The Hanging City is my latest adventure into the world of (probably) my favorite author, Charlie N. Holmberg. This story takes place in a world where there are trolls (they happen to have a city built under a bridge, a rather creative twist on the traditional fairy tale) as well as humans, and both are fighting to survive in a world that is wrecked by drought. The tale follows Lark, whose desperation to seek refuge away from her abusive father has led her to the troll city of Cagmar, where she offers her ability to force fear into others as payment for letting her stay. She is accepted onto the team of “monster slayers” who protect the city from the dangerous creatures that live in the canyon below, but it’s the path of love and friendship that Lark follows which ends up being more dangerous than the monsters.
           
It’s interesting to watch the major themes that play out in this story, especially as they twist and intertwine. Lark has spent her entire life living with fear: not only by thrusting it into others, but having it beaten into her in her childhood home and follow her to every human town she can find. It’s not until she meets Azmar and develops a sense of belonging in the trollis city that she discovers an emotion more powerful than fear – love. The way the author lays bare the hills and valleys of their relationship gives the reader a deep glimpse into the dynamics between fear and love. It is not Lark’s fear of her father or her use of fear against the monsters of the canyon that nearly destroys her heart and soul – it is the denial of her love for Azmar, either by her own admission, the actions of the council, or by Azmar’s reaction after experiencing her “gift.” Likewise, we see in Azmar the triumph of love over fear: how he forces himself to flee rather than fight when Lark uses fear to drive him to safety, and even more so when he expresses that he was more afraid of losing her than when she used her powers on him. We hear it all the time, that love is more powerful than fear, but it is comforting to see such a visceral reminder of that simple truth.
           
Of course, Scripture tells us over and over again not to be afraid (the phrase “do not fear” appears 365 times in the Bible, once for each day of the year!). My favorite verse is Luke 2, verses 10-11: “And the angel said to them, ‘Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.’” Here we see there is no reason to fear, for God’s love for us has conquered all that we could ever be afraid of. And to take that lesson one step further, we can also see in “The Hanging City” that fear has consequences. Lark’s use of fear to drive out the canyon monsters to defeat the incoming human army nearly kills her, and she probably can’t ever do it again (certainly not if she wants to survive). Perhaps there is a reason the Bible tells us “do not be afraid” so many times ;-).

I’ve written many stories that circle around love, but none around fear. I don’t necessarily know that I would want to try, but watching the dynamics between love and another powerful emotion was enlightening and enjoyable as a reader. Perhaps doing something similar in my own books would add another level to the stories I write. What do you think?

Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading!

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I’m back again with more stories from one of my favorite authors, Charlie N. Holmberg. The most recent ones that I’ve read from her are the Spellbreaker/ Spellmaker duo. These two books follow the whirlwind courtship of Elsie Camden and Bacchus Kelsey in London of 1895 as they unravel the mystery of a series of murders involving wizards and the theft of their “opus,” the spell book that magic-users leave behind when they die.
           
As always, the author creates a charming new world of fantasy and a sweet love story. But what really stuck me this time around as I read was that this was a new world. In fact, all of the books she writes seem to take place in new worlds, regardless of whether the names of locations or the time periods stay the same. It seems that with every new story she writes, the form and rules of magic change.
           
For instance, the recent Spellbreaker series invokes magic in different disciplines (rational, physical, temporal, spiritual). In her Paper Magician series, magic users specialize in using different materials (paper, glass, metal, wood, plastic). The Will and the Wilds revolves around an enchanted stone in an imaginary world and The Fifth Doll revolves around enchanted nesting dolls in Russia. Veins of Gold involves a sort of nature magic that allows for the control of animals and takes place in America during the time of the gold rush, whereas Magic Bitter, Magic Sweet traces its enchantments back to “world makers” who aren’t even from Earth. Both the Numina series and Followed by Frost are in made-up realms, but Followed by Frost involves a freezing curse and the Numina books feature human vessels who can be used to harness powerful spirits.
           
