Tag Archives: Fantasy

Fantasy and Science Fiction Reads

October 25, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 9 Comments

During the month of October I have been celebrating anything and everything speculative. And it wouldn’t be complete without sharing some of my favorite books or books I am looking forward to reading. So if you are looking for a nice, cozy book to curl up with this winter, check out some of my suggestions 🙂

Fantasy:

The Ryn by Serena Chase. The story is your typical young person finds out they are royalty, but I love how Serena puts a unique twist on this by giving Rose (who later finds out she is the Ryn, the future savior of her people) the ability to hear other people’s thoughts. That and Rose has red hair (I love red hair!). To read my complete review of The Ryn, click here. To find out more about The Ryn, click here.

The Blood of the Kings series by Jill Williamson. Another fantasy with people who can hear minds. This three book series is a two time Christy awarding series (along with multiple other awards) and just plain good. To find out more about In Darkness Hid (the first book) click here.

And of course, my own fantasy series. The Follower of the Word series centers around Rowen, a young woman who discovers a mark on her hand, a mark that allows her to see inside the human soul. There are those who are terrified of her power, and so banish her. And then there are those who wish to possess that power and search all the Lands for Rowen, the last Truthsayer. To find out more about the first book in the series, Daughter of Light, click here.

Steampunk:
I love steampunk: the gadgets, the historical flavor, the meshing of fantasy and technology. So of course I need to add some steampunks to my list!

Crosswind by Steve Rzasa. The Stark brothers live in a western steampunk world filled with aeroplanes and trains, and lots of adventure! Click here to find out more.

Armored Hearts by Pauline Creeden and Melissa Turner Lee. When a crippled young lord rescues a girl falling from a tree, it reveals a secret about himself and his mother’s side of the family that could put him at the center of a war with beings he thought only existed in fairy tales. Click here to find out more.

Science Fiction:
A Star Curiously Singing by Kerry Nietz. In the future, Earth is ruled by Sharia law. Follow Sandfly, a debugger and a slave, who goes to a space station to fix a robot for his masters, a robot that has went mad. But little does he know his life is about to change. To read my full review, click here. And to find out more about the book, click here.

Fairytale Retellings:
The Healer's Apprentice Melanie Dickerson has written many great fairytale retellings, minus the magic. In other words, what if the story really happened hundreds of years ago in our world? I love her stories and you will to. You can start with any of them, there is no particular order. So I will point you to the first one she wrote: The Healer’s Apprentice (a retelling of Sleeping Beauty). Click here for my full review and here to find the book. Bonus! All her ebooks are currently on sale on Amazon 🙂

Medieval Mythology:
I Heartless wasn’t sure how to categorize these last books until I saw someone else label it as myth. Yes, myth, but more like celtic or some other medieval myth, not Roman or Greek. Anne Elizabeth Stengl writes some amazing stories filled with dragons, princesses, elves, and trolls. Generally, I get tired of the same fantasy trope characters, but Anne breathes fresh air into these stories. They are truly unique and some of my favorites. The first book in her Tales of Goldstone Woods is Heartless. Click here to find out more.

Just Plain Strange:

Yes, that is the category I would put this book in (all puns intended). Amish Vampires in Space by Kerry Nietz is just that: Amish vampires in space. But less you think this book is a spoof, I personally know Kerry has taken the time to really flesh out the Amish culture and ask what would happen in the future with this group of people? How would they live, what would their lives be like if there was planet colonization and space travel? And the vampire part, more science than horror. Really, you need to check it out. Click here.

I wish I had more time and space to list out more of my favorite books, or books on my reading list, but then you would be sitting here reading this blog instead of out searching for your next book. So go forth, my friends, and read!

And please leave a comment and tell me what your latest favorite fantasy or science fiction is 🙂

Book Reviews

Book Release: Secrets Kept

October 16, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 3 Comments

Today is the release day for my friend J.L. Mbewe’s debut fantasy novel, Secrets Kept. As part of her release, I am offering a sneak preview. But before that, here is a quick blurb:

With a curse, she will build an army.
With the dagger, she will undo the last sacrifice.
But first the sorceress must find the secret keeper.

