The Women of Fantasy

Mercedes Lackey is well known for her Heralds of Valdemar series - and her feminist fantasy. I just finished book 3 of her Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series.

Book 1, The Fairy Godmother (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 1), is a funky twist on Cinderella.
Book 2, One Good Knight (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 2) is a cute tale of a princess and a dragon.
Book 3, Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3), is about the daughter of the Sea King who uses her magical abilities of being able to walk on dry land to spy for her father, and the "Fortunate Fool" she meets and falls in love with. Very reminiscent of Piers Anthony style writing.
The next book, The Snow Queen (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 4), I haven't read yet but am looking forward to.

All in all, this is a nice collection of light reads with clever twists on classic fairy tales. It's not the most shining example of works by Mercedes Lackey, but they are cute fun time diversions. Each book I've read has some sort of tie-in to the previous books and I imagine The Snow Queen won't be any different.

Snow Queen is on the shelves at Barnes and Noble and the other books were all available at amazon.com (see links above) and my local library.

Happy reading!

P.S. I am currently beginning 2 books - alternating as the mood strikes - Wrapt in Crystal by Sharon Shinn & Wolfskin by Juliet Marillier. :)

I'm almost ready to read the next book in the 3 sisters Island trilogy - I'm on book 2 - by Nora Roberts. These books take place on an island - fish is the dominant food. The mc in the first book is a cook and makes seafood chowder.

Last week we went to Silver Lake up big Cottonwood Canyon. It was gorgeous. My 2 year old had great fun running around and we saw several people - including many children - fishing. Some little girls caught some trout and my daughter loved it. My Mom loves trout it is her favorite fish to eat. Hubby loves Alaskan salmon - he lived there for several years and always went fishing. His aunt gave us some salmon from their recent fishing trip in Alaska. Here is how he cooked it:

1 big hunk of Alaskan salmon - skin off, deboned, etc (ready to go)
salt and lemon pepper
water

simmer in skillet until done - (he cooked it about 25 minutes) - add more water to keep from burning. Season with salt and lemon pepper.

This is a simple dish - and very healthy. I'm always trying to get my daughter to eat better foods. With a little more practice it would be a fun cook off recipe.

My daughter loved it - I was shocked she is such a picky eater I thought no way would she eat fish. I think some fresh lemon and rosemary would of made it even better.

My mom cooked trout two different ways if I remember correctly - boiled in water and wrapped in aluminum foil. If I do go fishing one of these days at Silver Lake and catch some trout I'll give a few to her.

The Great American Seafood Cook off is taking place this Saturday and Sunday in New Orleans. It supports domestic sustainable seafood. With so many things being imported it's exciting to see support of local products and resources. Even though Utah is landlocked it has some excellent fresh water fish - I'm going to see if my 2 year old likes trout - another dish to add to her rare favorites.

Got any favorite seafood recipes?

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I have way too much stuff to read - see my post Fantasy Gems - I found most of the books on the list at my library and placed holds - needless to say the holds are in and I'm swamped. I'll probably be renewing some of my checkouts.

I pre-ordered Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga, Book 4) by Stephenie Meyer off amazon.com - yesterday they sent me an email I was very happy to read saying my book will arrive on it's release date. It's called "release-date delivery" - the email says: "We realize that many of our customers are huge Stephenie Meyer fans, and we're happy to offer Release-Date Delivery to get this title to you even faster." Way to go amazon - my favorite book retailer!!

My local Barnes and Noble is selling Breaking Dawn at 12:01 AM August 2nd - beforehand there will be a "Twilight" party. The book is also coming out on compact disk and a Spanish version.

Check out the official Stephenie Meyer site for a fun countdown until the book releases and cool quotes from the book.

Happy reading!

I finished The Fire Opal and Raelynx and Rider - both were very good, better than I expected. Now I'm taking a break. Breaking Dawn by Stephanie Meyer comes out this Saturday and I can't wait. It's one of the few books I'm actually buying since I know hubby will want to read it and my sister's and who knows who else will end up borrowing it?


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Disclosure: This post sponsored by payperpost.com

These are books I've overlooked-mostly found by looking them up at the author's respective websites. I haven't read any of these yet.

Sunshine – a vampire/armageddon type of book by one of my favorite authors – Robin McKinley. This book sounds very different than her usually feminist fantasy/fairy retelling offerings but I’m more than willing to give it a try.

