Monthly Archives: August 2010

B. Sanderson’s “The Way of Kings” Released

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Today’s the day Brandon Sanderson’s new book, The Way of Kings, hits the shelves. I just got the advanced reading copy so I’m reading it now. I’ll post a review when I finish. Meanwhile, the publisher, Tor, has posted an article by Sanderson, in which he talks about his early days as a writer and how The Way of Kings came about.

My favorite quote is in regard to the first book he had ever written:

The book was terrible. It was essentially a hybrid of Tad Williams and Dragonlance, though at the time I felt it was totally new and original. It did have a wizard who threw fireballs with smiley faces on the front, though, so that’s kind of cool.

If his first book was that bad, maybe there’s hope for us aspiring authors yet. :)

The Tor article can be found here: Brandon Sanderson Talks About The Way of Kings

If you’re interested in possibly purchasing The Way of Kings, check out my new, custom Amazon bookstore–there’s a link on this page to the right. The current price there is only $15.11, compared to the standard retail price of $27.99. You can also find additional product information there.

Happy reading!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Bryan Davis Promotion for “Masters & Slayers”

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Ok, folks, just a quick post today. I thought this was too good to not pass along.

Bryan Davis is getting ready to conduct a promotional contest for his upcoming adult inspirational fantasy, Masters & Slayers. It is being conducted only on his Facebook page and you have to be a fan who “likes” this page. The prize will be an entire set of the upcoming “Children of the Bard” series.

The contest will begin once the number of fans reach 2,000, so help spread the word, ok? One easy way to do this is to click on one of the “Share and Enjoy” buttons at the bottom of this post, where you can post a link to this page on Facebook, Twitter, or several other social networks, or you can email the link from there as well.

I’ve read Masters & Slayers and it’s excellent! I will be posting a review for the book on September 6 as it hits the stores September 13. Stay tuned for that.

Meanwhile, here’s the link to his author Facebook page where you can get more details about the contest: http://www.facebook.com/BryanDavis.Fans

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson (CSFF Blog Tour)

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This month’s Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour is different from any of the others I have participated in as we bloggers have been given the opportunity to write posts on our favorite inspirational sci-fi/fantasy books. For me that is a difficult assignment. I don’t really have a favorite book in this category but there are a few that I have enjoyed very much. As such, I have been wanting to post on a wonderful book I recently read so I’ll do it in honor of CSFF.

To Darkness Fled, Book 2 in the “Blood of Kings” trilogy by Jill Williamson, is a masterfully written inspirational, adult fantasy novel. I don’t say that lightly. After reading Book 1 (By Darkness Hid), I eagerly looked forward to reading the sequel. Life being what it is, it took a while to get to it, but once I met my other commitments, I grabbed the book and happily settled in for a good read. I wasn’t disappointed.

The book picks up right where Book 1 left off, however, it continues the story primarily from another character’s point of view. In this book we get to explore the mind and experiences of Lady Averella, known to her current companions as Vrell Sparrow. In Book 1, we see Vrell flee the wicked prince in the guise of a young lad, who is then sucked into the world of men for the adventure of her life.

Once again, author Jill Williamson had done a great job of creating a believable character and placed her in certain situations that kept me turning page after page. Here’s the official blurb:

Enter Darkness…

They had no choice. Chased by an evil prince, Achan, Vrell, and the Kingsguard knights flee into Darkness. They head north, for Tsaftown and Ice Island, where they must free an army that can help them fight for Er’Rets.

Darkness sickens Vrell. How long can she keep her secret without being caught? Achan already suspects her of lying. If she is not careful, he will suspect her of treason, as well. She hopes he will let his suspicions go until they reach her home. Though he would not be very wise if he did.

Achan wanted freedom, but this new journey has bound him more than ever. Sir Gavin’s claim is so far fetched. First, that there might only be one god, and second, that this God chose Achan to push back Darkness, the magnificent curse of Er’Rets. Him. Achan. Barely a man himself.

Each setback Darkness brings seems minor compared to the one choice only Achan can make. What will he choose?

To read sample chapters of To Darkness Fled on Scribed.com, click here.

To Darkness Fled is appropriate for readers 13 and older, but will likely appeal to most adult readers interested in Christian fantasy. I highly recommend the book.

Author Jill Williamson can be found all over the web, including: www.jillwilliamson.com,  Facebook,  MySpace,  Shoutlife,  Shelfari,  GoodReads,  Twitter,  Amazon (author page)

To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson
Publisher: Marcher Lord Press
Publication Date: April 1, 2010
696 pages

To read the recommendations of the other CSFF bloggers, see the sidebar.

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

Top Blog Award!

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The other day I was surprised to receive a notice that Fantasy & Faith received an award in the 2010 Top Christian Science Blog Awards. I have no ideas why I received a Christian Science award, but since it is audience-nominated, evaluated by 5 judges and based on “academics, knowledge and overall brilliance,” I have only one thing to say. Thank you!

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

The Realm Unseen by J.S. Earls

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The Realm Unseen is an interactive, inspirational science fiction novel. The first half of book has multiple endings based on the choices made by the reader, much like a story-line game. Of course, this is no surprise, given the author’s qualifications as the author of the “National Geographic Border Wars” games. The second half of the book contains The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells.

The Realm Unseen is one of the first books in Lamp Post Publishing’s new Fiction:Inspired! line. Here’s the official blurb for the book:

Based on the audio game and inspired by a classic, author and creator J.S. Earls welcomes you to a world of wonder. a world where YOU are the star of the story and you alone hold its fate in your hands.

Unlike other interactive adventures, every decision you make is—literally—a matter of life and death. there is, also, only ONE way to “win”.

Oh yeah…and you’re blind!

So prepare yourself, you’ll need every ounce of strength and ingenuity you have just to survive, let alone uncover the secret of the century.

Welcome to the deadliest day of your life.

Welcome to The Realm Unseen.

J.S. EARLS is a multi-media author and editor whose diverse credits include a series of interactive online games for National Geographic, graphic novel adaptations from Ted Dekker’s Circle Trilogy and Lost Books Series, editing several volumes of Lamp Post’s Manga Bible series, and creating the critically-acclaimed Pistolfist series. He lives in the Tampa Bay area with his wife Daisy and their two children.

Lamp Post Publishing can be found at: http://lamppostpubs.com/

The author’s website: http://jsearls.webs.com/

Disclosure of Material Connection: At times, some of the links in my posts are “affiliate links.” This means if you click on the link and purchase the item, I will receive an affiliate commission. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”