In addition to finishing up coursework for my MFA program, I have been a busy little reading bee!
I'll start with the #SPFBO winner from last season, Reign and Ruin by J.D. Evans. For those of you who don't know, the #SPFBO (Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off) contest is open to self-published authors only. Each year there are more entries for the all-volunteer judges to consider. Reign set itself apart from the field because it is an excellent example of fantasy romance. The stakes are high. The characters are compelling - even if they are predictably attractive. The plot and sub-plots are superbly executed. And like all romances, the chemistry between the protagonists is steamy. There's not a lot of sex in this book but what's there is tastefully done and just enough to elevate your heartrate. If you're into fantasy romance, you'll probably enjoy this one. I'm not a romance reader generally so...eh. It's good but some of the other finalists would have been my #1 pick.
The Living Waters by self-published author, Dan Fitzgerald, blew me away. The first installment in the Weirdwaters Confluence duology, Living Waters is a sword-free fantasy featuring unconventional relationships redolent in lush landscapes and gut-wrenchingly sympathetic characters. I can't even begin to tell you how beautiful this book is. When two painted-faces, prized for the paleness of their skin, embark on a journey of discovery before settling into their "rightful" places in high society, they each get more than they bargained for. Float along the river with them as they discover legendary places and civilizations are very real and accepted perceptions aren't always true. If I ever get to teach a writing class, this book will be on the list of required reading. It is simply stunning. I've never read anything like it.
The first two books in P.L. Stuart's Drowned Kingdom Saga were challenging. Beautifully written with excellent plotting, solid power structures, and convincing world building, both A Drowned Kingdom and The Last of the Atalanteans are well worth your reading time. What challenged me was the protagonist, Prince Othrun of Atalantea. Sure, the dude faces some horrific obstacles with bravery and honor but man alive! I have never enjoyed a book this much while simultaneously wanting to throat punch the MC. I kept having to remind myself, "It's fiction! It's a book! He's not real!" Othrun is an immature, arrogant, bigoted, chauvinistic, religious zealot with few redeeming qualities. His growth is slow but all signs point to fundamental change in subsequent books. (I mean, Othrun is so bleh that P.L. acknowledged his general unlikableness in the forward of Book #2!) I am looking forward to the next installment to see if Othrun pulls his head out of his butt.
Legends and Lattes by Travis Baldree is a shining example of the little book that could. Originally a selp-published work, L&L was picked up by a traditional publisher and has been making waves ever since. Seriously, I found it in the wilds of B&N last week. Super satisfying! Almost as satisfying as reading this book. Viv is an orc mercenary who dreams of opening her own coffee shop in a town where folks don't even know what coffee is. She buys a store front and hires help to make her dream come true. Of course, there's drama and sketchiness and betrayal to go along with the heart-melting, deliciousness of new friendships and self-realization. If you've never experienced what it's like to be hugged by a book, you should drop what you're doing and read this one. Have some coffee and a cinnamon roll while you're at it. Hug your imagination and your tastebuds at the same time.
Oh my. I recently discovered Ruta Sepetys and y'all...her books are so good! I love a good historical fiction and these are it. Centering around and in historically significant places and events, Ruta draws you into the lives of her historically insignificant characters and makes you care about the everyday people swept up in what's happening around them. Out of the Easy is set in mid-twentieth century New Orleans and tells the tale of a girl who dreams of education as her ticket to escape the brothel-and-crime centered life she was born to. I Must Betray You drops readers into communist Romania just after the fall of the Soviet Union at the beginning of the struggle for democracy in the former Soviet block. While the protagonists are all young adults, the subject matter and consequences are not. You can bet I have more of Ruta's books lined up on my TBR list.
