young readers Archives - Tachyon Publications

August 17, 2017

Patricia A. McKillip’s THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD is utterly satisfying

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized james nicoll, my way by starlight, patricia a mckillip, read well, review, suncerae smith, the forgotten beasts of eld, Thomas Canty, young readers

The buzz surrounding Tachyon’s reissue of Patricia A. McKillip’s World Fantasy Award-winner THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD, soon to be available in both print and for the first time in digital formats, proves that the 40 year old book still dazzles.

Photo: Stephen Gold/Wikimedia Commons

MY WAY BY STARLIGHT was thrilled to discover the classic book.

Most reviews, I’m able to write almost directly after the book. It keeps the book fresh in my mind and I enjoy getting them out to you as soon as I’m done. Well, I finished THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD this weekend. This novel was something I needed to digest before I could get it back to you.

McKillip’s work, to me seems an instant classic. There are those books I read, and love and immediately go to gush about to others. There there are those that I love, such as THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD, that I keep to myself for a little while because they seem to touch a part of me hidden deep down.

This is an older book, and it’s written more as an older epic, high fantasy novel. Beautiful details, and an emphasis on more of the interpersonal details than action. Not to say that there isn’t action, but this is much more a novel of understanding what it means to be human.

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I enjoyed the fluid writing. Not as intricate to internal thoughts as many of our modern novels, we get to hear of these amazing creatures and she the wisdom they bring, humanity’s desire for power, and how sometimes the greatest battle is for our own very soul and understanding our own demons.

To me this has become a tale I will gladly read again, and shall always have a treasured spot in my library. I’ve always thoughts that books come at a time when you need them most. THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD only proved that once more to me.

Suncerae Smith at READ WELL awards five stars to the lovely tale.

THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD is a lovely classic fairy tale fantasy that you probably missed. It’s a story of magic, but it’s prose is magic as well. You will be whisked away to a land and time so foreign, yet so familiar through this delicately refined fable. Bask in Sybel’s peaceful isolation with her animals before struggling with her as she learns to appreciate companionship. She spends so long extolling the virtues of isolation that when she rounds the corner of trust, the darker traits of the human condition prove her correct. So begins a cautionary tale of power and revenge that’s utterly satisfying.

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Recommended for fans of dreamy fairy tales!

James Nicoll on his eponymous site includes, without comment, THE FORGOTTEN BEASTS OF ELD among his selection of Twenty Core Young Adult Works of Speculative Fiction Every True SF Fan Should Have on Their Shelves.

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

Cover by Thomas Canty

April 8, 2015

THE HOTEL UNDER THE SAND is strongly recommend for fans of Roald Dahl

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized Ann Monn, fantasy, kage baker, novella, review, roald dahl, sf crowsnest, sven scheurer, the hotel under the sand, young readers

For SF CROWSNEST, Sven Scheurer reviews Kage Baker’s story for young readers THE HOTEL UNDER THE SAND.

‘The Hotel Under The Sand’ is written for young readers and can also be enjoyed by adults. Its style and the fantastic storyline strongly remind me of Roald Dahl. The adventure is well narrated, the vocabulary suited for younger readers. Don’t expect lots of action, this is a fun adventure not a thriller. The central plot consists of Emma and her friends going on a treasure hunt in the hotel.

The novella is a light and entertaining read for an afternoon at the beach. Emma is the only character with a bit more depth. All the others are supports and remain sketchy at best. ‘The Hotel Under The Sand’ is a radical departure from Kage Baker’s ‘Company’ novels or her fantasy fare but as well written as those books. I would strongly recommend it for fans of Roald Dahl and readers who are still young at heart.

Read the rest of Scheurer’s review at SF CROWSNEST.

For more on THE HOTEL UNDER THE SAND, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn.

March 27, 2015

Explore THE HOTEL UNDER THE SAND by Kage Baker for only $1.99

Alec Checkerfield Uncategorized Ann Monn, fantasy, kage baker, kindle daily deal, the hotel under the sand, young readers

Kage Baker’s acclaimed story for young readers THE HOTEL UNDER THE SAND is a Kindle Daily Deal for Friday, March 27.

For today only, the ebook is available for just $1.99!

2010 Andre Norton and Mythopoeic Award nominee
2010 Locus Award runner-up

“Wow! I read The Hotel Under the Sand with delight and joy. It’s wonderful, wacky and spooky, and serious and FUN. It also strikes
me as utterly original (which is quite rare). In fact—although this is
something one should always say with some caution—it wouldn’t surprise
me if it turned out to be a classic and went on down the ages along with
Alice and Oz and the very few others that have become immortal.”
—Diana Wynne Jones, author of Howl’s Moving Castle

Nine-year-old Emma is lost at sea in a terrible storm. She awakens on
a desolate island, frightened and lonely. Yet brave, quick-witted Emma
will not be alone for long, as the ghost of a bellboy appears with the
tragic tale of the Grand Wenlocke.

“It’s exciting to come upon a book that serves not only as a great story to share with your kids, but one that has some undeniably
unusual—and geeky—features.”
—Wired.com

More than a century ago, a brilliant inventor built a splendid
Victorian resort, the Grand Wenlocke. The hotel was powered by a
Difference Engine, a miraculous device that could slow down time (making
your vacation just as long as you’d like). But just before it was
scheduled to open, the Grand Wenlocke mysteriously sank under the sand.
Now the storm that brought Emma to the island has awakened the hotel,
perfectly preserved and as incredible as ever.

“…charming…Baker’s first book for younger readers is a delight.”
—Denver Post

While exploring the magical hotel, Emma encounters a kind-hearted
cook and her faithful little dog, a seemingly fearsome pirate captain,
and the imperious young heir to the Wenlocke fortune (should it ever be
recovered). Adventure, friendship, peril, and perhaps even treasure—all
these and more await Emma at the hotel under the sand.

“Kage Baker’s The Hotel Under the Sand will grab you on page
one and never let you go until you finish reading and beg for more.
Young Emma is exactly the kind of little girl I wish I’d had for a
sister and would love to have for a daughter. She’s smart, brave, and
good. Her adventures are wonderful, her companions are amazing, and The Hotel Under the Sand will send you back to the bookshop to search for every Kage Baker book you can find.”
—Richard A. Lupoff, author of Marblehead

“I read it all in one sitting, enjoying the characters and the
well-crafted plot very much, and want to read it soon to my
granddaughters. Kage Baker used the fantasy structure with a light
touch, reassuring but exciting, and the Wenlocke itself is a wonderful
creation. Baker writes well without writing down to her young audience;
in fact, she invites them to stretch and reach.”
—Cecilia Holland, author of Until the Sun Falls

“…skillfully written….”
—Publishers Weekly

“Kage Baker is already well-known among adult readers for her science-fiction series The Company, but her new children’s book The Hotel Under the Sand is bound to win her plenty of new readers among the younger set.”
—Omivoracious.com

“Refreshingly original…. Although Baker is an established author of
science fiction and fantasy for adults, this novel is written so
naturally that it is difficult to believe it is her debut for younger
readers.”
—VOYA Library Journal

“There are few books that I immediately want to press into the hands
of other readers the instant I turn the last page. My copy of Hotel will be one that I hand to my daughter in a few years. First, however, I’m going to force it on everybody I know.”
—Locus

“…a strangely delightful story.”
—Charlotte’s Library

“The Hotel Under the Sand is the kind of book that you resolve to send to your nieces and nephews even before you have finished the first page.”
—Reading the Leaves

“I just wanted more!”
—Fantasy Book Critic

For more on THE HOTEL UNDER THE SAND, visit the Tachyon page.

Cover by Ann Monn