LOVE WITH HOMINIDS is the third short-story collection from Nalo Hopkinson, collecting eighteen stories from the last dozen years. It’s a trade paperback from Tachyon, coming on August 15th.

Also from Tachyon – but publishing sooner, on July 14th – is Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, collecting two sidebar novelettes to Brett’s Demon Cycle novels that were each originally published as pricey limited-edition hardcovers in the UK.

(Tachyon seems to be concentrating on writers that I’ve met and feel guilty about not reading more of – probably not on purpose!)

For their recent MIND MELD, SF SIGNAL asked panelists “What Authors Are on Your Must-Buy List?” While only one Tachyon book was specifically mentioned, several of the authors were.

Mentioned by T. Frohock:

I shouldn’t have to justify Patricia McKillip to anyone, but if you love dark fairy tales told in beautiful prose, McKillip is your author.

Jaime Lee Moyer:

Kate Elliott, who proves that not only do women write epic fantasy, they write rich, well crafted and well thought out epic fantasy with amazing characters. I have her The Very Best of Kate Elliott collection sitting on my shelf making big eyes at me right this minute. Her books are an instant buy.

Victoria Hooper:

I’m now working my way through Kelley Armstrong’s Otherworld series, something I’ve wanted to do since reading Bitten and being immediately hooked by the voice of the main character. I have to admit, I hadn’t expected a werewolf story to seem so different and compelling. Her writing is exciting and a bit playful, while at the same time there is often a streak of quite macabre horror running through. They’re fun reads, and I’m happy I have plenty more to enjoy.

Catherine Lundoff:

Writer and editor Nalo Hopkinson is one exception to my series-reading pattern. I read Nalo’s first published novel, Brown Girl in the Ring, and got hooked on her work after that. I really enjoy her world building as well as the way that her books and stories make me think about the world we currently live in. I find her a compelling and memorable storyteller, one whose work I remember years after I read it. She’s also one of the few authors on this list whose novels and short stories I seek out; we aren’t all good at both lengths, but she is a definite exception.

Read the rest of the selections at SF SIGNAL.

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

Cover art by Chuma Hill

Design by Elizabeth Story

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on WONDERS OF THE INVISIBLE WORLD, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Thomas Canty

For more information on THE VERY BEST OF KATE ELLIOTT, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover art by Julie Dillon

Design by Elizabeth Story

For more information on LED ASTRAY: THE VERY BEST OF KELLEY ARMSTRONG, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Elizabeth Story

June 29, 2015

Win a copy of THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized brayan's gold, contest, demon cycle, drabble, elizabeth story, fantasy, giveaway, peephole in my skull, peter v brett, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold

On his site PEEPHOLE IN MY SKULL, Peter V. Brett is giving away copies of THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

For this contest, we’re asking you to craft a drabble. A drabble is…

“A short work of fiction, about one hundred words, not including the title. A drabble is all about brevity, testing the author’s ability to express interesting and meaningful ideas in a confined space.”

We’re very excited about this contest. We’ll be picking several winners. Can’t wait to see your entries!

Entering is easy. Just follow three simple steps…

Step 1: Write a drabble set in the Demon Cycle world that contains an original character or demon (or both).

Step 2: Send your drabble to Contest@petervbrett.com by July 8, 2015. The drabble should be a MAXIMUM of 100 words.

Step 3: Prosper.

This contest is international. Everyone is encouraged to enter! If you need inspiration, check out this quick overview of the Demon Cycle world:http://www.petervbrett.com/creations/

Winners will receive a paperback copy of The Great Bazaar and bragging rights!

For full details visit PEEPHOLE IN MY SKULL.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

June 16, 2015

Bestselling author Peter V. Brett participates in another Reddit AMA

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized ama, brayan's gold, demon cycle, elizabeth story, fantasy, interview, lauren k cannon, peter v brett, reddit, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold

Over at his REDDIT AMA, Peter V. Brett answered questions about writing, publishing, THE DEMON CYCLE, and his new book THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

Terr1ble

Mr. Brett, How hard is it switching from radical viewpoints mid-story? The more European traditional story line interrupted by mid-Eastern value influenced characters and vise-versa adds interesting depth as a reader. I find myself not wanting to wait to get back to the Warded Man and crew, but then I don’t want to leave the Shar’Dama Ka’s entourage. How do you lay out the timelines and mesh them together to create the books? Thank you for the AMA and the wonderful world.

Pvbrett

I plot out each viewpoint storyline in advance before I start writing, giving each a (usually) three-act story arc, using dates on the Thesan calendar to keep the timeline straight. Then I move the chapters around to weave the stories together more or less chronologically, tying deeper flashback chapters in to events in the “present”.

