Book Review and Giveaway (US & Canada): The Silk Map by Chris Willrich

*** The giveaway is now over, thank you to all who entered! ***

The Silk Map by Chris Willrich

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 2 of Gaunt and Bone

Publisher: Pyr (May 6, 2014)

Author Information: Website | Twitter

Mogsy's Rating: 4 of 5 stars

After the events of The Scroll of Years, Persimmon Gaunt and Imago Bone are back in action in The Silk Map, and this time on an even more exhilarating and perilous adventure. I promise you’ll never see anything else quite like these books, with its themes of East meets West and sword-and-sorcery fantasy with just a dash of the metaphysical.

While The Silk Map is the follow-up to The Scroll of Years, it can most definitely be enjoyed on its own. I can’t stop marveling at the ease with which the author can throw his readers into the middle of a situation but still manage to convey all the complexities and nuances in the relationships between his characters. In fact, The Scroll of Years was not the first time Gaunt and Bone appeared either; they had been starring in their own short fiction adventures for more than a decade now, but not having read those stories before tackling this series did not hinder me at all. Chris Willrich quite simply has a talent of writing extremely convincing characters, and upon picking up these books you can immediately feel the weight of the history behind Gaunt and Bone, partners in crime and partners in love.

But like all couples, they’ve had their differences and hit their rough spots. The story picks up once again in the faraway land of Ancient China-inspired Qiangguo, where Gaunt and Bone had taken asylum from their enemies. Gaunt had given birth to their son in the first book, but in order to save him from the clutches of evil forces, she and Bone had had no choice but to lock their child away in a pocket dimension within a magical scroll. Now that scroll has been lost, and together with their allies, our two protagonists must find a way to recover it and rescue their son trapped inside. Their journey leads them to the make a bargain with the Great Sage Monkey, a demi-god who knows of a way to retrieve the scroll. In exchange for her help, the minor deity asks that Gaunt and Bone seek the mystical land of Xembala and bring back the great treasure of the Iron Moths, that impossibly valuable material they produce called ironsilk. Their quest will involve traveling along the Braid of Spice, a fictional trade route that will lead them into the west.

Chris Willrich describes in the acknowledgements how this story was in part inspired by the history and tales of the Silk Road, which should already tell you what a gorgeous book this is. In antiquity, this route served as a bridge between the East and West, connecting people from all walks of life. The Silk Map brings to life a version of that diverse setting, blending a rich combination of fantasy and myth with elements from that ancient culture in its own unparalleled way.

Written beautifully in a literary and almost formal style, the prose is also something to be sipped and savored. I liked that there’s actually a lot of humor woven into the dialogue, sometimes hidden in sly references and wordplay, and if you blink you might miss it. While it’s true this made me take longer to finish the book, it is by no means a slow read. The Silk Map is a tale of adventure at its heart, and there is plenty of action and swashbuckling fight scenes interspersed with the quieter moments where you can sit back and enjoy as a character spins a yarn. Like The Scroll of Years, this book features poems and other stories within the larger narrative, often used to explain or expand upon the plot. Willrich’s writing style perfectly complements the speculative quality of these anecdotes, reminiscent of folklore and the legends told in the Far East Asian tradition.

For me, the highlight of The Silk Map had to be the interplay between Gaunt and Bone. Their relationship so far has been a journey as harrowing as the quest they have embarked upon to find their son. Their love will be checked, tested, and probed over the course of this novel and how they each come to terms with the conflict is as important as the other aspects in the plot, though no one can doubt Bone’s devotion to his partner, and of course, Gaunt shows us why it would be a mistake to underestimate the lengths a mother would go to for her child.

Interested in an Asian-themed fantasy or looking for a more subtle, elegant touch to your sword and sorcery without sacrificing the heroic element and adventure? Check out these books. The heady and sometimes dreamlike mix of history and mythology also make them an excellent choice.
 

*** Join us next week for an interview with Chris Willrich! ***

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pyr Books! 

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THE SILK MAP GIVEAWAY

Thanks to the wonderful folks at Pyr, we have two print copies of The Silk Map up for grabs in this giveaway open to residents of the US and Canada. Entering is super easy, all you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line "THE SILK MAP" by 11:59pm Eastern time on Wednesday, May 14th, 2014.

Only one entry per household, please! Two winners will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. All information will only be used for the purpose of contacting the winners and sending them their books. Once the giveaway ends all entry emails will be deleted.

So what are you waiting for? Enter to win a copy of this amazing book! Good luck!

