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 ever considered them. 

Wyngalf and Evena meet Verne upon a rock in the sea. I found the first encounter with Verne to be hilarious. Eventually Wyngalf's destiny, or at least what he thinks may be his destiny, pits him against Verne and a major city controlled by the dragon. Evena's home also becomes subject to Verne's wrath, or extortion racket. Of course, I'm holding a lot back because I don't want to spoil the book for you. The adventure takes exciting twists and turns with various characters passing across the stage as aiders and abettors, conspirators, and bit players. The entire matter comes to an exciting conclusion with plenty of destruction, and wrap up of the character destinies. 

The production is light on description and heavy on dialog that is both interesting and germane. A few scenes are well defined by colorful description, but usually the specific setting emerges in broad strokes so that the reader's imagination can supply most of the backdrop. That works well for a novel that is about dialog and ideas, and less about what color flowers and leaves might be, how many bricks are in each layer of the wall, or which mast, sail, or line on the ship is at risk. 

I did find the goblin's sheltered life and limited experience incompatible with his depth of knowledge regarding philosophy and the workings of the human shipping and governmental systems. I was also a little puzzled by some aspects of the dragon's initial introduction. However, it all contributed to the humor and the plot of the story, so I didn't let it bother me. Although Distopia is an adventure with action and conflict of all kinds, the discovery of ideas and issues of government and the right of self-determination, including how the road to tyranny can be paved with good intentions and notions of expediency, rise above the action.

Overall, I highly recommend Distopia. I give it four and a half out of five "best of all possible worlds."

__________________

If you want to hear about my ordeal on the slippery roof yesterday, or some of the unexpected events during the trip to Utah two weeks ago, you'll have to tap into my newsletter which you can find here: GET MY NEWSLETTER.

I see that something has happened to the links to my books on the left side of this page.  Click the image below to go to my website book page.

My dystopian thriller, The Shrinking Zone, has reached 58K words. I'm hoping to finish it by the end of the year. Inquiries about alpha and beta reading are welcome.

 

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 insights with regard to that opinion almost immediately. The citizens were revolting, and they did. The disfranchised businessmen refused to lend money and closed their factories. The workers now had nothing better to do than to protest (what with the lack of bowling alleys and movie theaters at the time). The newspapers refused to be silenced. The police and military patrolled Paris to maintain order.

The fighting began on the evening of July 27. The fighting continued on the 28th to shouts of "down with the Bourbons," and "to the guillotine." (I don't think the latter phrase was meant as a toast). Charles at St. Cloud ordered Marechal Marmont (who had betrayed Napoleon in 1814) to quell the riot. Marmont, after taking in the situation and demonstrating himself to be the indecisive worm that he was, sent back a note to the king informing him that he no longer faced a riot, but a revolution. Marmont waited for immediate orders, lest delay result in a change of regime. Charles turned to his adviser Jules de Polignac. This minister, having been part Four Ordinances, told the king to double down and to resist rather than compromise. I don't see that the king ever provided Marmont with more specific orders.

By July 29th the populace had acquired weapons from the arms depots and gunpowder factories. They had erected barricades throughout Paris. The tricolor waved from many buildings. Marmont remained inert, failing to call in additional troops. He further handicapped his troops by ordering them not to fire unless fired upon. The populace took the Louvre, the Tuilleries Palace, and the Hotel de Ville. The politicians began the work of establishing a provisional government. Thus completed the second revolution against the Bourbon monarchy. Charles fled to England.

Unable to get out of a familiar rut, the French established a constitutional monarchy and placed Charles' 5th cousin Louis Phillipe, another Bourbon, on the throne. This monarchy would last until 1848 with the birth of the 2nd French Republic.

As long as I'm rolling here: The fall of King Louis Phillipe in 1848 does illustrate some germane points. By 1848, most of the populace could not vote and a third of Paris was on social welfare. Frederic Bastiat argued that political corruption, a complex system of permits, monopolies, and bureaucracy led to the revolt against Louis Phillipe. Political favors and protectionism allowed the privileged to dictate market conditions which resulted in the destruction or bankruptcy of many businesses. Bastiat reported that the French law makers were entirely unaware of the consequences of their radical policies. These factors caused the rise of the socialists and anarchists, and eventually another revolution. 

