A Review: The Return of the Guardian-King by Karen Hancock

When reviewing a book that is part of a series in which one of the books has won a Christy award raises expectations for a good read, even a superior read. Unfortunately, this book failed to meet that expectation for me. Some aspects were in part a matter of taste. Some of the writing was a bit wordy for my tastes and moved more slowly getting to the heart of the story than I like. But those are personal issues. Even once I swept them aside, I found the book to be a fairly modest example of the classic Sword and Sorcery romance.

The story is a common one in fantasy literature. A king is separated from his Kingdom and is on a quest to return to it and his rightful place. In this case King Abramm, the Guardian-King appeared to have been executed, but in reality he was rescued at the last minute. He disguises himself as Alaric a supporter of the King who is on his way to help take back the kingdom for the Kings family in exile. Meanwhile his wife, like Odysseus's Penelope, fends off suitors while awaiting the return of her husband whom everyone else says is dead.

You have plenty of stock characters in this story. The heroic king in exile. The wise old spiritual adviser. The wife who stubbornly refuses to give up hope. The handsome suitor wooing the queen.

The problem is that many, if not most of them, never quite make it beyond their traditional stereotype. I have the feeling I am reading a Prince Valiant cartoon instead of a piece of literature. Certainly, that can be a pleasant diversion in the short term, but not over the extent of a 300 page book.

Likewise, this book shares some of the problems found in many Sword and Sorcery books which take place in an alternate fantasy world. First, we have a world which is essentially like ours just with the addition of a few fantastic creatures like shape-shifting wolves and dragons and the ability of some to manipulate "the light" which apparently emanates from Eidon, the divinity of this world. It is apparently anaologous with the Holy Spirit with the exception of being impersonal and capable of manipulation by human beings. I hope that is not the intent of the author, because there are some serious theological consequences to such a teaching.

Nevertheless, it is basically a low-tech, medieval type of setting with some magical elements thrown in. The thing about that is that, like many fantasy novels, the alternate world is not quite different enough to really let you know it's not just 10th century England with dragons added. However, even that would be acceptable except for the internal inconsistencies and anachronisms.

At one point the society is presented as being basically patriarchal with women being totally dominated by men. Yet, in another scene a woman is ready to "give" her husband a divorce. In a patriarchal culture of the sort established initially the man would be the one to grant divorces and the woman would have no say in the matter.

In another scene we have someone putting on his spectacles without any sense of wonder. It takes a fairly sophisticated level of technology to produce something that common, and not really in keeping with the level of technology depicted in the book. It doesn't mean this person couldn't have found some crystal and shaped it himself or an artisan did it for him, but it would be an uncommon marvel.

Then there is the patois of the "lower class" using "ye" for "you," but not in keeping with the actual meaning of ye as the nominative plural.

I know what you are thinking. This is all nitpicking. Even Shakespeare had a clock in ancient Rome. But he did have compelling characters, a strong storyline and a great funeral oration. The problem is that these inconsistencies and anachronisms continue to build up within the context of a fairly predictable, and slow moving storyline, played out by rather stock characters.

Perhaps, some of this would be more readable if I had read the other books in the series. I would then know some of the background. However, a book should be able to stand on its own merits as an individual work of art. And if there is material in the previous volumes necessary to the enjoyment of the present volume, then a prologue bringing the reader up to date would be advisable.

For those who have read the previous books, I suspect this would be an adequate addition to the set. However, I would not advise anyone to start with this book. I am truly sorry my expectations were not fulfilled.



Read what other bloggers are saying about this book:

Nissa Annakindt
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Kameron M. Franklin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Karen
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Shannon McNear
Caleb Newell
Nicole
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Robin Parrish
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Tsaba House Authors
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Daniel I. Weaver





You can find this book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0764227971 I receive no income from this link.

A Review: The Return of the Guardian-King by Karen Hancock

When reviewing a book that is part of a series in which one of the books has won a Christy award raises expectations for a good read, even a superior read. Unfortunately, this book failed to meet that expectation for me. Some aspects were in part a matter of taste. Some of the writing was a bit wordy for my tastes and moved more slowly getting to the heart of the story than I like. But those are personal issues. Even once I swept them aside, I found the book to be a fairly modest example of the classic Sword and Sorcery romance.

The story is a common one in fantasy literature. A king is separated from his Kingdom and is on a quest to return to it and his rightful place. In this case King Abramm, the Guardian-King appeared to have been executed, but in reality he was rescued at the last minute. He disguises himself as Alaric a supporter of the King who is on his way to help take back the kingdom for the Kings family in exile. Meanwhile his wife, like Odysseus's Penelope, fends off suitors while awaiting the return of her husband whom everyone else says is dead.

You have plenty of stock characters in this story. The heroic king in exile. The wise old spiritual adviser. The wife who stubbornly refuses to give up hope. The handsome suitor wooing the queen.

The problem is that many, if not most of them, never quite make it beyond their traditional stereotype. I have the feeling I am reading a Prince Valiant cartoon instead of a piece of literature. Certainly, that can be a pleasant diversion in the short term, but not over the extent of a 300 page book.

