The Mongoliad

Today marks the release of The Mongoliad, a collaborative fantasy release by Neal Stephenson, Greg Bear, Mark Teppo, E.D. deBirmingham, Erik Bear, Joseph Brassey, and Copper Moo.

This is an interesting one because it actually began as an app project. According to the website, "... a community-driven, enhanced, serial novel..." now compiled into a formal novelization available in print (and ebook) -- as of today.

So what do you get when you combine some of the foremost fantasy and sci-fi authors with a carefully plotted historical fantasy filled with fight scenes? The Mongoliad of course.

Set in the 13th century, The Mongoliad centers around the Mongol invasion led by Genghis Khan's son, Ogedei, the Khan of Khans. A mixed group of warriors has come up with a plan to save their homes -- if the Khan of Khan dies without naming a successor, all of his officers will return to their homeland to name a new leader, freeing up the people of the lands they've been invading for so long. And so the group must kill Ogedei.

Chapters alternate between narrators, including the Mongol point of view via a young man who has been sent to help Ogedei and the would-be assassins, mainly via Cnan, a Binder with excellent tracking skills -- and a woman. Each new chapter reveals a new thread of the plot.

It is amazing to me that so many authors can work together to create a fluid piece of fiction. The Mongoliad also marks my formal introduction to said authors. Though I'm familiar with Stephenson and Greg Bear, I've not really delved into their individual works as of yet. I dabbled a bit with Stephenson's Baroque Cycle ages ago and couldn't hack it at the time.

New Releases 4/24/12

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

The Wind Through the Keyhole by Stephen King

Red, White and Blood by Christopher Farnsworth

Tricked by Kevin Hearne

The Prophet by Amanda Stevens

Bitter Seeds by Ian Tregillis (pb release)

Blackbirds by Chuck Wendig

Silenced by Allison Brennan

Afterwards by Rosamund Lupton

I, Iago by Nicole Galland

The Mongoliad by Stephenson, Bear, et al

The First Warm Evening of the Year by Jamie M. Saul

Siege by Rhiannon Frater

32 Fangs: A Final Vampire Tale by David Wellington

Micro by Michael Crichton (pb release)

Evil Dark by Justin Gustainis

Dirt by David Vann

The Good Father by Diane Chamberlain

True Sisters by Sandra Dallas

The Selection by Kiera Cass

The Immortal Rules by Julie Kagawa

Masque of the Red Death by Bethany Griffin

Unraveling by Elizabeth Norris

Storm by Brigid Kemmerer

Thumped by Megan McCafferty

Ascend by Amanda Hocking

New on DVD:
Dark Tide
The Innkeepers
Contraband


New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
The Selection
Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis
Mariana by Susanna Kearsley
White Horse by Alex Adams
More Like Her by Liza Palmer

Mariana by Susanna Kearsley

In The Book Rat's Book Chat discussion a couple of months ago, the subject was Buzz Words and Deal Breakers: things that draw us to and repel us from potential reads. One of my buzz words -- along with dystopian, post-apocalyptic, and many others -- is "gothic." 

In the true sense, gothic literature has a fairly defined set of elements. Today, you can (and I have) pick up any number of books being described as "gothic" and come up with something completely different in each one. The term "gothic" seems to have evolved into a something that's used to describe a certain style and atmosphere evoked by an author's writing. The gothic romance of the twentieth century -- Mary Stewart and Daphne du Maurier, for example -- retained some of the core elements while moving away from the horror aspect present in much of that earlier gothic lit.  

In truth, I'm a fan of almost every variation of "gothic" tale. Victorian style ghost stories and horror, Jane Eyre and Rebecca styled "romance" -- it all works for me. The key is atmosphere in my opinion. 

It is this atmosphere that is present in Susanna Kearsley's Mariana, a deliciously enthralling tale with a bit of a supernatural twist.

A small inheritance allows Julia Beckett to purchase the home of her dreams. From the moment she steps foot inside the house, she knows that she is linked to its past. When she begins to experience things as a girl from the 17th century, Julia has to wonder if she's gone mad. But when she discovers that the girl was in fact very real, she realizes something much more strange is occurring. 

Kearsley's style is definitely reminiscent of that of Daphne du Maurier. There is no horror in Mariana, as the early gothic lit would promise, but the atmosphere and tone of the story does hold a hint of dread and something terrible in Mariana's past. At it's heart, Mariana is a satisfyingly romantic story about past lives and timeless love. 

Mariana was originally published in the early 90s and is a new re-release from Sourcebooks, who also published Kearsley's most recent titles, The Winter Sea and The Rose Garden.

My Stand Story

Next Monday is World Book Night and as a giver, I've chosen Stephen King's The Stand. I realized though that I've never ever posted anything about The Stand here on the blog. So here it is, my Stand (and King) story!

I started reading Stephen King when I was about 13. My mom held out as long as she could -- she had a copy of Pet Sematary in her closet that I'd been begging for and drooling over for years. Though mom didn't read a lot, she had read that one and combined with the nightmares she associated with my having watched It on tv when I was 9, there was no way she was letting me read King just yet. I might add that this was the time when you could frequently find Stephen King commercials all over tv -- they just teased me even more. 

Side note -- It was not the cause of the nightmares. The shed with the open door outside my window was, thanks! Mom conveniently forgot to record the second half of the mini-series and it was years before I saw the whole thing. 