Book Review and INTERNATIONAL GIVEAWAY: The Barrow by Mark Smylie

***Our GIVEAWAY for THE BARROW is now over. Thanks for all who entered!***

The Barrow by Mark Smylie

Genre: Fantasy

Series: Book 1

Publisher: Pyr (March 4, 2014)

Author Information: Website

Mogsy's Rating: 4.5 of 5 stars

Before we begin, I feel I should make it known that this book is not for the faint of heart. If you know you'll feel uncomfortable with things like brutal violence, ear-bendingly foul language, and extremely graphic sex, then you may wish to reconsider having a go at this ... especially when it comes to that last one. In general, I am not the kind to be bothered by lewd and explicit acts in books, and yet there were still certainly no shortages of eyebrow raises from me with this one! Anyway, it was enough that I feel I should say something. Fair warning!

And now with that out of the way, let's get down to the reasons why this book totally rocks. If you're the kind of person who likes the combination of a good adventure story with the dark and gritty aspects of fantasy (of course, keeping in mind the caveats mentioned above) then you'll love The Barrow! Incidentally, this is exactly the kind of mix I enjoy. The fact that it was even darker than I expected was a nice surprise, though I don't know if I would call it full-out grimdark. In an interview with The BiblioSanctum, Mark Smylie described the book as more of an "archetypal Dungeons & Dragons adventure as run through the filter of Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels" ... and well, yes, actually I suppose that description would do nicely!

Furthermore, the book also takes place in the world of Mark Smylie's Artesia graphic novels. I won't deny that an emotional attachment to the setting was a factor for me, but if you are not familiar with the comics, do not fret! This is a brand new self-contained story, no previous knowledge of the world or characters required -- which is actually great for me too, since I'd only read the first volume and it was quite a while ago. However, you can still tell that writing a story within a setting that has already been established works well in the novel's favor; the world-building is phenomenally robust and very deep, with many layers to the descriptions of the people and places.

As the reader, I felt like I was transported right there -- and that is both a wonderful and terrifying experience, considering the type of world we're thrown into, one filled with dark magics, shady politics, and disreputable characters. Scoundrels and perverts lurk at every corner, and if you're really unlucky, you might even run afoul of demonic horrors and evil gods. The main plot is actually quite simple, deceptively so perhaps; on a routine tomb-robbing operation, Stjepan Black-Heart and his crew stumble upon an ancient map which details the final resting place of a long-dead wizard, who was said to have been buried with a priceless legendary sword.

Here's where the adventure narrative comes in. To find the sword, our protagonists must first gather their allies and go forth to locate this tomb. Of course, epic quests are never so easy or straightforward. But even when a curse placed on the map kills one of the essential members of the crew and ends up transcribing itself onto the skin of a young noblewoman, you think that would stop the Black-Heart? Nope! Whether it's wealth, fame, freedom, or absolution, everyone on this journey has a reason to find this fabled Barrow, which makes this story a riveting one filled with secrets and unexpected twists.

Among these colorful personalities, some of the characters are so disturbing it will make you sick to your stomach, while others are so crazy it will make you laugh; but there's definitely no accusing any of them for being boring. Out of everyone, I think I like Erim the best. A young woman masquerading as a man, Erim is Stjepan's protege, and despite her skill with the blade, in many ways she is as sheltered as her mentor is well-traveled. It's ironic that she doesn't find herself to be very interesting, because she was my favorite with her quiet introspection and fierce loyalty. That pretty much also makes her the most honorable of the lot; we're talking about some rather grim and nasty characters here, after all.

This is a book that pulls you in immediately, starting with an explosive intro that sets the tone and mood of the story quite nicely. It also contains possibly one of the most heart-pounding prologues that has ever graced the pages of a fantasy novel, and my head is still reeling from the events at the end of that chapter. However, the pacing of the novel is a bit uneven, which is probably the only quibble I have about this book. After the introduction comes a middle that slows down considerably as the characters travel towards their destination. There are frequent stops along the way, but the good news is that something interesting happens at every one of them. These encounters often added to the depth of the lore and setting, giving me more of a sense of the world's vastness. 

But while it took me several days to read the first three-quarters of this book, I think I devoured the last 150 or so pages in one exhilaratingly intense sitting. Everything that happens after they find the Barrow is pure insanity. Also, I just love twists and surprises! It's a climax and conclusion that goes beyond just being an ending, because more importantly it reveals how all the themes and undercurrents of the novel come together. It speaks much about Mark Smylie's skills as a storyteller. He marks his transition to full-length novels with this incredible debut, and I'm glad to hear we will be seeing more from him following The Barrow.

A review copy of this book was provided to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Pyr Books!

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THE BARROW GIVEAWAY

And now here's what you all have been waiting for! Thanks to the kind folks at Pyr, we have two print copies of The Barrow up for grabs, and entering our giveaway is easy peasy! There are no geographic restrictions. That's right, international entries welcome! All you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line "THE BARROW" by 11:59pm Eastern time on Monday, February 24th, 2014.