Likewise, this book shares some of the problems found in many Sword and Sorcery books which take place in an alternate fantasy world. First, we have a world which is essentially like ours just with the addition of a few fantastic creatures like shape-shifting wolves and dragons and the ability of some to manipulate "the light" which apparently emanates from Eidon, the divinity of this world. It is apparently anaologous with the Holy Spirit with the exception of being impersonal and capable of manipulation by human beings. I hope that is not the intent of the author, because there are some serious theological consequences to such a teaching.

Nevertheless, it is basically a low-tech, medieval type of setting with some magical elements thrown in. The thing about that is that, like many fantasy novels, the alternate world is not quite different enough to really let you know it's not just 10th century England with dragons added. However, even that would be acceptable except for the internal inconsistencies and anachronisms.

At one point the society is presented as being basically patriarchal with women being totally dominated by men. Yet, in another scene a woman is ready to "give" her husband a divorce. In a patriarchal culture of the sort established initially the man would be the one to grant divorces and the woman would have no say in the matter.

In another scene we have someone putting on his spectacles without any sense of wonder. It takes a fairly sophisticated level of technology to produce something that common, and not really in keeping with the level of technology depicted in the book. It doesn't mean this person couldn't have found some crystal and shaped it himself or an artisan did it for him, but it would be an uncommon marvel.

Then there is the patois of the "lower class" using "ye" for "you," but not in keeping with the actual meaning of ye as the nominative plural.

I know what you are thinking. This is all nitpicking. Even Shakespeare had a clock in ancient Rome. But he did have compelling characters, a strong storyline and a great funeral oration. The problem is that these inconsistencies and anachronisms continue to build up within the context of a fairly predictable, and slow moving storyline, played out by rather stock characters.

Perhaps, some of this would be more readable if I had read the other books in the series. I would then know some of the background. However, a book should be able to stand on its own merits as an individual work of art. And if there is material in the previous volumes necessary to the enjoyment of the present volume, then a prologue bringing the reader up to date would be advisable.

For those who have read the previous books, I suspect this would be an adequate addition to the set. However, I would not advise anyone to start with this book. I am truly sorry my expectations were not fulfilled.



Read what other bloggers are saying about this book:

Nissa Annakindt
Wayne Thomas Batson
Jim Black
Grace Bridges
Jackie Castle
Valerie Comer
Karri Compton
Frank Creed
CSFF Blog Tour
Gene Curtis
D. G. D. Davidson
Chris Deanne
Janey DeMeo
April Erwin
Kameron M. Franklin
Linda Gilmore
Beth Goddard
Marcus Goodyear
Andrea Graham
Katie Hart
Sherrie Hibbs
Sharon Hinck
Christopher Hopper
Heather R. Hunt
Becca Johnson
Jason Joyner
Karen
Tina Kulesa
Lost Genre Guild
Kevin Lucia and The Bookshelf Reviews 2.0 - The Compendium
Rachel Marks
Rebecca LuElla Miller
Shannon McNear
Caleb Newell
Nicole
Eve Nielsen
John W. Otte
Robin Parrish
Rachelle
Cheryl Russel
Hanna Sandvig
Chawna Schroeder
Mirtika Schultz
James Somers
Tsaba House Authors
Steve Trower
Speculative Faith
Daniel I. Weaver





You can find this book at http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/asin/0764227971 I receive no income from this link.

The Unspoken Danger of Self-Publishing

When people talk about the "dangers" of self-publishing they tend to point to con-artists, vanity publishers promising things they can't deliver, naive authors who don't understand marketing, etc. However, there is another danger for the self publisher that people tend to overlook. And for the literary landscape of 21st Century America, it is probably one of the most serious: Compromised literary quality.

Okay, before all you self-publishers get out whatever is the cyberspace equivalent of tar and feathers let me make clear that I am not opposed to self-publishing per se. In some ways the advent of e-books and print-on-demand publishing has re-democratized publishing. Like someone once said, "Freedom of the Press belongs to those who have one." Now, just about anybody with a modest investment can get a book "published."

One can also argue that with an increasing number of people purchasing books online, the fact that most self-published books don't see the inside of a bookstore, is not as important as it was in the past to the sale of the books. Thus, the success rate of some self-published titles can be impressive.

Others will also contend that for certain niche markets self-publishing is virtually the only venue for publication. A good example is the Christian speculative fiction field. Neither the Christian mainstream publishers nor the secular ones are much interested. So, self-published works dominate the field. In fact, in today's economy, some argue it is about the only way a new genre can get a foothold in the marketplace.

That brings me back to the real danger of self-publishing: poor literary quality. Recently, I've been reading several speculative fiction books. In fact, right now, I'm reading one published by a traditional secular publisher and one which is self-published. When I switch between the two, the first thing I notice is a difference in polish. Both books have interesting characters and plot lines. There are memorable passages and no so memorable ones in each. But the one published by the traditional publisher just seems a bit more "finished."

Let me put it this way, when I am reading most self-published novels I feel like I'm reading one of the early drafts of one of my best writing students. The ideas are good. The characters are well drawn. The story line is moving along, but.... as it is, it's still only a B+ paper. It's good, but not publishable. It still needs work to take it to that next level of polish the reader deserves.

