Review: Hero, Second Class by Mitchell Bonds

The Hero Complex, Book I

“Don’t do it, White! You can never trust a Villain. They will stab you in the back at the first opportunity!”
“Funny, I hold the same to be true about Heroes,” Voshtyr said. “Except they stab you in the front.”

Welcome to a world where there are Heroes and Villains… and Arch-Villains… and a hero’s apprentice called Cyrus Solberg. Not to mention the fantastical creatures and a keep in the middle of a swamp. It is also a world where heroes have names like The Crimson Slash and the Purple Paladin and Villains must fill in Environmental Impact forms if they’re planning on Epic Destruction and are not allowed more that one solar eclipse per quarter. There are damsels in distress, dragons, zombies and a sultry “vampirine” who must be killed in the old-fashioned stake-and-holy-water manner.

“This world is governed by three forces, dear boy: the Elements, the Capital Letters, and the Arbitrary Numbers.”

On his way to becoming a hero, Cyrus must follow his master, The Crimson Slash on his various travels and quests. He also finds romance and love somewhere he could not have imagined. But while The Crimson Slash has no time for heroes who use magic, Cyrus soon finds out that he can do strange things like shoot fire from his hands if he wishes. And with Voshtyr Demonkin gathering an army and planning to build a P.L.O.T. device, the Heroes are in for the fight of their lives.

I loved this book! It is perfect reading after a hard day's work, a hard morning's work or school. I can neither say yea or nea to reading while working or while in class. Bonds weaves an extremely funny and rollicking adventure with Heroes and Villains which are a cross between fantasy and super heroes (or villains, for that matter). Magic and spells are used profusely; with especially useful spells like “Shut Up”, “Halt Time” and the “unsporting Slay Horse spell”. Bonds’ takes well-known plots, characters and clichés and turns them on their head while weaving this tale. Even when dealing with difficult subjects like race, faith and religion, Bonds stays true to the story, his created world and making it about the characters and doesn’t preach. I am a huge Pratchett and Discworld fan and must say that, if you like Pratchett, you’ll like Bonds.

Get this great fantasy adventure from Marcher Lord Press books – and look out for the next installment in the coming months! Woot!

Interview with the author: http://wherethemapends.com/Interviews/Mitchell_Bonds.htm
Another review: http://fantasyandfaith.com/2009/10/12/hero-second-class-by-mitchell-bonds/

Fantasy Review: The Book of Names: A Novel By D. Barkley Briggs

(Book I of Legends of Karac Tor)

“You have been chosen for a life of great purpose. Adventure awaits you in the Hidden Lands.”


Hadyn and Ewan Barlow are two brothers caught up in a painful new life after tragedy strikes their home – their mother passes away while they are only in their teens. They try to adjust to their new life and a new home when they not only find a runestone, or, more precisely, an arch inscribed with runes which have been hidden for countless years, but are also called to the Hidden Lands of Karac Tor.

Soon they not only have to learn to cope with the pain they carry, but help save a whole world from falling into darkness. They must also fight the darkness and despair within themselves. Love, friendship, loyalty and faith are challenged when the Book of Names is found to be blank and the young of Karac Tor are plunged into mindlessness and despair.

I must admit that it was the book’s cover and the Norse elements thereon which made me first pick it up. Briggs weaves a wonderful tale with elements from the Norse and Celtic mythology reinvented or reapplied to fit the world and legends of Karac Tor. It is quite believable that the legends that exist in Karac Tor have been changed in retellings to form the Norse mythology we know on Earth – but you do not need to know the mythology to enjoy this work.

What if sorrow was a doorway,
And memory, a gate?
What if we never passed through?
What worlds would go unfound?

On a personal note, this book has really meant a lot to me as I first read it about three months after my own mother passed away. The heart in the books, I am sure, also comes from the fact that Briggs at first wrote the book for his own children after the passing of their mother and his descriptions of the children’s and the father’s pain are truthful and deeply felt by the reader. But do not expect a somber tale bereft of comedy or a dark tale without hope or a renewed faith.

I completely agree with GP Taylor – “Magic and folklore at its very best – well worth a read.”

