Writers' Helpers

The Demon King by Cinda Williams Chima

2011-02-27T14:45:00.000-08:00

The Demon King

Cinda Williams Chima

Genre: traditional fantasy, YA

Published by: Hyperion (Hyperion Teens)

Published (date): October 2009

Series: A Seven Realms Novel (Nr 1)

I read: Paperback

Spoilers: I tried to keep all spoilers out, so the analysis is not entirely thorough on characters and plot.

Blurb: (book jacket)

Times are hard in the mountain city of Fellsmarch. Reformed thief Han Alister will do almost anything to eke out a living for himself, his mother, and his sister, Mari. Ironically, the only thing of value he has is something he can't sell. For as long as Han can remember, he's worn thick silver cuffs engraved with runes. They're clearly magicked - as he grows, they grow, and he's never been able to get them off.

Han's life gets even harder after he takes a powerful amulet from Micah Bayar, the son of the High Wizard. The amulet once belonged to the Demon King, the wizard who nearly destroyed the world a millenium ago. With a magical piece so powerful at stake, the Bayars will stop at nothing to reclaim it from Han.

Meanwhile, Raisa ana'MArianna, princess heir of the Fells, has her own battles to fight. Although Raisa will become eligible for marriage after her sixteenth name day, she isn't looking forward to trading in her common sense for a prince with a big castle and a tiny brain. Raisa aspires to be like Hanalea - the legendary warrior queen who killed the Demon King and saved the world. But it seems that her mother has other plans for her - plans that include a suitor who goes against everything the queendom stands for.

The Seven Realms will tremble when the lives of Han and Raisa collide in this stunning new page-turner from best-selling author Cinda Williams Chima.

Characters:

Hanson Alister (or rather Han Alister, as he's introduced) is the first person the reader meets, and right away, we are introduced to the difficulties he faces providing for his family. We also meet Han's clan friend, Fire Dancer. The relationship between the two boys is immediately apparent. These two are great friends.

Both of them are on the verge to adulthood, and unsure what their future will bring. Han has few options that he can see, and Dancer, who's Clan naming ceremony is coming up, has his own problems, not all of which he seems to share with his friend. Han's problems grow exponentially when the two boys stumble across the path of three young blueblood wizards up to no good.

Han is a complex character - it's clear he's always had to struggle to survive, and he's purposefully taken the difficult route, foreswearing a life of crime (at which he excelled) for an honest living, all for the sake of his sister and mother. Taking the harder path, or rather sticking to it, is clearly not an easy thing.

Micah Bayar, one of those young wizards Han and Dancer run into, is another main character, this time on the 'bad' side of the spectrum. I was almost reminded of Draco from you-know-who's books - he's that kind of charmer. A blueblood wizard born into the most prominent wizarding family in the queendom, he's led a silver-spoon kind of life. He knows well enough that what he's doing - even being where he is when he meets Han - is not allowed, but that doesn't stop him from name-dropping and playing on his own importance. Even towards a commoner (Han) and a copperhead (Dancer). This first confrontation between Han and Micah leaves Han with a rather dubious upper hand and a 'jinxflinger' amulet, foreshadowing many conflicts to come.

Raisa is the last of the MCs introduced to the reader, although we've already heard about the Princess from Micah. She's half Clan, and only just returned from fostering with her father's clan. She resents having to slip back into the role of the Princess rather than being a clan trader's daughter. Raisa is head-strong, independent but not at all wise to the real world beyond court or Clan camp. She worries about her mother, about the High Wizard Bayar's influence. She, too, is on the verge of adulthood, maybe slightly younger than Han, Dancer and Micah. She, too, faces big choices - or rather a lack of them. Can she be her own person, be herself, or does she have to mold herself into who she believes her mother - and the High Wizard - would like her to be?

Amon Byrne plays an important role, too. I guess you could classify him as an MC, but I'll just call him 'supporting cast' or maybe BFF. Each of the MCs seems to have one of those. Amon's a childhood friend of the princess, something of a childhood sweetheart. His father is the Captain of the Queen's guard. He is older than Raisa, and feels somewhat responsible, whereas Raisa would like their relationship to remain the chummy childhood friendship with potential for more. Amon wants to keep his distance.