It doesn't mean the writing is bad. In fact, the writing may be generally good. It's just that it needs to be better. In traditional publishing, there is an editor or agent who says, "No, this isn't quite right, yet. and sends it back for a rewrite, the one last rewrite most of us as writers wouldn't do on our own. It's the rewrite which is not about selling the book, but the one about making the reader's experience just a little bit better.

But when we are self-publishing (like this blog), we are more likely to let things go a bit. For a blog, that's not too bad, because blogging is supposed to be a bit more spontaneous and it doesn't produce something that can sit on a shelf and be read for generations in a physical form. The reader expects, and has a right to expect, a level of writing more polished in a book than in just about any other medium.

So, does this mean everyone should publish through traditional publishers? I've already said that there are good reasons for going with the self publish option. Here are a few more:

1. You are writing for a specialized market too small to interest a traditional publisher.
2. You are writing in a genre which has yet to establish a foothold in traditional publishing.
3. There are significant financial incentives to "go it alone." For instance, a conference speaker who speaks to thousands of individuals a year, might make more money publishing her own conference materials than trying to sell them to a traditional publisher.

Notice one of those reasons is NOT because my writing isn't as good as the "big boys/girls" published by those companies. If you are not getting published by traditional publishers because they aren't handling your type of literature, that's one thing. It may even be a legitimate reason to investigate self-publishing. However, if you are being rejected because quality of the writing isn't there, then you need to go back to the manuscript, edit, rewrite, read more, take classes on the craft of writing, hire a writing teacher, tutor or coach, learn more then improve your writing.

Even if you feel after an honest appraisal of the situation that your project has promise and your writing is solid, before putting your deathless prose in print, find yourself an editor. I don't just mean a proof reader. It important to get the mechanics right, but that's not the type of polish I'm talking about. Find someone who has published in your field to give a thorough critique of your book. Then let that person decide - and not you - when it is ready to be published.

If cost is a factor, a good second best option is a critique group. Let them tear your work apart and t hen let them decide when it should go to print. But the editor is a better option.

Self-publishing does have the potential of revitalizing the publishing industry, giving a voice to worthy authors who might not otherwise have one, developing new genres, and serving small groups of enthusiasts who would be ignored by Random House. However, the self-published author also needs to exercise enough patience to not go to press before the book is ready.

"Is there such a thing as Christian Horror?" Topic for Second Life Discussion and New Location

I'll be hosting another discussion of spirituality-based speculative fiction in Second Life. For those who know second life, my location is Solbim 76,135, 51 Here is a SLURL which you can place in your web browser and will launch the SL software to take you there supposedly.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/solbim/75/135/51

This is a new location, so delete any others you might have in your landmarks list.

If this doesn't work, when you get into the world you can IM me (Terri Marathon is my in-world name) and I'll teleport you over. (How cool is that? How often do you get to say that in real life.)

This weeks discussion begins at 7 p.m. and will discuss "Is there such a thing as Christian Horror?"

Science Fiction without Phasers

Before I proceed, I need to make clear that I am a big "Space Opera" fan. I watched all of the episodes of all the Star Trek venues, even Enterprise (which apparently nobody else watched.) I really appreciated Gene Roddenberry's emphasis, though, on character and strong storylines that were not totally dependent on phaser fire and photon torpedoes. Nevertheless, he did sell the series to NBC as "Bonanza in Outer Space."

However, science fiction is more than just action theater in outer space. Science fiction, though considered second class literature by many critics, is perhaps the most relevant medium for exploring the societal, ethical, moral and cultural issues facing the world in the coming years. Science fiction stories which may not include a space battle challenge the reader to "think outside the box" which contains their daily experience.

Looking to television, we saw the heyday of that type of science fiction in the 1960's with the classics The Twilight Zone and The Outer Limits. The low budgets on these shows and the primitive state of special effects forced the producers to focus much more on character and thought-provoking story lines to hold their audiences. Some of the classic programs tell the power of "quiet" science fiction. Remember the Twilight Zone episode where a woman is having plastic surgery to correct her "hideous" appearance only to find that it didn't work, she was still the blonde, smooth complexioned, blue-eyed, "monster" who had to be sent away. Or what about the episode where at a certain age everyone was expected to choose one of the "approved" body types so they would not be different.

In print, I was moved and amused by "The Fun they Had" by Isaac Asimov where two children who are homeschooled in the future by computerized robotic teachers, discover a book that tells about the old days when all the kids went to school together in a building, were taught by a human teacher, and played together at something called "recess." They envied those "happy" students and "the fun they had" going to school.

Yes, I love to watch Captain Picard stand in front of the view screen and say, "Lock weapons, Mr. Worf. Fire!" but I think in some ways, I prefer to watch Commander Data struggle with his quest to discover the human quality of emotion.

It's all part of the rich tapestry of science fiction. One that I wanted to take some time to celebrate.

Speaking of Twilight Zone: Why not post your own favorite episode of the classic series. Feel free to post your favorite Outer Limits either classic or new.