Look out for: Book II, Corus the Champion

Author Website: www.hiddenlands.net

Publisher of Book I: www.NavPress.com

Light and Darkness//Lig en Donkerte

(And a bit of rambling)


Some wise words from Becky Minor (http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com/); she of The Windrider Saga:

Both Science Fiction and Fantasy are great genres to explore the issues of darkness and light, of good and evil, of man's struggle with faith. I write fantasy. And through my fantasy, I show both the evil in the world and the evil inside our hearts and the struggle we have with it. I also show how God reaches down and heals us of the darkness that lives inside. I could show sin in a contemporary novel, but I can give a visual representation of sin, a picture that I hope will not leave my readers' minds for a very long time.

That's what I love about fantasy: I see God's truth in word pictures. And through the fantasy genre I am able to show those word pictures.

This is one of the great things I love about fantasy – it is a lot more than simply swords, gowns, strange races and adventure; most of the time morals and ethics also play a very big part. For example: what makes the character heroic? What choice did he make that either gave him (or her) the moral high ground? What makes you root for a character? What makes you detest another character?

Of course, as a Christian, my morals may very well be different from someone who is not a Christian – but not always. Hey, being a Christian also doesn’t mean you’re perfect or that you always make the right choice – but you should at least try to. Holding on to your morals could be as simple as not going to certain parties. It may also mean that you need to set free a bunch of dragons; because that’s the right thing to do. See how easy it went from reality to fantasy?

Basically, living a good life means fighting against the darkness within you (come on, you know it’s lurking there somewhere, otherwise why would we need saving?) and not just that outside of you. And yes, on one level I do mean something like depression as well. Now, before you ask me ‘How can you say a thing like that!’ and ‘How would you know?’ I’ll admit it - I suffer from Depression. It’s not a pretty thing and, yes, I also believe God gave us medicine for a good reason. But the thing with Depression is that it makes it much easier to fall deeper and deeper into a pool of despair until you can’t even remember how it started in the first place. Despair like this can also be handled a lot easier and more creatively when used figuratively or in a speculative setting. Most of the fantasy I read (and like) is also about that glimmer of hope and overcoming despair and darkness in order to get (to) a better world.

Just as other writers’ worldviews influences their work, so do Christian writers’ worldviews. So, while Christian fantasy may not quote directly from the Bible (although Polivka’s Trophy Chase novels do this very well), it does not mean that it isn’t Christian or that important questioned aren’t dealt with. It just means you may need to read a little deeper…


(En ‘n bietjie gorrel)


‘n Paar wyse woorde van Becky Minor (http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com/); sy van The Windrider Saga:


Beide wetenskapsfiksie en fantasie is wonderlike genres waarin die kwessies van donkerte en lig, van goed en sleg en van die mens se worsteling met geloof ondersoek kan word. Ek skryf fantasie. En deur my fantasie wys ek beide die boosheid in die wêreld en die boosheid in ons harte en die worsteling wat ons daarmee het. Ek wys ook hoe God uitreik en ons gesond maak van die donkerte wat in ons leef. Ek kan sonde wys in ‘n kontemporêre roman, maar ek kan ‘n visuele voorstelling van sonde gee, ‘n prentjie wat ek hoop vir lank nie my lesers se geheue sal verlaat nie.



Dit is hoekom ek so lief is vir fantasie: ek sien God se waarheid in woordprentjies. En dit is deur fantasie wat ek hierdie woordprentjies kan wys.


Hierdie is een van die wonderlike aspekte van fantasie waarvoor ek so lief is – dit is meer as net swaarde, rokke, vreemde rasse en avontuur; meestal speel waardes en etiek ook ‘n groot deel. Byvoorbeeld: mat maak ‘n karakter heroïes? Watter keuse het hy (of sy) gemaak wat hom (of haar) moreel goed maak? Wat laat jou ‘n karakter ondersteun? Wat maak dat jy sterk afkeur het van ‘n ander karakter?