With political gatherings banned, those in opposition to the government held fundraising banquets. These were subsequently banned in February 1848. The Parisians reacted in the usual way with their anger directed at the king. With the torches and pitchforks converging on the palace, Louis Phillipe abdicated on February 24 and fled to England. By this point, there must be more Bourbons and their spawn in England than in France.

The new republic struggled as its incompatible aims were reduced taxes and greater social benefits. The republic established a work program building roads, planting trees and such, and taxed land to pay the workers. The small land owners and rural peasants could not or would not pay the tax. Turmoil, riots, and armed suppression of factions followed until the election of Louis-Napoleon Bonaparte in December.*

***

But enough revolution. I believe France is in its 5th republic which dates from 1958 and which may soon be its most long-lived republic. It's like they turn out republics like crepes.

Dead Horse Point, twenty-some miles out of Moab Utah. I was there for the third time last week. To clarify: I was only there once last week, but it was the third time that I had ever been there. It was part of a fabulous trip about southern Utah which prevented me from writing. I did however see some sights, visit the college kid, play cribbage with my root and branch, and drive a couple thousand miles. I am back home with my nose to the keyboard, having spewed words to the digital page like half-digested midway snacks on the tilt-a-whirl. I've probably used that simile before, but I still like it.

I have to be honest. As I hit the final third of the dystopian novel, I'm looking forward to slipping back into the Tomahawks and Dragon Fire series in the midst of exciting times in the American Revolutionary War. There I go, back to revolutions. They may not be fun to live through, but they can be fun to write about.

_________

*Most of the above was condensed from various wikipedia articles about the subjects.

 

If you haven't checked out my kindle vella adventure, Saving Tirese, you should click the link. The first three episodes are free to read. If you like a good D&D adventure and mystery, you'll enjoy this story. Here's the blurb and the link all in one:

Eskan never intended to be a hero. He never intended to take to the wilderness in search of some girl he had never met. When he falls in with a servant of the Weeping God, an annoying pit fighter, and a sorceress with shapely legs to make some quick money, he soon wishes he had stayed in town to pick pockets. Can Eskan and his comrades survive when they clash with the advance forces of a forgotten empire? What cause can force them to face the wrath of the wizard who also seeks the girl?

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 “for those who were looking for more than an axe to the face.”

Is there anything about your personal history or personality that manifests strongly in your writing?

I am a designer. I went to art school and I think it shows through in my writing. I’m extremely visual. 

What else would be helpful for readers to know about you?

I’ve been reading fantasy since I was very small. I started to read at age 2 and read Shakespeare at age 6 because he wrote about fairies. I love conspiracy theories of all flavors and used several of them in the planning of this series. (the 444 vs 432 hz one, specifically.) I despise posers. I had a shih tzu named Poco who inspired the character of Jax. He died toward the end of my editing process and I was heartbroken.

Excluding your own work, what underrated author or book would you recommend that more people read? Why?

D. Scott Johnson because his book Gemini Gambit is a cross between Ready Player One and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. He is amazing.

Which of your books do you most highly recommend? Why?

Sorrowfish (it’s my only book)

 

Which break, event, decision, or fortuitous circumstance has helped you or your writing career the most?

My editor Cheryl was my web site client. She was my client first, then I started writing. I would not have written or published without her. She was sent to me by God.

What question do you wish you would get asked more often?

What does Sorrowfish mean?
Sara isn’t selfish, she is sorrowfish. She acts from pain when she is hurtful to others, most of the time. That doesn’t mean it is okay to hurt others, but it does help her to understand and forgive herself and grow.

Do you have a catch-phrase or quote that you like? What is it? And why do you choose it?

“I drank what?” - Socrates

Because it is funny. It’s also a movie quote from Real Genius, which I think makes it golden. 

__________________

Thanks to Anne for participating.

In my own writing, I've passed the 50K word mark on the dystopian thriller -- which seems to be set in the time period encompassed by next week if things continue to accelerate like they have been. I talk a little more about that, and address the issue of whether Conan had ever read Leviticus in my newsletter, which you can sign up for here.