Category Archives: Fantasy

You’ve Got Five Pages, #TheOlympianAffair by #JimButcher, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
2

When I saw the inside of the book cover was filled with unique world-related ads and propaganda, I knew I was in for something fun.

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

The Olympian Affair of The Cinder Series by Jim Butcher

I find myself in a sequel with Jim Butcher’s The Olympian Affair.

Book 2 of The Cinder Series takes a smart approach: start with one character walking through a town with a destination in mind. When a writer takes this narrow focus, they not only give themselves a chance to reacquaint readers with a specific character, but to also re-establish the setting of the world, too. Granted, it’s one town in a fantasy world, but it’s enough to get a sense of what the world is like and how it operates.

Airships are the name of the game here, which is always a fun steampunk concept, and I love that spires take on a whole new meaning through this world. (The fencing swords on the cover are what drew me to pick this book up in the first place.) The writing itself has an interesting rhythm; Butcher deploys short, strong sentences in the midst of long, active prose in order for those brief descriptors to pack a real punch–“The new vatteries stank.”–is a personal favorite of mine. Sensory details like this mixed with banter between two airship captains made the opening pages an intriguing read. If you’re ready to take off for a break from this world (I know I am) then I have a feeling Jim Butcher’s Cinder Spires series would make for an excellent escape.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #TheNarrowRoadBetweenDesires by #PatrickRothfuss, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
3

We may not be kingkillers right now, but perhaps we’ll find ourselves there in time.

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

jEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAges

The Narrow Road Between Desires by Patrick Rothfuss

I have been recommended Patrick Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind quite often over the years, but here I am, diving into this shorter fantasy work of his instead. Even Rothfuss recommends NOT reading this short work before his other books, but I have done so…and am glad to have done so, too.

The first chapter quickly establishes our protagonist Bast, a known character from the other books. Being a complete newbie, I accepted that there could be unclear aspects of the world for me because I wasn’t familiar with the world of The Kingkiller Chronicle. Yet the first chapter starts in a very intimate, quiet way: Bast is trying to sneak out of the inn before his master notices. The innkeeper catches him, though, and sets him up with a mysterious book and a small list of errands before asking about a stranger who stopped by the inn earlier. Bast pretends to not know much of the stranger and takes off for his errands.

Doesn’t sound like much, does it? And the stranger’s name sounds like it is also something from the other books.

But that does not leave me flustered in the least. Rothfuss has a beautiful sense of the ear in his language, describing the different sounds created when a novice tries to sneak away vs. an expert vs. the artist Bast is. The visual and aural details mixed with metaphor creates a flow of prose one can easily coast upon, happy to see where the current takes them. Sure, I may choose to follow Rothfuss’ advice and NOT read The Narrow Road Between Desires before I read The Name of the Wind, but something tells me that if I stay with the current, Bast’s tale will still take me to some pretty exciting, unique places in that fantastical realm.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #ThornHedge by #TKingfisher, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
4

Storytelling is the truly powerful magic.

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

Thorn Hedge by T. Kingfisher

I admit, I am a little bias with today’s selection. When I saw T. Kingfisher had a new dark take on a classic story, I had to jump on it.

Thorn Hedge does not disappoint. Its opening pages are told from the Fairy’s perspective, describing a crushingly long passage of time as she guards a mysterious tower and the thorn hedge surrounding it. Granted, we as writers are always told to “show, don’t tell.” Kingfisher does the opposite in order to reflect on how much time passes under the Fairy’s watchful eye. Initially the wall of thorns is massive and obvious, drawing the attention of princes and ambitious boys from all over, but as generations come and go, the everyday nature creeps up and grows over this wall. Yet the Fairy fears that the story—yes, the story—of the tower and its secret has not died in time. I do love how Kingfisher focuses on the power of words, of story, and how THAT is to be feared rather than any kind of magic or weapon of the world.

Clues are given to readers to help gauge time, such as the Plague masks of the Black Death and the red crosses worn by knights during the Crusades. I admit, I started getting impatient when we reached the Crusades, for it was starting to feel like we would only see this story as a walk through time, but behold! On the sixth page comes a knight. And then, my fellow creatures, the true narrative starts.

So, if you are one for brief, vivid tellings of classic tales, I don’t think you’ll go wrong with Kingfisher here. I LOVED her take on The Fall of the House of Usher, so I’m stoked to see what she does with this Grimm, dark tale. 😊

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #FourthWing by #RebeccaYarros, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
8

New dragon riders are always fun to meet.

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

As a born and bred fantasy lover who’s raised a girl obsessed with the Wings of Fire series, I had to grab Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing from the library’s new release shelf.

