StanleyWheeler

  I've finished reading Distopia by Robert Kroese. This novel is book 2 in the Land of Dis series and seems to be a prequel to the first book. I haven't read the first book and I picked up this one for only 99 cents. It was money well spent. Our protagonist Wyngalf is on a proselytizing mission for his little known faith. He soon finds himself voyaging to a distance shore from which no ships have returned. Along the way, he encounters the green dragon Verne, a runaway girl named Evena, and an erudite outcast goblin who is given to the study of philosophy. The goblin may be the most sane character in this story.  The narrative, in my opinion, is Candide with dragons and goblins. The book has been compared to Prachett's work, but I enjoyed it more than I cared for The Color of Magic . Like Candide, Wyngalf (or Simply Wyngalf) is a naive character who faces frequent challenges to his religious and philosophical views. That is to say, they are challenged to the extent he has ev...

  Fun Fact:  Let us cast a glance, or un coup d'oeil , at the French for this bit of history. In 1830, Charles X, King of France, issued the Four Ordinances of St. Cloud. Apparently the king felt that the elected government was too radical (and he had no desire to serve as a mere constitutional monarch, considering the kingship his birthright by divine right and all). These ordinances abolished freedom of the press, dissolved the newly elected Chamber of Deputies (the lower house of the French parliament which contained a majority elected in opposition to the king's policies), reduced the future number of deputies, curtailed the powers of the deputies, and disfranchised a huge portion of the electorate. You might think that such steps would be ill-advised in a nation that had already demonstrated a willingness ride the regicide railway to the bloody end. You would be right.  If Charles X considered the citizens revolting before he issued the ordinances, he gained new insi...

  Author interview with Anne Miles Author of Sorrowfish Please tell me a little about your current work in progress. Hi, I am writing the first sequel to my debut fantasy book Sorrowfish . Sequels are in a way harder then first books I think. You’re basically writing a MIDDLE of the story, act 2 if you will –but as its own book. So to make it interesting and fun and wondrous and not bore your readers you must continue to inject surprises. Where did you get the idea for this book or series? I was brainstorming while in the midst of a horrible divorce in 1998 and this is what I came up with. It took me a long time to work up the courage to actually write the story. Do you write in more than one genre? No, I only write fantasy, though I could possibly turn part of this story out as a thriller and get away with it. Tell me about something that you believe makes your writing unique or worthy of attention. It’s chick-lit-wrapped epic fantasy with a splash of bourbon. Booknest said it was...