By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson Wins a Christy!

Congratulations to Jill Williamson on winning a Christy award yesterday! Her fantasy novel By Darkness Hid won top place in the “Visionary” category. The award is well-deserved and a first for publisher Marcher Lord Press. Congrats to all!

For my previous review of By Darkness Hid, click here.

By Darkness Hid–CSFF Blog Tour, Day 2

(This is the second day of the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy blog tour for Jill Williamson’s By Darkness Hid. To read my post from yesterday, click here. For tomorrow’s, Part 3, click here.)

As I posted the publisher’s summary for the book yesterday, I won’t do it again today but will just jump into my take on By Darkness Hid.

As I mentioned yesterday, I expect By Darkness Hid to have great appeal for both adult and young adult lovers of Christian fantasy–and yes, the book is unabashedly Christian. In my opinion, this is a good thing because the Christian fiction market is desperately in need of fantasy and sci-fi books of this caliber. There are many readers (and writers too) who have abandoned Christian fiction because of its tendency to gloss over this genre. Because of this, I love what up-and-coming publishers such as Marcher Lord Press are doing to provide quality books to those who are hungry for speculative Christian fiction. And I believe By Darkness Hid definitely helps to fill that hole.

(Warning: If you haven’t yet read the book, the following does contain minor spoilers but I promise not to give away the ending.)

In fact, I found the book’s style to be reminiscent of (and written as well as) Robin Hobb’s classic Farseer Trilogy. Perhaps part of that is due to the fact that Achan reminded me a bit of FitzChivalry (the main character in the Farseer books), but the similarity in characters ends there. Where Robin Hobb’s main character searched for meaning in spite of who he was, Jill Williamson’s Achan spends his days dealing with the injustices of his position in life as a stray orphan, all the while not realizing his true identity.

In this, I believe Jill skillfully created a character arc that skillfully depicted Achan’s increasing conflicts and hoped-for resolutions. I suspect that Book 2 will continue to build Achan’s character even further.

I was a bit surprised when Jill threw Avarella/Vrell Sparrow into the mix as well. At first, I found her story developing a bit slow, but it picked up for me as Jill wove Avarella’s and Achan’s story lines together. I look forward to seeing this combined story line continue in Book 2 as well.

In terms of story world, Jill has built a wonderful universe that encompasses two regions, one that contains sunlight and another that is hidden in a fog of darkness. However, I admit to being a bit confused as to how this half of the book’s world could operate in a normal fashion (at least in terms of the nobles and societal structure) if the fog of darkness is as black as it seemed to be painted. I suspect that we will find out in the next book that the “darkness” is actually more grey than black.

My review would not be complete without discussing the magic system Jill has built in her universe. Bloodvoicing is an interesting talent but I believe it is the other main reason By Darkness Hid reminded me of the Farseer books–the talent is only found in those of royal lineage. But that’s okay. I think Jill carried it off just fine.

As I’m sure you have noticed by now, I haven’t read Book 2 in Jill’s Blood of Kings Trilogy, but I enjoyed Book 1 so much that I ordered Book 2 (just published April 1) the same day I finished Book 1. I have tried to identify the things about Book 1 that I liked the best and realized that what I truly enjoyed was the way Jill intertwined the characters, story world and magic system into a believable, intriguing tale set in an interesting universe.

In spite of the huge pile of books I have collected that I want to read, Book 2 of The Blood of Kings series (To Darkness Fled) will quickly move to the top of the list once I get it in my hands. Because I read Book 1 on my iPhone, I wasn’t sure how many pages the printed copy was but when I looked on Amazon, I saw that the trade paperback is 508 pages. I admit that my favorite books are so large they can double as doorstops, so I’m glad to see that Book 2 weighs in at 696 pages.

I like the longer books because they are generally crafted in a more complex fashion than simpler books. I say that to point out the fact that because Jill has woven a story in this book that (at least initially) presents more than one story line, it would probably be difficult for younger readers to follow. But readers ages 13 and up will probably do just fine.