Dragon stories are always in demand, whether it’s for the sheer escapist adventure or the exploration of the bond between a human protagonist and their dragon, or anything in between. Now the first pages of Fourth Wing provide no dragons, but they do provide an introduction to the brutal world our protagonist Violet must live in. As a twenty-year-old in their militaristic kingdom, she must join a service like all other twenty-year-olds; the difference here is that the scribe training she had under her father has been tossed aside by her mother, one of the highest generals of the kingdom. Violet must be a dragon rider, or die trying.

The concept itself is neat and definitely had me engaged from the outset. I only wish the opening pages were more than a bickering match between Violet’s mother and sister, who also serves the army as a dragon rider. The argument feels like it’s there solely to give readers a bunch of establishing information of the story and its stakes for Violet; while the information is certainly useful, it does cause the argument to drag out far more than it needed to. Still, the premise here is very promising, and for those who enjoyed tales like Christopher Paolini’s Eragon or Naomi Novik’s His Majesty’s Dragon, Rebecca Yarros’ Fourth Wing will be a perfect addition to your book hoard.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #InkBloodSisterScribe by #EmmaTorzs, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
4

I was so happy to discover a new fantasy release at my local library–that’s rare!

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

Ink Blood Sister Scribe by Emma Törzs

I don’t like grabbing hyped books by big news book clubs, but I can see why folks dig Törzs’ Ink Blood Sister Scribe.

The prose is very descriptive and balanced between action and reflection. The dialogue feels a little awkward at times, but the characterization carries it through, especially when you have such a compelling family dynamic. How could a book kill the father? Why did one sister have to run away but not the other? Is the mother really dead? Because if she is, why must one daughter “never let her in”? I may not be a fan of prologues, but using the prologue to establish the death of the father from one sister’s perspective then allows the first chapter to focus on the other sister, allowing her to not only establish the passage of time and her unique life choices, but the mystery in conflicting details about the mother. If you’re keen on a contemporary fantasy with a bit of danger and family drama, then I’m sure Törzs’ will meet your needs.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #TressoftheEmeraldSea by #BrandonSanderson, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
8

We’ve got another delight here, my friends!

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson

Now I know Sanderson’s a big name in fantasy writing, but I wasn’t expecting a Jane Austen-style cover for one of his books. Apparently, ⁠Tress of the Emerald Sea ⁠was to be something for his wife, so its voice, characters, world, etc. are not meant to be connected to anything else he’s written. This is fine, as I’m one of those heathens who’s never read Sanderson. 🙂

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the podcast here.

I do hope his other books have such a playful narrative voice! That’s what hooks you in these first few pages, honestly. The first chapter is almost entirely exposition about where protagonist Tress lives: a putrid island where nothing can grow and only salt can save you from the cosmic spores raining from the sky. I was keenly reminded of Tolkien’s asides to readers as I went, though this narrator’s tongue is a bit more, shall we say, barbed: “Ships sailed that dust like ships sail water here, and you should not find that so unusual. How many other planets have you visited? Perhaps they all sail oceans of pollen, and your home is the freakish one.”

We learn more about the world than we do about Tress in this opening chapter, but it’s enough to keep us going. For a girl who insists she’s happy on an island where the government orders the residents to remain until death, she still collects cups decorated with things that can’t survive where she lives. For a girl who does her best to tame her hair and be socially presentable, she never seems to succeed. For a girl with a family name like Glorf (“don’t judge,” says the narrator), she deserves a chance to be more. And hopefully, we’ll read on to see just that.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #TheCraneHusband by #KellyBarnhill, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
2

Ooo, folks, this is a neat one.

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

The Crane Husband by Kelly Barnhill*

The atmosphere of a dark fairy tale hangs heavy in the old farmhouse where ⁠Kelly Barnhill’s The Crane Husband⁠ takes place. Our narrator is a fifteen-year-old girl who’s become the caregiver to both her little brother and mother–a mother who, on this day, brings home a large crane and calls him their father.

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the podcast here.

We as readers are as agog as the little brother, while the teen is doing her best to maintain a cynical sanity to her mother’s artistic whims. The fact we as readers do not know about the crane being dressed in human clothing until the second page irked me at first, but as a writer I respect Barnhill’s choice to show the reactions to the initial shock of a crane in the kitchen before the next shock of the crane in clothes. The third shock comes when the mother shows intimate displays of affection to the crane–and the crane reciprocates. The chapter ends with the teen blowing this off, eager for the crane’s departure like her mother’s other lovers, but the chapter ends with yet another masterful twist by Barnhill:

My mother wasn’t one to keep anything around, save for me and Michael. So I wasn’t particularly worried about the crane.

I should have been worried about the crane.