Along with the two main MCs (Raisa and Han), the 'opposition' (Micah - although Raisa starts off rather liking him) and the BFFs (Dancer and Amon), there's several notable side characters. They are especially important since none of the MCs is grown. Raisa's mother, Marianna, is Queen of the Fells. She insists on Raisa learning to be a proper lady. She thinks that, having been amongst the clans for some time, Raisa is behind on her courtly education. The High Wizard, supposedly bound to the good of the Queen and her line, has an extraordinary amount of influence over her - too much, it is said.

Setting:

This is a fantasy story of the classic sort, so it plays in an alternate world of Chima's making. The technology level is - true to classic fantasy - at medieval level. There's magic in this world, a magic that seems bound to a certain genetic heritage originating in the north of this world - thus lots of blond wizards running around. Both the history of the queendom and the clans and the surrounding world is clearly well thought out and introduced to the reader slowly and within the aegis of the story. No long lectures here (those are one of my pet peeves). Flora, fauna, geography and history, each is introduced where relevant.

Plot:

The story begins with an action scene of sorts, no battle or duel but a fight between Han and, well, a particularly nasty swamp-growing plant he wants to harvest and sell. This, it seems, is one of the things he makes his living with. He clearly needs the money. His friend Dancer is right there with him, helping out although he does not have to support his family in such ways.

The conflict is right there as soon as we know about Han's troubles, but the plot really starts hopping when Micah and Han face off, leaving Han with that old amulet, the one Micah wasn't supposed to have.

Raisa, too, is introduced right into conflict. Her mother is pushing her towards the wizards, her clan upbringing makes her leary of them. Amon, her one true friend, is trying to distance himself from her. She starts to see that her privileged upbringing has prevented her from seeing what really goes on in her queendom. She wants to help, but as princess, her options for doing so are limited. Micah is fascinating to her, and yet, she feels that a closer association to him might bring its own dangers.

The MCs (Han and Raisa) have their own plotlines, POV changing chapterwise. Their stories intertwine and the other characters run from one to the other, touching both characters' lives. For a while, Raisa and Han's stories become one, only to part again. This interplay is excellently done, no jarring moments, one thing always leading to the next without leaving the reader wanting.

Unfortunately, because I don't want to spoil the story for you, I can't go into details... suffice to say, both Raisa and Han's first few scenes set up problems that grow bigger and bigger, ruining both of their chances for a 'normal' continuation of their life. The amulet Han took from Micah haunts him, and Raisa cannot be the well-mannered puppet of a princess everyone seems to want her to turn into.

Review Summary:

I bought this book some time ago at the airport on my way back from the holidays, and it was relegated to a dusty shelf until I dug it out last week. The blurb on the book jacket had quite a bit to do with why it had to linger in book-limbo for so long - I still don't like it. But I did eventually start reading the book, and a good thing, too, because I could not put it down again.

The characters are well-developed and realistic, full of flaws, temper, worries and hopes - even Micah is sympathetic in a misguided-youth kind of way. All the major characters are in the middle of realizing who they are, going through changes they cannot control and can hardly understand. They are growing up, and the world around them is making it happen all the faster. And yet... becoming an adult cannot happen over night, and even jaded Han still has a long way to go before he is a man in truth.

This is a coming-of-age story, or at least the first part of one, and definately worth the read.

Rating:

Next in the Series: The Exiled Queen

No Plot? No Problem! by Chris Baty (first half of the review)

2010-09-13T13:41:00.000-07:00

Some of you might have seen my recent post on Tessa's Blurb announcing my participation in this year's NaNoWriMo... well, I bought this book in preparation for that.

It's written by Chris Baty, one of the founders (or THE founder?) of NaNoWriMo, and it is, in it's own words, "a low-stress, high-velocity guide to writing a novel in 30 days".

Right.

So it arrived on Friday (in a big Amazon box along with I Am Not A Serial Killer, which I reviewed on Sunday). I read the first half of the book yesterday.

Yep, the first half.

Nope, it's not that long a book - 172 pages only, not counting acknowledgements, and it's easy reading. I didn't get stuck.

I stopped reading because...wait for it...Mr Baty told me to. Yes, he did. You see, the first half of this book is written for the general public of writers, introducing NaNoWriMo as a concept, telling the story of why on earth someone would come up with such a torturous concept and covering very important topics such as Time-Finding strategies, Noveling Nests and how to Cruise for Characters. It also covers a lot of NaNoWriMo No-Nos (such as actually plotting beforehand).

All of this is illustrated by quotes/stories from previous NaNoWriMo-Winners from all walks of life (some make you laugh, some are just plain good advice, a few made me cringe).