As you can see, in each new book the magical element changes in some way. Even in the stories that seem similar (such as the Spellbreaker duet and the Paper Magician series, where in both magic users must train for licensing in their chosen vocation), the magic in each is dissimilar enough that those literary worlds can’t possibly coexist together.
           
Personally, I prefer to have stories that can all take place in the same universe. So all my vampires will have similar traits (sensitivity to sunlight until a certain age, crying tears of blood, etc.), all my witches will need spell books but my elves won’t, that sort of thing. I love the idea that all my characters could conceivably cross paths with one another in a fictional world. In fact, some of them do! (For example, Lisa and Brandon from “I Like You As a Friend, But Not a Zombie” in the anthology make an appearance in The Heart of Everything.)

As exciting as it is to discover new theories of magic, I’ll probably continue to favor more consistency in my stories. What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section! Until the next time, keep reading!

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My newest manga discovery was Snow White with the Red Hair by Sorata Akiduki. I was so excited when I first heard about it that I couldn’t wait until I had the funds to officially invest in my own copies, so I started reading it through my local public library :-D. I’m still working on collecting all the volumes for myself, but this story is worth the wait!
           
Snow White with the Red Hair is fantasy-type manga that takes place in a faraway kingdom. At the beginning of the tale, Shirayuki wants to become an herbalist, but the prince of Tanbarun is planning to make her his concubine! She makes a run for it and encounters Zen, the second prince of the nearby kingdom of Wisteria. Zen helps her escape from her plight and escorts her to his kingdom, where she becomes a full-fledged court herbalist. The rest of the story follows their adventures together (and apart!) as they develop deeper feelings for one another and work to overcome the gap between their social stations.
           
What impressed me the most about this story was how balanced the characters were. Often, characters are written with extreme characteristics and stereotypes. While this can be funny and distinctive, it can also get old after a while. It was refreshing to see that Shirayuki wasn’t a helpless princess, nor was she refusing assistance. She certainly did want to do things for herself and on her own, but she wasn’t above accepting help when she needed it. Even Zen, despite his stubbornness and rule-flouting tendencies, didn’t just rush off to do whatever he wanted all the time. Instead, he faithfully played the role of prince and followed his duty rather than his emotions.
           
Personally, I find it so much easier to connect with a character who knows how to flex and adapt as their situation changes. Plus, it was so exciting to see these characters build their relationship the “right way,” by working through the rules and customs of their world so they could perform the roles they’d been given to the best of their abilities. The notion of lovers who elope in order to pursue a forbidden relationship may seem romantic, but it’s also not very relatable for most of us. Watching a young couple go through the hard work of balancing their positions in society with their desire to be together was actually very encouraging for me, because it served as a reminder that love doesn’t have to come at the expense of family or career. Balance in all areas of living allows for a full and satisfying life, both in books and in reality ;-).
           
I certainly hope I’m able to weave a good sense of balance into my own novels. Well-balanced characters feel more realistic – even if my characters start off a bit extreme, I intend to write them into a better place of being by the end! (Just think of Jesse and how his temperament evened out over the course of my first two stories.) And I love the idea of writing a romance that finds a happy ending by following the rules rather than breaking them. Hard work really does pay off, and I want to encourage that in my books. Stay tuned to see how well I do!

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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​I admit, there was just so much food for thought that came from Suzanne Collins’ prequel to the Hunger Games novels that I find myself writing yet another post about it!
           
I mentioned in the previous post that I was thankful to know in advance that this story would not have a “happy” ending. In some ways, this book reminds me of reading Fairest from the Lunar Chronicles, in that it catalogues the journey of a decent character into the role of villain. Yet, reading The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes was not so dark and depressing as Fairest. The evil queen from Marissa Meyers’ works consciously refused the options that would have kept her from her dark path, whereas Coriolanus’ descent is more of a series of unfortunate events. His history of growing up in the war-torn Capitol causes him to choose order over freedom and slowly costs him a happy life in lieu of one filled with comfort and power.
           