Natuurlik, as ‘n Christen, kan my waardes en optrede baie anders wees as iemand wat nie ‘n Christen is nie – maar nie altyd nie. Hei, om ‘n Christen te wees beteken nie jy is perfek of dat jy altyd die regte keuse maak nie – maar jy moet ten minste dit probeer doen. Om aan jou waardes vas te hou kan so maklik wees soos om nie na sekere partytjies toe te gaan nie. Dit mag ook beteken dat jy ‘n klomp drake moet vrylaat, omdat dit die regte ding is om te doen. Sien hoe maklik beweeg mens van realiteit na fantasie?


Basies moet jy, om ‘n goeie lewe te lei, baklei teen die donkerte binne-in jou (komaan, jy weet dit is daar iewers binne-in jou, anders hoekom moet ons gered word?) en nie net buite jou nie. En ja, op ‘n vlak bedoel ek ook iets soos Depressie. Nou, voordat jy my vra ‘Hoe kan jy so iets sê?’ en “Hoe sal jy weet?’ sal ek dit erken - ek ly aan Depressie. Dis glad nie ‘n mooi ding nie en, ja, ek glo ook God het ons medisyne gegee vir ‘n goeie rede. Maar die ding met Depressie is dat dit dit baie makliker maak om dieper en dieper in wanhoop te verval totdat jy self nie kan onthou hoe dit begin het nie. Wanhoop soos hierdie kan ook baie makliker en kreatiewer hanteer word in ‘n figuurlike en spekulatiewe omgewing. Meeste van die fantasie wat ek lees (en van hou) is ook oor daardie spikkeltjie hoop en die oorwinning van wanhoop en donkerte om sodoende ‘n beter wêreld te kry (of heen te gaan).


Net soos wat ander skrywers se wêreldbeskouings hul werk beïnvloed, so beïnvloed Christelike skrywers se wêreldbeskouings ook hulle werk. Dus, terwyl Christelike fantasie dalk nie direk uit die Bybel aanhaal nie (alhoewel Polivka se Trophy Chase-romans dit baie goed doen), beteken nie dat dit nie Christelik is of dat belangrike vrae nie gevra word nie. Dit beteken net dat jy ‘n bietjie dieper moet gaan lees...

A Question About Fantasy - ‘n Vraag oor fantasie

(Afrikaanse teks volg)

A while ago I placed a question to my fellow Anomalians over at Where the Map Ends. It read as follows:


Hi everyone,

I've been wondering about this for quite some time, and don't really know of the best answer that I can give to people (Christian or not) when they have questions for me.

See, there's quite a lot of people that seem to believe if you like fantasy (or sci-fi, for that matter) that you can't be a Christian. Now, I know that we all know that this just isn't true, but what is the best way to explain this to people?

I have a few friends that just see fairy tales or even just witchcraft and the dark arts and think that, because I like fantasy, that I dabble in those things.

I've told them to read some of my stuff if they're worried - if dark arts are mentioned it's the "baddies" that use it, not the hero. A lot of the stories in my worlds (like Airthai) evolve along the lines of power and good and evil and how to resist "bad" power. For me it makes sense that the hero/in has to be up against big odds, otherwise it's not worth it.


I hope this makes sense!

Marsh

I am sure I’m not the only one to have struggled with this. The literature of my mother tongue (Afrikaans) also does not really have much fantasy or sci-fi to offer and although other mythologies (mostly Classical) are sometimes used in the literature, there is no high or epic fantasy that I know of at all. When starting my Master’s degree about the influence of Norse myths on Afrikaans literature, I soon found out that I needed to branch it out to include Dutch literature as well to have enough texts to study! Even just doing this study had people asking me whether I believe in those gods and when I turned away from Christ!

So, when you’re a Christian fantasy writer… And you use myths to prove a point or make up your own myths… What do you tell people?