Then there's Section Two of the book. I haven't touched that yet. Why? Because it contains 4 chapters, one for every NaNo week, and you're not supposed to read them before said week has started.

For once in my life I've resisted the urge to read the last few pages first. I am NOT going to read the chapters now. I WILL wait for NaNoWriMo and read them in correct order with appropriate timing.

So there. This is it for now concerning this book, I'll finish up the review in December... wish me luck!

ps. so far, I'd give the book 3 out of 5 stars. It's more of a motivational book than a writing guide, though - which is perfectly suited to NaNoWriMo, of course.

The five-minute writer by Margaret Geraghty

2010-08-28T09:58:00.000-07:00

My rating: 5 out of 5 stars

Blurb:

"This book will inspire you to write - even if you have only a few minutes a day to spare."

Each chapter offers a writing-related discussion, followed by a 5-minute exercise. Five minutes a day spent on an exercie is one of the most efficient methods there is to expand your potential and develop self-discipline.

What I think of it:

This is a great book if you want to practice your writing. It gives you, chapter by chapter, inspiration and writing exercises, all doable in 5 minutes (you can take longer if you want, of course...).

The chapters (one exercise per chapter) are geared towards giving you an all-round kind of practice, covering many topics from "Playing tag in the schoolyard" (exercise: free association of concrete nouns with abstract concepts, i.e. "Life is...") to "250 words on something" (exercise: take a minute to write down the most boring topics you can think of, then write 250 words about the most boring of those).

I'm not sure about the self-discipline thing the blurb talks about (I seriously lack that, myself), but I still love this book. I use it when I'm stuck with something, when a WIP is giving me trouble or my plot are hopelessly tangled or I just can't think of anything at all. This way, I write something, limber up those writing muscles and usually get myself back on track. So for me, this book is a pretty reliable cure to writer's block...you can imagine how treasured it is, I'm sure.

If you're the kind of person who can use writing exercises (that will probably be most of you writers out there, but as they say in Germany, Exceptions Prove the Rule), I can definately recommend this book to you.

Chapter Breakup:

I'm not giving you a complete chapter breakup here (there are 57 of them, one for each exercise), but here's a few examples:

2 What are you waiting for? Make a list

4 101 uses for....

18 Last line triggers

24 Be a character whisperer

26 Two-faced characters

36 The Café of Life

45 Visual Dialogue

53 We're all part of a system

56 The age of epiphany

57 Setting as character

POETIC LICENSE - Meet & Greet No. 4

2010-08-24T00:01:00.000-07:00

So, it's time again for a new Meet & Greet topic! This one's a special request from Regan.

First things first, though...

THE RULES

Add yourself to the list if you think you fit the topic of the week (cf read 6. first!)
PLEASE JOIN THE BLOGHOP(S) THAT CORRESPOND TO YOUR WRITING - We'll all get more out of this that way. (You can suggest topics!!!)
Get the code and post it on your blog. This is optional, but I recommend putting up the list at least for a while. You'll make life so much more convenient for those visiting your blog - if the list is up there, too, they can just hop on to the next participant without coming back here.
You can also copy the little logo above and link the picture back to this blog. If you're signing up for only one list, link to that one's 'home page'. If you're signing up for more than one, I'd recommend a link to theWriters' Helpers page on Meets & Greets.
THAT BEING SAID I know it's close to impossible to post the html list code on Wordpress blogs. Should you have one of those, link back to the original list post (i.e. the one on THIS BLOG RIGHT HERE) so people can find the list and hop on.
If you like, do a post on your blog introducing yourself to your visitors (if you do, I'd advise linking directly to this post, as the list runs on for a while and you might post other things in the meantime, losing the connection to the intro post).
Each list will be 'featured' for TWO WEEKS or so on this Blog, then it'll move to the "ongoing meets & greets" and a new topic will start.
For now the lists will remain active until 31st DECEMBER 2010.

NB If you have a problem with the link, let me know. I can edit them. If you're a spammer or some other unpleasant person I WILL remove your link.

This week's new topic is.....

*anticipatory hush*

POETIC LICENSE

*mad wild clapping*

Are you a poet?

Do you write in rhyme?

Wax poetic in any style at all?

Does Iambic Pentameter actually mean something to you?

(that one haunted my school days)

Then this is the Meet & Greet for you! Join now and meet new poets!

For this linky, I've used a different template...you have to get your creative juices going and answer this question (in tweet-style length!) when you enter your link:

What is poetry?