The saddest moment for me was not the actual falling out between him and Lucy Grey. I already knew things would not work out for them, based on the fact that he becomes President Snow in the trilogy and Lucy is nowhere to be seen. So, I did not have positive expectations there. For me, the true disappointment was when Dr. Gaul – the odious, despicable Dr. Gaul (I really didn’t like her) – makes light of his experiences as a Peacekeeper in District 12, calling it a “summer vacation.” As if the time he spent being stripped of his future, considering suicide, betraying his best friend, loving the girl of his dreams and then leaving her to die was somehow meaningless except as an educational experience. I admit, it brought tears to my eyes to think that the most pivotal moments of his life were being swept under a rug.
           
And yet, despite the disappointments and dark moments, Coriolanus’ story has real redeeming value as it gives a crystal-clear picture of a world without hope. Having grown up during the war and its aftermath, he knows only the desperation to survive, and equates survival with having power. Having no other refuge to place his trust in, all of his choices keep him circling back to the Capitol as the source of order and stability against chaos, clinging to power as his only option for comfort. It made me wonder: had he known Christ, and had something else to pin his hopes on, could his story have ended differently?
           
I’ve never been a big fan of any story that doesn’t have a happy ending, as I’m sure many of y’all know by now XD. But I’m starting to see that maybe the dark tales, the ones that don’t end on a high note, may in fact have their place after all. They say that if you can’t be a good example, then you’ll just have to be a horrible warning – and what better arena than that of the written word to display both the darkness and the light that shines against it?

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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​The creator of the Hunger Games novels, Suzanne Collins, outdid herself when she wrote the prequel book, The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Within its lengthy pages (this novel was even longer than its predecessors) we see the infamous President Snow as a young man and follow along with his pivotal choices that lead to the Hunger Games as we see them in the original trilogy.
           
Traditionally, I would have read the actual Hunger Games novels first. But since I already knew the story more or less from the films, I wanted the experience of reading all the books in chronological order and seeing the pieces fall into place as I go, instead of retrospectively. I was thankful I already knew that Snow would turn to the “dark side,” otherwise his losses and choices at the end of the book would have been very depressing indeed!
           
I must say, Suzanne Collins has a real gift for character creation. Within the first few chapters, I was already hooked on Coriolanus Snow and Lucy Grey. They aren’t even the type of characters I relate to, yet they were pleasantly complex and intriguing. Snow is an upper-class Capitol boy with high breeding, but his family is poor and starving, and all of his ambitions stem from his desire to provide for them. Lucy Grey is a backwater tribute from District 12, but she’s also a brilliant singer. Anyone who can give a stage performance immediately after being handed a death sentence deserves my respect!
           
In fact, as the book ended, instead of being angry at these characters for their decisions, I found myself sad for them. I felt that the dark world in which they lived led them to the choices they made, and in reality, there was probably never a chance for any of them to live happily. Their standards were set low, and all of their dreams and desires were born out of the struggle to survive. None of them would have been able to even imagine the kind of “happy ending” we dream about in the here and now, little lone work toward such a goal. Despite all that happened, I am impressed that I don’t hate Coriolanus or Lucy or even Sejanus, idiot though he was (even if it really was Coriolanus who turned him in). It is a tribute to Suzanne Collins’ mastery as a writer that I can feel so attached to these characters even as I disagree with so many of their choices. Often, as characters veer away from the path I’d like to see them take, I lose touch with them and the story, but that’s not the case here.
           
I can only hope that someday I’m able to write such amazing and in-depth characters. A character you continue to root for even after they turn astray is a sign of great writing and indicates a story that will stick with you long after you’ve finished the book. For if we can cheer for someone in a book even as they fail, then perhaps we will be encouraged to love our neighbors and those around us in reality, even as they stumble and fall ;-).

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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​The Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling is one of those sets of stories that continue to enthrall and entertain, not just new generations of readers, but also those who’ve read all the books and wish to keep living in that wizarding world even after the last page. It’s been over a decade and a half since volume 7 was released, and I can still find Harry Potter toys and products in stores and online. Popularity may come in phases, but this magical realm doesn’t seem to be fading away anytime soon.
           