With such a bizarre start, I can only imagine where Barnhill’s tale can go from here.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

*If I refer to Kelly Barnhill as Kate at some point, I humbly apologize. I goofed!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #Babel by #RFKuang, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
4

At last, my library got a new fantasy novel!

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

Babel by R.F. Kuang

Goodness, ANOTHER happy find! I don’t know if I’ve ever had such a run with great books on this podcast. 🙂

Babel by R.F. Kuang not only has a fascinating book cover, but an intriguing premise as well: the world’s magic is manipulated through words and silver, and in the early 1800s, England is the master of that magic. The opening is not set in England, though, but in China, where a young boy awaits his death from cholera, the same illness that had already taken his family. A mysterious British professor knows where he lives and magically heals him before taking him to the English Factory. Where this factory actually is I’ve no idea, as this would take us past five pages, but I can safely say the first five pages do a wonderful job of hooking us as readers. Kuang’s use of descriptive language wastes no time ensnaring us with her description of the boy’s mother dying of cholera and his acceptance of his fate. On the second page, we’re already shown a magic healing; while it doesn’t tell us how the boy is healed, it’s enough worldbuilding for us to know that some have magic, and others do not. As a writer, I’m also intrigued by the details dropped about the mysterious professor and English woman who helped raise the boy. What is it about this particular child that has drawn distinctively different English people to him, thousands of miles away in China? I don’t know, but I’m excited to find out. 🙂

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #TheCityWeBecame by #NKJemisin, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
6

For the first time in an age, my library got a new fantasy for its shelves.

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

The City We Became by N.J. Jemisin

But twenty-two pages of prologue? Really?!?

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the podcast here.

Okay, that gripe aside, the opening pages of The City We Became by N.K. Jemisin do successfully balance hints at the fantastical while remaining grounded in New York City. Our protagonist, who’s unnamed in the opening pages, hears something breathing and calling back to her whenever she sings or paints the city. It’s a unique balance of active exposition that helps readers see and feel the same unsettled curiosity as the protagonist. The only interaction we see the protagonist has with another human being is Paulo, who seems to have this mentor kind of position of a side character. Paulo is trying to share his own moment of seeing something alive in the depths of the city and knows the protagonist can hear whatever that thing is. But the protagonist doesn’t care about a thing; she cares about getting some food in her stomach and having a safe place to sleep from one night to the next.

So this story is something of a slow burn. I’m not saying that’s bad; Jemisin isn’t shy that this is the first book of a series, so Book 1 will of course be full of dropped seeds and mystery boxes to compel readers to read. And these opening pages do have moments alluding to the fantastical hidden among the everyday grit and grime of the city. Why this had to be inside a huge prologue I don’t know, but for those who enjoy urban fantasy stories, I’m sure Jemisin will not disappoint.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!

You’ve Got Five Pages, #BeastsandBeauty by #SomanChainani, to Tell Me You’re Good. #FirstChapter #BookReview #Podcast

Posted on by
4

We interrupt this month of mystery with a dark fantasy recommended by my daughter!

As writers, we hear all the time that we’ve got to hook readers in just the first few pages or else. We’ve got to hook agents in the first few pages or else.

Whether you’re looking to get published or just hoping to hook your reader, first impressions are vital. Compelling opening scenes are the key to catching an agent or editor’s attention, and are crucial for keeping your reader engaged.

JEFF GERKE, THE FIRST FIFTY PAGES

Well then, let’s study those first few pages in other people’s stories, shall we?

Today I snagged from the New Release shelf:

Beasts and Beauty: Dangerous Tales by Soman Chainani

I had originally planned a mystery for today, but once I saw my selection directly tied back to a previous book without much context, I took my daughter Blondie’s offer to read Beasts and Beauty by Soman Chainani instead. I’m so glad I did!

If you do not see the audio player above, you can access the podcast here.

The illustrations of the first story, “Red Riding Hood,” are stark and bleak–a perfect balance with the vivid yet succinct prose that describes the story-world. Just look at this first sentence: “On the first day of spring, the wolves eat the prettiest girl.” That right there is intense and violent while also providing a sense of time and action. Even though the story is written in third-person omniscient, we as readers feel like we are a part of the story, watching the girl who never thought herself beautiful be chosen by the wolves for their meal. We watch her discard fear, take up her red cloak and knife, and enter the forest. We have heard this tale a thousand times, yet we cannot help but read on, for we don’t know where Chainani’s unique tellings will take us. His control over language is pure magic, and I cannot wait to see his imagination play with the story-worlds of Snow White, Peter Pan, and other classic fairy tale folk.

No matter what the season brings, keep reading!

Read on, share on, and write on, my friends!