Torn from her homeland and thrust into a betrothal against her wishes, Ayianna learns her family has a deadly secret that now has her on the run. She joins forces with Kael, an embittered half-elf, and Saeed, an elderly High Guardian, to seek answers to her father’s death, the destruction of Dagmar, and the plains people’s bizarre behavior.

Ayianna discovers there is more at stake here than just her mother’s disappearance and her familial duty to her betrothed. The sorceress has cursed the plains people, and it is a race against time to release them before the sorceress resurrects an ancient evil.

Betrothals, sorceresses, secrets. Sounds like a great speculative novel! And now for the preview:

Leaves rustled, and the bush’s slender limbs shuddered. Shadows veiled the intruder; the light of the lantern unable to penetrate the layers of dry leaves and stems. Ayianna peered closer, and a dark mass burst out of the bush toward her face. She flung her arms up. The milk pail slammed into her head, and its warm contents splashed down her face, neck, and clothes. The lantern rocked on its hinge, the flame flashing and flickering wildly. The intruder screeched and a rush of wings brushed against her skin.

Ayianna lowered her arms. A large bird ruffled its dark feathers and made to settle its wings, but one hung at an odd angle. Its round, ebony eyes ogled her.

Could it be?

“Fero?” she asked. “Is brother home already?” She glanced around, but her eyes failed her in the half-light. Her wet clothes clung to her skin, and the breeze grew colder. She shivered and glared at the bird. “Brother or not, look what you made me do? Now, I’ve got no milk, and I’m all wet.”

Fero jerked his wayward wing back and hissed.

“Are you hurt?” Ayianna lifted the lantern, and its glow poured over the falcon, revealing dark stains on his ribbed underbelly. She reached out to touch him, but he gnashed his curved beak at her. The branch shifted, and the bird thrashed about trying to regain his perch, but then he broke free and soared haphazardly into the red-tinged sky.

Atop the bush, a strip of cloth fluttered where Fero had sat. She tore it free. The fabric was damp, soiled, and stunk of decay. It stained her fingertips red. Blood?

J. L. Mbewe is running a giveaway for Secrets Kept. To enter, click on the link: A Rafflecopter Giveaway

To find out more about Secrets Kept, head on over to Amazon and Goodsreads. Or just click on the links below 🙂

October 16^th

J. L. Mbewe: Release Day Kick-Off

The Writer’s Window: Meet the Characters Part 1

Sitting on the Porch with Lynn: Interview

In Darkness, There is Light: Excerpt

October 17^th

The Wonderings of One Person: Meet the Villains

Lightly Salted: Guest Post

Aaron DeMott: Excerpt

Writing without Compromise, Clare Davidson: Top Ten favorite YA novels

October 18^th

J. L. Mbewe: Top Secret Project Reveal

Anne Elisabeth Stengl: Meet the Characters part 2

Emerald Barnes’ Dreaming Awake Blog: Interview

Pauline Creeden: Dream Cast

Sheila Hollinghead’s Rise, Write, Shine: Review of Dragon Thief

Writing as J. L. Mbewe, Jennette is an author, artist, mother, wife, but not always in that order. Born and raised in Minnesota, she now braves the heat of Texas, but pines for the Northern Lights and the lakes of home every autumn. She loves trying to capture the abstract and make it concrete. She has two short stories published in The Clockwork Dragon anthology, and is busily creating worlds inhabited by all sorts of fantasy creatures and characters, all questing about and discovering true love amid lots of peril. Her debut novel Secrets Kept and her short stories set in the world of Nälu: Desert Rose, Dragon Thief, and Indestructible are now available. She is currently living her second childhood with a wonderful husband and two precious children who don’t seem to mind her eclectic collections of rocks, shells, and books, among other things.