The Dark Mirror: Book One of the Bridei Chronicles - by another favorite author, Juliet Marillier, who wrote Daughter of the Forest, one of my all time favorite books ever. Marillier specializes in historical fantasy and doesn’t disappoint.

Wolfskin (Tor Fantasy) - another offering from Juliet Marillier

Wrapt in Crystal, a standalone by Sharon Shinn. Her other stand alone books have been very good and though I usually prefer series, I’m looking forward to reading this one.

Fortune's Fool (Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms, Book 3) by Mercedes Lackey. The sequel is on the shelves now but I want to read this one first (this is the third book in the Tales of the Five Hundred Kingdoms series).

Fire Study (Study, Book 3), by Maria V. Snyder, after Poison Study and Magic Study. Looking forward to this one.

Every now and then I make a list of books to read and check them off as I go. Right now I am reading 2 from my list - The Fire Opal, by Catherine Asaro, and Reader and Raelynx, by Sharon Shinn. The Fire Opal started off a bit weak but is starting to really pull me in. This is a sort of separate little storyline from her previous 3 books set in the same world (see my post about the Misted Cliff Trilogy). The second is called The Night Bird and I'm sure there will be a third. Fire Opal is about Ginger, priestess of the Dragon Sun in a small village. Ginger has mage abilities she is trying to keep a secret, and the romance in this book is between her and an injured soldier.

Reader and Raelynx is another book in the 12 houses series, which I have really enjoyed so I can't wait to dig in. Each of the book in this series have featured a different main character with differing magical abilities - the mc in this book is a sort of "sensitive" - one of the most powerful of all.

I finished The Host a few nights ago. The book left me with tons of questions and I sure wouldn't mind seeing a sequel. That's not to say the ending left too many ends loose - just enough that a sequel would work, not so many it felt unfinished. The main character, Wanderer, is a real heroine in the story. Although she is supposed to of lived many lives on other worlds, she comes across as being very new, very young. She is very reminiscent of Bella from the Twilight series - the self sacrificing nature, the voice itself of the character is similar. There were some disturbing scenarios in this book - which since it's a "body snatcher" story make sense. But Meyer pulls it off, infusing darkness with enough light so the book doesn't ever become depressing - the overall message is one of hope.
Although I guess The Host would be classified as sci-fi it also strikes me as fantasy-ish, just like the Twilight series. The thing that makes the Host work is that Meyer doesn't push for the science fiction aspect - it just sort of unfolds. It all makes sense - the Armageddon/body snatching/aliens/dying humanity theme. Why? I think because of the love story. As in the Twilight books, the love story really makes the book something amazing.

Good reading.

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Disclosure: This post is sponsored by payperpost.com

Been a while since I last posted - am happy to announce that I gave birth to a beautiful 8 lb 6 oz baby girl. She is gorgeous with tons of dark hair!! Now that I am up all night I have been hooked on The Host, by Stephanie Meyer. So far, am loving this book (halfway through). The Host is about a parasitic alien race that has taken over Earth - and inhabited the bodies of almost all the humans. Melanie Stryder, a "wild" human, has finally been taken - by the "soul" Wanderer. The relationship between Melanie and Wanderer is deep and complex as Wanderer falls in love for the man Melanie loves. An amazing story that is different from anything else I've ever read.

Will let you know how I like the ending - and if my opinion stays the same.

I finished Dance upon the Air (Three Sisters Island Trilogy) by Nora Roberts two days ago and am almost ready to pick up the next book in the trilogy, Heaven and Earth (Three Sisters Island Trilogy). Dance upon the Air doesn't really come across as paranormal fantasy really, it is more of a normal "real life" novel - where magical powers just happen to exist somehow.

That said, the low-keyness of the magic doesn't detract, it gives more focus to the characters. The characters are what the story is really about - strong, powerful women finding their way in the world. Nell, a victim of abuse, finds good role models and strong friend's on the island in Ripley and Mia, the other resident "witches" (though Ripley has renounced her powers). She also finds love with the local sheriff and the romance gives the book just what it needs to be a great story - though it would of been great also if Roberts could of focused more on Nell's empowerment and healing - before getting romantically involved again.

Although the relationship is made out to heal her it comes across as something to "fix" her sometimes - but the romance is needed in this book to make it work - maybe because the focus isn't on the fantasy aspects? Nell isn't a character I absolutely loved - but the story is great. I'm interested to read the next one.