I received this wonderful answer from Sean Rackley which I wanted to share with others who may be in the same boat as I am:
The way I handle this question is to encourage those in discussion with me to see Jesus' parables as spec-fic. Then, the leap to fantasy or sci-fi is not so huge. Jesus related Truth to a dying world through stories (I often wonder if they were true stories given their author, but I digress) that they can relate to. He taught an agricultural society using mostly agricultural stories (a farmer sowing seed, e.g.).
Our audience is familiar with things vastly different from agriculture (so, the parable of the sower could be told as a colonizing, terraforming society with different results on different planets or as a knight who actively defends his realm from the seed-stealing birds, rocks, and thorns that just happen to resemble dragons, golems, and dark elves--with pointy arrows). Throw in some necessary plot elements to make it more than a few paragraphs and viola!--a story is born.
People still don't always agree, but at those times I remind myself that God hasn't called me to argue why I write, just to write. Even if I'm the only person who comes closer to God through my fiction and poetry, then I've done my job.

***

‘n Ruk gelede het ek ‘n vraag aan my mede Anomaliane gestel op Where the Map Ends. Dit lees as volg:




Hallo almal,


Ek wonder al ‘n ruk hieroor en ek weet nooit regtig wat is die beste antwoord wat ek vir mense (Christen of nie) kan gee wanneer hulle vir my vrae het nie.

Sien, daar is nogal baie mense wat blykbaar glo dat, wanneer jy van fantasie (of wetenskapsfiksie) hou jy nie ‘n Christen kan wees nie. Nou, ek weet óns almal weet dat dit net nie waar is nie, maar wat is die beste manier om dit aan mense te verduidelik?

Ek het ‘n paar vriende wat slegs feëverhale of selfs net heksery en die bose sien en dink dat, omdat ek van fantasie hou, ek myself met daardie soort goed besig hou.

Ek het al aan hulle gesê om van my goed te lees indien hulle bekommerd is – indien bose en heksery genoem word is dit die “slegte ouens” wat dit gebruik, nié die held nie. Baie van die stories in my wêrelde (soos Airthai) ontwikkel ook langs die lyne van goed en sleg en hoe om “slegte” mag te weerstaan. Vir my maak dit sin dat die held/-in teen groot struikelblokke te staan moet kom, want anders is dit nie die moeite werd nie.


Ek hoop dit maak sin!


Marsh


Ek is seker ek is nie die enigste een wat al hiermee gesukkel het nie. Die literatuur van my moedertaal (Afrikaans) het ook nie veel fantasie of wetenskapsfiksie nie en alhoewel ander mitologieë (meestal Klassiek) soms in die letterkunde gebruik word, is daar geen hoë of epiese fantasie wat ek van weet nie. Toe ek my Meestersgraad oor die invloed van Noorse mites op die Afrikaanse literatuur begin het, het ek gou gevind dat ek dit moet uitbrei om Nederlandse letterkunde ook in te sluit sodat ek genoeg tekste het om te studeer! En selfs net met hierdie studie het mense my al gevra of ek in daardie gode glo en wanneer ek weggedraai het van Christus af!


Dus, wanneer jy ‘n Christelike fantasie-skrywer is… en jy mites gebruik om ‘n punt te bewys of jou eie mites opmaak… wat sê jy aan hierdie mense?


Ek het hierdie wonderlike antwoord van Sean Rackley ontvang wat ek graag met ander wat dalk in dieselfde bootjie as ek sit wil deel:


Die manier waarop ek hierdie vraag hanteer is om dié wat ook aan die gesprek deelneem Jesus se vergelykings as spekulatiewe fiksie te sien. Dan is die sprong na fantasie en wetenskapsfiksie nie so groot nie. Jesus het die Waarheid aan ‘n sterwende wêreld verkondig deur stories te gee waarby hulle kon aanklank vind (ek wonder soms of die stories nie waar is nie as mens kyk na wie die outeur is, maar ek dwaal nou van onderwerp af). Hy het byvoorbeeld ‘n landbougemeenskap geleer deur meestal lanboustories te gebruik (soos byvoorbeeld ‘n boer wat saad saai).
Die manier waarop ek hierdie vraag hanteer is om dié wat ook aan die gesprek deelneem Jesus se vergelykings as spekulatiewe fiksie te sien. Dan is die sprong na fantasie en wetenskapsfiksie nie so groot nie. Jesus het die Waarheid aan ‘n sterwende wêreld verkondig deur stories te gee waarby hulle kon aanklank vind (ek wonder soms of die stories nie waar is nie as mens kyk na wie die outeur is, maar ek dwaal nou van onderwerp af). Hy het byvoorbeeld ‘n landbougemeenskap geleer deur meestal lanboustories te gebruik (soos byvoorbeeld ‘n boer wat saad saai).
Ons gehoor is bekend met dinge ver verwyderd van landbou (dus kan die vergelyking van die saaier oorvertel word as ‘n kolonialiserende gemeenskap wat terraforming uitvoer met verskillende resultate op verskillende planete, of as ‘n ridder wat sy ryk beskerm teen voëls wat saad steel, klippe en dorings wat per toeval drake, golems en donker elwe – met gepunte pyle is). Gooi ‘n paar nodige storie elemente in om dit meer as ‘n paar paragrawe lank te maak en voila! – ‘n storie is gebore.
Mense stem steeds nie altyd ooreen nie, maar op daardie tye herinner ek myself daaraan dat God my nie geroep het om te stry hoekom ek skryf nie, net om te skryf. Selfs indien ek die enigste person is wat nader aan God deur my fiksie en poësie kom het ek my werk gedoen.

My Personal Guide to Keeping Sane

I’ve decided to make this week’s post about links that I use or which keeps me sane. This can be through giving me a good laugh when I need one, helping me to better my writing, getting me in touch with others in my field or simply providing some beautiful art to look at.


When writing…

As an inspiring writing, I’m always looking for hints and tips about writing better. I am a big fan of Brandon Sanderson (Elantris, Mistborn, Way of Kings) and Howard Tayler (Schlock Mercenary) and I also listen to their weekly podcast called Writing Excuses. Not only do they give great advice, but it also focuses on speculative fiction!

When working…

As a full-time Language Practitioner, I love to hear what other people in my field have to say and there are quite a few blogs out there by very talented translators and editors which is delightful to receive in your RSS feed. Rantings of a sub-editor had me and my fellow language-people at work in stitches last week – and just goes to show how a small error can go terribly wrong… Also check out Musings from an overworked translator and Translating is an Art.

My love of language also gets fed by Anatoly Lieberman’s weekly blog over at Oxford University Press. Check out the OUP Dictionary and Lexicography RSS feeds if you love language. The Western religion RSS feed is also fascinating.

A ray of beauty every day…

I stumbled upon Gennine’s Art Blog about two months ago and find her art an inspiration every day.

A good laugh a day keeps the doctor away…

There are two daily web comics which I follow and which makes me have a good laugh. The one is Schlock Mercenary and the other is Surviving the World. Check them out, but beware – they are addictive!

A Fantasy Map, a Family Tree and Far Too Many Ideas

Or, So Far So Good for 2011


I can’t believe that it’s almost the middle of January already! At least I’ve now scanned the map for “A Dragon’s Freedom” and will put it up on a separate page. It is only one corner of Airthai and the map I’ve finished for the second part of the story shows a lot more detail. The working title is “The Price of Freedom” and follows Nasja’s journey once he gets home and tries to leave the happenings of Guldargan behind him. But the king of Guldargan and the crown prince have some other ideas and schemes up their sleeves. Nasja did after all spoil (and foil) their plans.

Ek kan nie glo dat dit al byna die middel van Januarie is nie! Ten minste het ek nou die kaart vir “A Dragon’s Freedom” gekopieer en sal dit op ‘n aparte bladsy plaas. Dit wys net een hoekie van Airthai en die kaart vir die tweede deel van die storie wys baie meer detail. Die werkstitel is “The Price of Freedom” en volg Nasja se reis wanneer hy by die huis kom en probeer om dit wat in Guldargan gebeur het, agter te laat. Maar die koning van Guldargan en die kroonprins voer ‘n paar ander idees in die mou. Nasja hét tog hulle planne in die wiele gery.

At the same time I’m making good use of my creative diary as it seems I can’t have enough ideas. I even got a great idea for a new fantasy story (still in Airthai, but in the Sundered Lands a couple of centuries after “A Dragon’s Freedom”) while in church! As the scripture were read the story just popped into my head. I quickly made a cell phone note as soon as the service was finished and I could turn my phone back on.