Once I have the full outline of the book complete, I then write the prose chapters in in proper order. This usually results in writing every character’s act 1, then every character’s act 2, then the climax which usually brings many of them together.

I also have a detailed series wiki, and a lot of headaches.

Defensive ward against: Snow Demons
First appeared: Brayan’s Gold

Ward by Lauren K. Cannon, copyright by Peter V. Brett.

KeithXDow

Hello Mr. Brett! I recently finished my debut manuscript about the life of a young professional in New York City set against the rise and fall of the 2008 stock market.

Can you detail for us the process you went through to get signed by your first literary agent?

Pvbrett

I met Joshua Bilmes of JABberwocky Literary at a Science Fiction Writers of America event, and again at an SF convention. After telling him about my novel, he asked me to submit it.

He rejected it, but said he would read other books if I had them. So I sent him another book. He rejected that, too, then told me to read Writing to Sell by Scott Meredith, and gut-rewrite the first book. I took a year to do that, and came back with The Warded Man, which went on to sell in 27 different languages worldwide. It was a good lesson in the power of being stubborn but able to accept criticism.

Good luck!

GlorNarzig

Hey Peter. Thanks for doing another AMA, it’s great to have authors doing these more often. It’s great that fans can connect with their favourite world builders. How do you think social media has best helped authors interact with fans and establish a really awesome fanbase? Do you feel that it sometimes takes too much out of your day to be constantly updating things once you start?

I love your books and I can’t wait to see how everything turns out in the end.

Oh, one last thing. I haven’t yet read your novellas, I plan to but I wanted to know if there’s some really interesting things I’m missing out on. Thanks again.

Pvbrett

Thank you!

Social media has been great in letting authors establish themselves apart from their books and publishers as real people. For me it has been an incredible boon, letting me interact with people all over the world. I am published in 27 languages, and thanks to social media and translation software, all of my readers can feel included and that I hear and care about them. Writing is also an incredibly lonely occupation, so it’s nice to have the reminder that we’re not just shouting in the dark.

I think most social media users are learning that it sometimes takes up too much of their IRL day. Every couple I know is establishing device time rules to keep it from interfering in their relationships. This is typical of new technology, so it’s not shocking, but we are in as big a flux as the introduction of television. Takes discipline and getting used to in order to keep it from taking over.

Regarding the novellas, it isn’t strictly necessary to read them to enjoy the novels, but they definitely enhance and add a lot IMO, and I’m very proud of them. The Great Bazaar and Messenger’s Legacy, in particular, were written to tie directly into Desert Spear and Skull Throne respectively.

LucidLunatic

The events in Bryan’s Gold are mentioned as an aside, and it is good reading, but contributes relatively little to understanding of the series. I haven’t read Great Bazaar, but I hope/suspect it is in a similar place. Messenger’s Legacy, however, is a pretty direct prequel to Skull Throne, and without reading it xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx will come out of the blue.

Pvbrett

Great Bazaar ties into Desert Spear quite closely. It was meant as a bridge between the books. Brayan’s Gold is the most standalone of the bunch.

Read the rest of Brett’s AMA at REDDIT.

Defensive ward against: Clay Demons
First appeared: The Great Bazaar

Ward by Lauren K. Cannon, copyright by Peter V. Brett.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

June 15, 2015

THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD sells out!

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized brayan's gold, collection, demon cycle, elizabeth story, fantasy, news, novella, peter v brett, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold

Peter V. Brett is almost as excited about his new spear as he is about THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD selling out.

One month before the official July 14 pub date, Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD has completely sold out!

We have gone back to press and the second printings should be available within the next three weeks.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

June 9, 2015

THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD is altogether a great read

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized black gate, brayan's gold, collection, demon cycle, elan samuel, elizabeth story, fantasy, john o'neill, lauren k cannon, novella, peter v brett, review, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, the warbler

At THE WARBLER, Elan Samuel reviews Peter V. Brett’s THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

Ultimately, I found the story beneath the sound effects, accents, and ear-splitting shrieks to be one that I knew I would enjoy if I’d read it myself. I haven’t read The Warded Man on paper yet, but I will, and soon. Why, you ask?

A few weeks ago I was contacted by San-Francisco-based Tachyon Publications, who asked if I’d like to review an upcoming release of Peter Brett’s. THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD contains two novellas from the Demon Cycle, as well as two deleted scenes from The Warded Man. I jumped at the opportunity, and am glad to report that my prediction was entirely accurate. Sitting down and reading the book, I found myself transported in a way that the audio version of The Warded Man was never able to achieve. In these two novellas, I got a taste for how great the “real” thing is, and an understanding of why so many people are so entranced by the series.