Only one entry per household, please! Two winners will be randomly selected when the giveaway ends and then be notified by email. So what are you waiting for? Enter to win a copy of this amazing book! Good luck!

Designing A Kitsune - A Guest Post by M.L. Brennan + IRON NIGHT GIVEAWAY

Join us at this first stop as we kick off the Blog Tour for Iron Night by M.L. Brennan! We here at the BiblioSanctum are thrilled to have M.L. with us today, sharing with us her inspirations and insights. Forget werewolves, gimme KITSUNE! Iron Night is the newly released sequel to the brilliant Generation V and if you enjoy Urban Fantasy, then you'll definitely want to check out these books!

Also be sure to stick around at the end of this post for our giveaway information on how to win your very own copy of Iron Night!

DESIGNING A KITSUNE
by M.L. Brennan

One of the earliest decisions I made when I started writing my urban fantasy Generation V was that I was going to be working with vampires. With that one decision, I waded into perhaps the most excessively written and re-written monster in urban fantasy (rivaled only by werewolves, with elves a very distant third), so my next decision was that I needed to balance my vampires out with a monster that was a lot less typical. I also really wanted to work with something that wasn’t out of the Western tradition, and after a little bit of exploration, that led me to the Japanese myth of the kitsune.

Kitsune are a fox shapeshifter that has a strong presence in the fables of Japan, China, and Korea (with some distinct differences between cultures – I went with a Japanese version, which is why you won’t see my kitsune character, Suzume, hankering after human livers, which she would’ve had she been based off of the Korean kitsune!). My introduction to them came when I read Neil Gaiman’s beautiful graphic novel The Dream Hunters (a standalone in his Sandman series), which is a very lovely and tragic story about a fox who falls in love with a monk. This is actually a good example of how long a particular idea can percolate in the back of a writer’s mind – I read The Dream Hunters when I was a freshman in college, and it was ten years later when I made the decision to use kitsune.

The kitsune offered a lot for me – they haven’t been explored too much in urban fantasy, and I also liked that unlike werewolves (which as a creature we’ve almost communally agreed on as a fairly male-dominated and chauvinistic creature) there was a really natural opportunity to set the kitsune up as a largely female-oriented society.

And that was as far as my initial thinking went. Because that was as much as I knew about the kitsune, and it was all filtered through a secondary source. I wanted to get a better handle on the myth, so I wanted to get as close to primary sources as I could get. This wasn’t perfect – after all, I had very foolishly taken Latin classes rather than learning Japanese, so that held me back from the research ideal of reading stories and fables in the original language. (I drew a big line at learning the language to do research – sorry!) I read two books of translated folk tales – The Moon Maiden and Other Japanese Fairy Tales by Grace James and Kwaidan: Ghost Stories and Strange Tales of Old Japan by Lafcadio Hearn. There are a few really interesting stories of kitsune in these, and it was how I learned how very malleable the presentation of kitsune was. In some stories the kitsune were acting maliciously toward humans, but in others they were simple pranksters who could be scolded into proper behavior. Sometimes they even acted benevolently toward those who had done them favors – and in a few really lovely stories there were tragic romances between human men and fox women. There was a complexity that I thought was really fascinating, because the agency seemed to be on the part of the fox – they were the deciding factor of their behavior, not the humans who interacted with them. Reading the fairy tales was also important because folk stories are usually representative of the culture that they come out of – read the fables of a culture and you will see what traits are valued by the society, and what behavior is being held up as an example. The kitsune in my books is a third-generation Japanese-American, but her cultural heritage is from Japan – these were the stories that she would’ve been told as a child.

In addition to the fables, I also read Fox by Martin Wallen, which talked both about foxes as a species and foxes as a cultural icon in various societies. The final book (and the best) was a graduate thesis that I was able to get my hands on through a university library loan system called The Fox’s Craft in Japanese Religion and Folklore by Michael Bathgate. This was great not only because there were stories in it that I hadn’t seen in the fairy tale books, but it also analyzed what the kitsune meant culturally in Japan, which involved an analysis of women’s positions in society during the height of the stories.