If you find the length of By Darkness Hid a bit daunting, let me encourage you to not let it stop you from reading the book. To me, By Darkness Hid was crafted well enough that it held my interest from beginning to end and kept me going until I had finished the book in two days.

Overall, I would enthusiastically recommend By Darkness Hid to Christian fantasy lovers aged 13 years and up. While some excellent books come along from time to time (Wayne Thomas Batson and Bryan Davis come to mind) it’s rare to find a well-crafted fantasy book in the Christian market.

Tomorrow I will post an interview with Jill Williamson so come back y’all, y’hear? If you want more info about By Darkness Hid, click my Amazon affiliate link here.

Don’t forget to check out my fellow CSFF bloggers and see what they have to say about By Darkness Hid.

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher
R.L. Copple

By Darkness Hid by Jill Williamson

By Darkness Hid is Jill Williamson’s debut novel, published by Marcher Lord Press in 2009. In this Volume 1 in the Blood of Kings trilogy, the author has set the stage for what is sure to become a classic trilogy in the world of Christian fantasy.

The book first caught my eye last year when it was released. However, I’m sorry to say that when I saw “Young Adult” listed as the reader category, I passed it over to pick up another book from my TBR pile. Nonetheless, I am a big fan of what Marcher Lord Press is doing for Christian fantasy and sci-fi fiction so when I would come across them online from time to time, this book would pop up and I would wish it weren’t YA. Well, it appears my fears were unfounded. I was glad to see a few days ago the book listed as YA/Adult fiction, a designation that I believe is more appropriate.

A few months ago, I began to hear more and more about this book. First I saw it was chosen for an upcoming Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy (CSFF) blog tour. Then, lo and behold, an e-book version was offered on Amazon for only 99 cents. How could I go wrong? Besides, By Darkness Hid had just been announced as a finalist for a Christy Award. It was at that point I decided that was it. I had to read this book and see what all the fuss was about. Wow! Am I glad I did!

So here we are on Day 1 of the 3-day CSFF Blog Tour. Tomorrow I’ll will give my thoughts on the book, then on Wednesday, I will post an interview with Jill.

For now, here’s the official blurb, followed by links to my fellow CSFF bloggers. I would encourage you to stop by their blogs for a further look into By Darkness Hid. Without further ado, here is the official book description:

Achan is a stray, mere property ranked lower even than a slave. His entire life he has lived as the abused ward of Poril, who is cook to Lord Narthak. Every morning Poril forces Achan to drink a foul elixer, supposedly for his health but it’s never prevented any illness that Achan can see.

Sometimes Achan has feelings about things before they happen. Sometimes he senses when someone with ill intent are on their way to abuse him.

One day, Achan has a new feeling. Someone is approaching who wishes him only well. It turns out to be Sir Gavin, famed hero of the Old Kingsguard. For some reason, Gavin takes an interest in Achan and even offers to train him in the ways of knighthood.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the continent, a teenage girl dons mens’ clothing to conceal her identity. Her mother is under pressure to marry her daughter, Averella (now going as Vrell), to an evil lord. Vrell uses the mental communication ability she and her mother share to vanish into the world of men.

Forces of darkness have become aware of both Vrell and Achan and are seeking to seize their powers. While one knows her gift and hides it, the other’s true gift–and identity–is known only to a few who seek to use it to overthrow the world.

Note: This is Part 1 of a 3-day blog tour. For the rest of my review, click here: Part 2 and Part 3.

Brandon Barr
Keanan Brand
Gina Burgess
Beckie Burnham
Melissa Carswell
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Amy Cruson
CSFF Blog Tour
Stacey Dale
D. G. D. Davidson
Jeff Draper
Emmalyn Edwards
April Erwin
Sarah Flanagan
Andrea Graham
Tori Greene
Ryan Heart
Joleen Howell
Becky Jesse
Cris Jesse
Jason Joyner
Julie
Carol Keen
Krystine Kercher
Dawn King
Leighton
Rebecca LuElla Miller
New Authors Fellowship
John W. Otte
Crista Richey
Chawna Schroeder
Andrea Schultz
James Somers
Rachel Starr Thomson
Steve Trower
Fred Warren
Phyllis Wheeler
KM Wilsher
R.L. Copple

Marcher Lord Press Releases 2010 Books

This week Marcher Lord Press released three new Christian fantasy and SciFi books. Here are the titles and official blurbs.