(please make sure you add the question when you put up the linky on your blog)

For ongoing Meet & Greets, go HERE or see sidebar.

A Life of Crime - Meet and Greet for Writers #3 and NEW RULES

2010-08-10T00:54:00.000-07:00

So my dearies,

Another week, another topic to start. I've also had some time to rethink the whole concept, and have revised the rules accordingly. Here they are, all shiny and new:

THE RULES

Add yourself to the list if you think you fit the topic of the week (cf read 6. first!)
PLEASE JOIN THE BLOGHOP(S) THAT CORRESPOND TO YOUR WRITING - We'll all get more out of this that way. (You can suggest topics!!!)
Get the code and post it on your blog. This is optional, but I recommend putting up the list at least for a while. You'll make life so much more convenient for those visiting your blog - if the list is up there, too, they can just hop on to the next participant without coming back here.
You can also copy the little logo above and link the picture back to this blog. If you're signing up for only one list, link to that one's 'home page'. If you're signing up for more than one, I'd recommend a link to the Writers' Helpers page on Meets & Greets.
THAT BEING SAID I know it's close to impossible to post the html list code on Wordpress blogs. Should you have one of those, link back to the original list post (i.e. the one on THIS BLOG RIGHT HERE) so people can find the list and hop on.
If you like, do a post on your blog introducing yourself to your visitors (if you do, I'd advise linking directly to this post, as the list runs on for a while and you might post other things in the meantime, losing the connection to the intro post).
Each list will be 'featured' for TWO WEEKS or so on this Blog, then it'll move to the "ongoing meets & greets" and a new topic will start.
For now the lists will remain active until 31st DECEMBER 2010.

NB If you have a problem with the link, let me know. I can edit them. If you're a spammer or some other unpleasant person I WILL remove your link.

This week's new topic is.....

*drumroll*

A LIFE OF CRIME

*applause*

Do you write crime fiction?

Murder mysteries, whodunits, thrillers?

Then this is the Meet & Greet for you!

Seven Steps on the Writer's Path by Nancy Pickard and Lynn Lott

2010-08-05T09:15:00.000-07:00

Seven Steps on the Writer's Path
The Journey from Frustration
to Fulfillment

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb:

The blank page, the impossible deadline, the rush of inspiration: There is no profession more maddening or more rewarding than being a writer. Yet surprisingly, all writers pass through the same sequence of stages in the course of their careers. (...) No matter what you write or how much recognition you're received, you are bound to pass through the seven steps on the writer's path (...).

What I think about it:

I've read many, many how-to writing books - the good, the bad and the ugly - and this is one of my favourites.

Let me explain why. These two ladies do not, in fact, tell you what to do. There's no list of master plots or characters, no scene cards/character forms to fill in. In fact, they say it best with the quote they put at the start of their book:

"Let no one be deluded that a knowledge of the path can substitute for putting one foot in front of the other." Mary Caroline Richards

This is a book that aims to help you - to help all writers (and probably quite a few other artists, too) put one foot in front of the other, to take one step at a time until you reach your goal (in our case, that would be publication - or perhaps the NYT bestseller list/purlizer prize/Oscar for Best Writing-Original Screenplay).

Truly writing for a living (and I'm not talking about giving up your day job, I'm talking about living for your writing) is a hard thing to do. We (and I'm going out on a limb here - you're reading this review, so you're probably some subspecies of writer) have chosen a difficult path, full of obstacles and switchbacks and ogers under bridges. It's easy to get discouraged, even if you're living the best-case scenario and have a family or a circle of friends that supports you whole-heartedly, and a day-job that allows you to write (or maybe you don't need a day job, good for you).

There are moments when we all want to throw our notebook/laptop/desk against the wall or at our muse in frustration. Times when writing is so painful you'd think you're using your own blood or brain matter for ink. Times when you aren't writing at all, when life gets in the way and thoughts of 'why bother' cross your mind.

If any of this sounds familiar, this is definately a book for you. It isn't unlike books on the stages of grief (and what an analogy that is!), listing the seven steps of the writer's path, ranging from the first one - Unhappiness - to the last - Fulfillment, explaining symptoms and suggesting strategies for moving on (or simply telling the reader that yes, it's normal to feel discouraged at times, it happens to everyone). There's also lots of little annecdotes about the authors or about people they'd met illustrating the Seven Steps. They lighten up the topic and make for a fluent and amusing read.