<snip>

The book also includes two deleted scenes from The Warded Man. The first provides fans with the source of the whole shebang — Peter Brett’s first foray into this world, in the form of a short story written for a classroom assignment. It’s pretty good too, despite the (necessary) caveat that it was written in one night, as homework. The second is a moment where Leesha — one of the protagonists in The Demon Cycle — in the course of her studies to become a medicine woman, years-since ostracized by her community for perceived indecency, confronts one of her old friends, whom she discovers is being beaten by her husband. Leesha is a character who is hardened by the cruelty of her world, threatened by demons from without and social constructs from within. No splitting hairs here — this world isn’t kind to women. Leesha is empowered by Bruna, the healer before her, and with the mantle of a healer grows into her own. In this scene we find a Leesha who manages to be impartial and objective, and simply help someone who desperately needs it, despite the difficulties this particular young woman caused her. I can understand why Peter Brett cut it from the final version of The Warded Man, but I was glad to read it here.

The bottom line is that I was on the fence about the Demon Cycle. I went into great detail about that in my review of The Warded Man. These stories helped me fall to one side — the one that’s ready to read more. Now I want to hop into The Desert Spear and keep the momentum going. I highly recommend this to fans of the Demon Cycle. It’d be a bit tough to pick up and digest if you’re new to the world, but not hard enough that you won’t enjoy yourself. An altogether great read.

Read the rest Samuel’s review at THE WARBLER.

Meanwhile over at BLACK GATE, John O’Neill recommended THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

Peter V. Brett’s second novel in the Demon Cycle, The Desert Spear, became an international bestseller, and the next two books in the series made him one of the top-selling authors on the market. So it’s no surprise that The Great Bazaar and Brayan’s Gold, two limited edition novellas from P.S. Publishing, set in the world of the Demon Cycle, and detailing Arlen’s early adventures, have been sold out for years.

Now Tachyon Publications is releasing an omnibus collection of both novellas in a handsome and affordable trade paperback edition. It something no fan of Peter V. Brett will want to miss.

Defensive ward against: Clay Demons
First appeared: The Great Bazaar

Ward by Lauren K. Cannon, copyright by Peter V. Brett.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

May 11, 2015

Win the full Demon Cycle collection including the forthcoming THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized brayan's gold, contest, demon cycle, elizabeth story, fantasy, lauren k cannon, peter v brett, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold

On his site PEEPHOLE IN MY SKULL, Peter V. Brett is hosting a contest for a “full Demon Cycle collection” including the U.S. hardcovers of THE WARDED MAN, THE DESERT SPEAR, THE DAYLIGHT WAR, and THE SKULL THRONE as well as the forthcoming Tachyon edition of THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD and the latest novella, MESSENGER’S LEGACY.

1) Choose a person, place or thing
2) Ward it!
3) Send a picture of your creation to contest@petervbrett.com no later than Tuesday, May 19, 2015.

You can find the full grimoire of wards and their descriptions in this public facebook album: https://t.co/8eD7TIccER

This contest is open internationally!! Anyone can enter!

The Grand Prize winner will receive a “full Demon Cycle collection” including the U.S. hardcovers of The Warded Man, The Desert Spear, The Daylight War andThe Skull Throne as well as the forthcoming Tachyon edition of The Great Bazaar and Brayan’s Gold and the latest novella, Messenger’s Legacy. It’s a hefty prize, but that’s not all we are giving away! A number of lucky runner-ups will receive signed copies of the beautiful new Warded Man hardcover.

For full details visit PEEPHOLE IN MY SKULL.

Wards by Lauren K. Cannon, copyright by Peter V. Brett.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

May 5, 2015

On a Reddit AMA, Peter V. Brett discusses tattoos, demons, THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD, and loads more

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized ama, brayan's gold, demon cycle, demons, fantasy, interview, mark lawrence, peter v brett, reddit, tattoos, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold

On April 30, Peter V. Brett participated in a Reddit AMA. Things began with award-wing fantasy author Mark Lawrence.

[–]MarkLawrence/r/Fantasy Best of 2013 & 2014 Winner (+AMA Author)

OK, a serious question, no 1000 ducks, no horses, none of that.

Demons … they rise out of the core and solidify … but their bodies seem to fit the area they appear in, rock demons in rocky places, wood demons in forests, sand demons in deserts etc. So my original vision of it was that they somehow construct themselves bodies using the local materials. But I’m not so sure of that now as it doesn’t really match the descriptions (from memory). But if that’s not the case then why would they have bodies that ‘fit’. Also – I’ve never been clear if they eat people or just kill them. Do they eat animals too – I’m thinking not or there would be precious few animals left? And if they did … what would all the sand demons be eating to keep fed?