Recently I reread the complete Harry Potter series for the first time since the books were released, and I must say, it is VERY different to read those stories as an adult versus as a child! The experience did not decline in the slightest – I think knowing the ending only made the story more impressive as I reread it, instead of less so. There were also elements that I noticed more this second time around. The parts of Harry’s story that revealed the child abuse and neglect he suffered at the hands of the Dursleys stood out much more clearly now that I’m a parent. When I was a child, those rough moments were merely a starting point to contrast with the magical world he would discover. As a parent with young children of my own, his suffering seemed much more heartbreaking. Part of me wonders how Harry became a hero at all – his terrible home life should have made him a bad egg. Even Dumbledore comments on how amazing Harry’s development is, in book 6: “Yes, Harry, you can love… which, given everything that has happened to you, is a great and remarkable thing.” But I suppose the miracle of fiction is that good overcomes what social science tells us about negative childhood influences.
           
My hyper-awareness of his hardships shed new light on the rest of his story, which allowed me to see the fictional miracle of his tale even more clearly. Out of the tragic came something heroic. Harry’s abusive childhood meant that he was used to suffering; he was better prepared to endure the trials of fighting Voldemort than others. His terrible backstory made finding friends and acceptance at Hogwarts all the more precious, such a relief after a decade of rejection – of course he would be willing to give up anything to defend them, to fight dearly for all he loved. His background made him the perfect choice to be a hero, because he was not afraid to make the sacrifices required of him. In short, Harry Potter was the only person who could have defeated Voldemort, because he was the only one willing to take the necessary steps.
           
Perhaps, in light of everything, Harry’s heroism is not so surprising after all. But that doesn’t make his story any less amazing. The revelation that your backstory can define you without limiting you is wonderful encouragement to those who are broken, or who live with broken people (which is to say, all of us). The complex intertwining of fate and choice make it impossible to choose one over the other for the crux of the story, and the best way to describe the interplay of the two would be to say that the story worked out well by the end. I tried to incorporate these concepts into the stories of Emer, Jesse, and Alex – that balance between what you choose and what is chosen for you, as well as a conclusion that makes the story overall feel complete. My efforts are not nearly as deep and rich as a seven-part series, but they are there, and it’s something I will continue to work into future books (though of course, what some people call “fate” I prefer to write as God’s plan).

What do you think?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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Finally, after years of having the book on my “to-read” list, I finished Dante’s Divine Comedy. I’d only been intending to go back and finish the book since college, when we read part of Inferno for one of my classes, and that was… Well, on second thought, let’s not talk about how many years ago that was ><.
           
The point is that I finally did it!  I have officially read the entire work. For those of you unfamiliar with this classic, Dante’s Divine Comedy (written in the early 1300s) follows the journey of Dante himself as he traverses through hell, purgatory, and finally heaven in a quest for revelation and salvation of his own soul, guided first by the poet Virgil and later by Beatrice (named after a character in another of Dante’s works). Along the way Dante learns much about the inhabitants of each realm, as well as great detail on the various sins and virtues extolled within each dominion. (I won’t get into a debate on all of Dante’s perceptions of Christianity or his specific portrayals of the afterlife itself. Although written over 700 years ago, some of his points are still relevant today. For instance, the argument that accomplishments do not equal or guarantee salvation; we see this reinforced when Virgil and the other great Greek poets are portrayed as clearly situated in the outer rings of hell, and remain unsaved.)

What strikes me most about this epic is simply that his descriptions of heaven and hell are so very different from what we often imagine today. I’ve long been fascinated by Dante’s picture of hell, ever since my first reading of it. The greatest surprise was that instead of blazing fires and brimstone like I had always imagined, Dante’s hell gets colder and colder the deeper you go, symbolizing a lack of God’s grace and “warmth.” Appropriately, this serves to emphasize that hell itself is not the true punishment – it is the absence from God that is so painful. Likewise, heaven is not filled with winged angels playing harps, but is built like its own solar system: each ring of souls is like a constellation of stars, growing brighter and brighter as one ascends closer to the throne of God.