Additional plus: The margins of this little book are filled from start to finish with quotes, mostly on writing, all appropriate to the 'step' they accompany, all of them brilliant. But then I have a thing for quotes... here's an example that really made me smile:

"It's all right to have butterflies in your stomach. Just get them to fly in formation." Dr Rob Gilbert (p.48)

This book is all about not giving up hope, and an extra dish of hope is something most of us could do with on occasion. If you're a writer, if you're stuck in a rut or if you think you're the only one with your problem/feeling as you do about your writing, this is definately the book for you.

Chapter Breakup:

Preface - How this Book Was Born

The Trailhead - Starting Out
Unhappiness: Step One on the Writer's Path
Wanting: Step Two on the Writer's Path
Commitment: Step Three on the Writer's Path
Wavering: Step Four on the Writer's Path
Letting Go: Step Five on the Writer's Path
Immersion: Step Six on the Writer's Path
Fulfillment: Step Seven on the Writer's Path

Appendices, Sources and Acknowledgements

Romancing the Blog - Meet & Greet #2

2010-08-03T06:06:00.000-07:00

Welcome back, my dearies!

As you can see, the Meet & Greet has changed location - glad you found it anyway!

This week's topic:

ROMANCING THE BLOG!

In case you can't guess, this week's Meet & Greet is all about

ROMANCE!

Do you write romance, no matter what (sub)genre?

Is there nothing you love more than a good love story?

Join this week's Meet & Greet and say hello to likeminded people!

These are the Rules:

Add yourself to the list if you think you fit the topic of the week (cf read 3. first!)
Get the code and post it on your blog. This is essential - if you don't, people won't be able to hop on from your blog to the next. That's just plain rude and a major inconvenience. It will also land you on many people's blacklist of blogs never to visit again. THAT BEING SAID I know it's close to impossible to post the html list code on Wordpress blogs. Should you have one of those, link back to the original list post (i.e. the one on THIS BLOG RIGHT HERE) so people can find the list and hop on.
If you like, do a post on your blog introducing yourself to your visitors (if you do, I'd advise linking directly to this post, as the list runs on for a while and you might post other things in the meantime, losing the connection to the intro post).
Each list will be 'featured' for a week or so on this Blog, then it'll move to the "ongoing meet and greets"-tab and a new topic will start. You can still access the list (till Dec 2010 for now), though.

NB If you have a problem with the link, let me know. I can edit them. If you're a spammer or some other unpleasant person I WILL remove your link.

Here's the list:

The Writer's Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers by Christopher Vogler

2010-07-27T09:23:00.000-07:00

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Blurb:

Christopher Vogler explores the powerful relationship between mythology and storytelling in his clear, concise style that's made this book required reading for (...) screenwriters, fiction and non-fiction writers (...) all over the world.

Discover a set of useful myth-inspired storytelling paradigms like "The Hero's Journey", and step-by-step guidelines to plot and character development. Based on the work of Joseph Campbell (...)

What I think of it:

Basically, this is a more easily read version of Campell's book with references to movies and books to illustrate certain points. It gives you a clear structure that, strangely, all stories ever told seem to follow in one way or another.

For the writer, this can be a set of guidelines of 'where to go' should their plot ever get stuck or their characters seem underdeveloped. It can provide inspiration, and it's an interesting read all by itself.

For those of you not so big on old-style academic english writing I'd definately recommend this instead of (or alongside) The Hero's Journey. You'll probably gain a better understanding of the concept and the way one stage of the journey leads to the next from Vogler's work.

Chapter Breakup:

Intro
BOOK ONE:

A Practical Guide
The Archetypes
Hero
Mentor
Threshold Guardian
Herald
Shapeshifter
Shadow
Ally
Trickster

BOOK TWO:

Ordinary World
Call to Adventure
Refusal of the Call
Meeting with the Mentor
Crossing the First Threshold
Tests, Allies, Enemies
Approach to the Inmost Cave
The Ordeal
Reward
The Road Back
The Resurrection
Return with the Elixir

EPILOGUE

The book also includes several appendices, inclluding one on Polarity and one on Catharsis.

View all my reviews >>

Introductory Post

2010-07-26T08:09:00.000-07:00

Hello dearies,

welcome to my new blog. I've recently reorganised my bookshelves and come to the frightening conclusion that I have way too many books on writing...

OK maybe not too many, but there's definately lots of them.

So I figured I'd share them with you. Whenever I read one, I'll review it for you. Maybe that'll help you choose one if you're searching, or discount one you might have been tempted by...