So I guess that’s my question – in the core are all the demons basically the same thing and then they rise and build appropriate bodies, or are they sand and wood and fire demons the whole time and they just aim to appear somewhere that ‘fits’?

If it’s the former, then I presume if you had a sewage farm or a sweet factory you could get shit demons and candy demons rising?

PS – still really enjoying Skull Throne!

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S]

Yes and no. Demons are the same in the Core as on the surface. Some of their forms are influenced when the mind demon consort imprints on them at birth, but after that it’s more a matter of natural evolution; slow changes over the course of many years. Demons are immortal unless killed, so the same demon can change gradually over the course of its lifetime. No two are exactly alike.

Most drones are not smart enough to shapeshift, they dematerialize, ride a current to the surface, and put themselves back together more or less the same way from their original matter. But that said, they are influenced by both the terrain they pass through and their local brethren, and over time it affects their form.

Demons often do eat what they kill, but the act of killing itself, particularly their ancient enemies (humans), is pleasurable to them. They have hunted most of the mid-sized animals (and humans) to near-extinction. The only animals that remain are those that have adapted to fleeing/hiding, or those that have fed on demon meat or otherwise evolved big and badass enough to fight back, like nightwolves and Angierian mustang.

Demons also kill and eat below the surface. Sometimes each other, and sometimes subterranean creatures.

<snip>

[–]MisakAttack

HELLO PETER V BRETT,

I HOPE THE CORE IS GOING WELL. I LOVED THE SHIT OUT OF THE SKULL THRONE. NO JOKE, SON. LOOKING FORWARD TO WHATEVER YOU PLAN ON RELEASING NEXT.

DO YOU PLAN ON RELEASING A BIG BOOK FULL OF DEMON’S CYCLE NOVELLAS? WILL IT HAVE A SEXY COVER THAT MATCHES THE OTHER DEMON’S CYCLE COVERS? I LIKE IT WHEN BOOKS IN A SERIES ALL MATCH COVERS. PEOPLE SAY YOU SHOULDN’T JUDGE A BOOK BY ITS COVER, BUT THOSE PEOPLE ARE DUMB.

WATCHING GAME OF THRONES? SHIT’S CRAZY, RIGHT?
GOOD DAY AND HAVE A PLEASANT TOMORROW.

(sorry for yelling, I had a lot of coffee and I want attention)

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S]

THANKS SO MUCH. YES, TACHYON PRESS IS RELEASING THE GREAT BAZAAR AND BRAYAN’S GOLD AS A COMBINED MASS MARKET NEXT MONTH! YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE AWESOME COVER AND DETAILS HERE:https://tachyonpublications.com/product/great-bazaar-brayans-gold/

I AM WAITING TO BANK A BUNCH OF EPS OF GOT BEFORE STARTING THIS SEASON.

THANKS FOR hack! cough! Cough! Sorry. All this shouting is murder on my throat. Thanks.

[–]Rytn

Do you actually say “honest word” in everyday conversations? That’d be awesome, honest word.

How do you feel about the criticism you get about Renna? Has this affected her character design/development at all or are you keeping Renna true to yourself/herself/itself?

If you could give one piece of advice to writers what would it be?

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S]

I do say honest word sometimes. Usually only to people who get the reference, but it works surprisingly well regardless.

I was initially surprised at the extreme reactions to Renna. There are message board threads created just to hate on her, yet there is no character cosplayed as often, or with as much passion. There is a large group of readers convinced she is the real Deliverer.

I think some of the issue is that we are seeing on the page a lot of the magic-addiction and the emotional roller-coaster that Arlen went through off page. We lose track of Arlen when he starts warding himself and eating demon meat, and when we see him again years later, he is fundamentally changed. It’s why he understands so well what she’s going through, and believes in her. She’s the one that brought him back to himself, and he’ll be corespawned if he can’t do the same for her.

And that’s the other part of the issue. A lot of folks ‘shipped Arlen and Leesha in book 1, and then Renna came in and popped that bubble.

Regardless, Renna remains on the same arc she has always been. I would be a pretty sad excuse for an author if I let readers dictate what I write. And that right there is the best advice I can give you. Know when to take criticism, and when to ignore it. It’s a fool’s game trying to please everyone.

<snip>

[–]sharklops

Hi Peter love the books! I’m the guy who sent you the spear image with the transparent background for your website.

Just wondering if, with the important role tattooing plays in your books, what if any tattoos do you have yourself?