Although not nearly on the same scale, I, too, attempt to create my own unique perception of realms beyond this one. In my version of hell (as seen in The Heart of Everything and Beyond the Soul), time operates differently, there are illusions and visual tricks, along with an intense heat (or intense cold, the further in you go!) and sulfuric smell – all designed to assault the senses and confuse those who are trapped. Mine is a very physical and literal hell.  It may not be symbolically deep like Dante’s, but it’s still not a place I’d like to go!

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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Like millions of other fans, I read and loved the Harry Potter series by J.K. Rowling when it came out nearly three decades ago.
           
It was precisely because I had so enjoyed the original books that I was hesitant to read the latest installment, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. I was concerned that this might be a case of the author not knowing when to stop. The last novel had ended on a good note; why keep going? I was also a bit worried because I’d heard the story dealt with time travel and changing events that had occurred during the first seven books. Personally, I’ve never been a fan of time-travel as a solution for problems. Don’t expect to see any of that in my books! Aside from the fact that it’s more of a sci-fi trait than strictly fantasy, fixing the past is too easy and often has disastrous consequences. But fixing the future by learning to live with the past – now that’s a challenge ;-). And that’s the kind of approach I prefer to take with my novels.
           
However, hesitations notwithstanding, I did take the plunge and read the eighth Harry Potter book. Or rather, I read the script for the play, as that is the format the story is published in.  And I am happy to report that all of my fears and concerns were for naught! Harry Potter and the Cursed Child is a delightful tale that follows Harry’s second son, Albus, and Draco Malfoy’s son, Scorpius, on a time-twisting adventure as they “attempt” to correct the mistakes of the past, while learning valuable lessons on what can and cannot be changed (including their relationships with their own fathers).
           
I loved this story :D. It was adorable to see beloved characters now dealing with the challenges of parenting – sometimes, raising kids can be just as difficult as fighting the Dark Lord himself! Plus, the new characters were fun. Scorpius was my favorite – he may be Draco’s son, but he has a totally different personality. On top of that, this addition to the series was a wonderful example of the power of friendship. Scorpius and Albus prove the importance of standing by your friends, no matter what. Even the older characters – particularly Draco himself – comment on the value of having good friends by your side.
           
Oddly enough, friendship is one topic that I feel I haven’t explored very thoroughly in my own books.  Sure, we see elements of Alex and Jesse’s friendship, both during The Heart of Everything as well as Beyond the Soul, but it’s more of a tangential theme and not part of the main story arc. Of course, since my preference is romance, it makes sense that I would focus on that element above any others. But perhaps someday I’ll branch out and weave stronger subplots into the webs of my works ;-).

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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Kanoko Sakurakouji (or Sakurakoji, depending on which volume of the manga you look at ><; also the author of Backstage Prince) wrote another series that I love, possibly my favorite manga of all time, titled simply Black Bird. This story follows Misao, a high schooler who can see the magical creatures and spirits that are invisible to everyone else. This gift is merely an annoyance until her sixteenth birthday, when she gets attacked by a demon and discovers that she is the Senka Maiden, or bride of prophecy – a human whose blood gives unlimited power to the demon who claims her. Her childhood friend Kyo appears in time to save her, though it turns out he is a demon as well! Kyo is the leader of the Tengu (crow demon) clan, thus the name of the story. His intentions to protect her, however, seem to be pure – and Misao allows him to lick her wounds long enough to fall in love with him herself. Together they must face the challenges that come from courting the Senka Maiden, as well as the curse that befalls her once she bears the child of a demon.
           
This was a fantastic story! The characters were well done with bold personality traits: we can clearly see Kyo’s determination, his brother Soh’s treachery and underhandedness, the Daitengu’s loyalty, even Misao’s simultaneous naivety and bravery. And I absolutely loved the plot. Unlike Demon Spell (another manga featuring demons of Japanese culture), the story was very complete, with no detail left unexplained or unaccounted for. But my favorite part of all has to be the ending. Misao’s pregnancy is meant to lead to her death, but just when all seems to be lost, hope appears. Even if their ending isn’t perfect, it is happy, and you find yourself happy and grateful for the imperfection because it shows you how much worse things could have been.
           