So, around 1992 a tree fell in the office. The office was my grandfather's old house and the tree landed on the closed-in porch. Through a series of events that are still not completely known to me, they decided to sell the house (the buyer was going to move it off the property to a different location) and us kids (me, my brother, and my friend) were tapped to help box up and clean out. 

Lo and behold, there was a copy of 'Salems Lot on the bookshelves (my grandmother was not a King fan), so I happily trotted up to mom and said it was mine now. I convinced her to hand over Pet Sematary and found a copy of Firestarter as well. And so my King reading began. Maybe too early. Of the three, the only one that held my young teenage interest (I finished them all) was Firestarter with its child protagonist. So I set aside my King obsession for about a year. 

End of freshman year in high school, a friend loaned me the doorstopper hardcover edition of The Stand.  I lugged that monster around in my backpack all by its lonesome. I toted it around the house, I read it over the side of the bathtub. I was entranced! I finished it in a week. This was the right book and I came to it at the right time. 

And I became a King geek. As a bookseller, my coworkers would giggle anytime anyone would come in asking about King. I could talk your ear off about him. I have no end of recommendations for any kind of reader, but King is my all time favorite. 

And so on Monday I get to hand out 20 copies of The Stand and I hope that I get to play a part in inspiring some new King fans and rabid readers.

Bloggers of the Deep Tour - Q&A with Zoraida Córdova

I'd like to welcome Zoraida Córdova to the blog. Zoraida is the author of the upcoming book The Vicious Deep, out May 1 from Sourcebooks Fire. 

With THE VICIOUS DEEP, you've built a world filled with all sorts of mythological creatures. How and why did you choose mermaids as your main focus?

I think mermaids lend themselves well to coming of age. They are part of two worlds. When you're 17 and on the brink of such changes, sometimes it feels like you just don't know where you fit. For Tristan, it's literal. Besides, mermaids are just cool. 

Who are some of your favorite merfolk throughout literature/mythology/film history?

One of my favorite novels growing up was Sirena by Donna Jo Napoli. It made me realize that I could write a mermaid novel. I recommend it to fans of Greek mythology and love stories. 

I once read a post where a selkie author talked about how selkies are way cooler than vampires. So same question to you, tell me how mermaids are cooler than all the other supernatural beings out there and why they're the next big thing. 

I didn't consider them the next big thing when I was writing the book. I think it happened by accident. What are the chances that all of these authors shopped their mermaid novels at the same time? It's crazy right? Mermaids have always been more mysterious than other supernatural creatures to me. Partly because they haven't been done to death. But also because there is so much in the sea that hasn't been discovered yet. 

What sort of offering would you bring if you were meeting The Sea King?

Bacon. Because if Tristan had been thinking clearly, he would've done the same thing. 

When is book two set for release and any hints as to what readers can expect?

I believe The Savage Blue is slated for Spring 2013. Let's just say Tristan couldn't even see this coming. 

What tips do you have for someone trying to break into YA?

Read. It's that simple. Reading accomplishes two things: craft building and market knowledge. 

A huge, huge thanks to Zoraida for the q&a and for Sourcebooks for helping set it up!

The Vicious Deep by Zoraida Córdova

I am super excited to be participating in Zoraida Córdova's Bloggers of the Deep blog tour! Check back tomorrow for the official stop -- a Q&A with Zoraida!

And I know The Vicious Deep is not out until May 1 (mark your calendars) but I wanted to go ahead and post my review this week as well. So here goes!

The storm came from nowhere, the sky rumbling with sudden clouds and a massive wave looming over Coney Island. In the midst of all of this, Tristan Hart sees a girl and -- without a second thought -- dives into the tumultuous waters. Three days later he washes up on shore with no memory beyond jumping in to save the girl. From this moment on, Tristan's life is forever changed. Tristan discovers that he is part of a long and noble line of merfolk, a direct descendant of The Sea King himself. In fact, the only male heir. And the race is in trouble. But is Tristan the right one to save them?

First off, Córdova truly captured summer in this book. I could taste the salt spray and I really wished I was on a beach somewhere with a fruity drink while reading the book! 

This first in the series is fresh and fun. A totally original teen paranormal featuring merfolk like you've never seen them before. Córdova's writing is witty and snarky, her plotting is smooth, and her characters are really unique, aside from the typical teen things like girl issues and boy issues and high school. 

And of course, a cliffhanger of an ending. See there's a quest and Tristan has to find some things, all very Greek mythology in feel. Some action, some romance, such a fun read! 

So don't forget: put The Vicious Deep in your must read list! Mark your calendar for May 1 (or pre-order from your favorite place). And come back tomorrow for a Q&A with the author herself!

New Releases 4/17/12

Some of the new titles hitting shelves this week are:

A Land More Kind Than Home by Wiley Cash

White Horse by Alex Adams

An Unexpected Guest by Anne Korkeakivi

A Deeper Darkness by JT Ellison

Waiting for Sunrise by William Boyd

What Doesn't Kill You by Iris Johansen

More Like Her by Liza Palmer

Lucky Bastard by SG Browne

Deadfall Hotel by Steve Rasnic Tem

The Garden of Happy Endings by Barbara O'Neal

The Last Werewolf by Glen Duncan (pb)

Glimmer by Phoebe Kitanidis

The Last Echo by Kimberly Derting (Body Finder #3)

New on DVD:
Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol
The Divide

New reviews at Bookbitch.com:
The Return Man by V.M. Zito
Moonshine by Alaya Johnson