For more information about her journey as a writer mama and all things creative please visit her at http://www.jlmbewe.com/

Connect with Jennette!

Google+ (But I’m still learning the ropes here!)

My Books, Personal

Birthdays and Giveaway Winner

October 8, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

I love birthdays, which is kind of funny because I’m not a big celebrations kind of person. But there is something about a birthday: it is one day that is all yours and everyone rejoices with you.

I am now a year older, and I don’t mind. Really. I don’t mind getting older. Every year I have more and more things to be thankful for, to celebrate. I am blessed, even with everything that has happened in my life. And with each year that passes, I draw closer and closer to the day when I finally get to meet Jesus face to face, the one that I love.

So here is to birthdays!

I’m also excited because I just clicked on the winner button for my rafflecopter giveaway. Congratulations, Karen Kahne Shoemaker! You are the winner for the Daughter of Light and Son of Truth giveaway! Whoot!

I will be contacting you today and getting those books sent off into cyberspace!

It’s just wonderful to giveaway gifts on my birthday 🙂

For the rest of you, my publisher is running a great deal right now: 25% off almost every Marcher Lord book (including my series). I have personally read almost 1/3 of the titles and slowly making my way through the rest and I can tell you that these are good books. And I’m not saying that because I’m published with MLP. I was reading these books before I was published!

If you are interested, here is the link to get the code.

Thanks, everyone, for the wonderful birthday wishes and for entering my book giveaway 🙂

My Books, Writing

Daughter of Light and Son of Truth Book Giveaway

October 1, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 17 Comments

Autumn Once again October is upon us, my most favorite month of the year! To celebrate October, every year I feature anything and everything speculative on my blog: books, movies, sites to visit, etc…

To kick off my celebration of October, I am giving away an ebook bundle of my own books: Daughter of Light and Son of Truth, the first two books in the Follower of the Word series. This series follows the life of Rowen, a woman who discovers a mark on her hand, a mark that–when she touches someone–allows her to see inside that person’s soul. If you enjoy Terry Brooks or Terry Goodkind and are looking for a fantasy series that is not YA, then enter and try this one out.

There are many ways to enter: tweet about the giveaway, like my facebook page, leave a comment, etc… Just click on the link to go to the giveaway and start entering. I will randomly choose the winner on October 8th, my birthday to be exact. I thought this would be a great way to celebrate, by giving away books 🙂

So what are you waiting for? Click on the link! Rafflecopter Giveaway

And, if that giveaway isn’t enough, you have another chance to win my books, along with every other book my publisher (Marcher Lord Press) has ever published, in celebration of its 5th year anniversary: www.marcherlordpress.com

Book Reviews

Book Review: If One Falls

September 7, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

If One Falls is a fantasy novel by Elaine H. Baldwin. The story is about two young women who are caught in a war between the Emperor and the Cardinal and Allelon, the exiled true king of Terrah.

Esa is young, beautiful, and selfish. She trains to someday be the bride of a rich man. But little does she know what that life will really entail. Wynn is her companion, a woman of sense and duty, and bearer of a secret: She is part of the Allelon family. When Esa is auctioned off to the highest bidding rich man to become his future wife, the women discover that he killed his previous wives and plans on leaving Wynn (Esa’s companion) at a temple to become a temple prostitute.

So the women run. While running, they stumble upon a community that exists outside Terrah, a community filled with magic. It seems like an idyllic village filled with peace and communion between the inhabitants. Then Wynn discovers that someone in the village has used magic to suppress her and Esa’s memories, replacing them instead with false memories.

I enjoyed If One Falls. It is not the usual medieval fantasy. Instead, the story takes place in a fantasy world that feels more like the 1800’s. I liked how it was a different kind of world. I also enjoyed the characters, especially Wynn. She is a no-nonsense, get things done kind of woman. And she is (most of the time) patient with Esa.