All of that was crucial background… at which point I got to take all of that information and translate it into how I wanted kitsune to work in my books. For one thing, I wanted to have kitsune in Providence, Rhode Island, and I wanted them to have a strong sense of identity – these weren’t going to be New England housewives who changed into foxes on the sly (I think that’s the plotline to the kitsune version of Bewitched, actually!). I’d built the vampires as almost the feudal overlords of the East Coast, but I wanted the kitsune to be a powerful and individualistic group (if you’re a history buff, kind of like the Marcher Lords were in feudal England). So the kitsune who appear in my books are one family unit, and are all descended from the original immigrant from a post-World War II Japan: Atsuko, the White Fox. I ended up writing quite a few powerful (in every sense of the word) female characters and elder matriarchs in Generation V, but Atsuko was one of my favorites. She was a geisha who, following the death of her entire family in the first atomic bomb attack, came to a new land, made strong alliances, and rebuild a family. She’s only in one scene in the first book, but I always feel like she has a long shadow. My kitsune Suzume might not be afraid of much, but she’s always very aware of her grandmother, who is one of a very select few people who she knows she can’t handle or manipulate.

I actually got a little bit of flack from a few reviewers about making the kitsune family geisha – some people said that it was exploitative because it made them sex workers. Geisha society is actually a really interesting piece of history and culture, and extremely complex. Was there a bit of sex for money? Sure. But there was also a strong artistic presence – geisha were dancers, musicians, singers, and poets, and during their height in the 1800s many of them were purely entertainers. There was also a social aspect to the geisha – they would be hired to come to parties, but not to provide sex. Instead they provided conversation and hostess duties. The geisha houses themselves were what actually made my decision to have Atsuko be a former geisha – these were matriarchal societies. The women ran the businesses, handled the money, trained daughters or nieces to follow in their paths, and were economically independent. For my foxes to be able to preserve their own society and customs, but not have the fear that a group always in hiding would have bred into them, they needed a place in society that was in the general social net yet at the same time distinct and private. Out and about, they look like women, but in their homes they would always be kitsune – foxes first, then women. That wouldn’t have been possible if they’d been balancing duped husbands and nosy village neighbors (everything, ironically, that made poor Samantha’s life so tough in Bewitched – wow, I did not expect that reference to come full circle like it did!).

Of course, in America my kitsune family runs an escort business, but they’ve moved into the management roles. There is nothing even close to the geisha in American society, and Atsuko would’ve been building a new life for herself in 1950s America – not exactly a time conducive to a woman building not only her own self-sustaining business, but passing it forward to daughters and granddaughters who would not be bothering with husbands.

All of this is part of the framework that went behind Suzume. In Generation V her role was much more up in the air – I had longterm plans for her, but as a big plot point I wanted the reader to believe that at any minute she was capable of ditching my main character. That changes in the sequel, Iron Night. The friendship between Fort and Suzume is much stronger now, and as a result Suze is clearly strapped in for wherever things take them. Those cultural elements were really important when I was writing Iron Night, since as I was writing I never got a sense that she was just tagging along – my understanding of Suzume was that there was a big part of her that is convinced that without her looking out for him, Fort is likely to trade his car for magic beans or possibly even walk off the side of a cliff. In this friendship, she’s the stronger, tougher one – and Fort knows and respects that. Iron Night was also a chance for me to start showcasing more of the kitsune – the dynamics of this complicated and sprawling family as well as their stories and beliefs. I won’t give too much away, but there is a moment in the book where Suzume tells Fort a story that her own mother used to tell her as a child, and it was something that I was so incredibly excited to write since I’d literally had that scene in my mind since some of the early planning stages of the series itself. 

 Right now I’m working on the third book in the series, Tainted Blood, and I’m getting to explore the kitsune even further there. A few threads that are hinted at as early as Generation V are just getting fleshed out, and I’m really excited about where all of it is going!

For more of M.L. Brennan thoughts on writing, publishing, and the world in general, please check out her official webpage at http://www.mlbrennan.com

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 IRON NIGHT GIVEAWAY

And now for the giveaway! Up for grabs is a print copy of Iron Night and entering is easy! All you have to do is send an email to bibliosanctum@gmail.com with your Name and valid Mailing Address using the subject line "Iron Night" by midnight Eastern time on Monday January 20th, 2014.

This giveaway is open to residents of US and Canada and only one entry per household, no purchase necessary. One winner will be randomly selected and then be notified by email. So what are you waiting for? Enter to win a copy of this amazing book! Good luck!

 

Interview with E.L. Tettensor, Author of Darkwalker + Giveaway!

What an exciting start to the week! Today I'm pleased to bring you an interview with E.L. Tettensor, whose new book Darkwalker was released last week. If you haven't seen my 5 star review of it yet, be sure to check it out. The book is a fantastic mix of mystery and paranormal, and is the promising start to the new Nicolas Lenoir series. I simply loved it, and it was an honor and a pleasure to chat with the author!

Also, be sure to stick around at the end of the interview and enter our Darkwalker giveaway for your chance to win a print copy of this great debut. Good luck, and enjoy the interview!

Let's get this party started!