A few of the elements in this story bring to mind my sequel, Beyond the Soul. Even though Kyo is a crow demon, the blood play displayed between Kyo and Misao as he licks her injuries (for healing purposes) brings to my mind the relationship of a vampire with a human (though Alex and Clarity share much less blood in my book). The parallels continue as the stories end, because just as Kyo is on the verge of losing Misao and must give of himself to save her, so Alex finds that he must make a similar sacrifice in order to revive Clarity. In both cases, there is a moment when all is lost before hope is found once more. Also in both cases, the conclusion brings forth gratitude that the characters have finally arrived at their happy ending, however perfect or imperfect that ending may be ;-).
           
At least, I hope my novel shares these wonderful characteristics, and I hope more of my future stories do as well! I love endings that feel as if the story is completely wrapped up with no loose ends, and I love happy endings that make you feel glad that the characters fought long and hard enough to make it to their own place of joy and contentment. Keep reading with me, and let me know if that’s what you see in my books!

What do you think? Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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I’ve done previous posts on the works of Charlie N. Holmberg – namely the stand-alone novels that got me hooked, but also the realism in her books, the mystical The Will and the Wilds as well as another trilogy of hers – which were all absolutely fantastic.  It’s sad to admit how long it took me, but I *finally* got around to reading the books that started her writing career – a three-book series comprised of The Paper Magician, The Glass Magician, and The Master Magician.
           
The Paper Magician series follows Ceony Twill, a new apprentice in Folding – the magical discipline of bespelling paper.  Ceony doesn’t want to be a Folder – she had hopes of being a Smelter, or someone who practices magic with metal – but England is running low on Folders, so she is assigned to study under Magician Emery Thane.  Fortunately, Ceony learns from Thane that the magic of Folding is far from boring or useless; from animated mail-birds to paper chains of protection to story illusions, Ceony finds herself delighted with her new field of study.  Unfortunately, Thane’s ex-wife Lira, an Excisioner – someone who practices dark magic using human flesh – shows up and *literally* takes the heart from the confines of Thane’s chest.  Ceony must get it back, and finds herself having to walk through the chambers of her mentor’s heart in order to do so…  Not only does this lead to Ceony falling in love with her teacher (he returns the sentiment, luckily), but also to new discoveries about using magic as both Ceony and Thane must defeat Lira and her partners before all they hold dear is destroyed.
           
Like all her works, I found this series to be quite enjoyable.  However, I did feel these books were a bit… simple.  The plot lines felt shorter; but as these were her debut novels, I’m not judging too harshly.  I will say that I didn’t care much for the student-teacher love story or the large age gap between partners – Ceony is merely nineteen when the first book begins, and Magician Thane in his thirties.  I’m not going to cast moral aspersions – nothing illegal is going on, and besides, God’s love for us proves that love has no boundaries – but it’s not my thing.  I prefer my stories between two consenting adults of roughly the same age and phase of life; though I suppose one could argue that Jesse and Alex from The Heart of Everything and its sequel were MUCH older than Emer ><, but at least they all appeared the same age physically!
           
What I found really intriguing was the concept of magic based on certain materials – The Paper Magician series holds that magic can only be done on man-made materials (glass, paper, fire, plastic, etc), and once a magician is bonded to a particular material, they can use that material and that material only.  Like my novels, it reflects a sense that magic is limited and not all-powerful (and certainly not so when compared to God).  For instance, in The Heart of Everything we see Emer faint several times from using magic because the human body is weak and not meant to wield such power; in Beyond the Soul, Clarity’s “gift” comes at the price of her own eyesight.  It’s a good reminder that magic isn’t the solution to all our problems ;-).

What do you think?  Share your thoughts in the comments section!
Until the next time, keep reading!

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