And speaking of Esa, usually characters like her (young, beautiful, naive, selfish) can annoy me, but Esa did not. Instead, I saw her the way Wynn did, as someone who need protection and guidance.

I recommend If One Falls for anyone looking for a fantasy novel 🙂

Book Reviews, Writing

Daughter of Light on Tour

August 31, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

This weekend my first novel, Daughter of Light, is on tour with Team Novel Teen! I have enjoyed the tour and met new readers. But I don’t want to hog all the fun. So here are the links to the blogs on tour. Many of them are holding giveaways including ebook and paperbook copies of Daughter of Light. And if you already own a copy, then enter to win one for a friend or family member :). So what are you waiting for? Click away!

The Librarian’s Bookshelf

The Ramblings of a Young Author

Christian Life

Christian Speculative Cons

August 9, 2013 Morgan L. Busse Leave a comment

Today I am a guest over at Speculative Faith where I talk about the future of Realm Makers: the potential for this burgeoning alliance to grow into a true Christian speculative con. Head on over and join the discussion, especially if you have some ideas for panels, guests, and classes.

See you there!

My Books, Writing

Daughter of Light a Carol Award Finalist

June 24, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 1 Comment

More news to share. I found yesterday that my novel, Daughter of Light, is a finalist for the Carol Awards in the speculative category. As my son said, “That’s pretty cool, mom!” And I told him, “Yeah, it is. But God had a big part in it.”

I can’t tell you how many times I would lay my head down next to the computer and pray. I wanted to give up. I didn’t know what to write next. And after Daughter of Light was published, I was so discouraged I wanted to walk away from writing and never come back. But God didn’t let me. He brought encouragement via friends and emails. He brought ideas. He brought people who have helped me walk this path. And so I kept writing.

Yes, it is really cool to be a finalist for the Carol Awards. I never thought it would happen to me. But I didn’t do it alone. So thank you, God, for another blessing in my writing.

Book Reviews

Book Review: The Remedy (Eyes of E’veria, Book 2)

May 30, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 1 Comment

The Remedy picks up where The Ryn leaves off (click to read my review of The Ryn). In The Ryn, Rynnaia , the main character, finds out she is actually the long thought dead princess of the Kingdom. She was hidden at birth because she is the fulfillment of a prophecy that predicts she will free and heal her people from the Cobelds. Healing for those affected by the Cobelds’ curse will come from a hidden remedy, one that Rynnaia must find (hence the title of the second book, The Remedy).

I enjoyed this second installment by Serena Chase. Her writing style and story reminds me a lot of Jill Williamson and her Blood of Kings trilogy. Knights, quests, magical items, romance, and adventure. The usual fantasy fare with a unique twist.

Rose is a strong, likable heroine. She is determined to help her people, but at the age of 19 is still finding her own way in the world. Serena does a good job balancing the responsibilities and growing maturity of a young woman in Rose’s position: not too juvenile but also not seeming to know it all either.

If you enjoy high fantasy and are looking for a new series to start, I recommend The Ryn and The Remedy.

Personal, Writing

Realm Makers: 2013

May 5, 2013 Morgan L. Busse 2 Comments

Realm Makers I just came back from a weekend-long women’s retreat where I did my first speaking gig. I met many wonderful woman, had lots of fun, and now am absolutely tired. So instead of trying to squeeze my brain for a post this week, I thought I would share about a conference coming up in August that I am totally excited about.

Realm Makers began as a dream among a couple Christian speculative writers and artists. We love cons and we loving writing conferences. What if we put both of them together? What if we met for a weekend to exchange ideas, share what we have learned, and enjoy sci-fi/fantasy together? That dream became a reality this year.

Realm Makers: 2013 will be held August 2-3 in St. Louis. The price is unbelievably low for a conference and the speakers who will be there are phenomenal. However, the conference is filling up fast, so if you are interested, you will want to consider signing up soon. I will be there and would love to see any and all of you 🙂

For more information on Realm Makers, here is the website: http://faithandfantasyalliance.wordpress.com