Terselfdertyd maak ek goed gebruik van my kreatiewe dagboek en ek kan nie voorbly met idees nie. Ek het selfs ‘n goeie idée vir ‘n nuwe fantasie storie gekry (steeds in Airthai, maar in die Sundered Lands ‘n paar eeue na “A Dragon’s Freedom”) terwyl ek in die kerk was! Terwyl ons die skrifgedeelte lees toe spring die storie net in my kop in. Ek het darem ‘n nota op my selfoon kon maak na die diens en toe ek weer my foon kon aanskakel.

I have been spending a lot of time on my studies as well and have now decided to rather draw the Norse mythology family tree by hand as I can’t seem to find a proper template for such a jumbled tree and it also has to be in Afrikaans. This weekend will be a study-fest as I want to give the first chapter to my study leaders next week. I am also stocked up on tea, easy to make meals and enough post-it notes for an army!

Ek het ook baie tyd aan my studies spandeer en het nou maar besluit om die stamboom van die Noorse mitologie met die hand te teken; aangesien ek nie ‘n ordentlike templaat vir so ‘n deurmekaar stamboom kan vind nie en dit ook in Afrikaans moet wees. Hierdie naweek gaan ek net aan my studies spandeer aangesien ek die eerste hoofstuk volgende week aan my studieleiers wil gee. Ek het genoeg tee, etes wat maklik aangemaak geslaan kan word en plaknotas vir Afrika!

There is a translation project that I’ll be working on until April, which I will be doing some nights and weekends and which I’m really looking forward to. It is some literary translation, which is exactly what I studied and I am thrilled to get a chance to do this so early in my career. So it will be a rough couple of months, but months I am very much looking forward to!

Daar is ‘n vertalingprojek wat tot April sal duur en waaraan ek tot April sal werk party aande en naweke, en waarna ek baie uitsien. Dit is ‘n literêre vertaling, wat presies is wat ek studeer het en waaroor ek in die wolke is dat ek so vroeg in my loopbaan ‘n kans kry om dit te doen. Dit gaan beslis ‘n rowwe paar maande wees, maar maande waarna ek vreeslik uitsien!

A New Start! / 'n Nuwe begin!

A new start, a new year, a new chance to ‘get it right’. I have heard some resolutions for 2011, read some resolutions and even made some resolutions. The most important to me is that I want to grow in faith and grow closer to God. I want to serve Him in everything I do.


‘n Nuwe begin, ‘n nuwe jaar, ‘n nuwe kans om dit ‘reg te doen’. Ek het al ‘n paar nuwejaarsvoornemens vir 2011 gehoor, ‘n paar gelees en ook self ‘n paar gemaak. Die belangrikste een vir my is dat ek in my geloof en nader aan God wil groei. Ek wil Hom dien in alles wat ek doen.

Foremost in my working life will be work on my Masters Degree. After a very bumpy start I simply have to get down and write, research, write some more and spend days locked in a high tower with only my study materials and study music for company. No princes or heroes will be allowed near the tower to steal me away! Mwahaha!

Voorop in my werkslewe sal werk aan my Meestersgraad wees. Na ‘n onstuimige begin moet ek met ‘n stink spoed skryf, navors, nog skryf en dae lank opgesluit in ‘n toring sit met net my studie materiaal en studie musiek vir geselskap. Geen prinse of helde sal naby die toring toegelaat word om my weg te raap nie! Mwahaha!

But while that does not mean that I do not want to better my writing, it does mean that I have to cut out any needless dawdling. One of my main resolutions is to spend less time in shopping centers – it is far too easy to get side-tracked with three book shops in the vicinity!

Maar alhoewel dit beteken nie dat ek nie ook my skryfvaardighede wil verbeter nie, beteken dit wel dat ek nodelose voetslepery moet uitsluit. Een van my resolusies is om minder tyd by winkelsentrums deur te bring – dit is veels te maklik om die pad byster te raak met drie boekwinkels in die omtrek!

May everyone have a blessed 2011!

Mag ‘n ieder en ‘n elk ‘n geseënde 2011 hê!