The Superlative Stream, by Kerry Nietz
With his female companion, HardCandy, and a secret ship named DarkTrench, Sandfly travels across time and space to find the source and meaning of the transmission that changed his life. (The Superlative Stream is the sequel to A Star Curiously Singing.)

The Word Unleashed, by Steve Rzasa
Baden will have to come to grips with the power he has unleashed on the Realm of Five. And that power has plans of its own. (The Word Unleashed is the sequel to The Word Reclaimed, which is available for $.99 in e-book form from Amazon for a limited time. Here’s the Amazon link.)

To Darkness Fled, by Jill Williamson
Achan, Vrell, and the Kingsguard knights flee into Darkness. They head north, to Tsaftown and Ice Island, where they must free an army that can help them fight for Er-Rets. (To Darkness Fled is the sequel to By Darkness Hid, which is available for $.99 in e-book form from Amazon for a limited time. Here’s the Amazon link.)

Two previously released MLP books are also available in e-book form by Amazon for a limited time at the $.99 price: Starfire by Stuart Stockton Vaughn, and The Dark Man by Marc Schooley. Click on the books titles for the Amazon link.

You can purchase the books on MLP’s website at:
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/New_Store/Fiction.htm

MLP bundles and specials are also available:
http://www.marcherlordpress.com/New_Store/Bundles_and_Specials.htm

The Word Reclaimed, by Steve Rzasa

The Word Reclaimed, written by Steve Rzasa, was published by Marcher Lord Press in October. I was graciously offered a pdf of the book for review purposes, which I gladly accepted. Although reading a pdf is not my favorite way to read a novel, I found that the effort was worth it. Steve Rzasa’s book is a wonderful, classic piece of space opera in the tradition of Star Wars.  The author was kind enough to grant me an interview, but before that, here’s the official blurb.

Far in the future, the five colonized systems have finally been freed of the curse of religion. By mandating tolerance across all colonies, no one can bring religious persecution upon anyone else. Things have been this way for a generation. Long enough for most of those living to have never known a Torah, Koran, or New Testament, except in stories. And the Kesek secret police work hard to keep it so. So what happens when a bitter teenage discovers a holy book that has been earmarked for destruction? What happens when it begins speaking to him. And now that Kesek is coming for him and his father and anyone else who gets in his way, what is he going to do with this troublesome book? The Word Reclaimedis epic space opera amidst civil war, treachery, and  political alliances as sifting as Martian sand.

And now for the interview. Enjoy!

What led you to write this particular story?

A few years ago I hit upon the idea, what if a man found a Bible in the wreckage of a starship? Then I wondered what it would be like if written religious texts were banned, and faith was regulated. From that came the genesis for “”The Word Reclaimed.”

In a way, The Word Reclaimed reminded me of several really great space operas–like Star Wars and Anne McCaffrey’s novels, among others. What particular books or movies impacted you as you were growing up?

Ah, you discovered the not-so-great secret! I love the Star Wars series and read several novelizations, especially the “Heir to the Empire” and “Black Fleet Crisis” trilogies – those I read in college. I did most of my science fiction reading in high school and college. I thoroughly enjoyed C.J. Cherryh’s “Merchanter’s Luck” as well as the Honor Harrington novels of David Weber.

Oh! And I can’t forget the canceled “Firefly” TV series. Best sci-fi show ever!

Who are your favorite authors, those whose books you’d love to settle down with on a cold winter afternoon or evening?

The aforementioned “Merchanter’s Luck” is one I re-read regularly. I also really enjoy David Drake’s “Lt. Leary, Commanding.” Kathy Tyers’ “Firebird” trilogy is a great one, too.