[–]PvbrettAMA Author[S]

Thank you! I only have one tattoo myself. It is a Japanese katana with a heart-shaped tsuba that I drew. The sword is called Heart’s Guard, and was carried by the hero of the first fantasy series I wrote. Those books were never published and never will be, but I learned a lot writing them. The tattoo, on my forearm where I see it every day, it a reminder to never quit aspiring to do better in writing.

Been meaning to get a ward circle tattoo, but I have been lazy…

Read the rest of the AMA at Reddit.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

April 28, 2015

The excellent THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD is required reading

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized branyan's gold, brazil, demon cycle, desbravando livros, fantasy, novella, peter v brett, portuguese, review, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, vagner stefanello

At DESBRAVANDO LIVROS, Vagner Stefanello reviews the original two separate Subterrean editions Peter V. Brett’s BRAYAN’S GOLD and THE GREAT BAZAAR AND OTHER STORIES. The duo will be reprinted as THE GREAT BAZAAR & BRAYAN’S GOLD.

The Brayan’s Gold narrative takes place at about the half of the main book, Arlen is in Miln when working with Cob and carrying forward his dream of being a messenger.

In one of his first works as a messenger apprentice, Arlen is in charge of taking an extremely important load thundersticks (rockets?) To BRAYAN’S GOLD, one of the mines Brayan Conde, located in a well away to the northwest of Miln mountain. In addition, since its load is dangerous and any sudden movement can blow it up and also cause an avalanche, care is necessary, not to mention the fact that thieves often lurk the high road and intercept shipments arriving at the mines.

Needless to say I’ve missed reading about Arlen, right? I believe this tale Brett, whose pages had to be taken from the main book and placed here, brings some more perspectives for readers and also enhances the features and Arlen motivations. His aversion to fear that people have the terraítas is evident here and it further intensifies.

<snip>

Required reading for fans of the series, do not forget to check BRAYAN’S GOLD and other extra books that take place in the same world. The writing of Peter continues engaging as ever.

Read the rest of Stefanello’s review of THE BRAYAN’S GOLD at DESBRAVANDO LIVROS.

And here I am again to tell you my opinion on
THE GREAT BAZAAR AND OTHER STORIES, another book of Peter V. Brett’s going in the same universe of the main series.

Situated between chapters 16 and 17 PROTECTED, THE GREAT BAZAAR already introduces us to Arlen as a messenger and currently Krasia, the Lance of the Desert. Ever wanted to know more about the place, and this tale healed a bit my curiosity about the krasianos and how they behave.

<snip>

In short, THE GREAT BAZAAR AND OTHER STORIES is a very interesting reading and should be cleared by all fans of the series and who else desired. Recommend!

Read the rest of Stefanello’s review of THE GREAT BAZAAR AND OTHER STORIES at DESBRAVANDO LIVROS.

(Both reviews poorly translation from the Portuguese by Google.)

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

April 23, 2015

Awesome displays of magic with Peter Brett’s DEMON CYCLE

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized brayan's gold, demon cycle, diana wynn jones, fantasy, fantasy review barn, meme, peter v brett, space and sorcery, the great bazaar, the great bazaar & brayan's gold, the tough guide to fantasyland, tough traveling

At SPACE AND SORCERY, Maddalena participated in Nathan of FANTASY
REVIEW BARN Tough Traveling meme. Each week Nathan chooses a topic from
THE
TOUGH GUIDE TO FANTASYLAND by Diana Wynn Jones, and challenges everyone to come up with a list of books featuring that trope. For this week’s topic (awesome displays magic), Maddalena included Peter Brett’s DEMON CYCLE.

In Peter Brett’s DEMON CYCLE people are plagued by demons, called corelings, that rise out of the planet’s core at night leaving a trail of death and destruction behind them: each demon is tied to a specific element – like fire, air, rock or wood – and all of them seem to have no other purpose than to feast on humans and spread terror. The only protection against the corelings are wards, special signs painted or carved on the dwellings where people shut themselves in at night, or drawn on the ground when someone is caught in the open at the fall of darkness. If one is still alive at the return of morning light, they can still survive for another day…

One day though, a lone traveler discovers that painting wards on his skin gives him protection against the demons, and etching them on his weapons allows him to destroy them, so he tattoos those wards all over his skin, becoming the Painted Man (or the Warded Man) and he becomes something of a legend because he can travel at night without fear of the corelings and can bring the fight to them instead of huddling in fear behind four walls.

Read the about the rest of Maddalena’s selections at SPACE AND SORCERY.

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

Cover design by Elizabeth Story.

1 2 3 4