How long did it take you to write The Word Reclaimed?

The Word Reclaimed is actually the first half of a much longer epic I called “Commissioned.” It took about six years to write the whole works, with most of the work completed during nine months in 2008-09. Jeff Gerke of Marcher Lord Press decided he wanted to publish the novel but asked me to find a cut-off, a cliffhanger of sorts. I did, and “The Word Reclaimed” was born.

Who was your favorite character to write? What is your favorite thing about that character?

Well, my protagonist Baden was enjoyable if only for the fact that he’s an average guy struggling with some real questions of faith and belief. But I’d have to settle on Detective Chief Inspector Nikolaas Ryke of the Kesek secret police as my favorite to write. He’s just mean! It was fun to take one character and see just how much of a villain I could make him.

If you could be any character from a fantasy or sci-fi book, who would it be and why?

That’s easy – Han Solo! Or at least, somebody with his same job description. Come to think of it, I’d love to be on the crew of the good ship Serenity of Firefly fame …

What projects are you working on now?

I am in the midst of rewriting/editing the sequel or Book 2, entitled “The Word Unleashed.” The release date is April 2010. After that, well, I have lots of ideas for this universe.

How can readers find you on the web?

My website, www.steverzasa.com, has the latest information about “The Word Reclaimed” and background about the universe in which “The Face of the Deep” series is set. “The Word Reclaimed” is available for purchase through www.marcherlordpress.com, Amazon, and Barnes & Noble.

A Star Curiously Singing, by Kerry Nietz

A Star Curiously Singing is a first-person science fiction novel written by Kerry Nietz. It is a unique book in that it projects what the world might look like if sharia law became the ultimate authority worldwide. Mix that scenario with a future, technology-rich culture and you end up with the world Nietz has built.

The main character, Sandfly, is a debugger, a slave with an implant in his brain enabling him to connect to the electronic world around him in ways that only debuggers can. Sandfly’s primary job is to fix his master’s robots, but when he is called upon to unravel a technological mystery, everything changes. It seems a spacecraft capable of interstellar flight has successfully made a trip to the stars and back to Earth again, but on the way, one of the key robots on board has gone haywire and torn itself limb from limb. Now it’s up to Sandfly to figure out what went wrong and whether the robot poses a danger to humans. But as Sandfly pieces the robot back together, he finds a strange recording that sets his world on edge.

I found that the first-person viewpoint in Nietz’ book immediately drew me into the story. Maybe it’s just me but I found it intriguing to be in the head of a guy who has an implant in his head. (Ok, sorry. I couldn’t help myself.) Seriously, the technology in the book was fascinating to me. How great would it be to have your own wireless computer inside your head, complete with email and instant messaging in text or video or more? Of course, Sandfly had to deal with the whole do-what-I-want-or-I-zap-your-head situation, but he finds ways to survive and still keep his sanity.

I suppose it could be a side effect of reading fantasy books that are so long they could be used as doorstops, but when I reached the end of A Star Curiously Singing and turned the last page…aaaaaaa! I couldn’t believe it was the end! The book went by so fast and I wasn’t through with the story. Must…read…more. I’m sure the sequel will be well worth reading.

The publisher, Marcher Lord Press, was kind enough to provide me with a PDF for review and to set me up with Kerry Neitz, the author. In turn, Kerry was kind enough to answer a few questions for me. Enjoy!

What led you to write “A Star Curiously Singing”? Where did the story come from?

ASCS came out of a confluence of things, really. I was at a place in my writing where I was really questioning whether God wanted me to continue doing it. I’d spent at least a half dozen years writing novels and submitting and getting rejected. When you spend that long, you have to begin to question a little, I think. I love writing, but I didn’t want to keep spending time on it, if God had better things for me to do.

Thankfully, I had written one non-fiction book (FoxTales) that got published, so I could at least say I’d accomplished my writing dream to some extent. In that book, I wrote the introductory chapter in this very “in the moment” first person present style. I received a lot of positive comments on that book, but the chapter I got the most comments on was that first chapter. It made me wonder if I could write a whole book that way.

Also, for awhile I’d had this idea itching at me about this future computer programmer / robot maintenance guy. One that is just doing his job yet somehow solves an important mystery.

Plus, there was also this question in my mind about what sort of future I would hate my children to have to live in. What future frightened me the most for them?

In that context, with all those things working on me,  I was sitting in an airport terminal one day, with my laptop, and thought “I’m going to write something just for me—just to see if I can pull it off—without wondering whether anyone else will like it or even read it.”

So, I started with: “It’s hard to describe this buzzing in my head…” It grew from there.

How long did it take you to write the book?

I started in February of ‘08 and finished the first draft that spring. Even though I wrote it “for me” by the time I got to the end of it, I thought there was enough unique and cool about it that it might have a shot at being published.

So, I contracted this acquisitions editor turned freelancer (named Jeff Gerke) for his opinion. He got back to me in October of ‘08 with some fairly positive comments. Room for improvement, of course, but also enough encouragement (excitement, really) that I knew I had to revise it and “mature” it with his suggestions in mind.

As it happens, Jeff is the founder of Marcher Lord–and even though there were no guarantees–I got some pretty strong vibes from him that my book was one he’d be interested in. If it was a little longer and some targeted improvements were made.

I sent my second draft to him in January of this year. He got back to me in the spring with a few more suggestions. Then, in early July, he offered me a contract. There was a final round of revisions after that. Now here we are.

I love how Marcher Lord Press is publishing Christian science fiction and fantasy books that other publishers aren’t willing to give a chance. How long did you look for a publisher before finding MLP?

See my answer to the above question. <g>

Really, Marcher Lord was the first and only publisher that saw A Star Curiously Singing. But I think that’s where God wanted it. If it wasn’t for Jeff’s enthusiasm and willingness to help, my book wouldn’t be near as special. I owe him a lot.

Who is your favorite character in your book and why?

That would have to be Sandfly, the main character. He is this technological “fix-it” man. The guy people call when their machines are broken. I spent a good share of my life in the tech field as a computer programmer, so I know firsthand what it is like to be the guy people call when things go wrong.

Surprisingly, though, this is the first fictional story that I’ve written where the main character and I really had that “technically-skilled” connection. Maybe not so surprising is the fact that this is my first novel to be published. Write what you know, they say.

Do you have a sequel to ”A Star Curiously Singing” written or under contract?

A sequel to ASCS is in the works. In book contracts it is fairly standards for publishers to have a “right of first refusal” clause for the author’s next book. My publisher carved it in stone, though, by putting “Book 1” on the spine of ASCS. I’m OK with that. <g>

When it comes to other authors, which ones or which books are your favorites?

I use a lot of author names in my book—as swear words, actually. <g> That will give anyone who reads it a fairly good idea about some of the authors I admire. There are lots of others, though. Maybe I’ll use those in later books…

What projects are you working on now?

Primarily, the sequel to A Star Curiously Singing. There have also been quite a few marketing tasks for ASCS that has taken my time–just trying to get the word out. It’s tough!

Plus, I’ve been trying to help Jeff with Marcher Lord in whatever way I can. Mostly that means technical or website issues or advice.

Finally, I have two young children (both under five) so free time is always hard to come by.

If you could be any character from a science fiction or fantasy book, who would it be and why?

One character that I really liked as a teen (and still do) is John Carter of Mars. He’s a fairly archetypical “Hero With a Thousand Faces” type of hero. A “fish out of water” that not only thrives in his new environment but ends of saving it. He has fairly significant initials, too. (JC)

Where is your favorite place to write?

I have this well-insulated Media Room that doubles as my writing room. The only danger there is that there is a TV and an XBOX there as well. Ah well…we all make our sacrifices.

Do you have any additional projects in the works?

Well, we just found out that my wife is pregnant again. That’s fairly significant. <g>

Congratulations! How can readers find you on the web?

www.kerrynietz.com

Many thanks to Marcher Lord Press and Kerry Nietz for a great read and interview.