What is it about a cop in a good book that makes us tingle? Usually it's a man - but not in the case of Urban Shaman, by C.E. Murphey. The main character, Joanne Walker is a 6 foot + sexy female cop who just happens to have shaman abilities and has to save the world. Joanne, half Native American and half Irish, must battle or enlist the aid of so-called "mythological" beings on both sides to save the world. A bit of a disjointed novel, it still enthralls.

The book I'm reading right now - Dance Upon the Air, by Nora Roberts (see my previous posts about the 3 Sisters Island Trilogy) - also features members of law enforcement, namely the hunky local sheriff who falls in love with main character Nell, and his sister Ripley - one of the three women to hold power on the island (though she won't admit it). Painted as "small town" (really small island) cops, they are in charge of keeping the peace and do it very well.

Today is Memorial Day - my brother, who joined the army six months ago, is visiting for a few days and it has made me think about the importance of Memorial Day - to honor those who have died for our freedom, present day military members, as well as local law enforcement.

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Know of any other great fantasy reads with members of military or police? Comments are welcome!

***This post is sponsored by payperpost***

Not a book review this time - a website review. Surfing for new stuff written by women in the fantasy genre - not necessarily new as in recently published but new to me - I ran into the typical lists of popular books such as listmania and so on. Then I found this very worthwhile site, lunacat.net, which describes itself as "Science Fiction & Fantasy by women." Reminiscent of a library site, it organizes books simply and effectively under categories such as Elves, Shape changers, Warrior Women & Assassins, and so on.

This site also has information on Dissociative Identity Disorder - the creator of the site says someone close to them was diagnosed with this and that it helped them to understand it better by delving into Science Fiction and Fantasy - especially that written by women.

A really fascinating and worthwhile site - somewhat old school (no high tech blogging interfaces here) yet more than functional. Like the internet in the old days. Enjoy!

Recently I purchased the educational book "Blogging for Dummies," to figure out some ways to spiffy up my blogging. Although blogging is addictive and fun in and of itself, everything is made better when you can make a few bucks off of it (although purists may disagree). In any case, it listed some ways to "monetize" your blog and one of the better ones out there is payperpost - which I had known about before in my prior life as a website designer but am now revisiting as a blogger.

So I haven't always been a blogger - c'mon, we aren't born this way - it takes over sometime after the (usually) adolescent years (or in my case as a stay at home mom of a 2 year old to help me maintain my sanity). Payperpost is a nifty program that allows you to post for dollars - without selling your soul. As in, you can be honest and truthful in your opinions. Family and friends are always asking me, oh is that a new computer game you are playing?
What do you do on the computer? They just blink when I say "blogging" - and stare at me some more when I mention how blogging can be a valid income maker.

They are probably thinking - "there she goes again something about computers" - OK can you tell I'm not from the most techno-savvy family? But it's all good...I've found tons of ways to monetize my hobbies - now getting down to the nitty gritty and doing it is another thing. Payperpost is a little different than most monetization methods - a little friendlier, a little cooler, and it's still popular and going strong - over a year after I first ran into it.

Who? - you silly!

What? - Twitter is a new social networking site to let all your peeps know what you are up to.

When? Anytime anyday

Where? Follow me at http://twitter.com/butterflynymph

Why? When I can't post, I twitter!!

Ever walked into the bookstore, grabbed a terrific looking fantasy book only to find halfway through you hate it (but must finish)? Here are my tips for finding the perfect fantasy to read - including when you are crunched for time (wailing toddler, airport, store about to close, etc. etc.)

1. Patience - sometimes the perfect book will find you - no really! A relative will offer it up, a friend will not stop talking about it, or it will turn up everywhere you look until you have to read it to find out what the fuss is about. (And if it turns not to be all that perfect at least you have something to talk about)
2. Research - Recently I introduced my fantasy obsessed little brother to Amazon and taught him how to look up reviews and utilize Listmania to find books he likes. I find tons of books this way and they can be really cheap! Also, if I look up a book I've read and loved it will give me recommendations based on it.
   
3. Take a break - Sometimes just reading something from another genre for awhile (mystery anyone?) will refresh your perspective on Fantasy. Fantasy is one of those genres that tends to get a bit repetitive and lacking in fresh ideas now and then - wait a bit and something great will show up.
4. Do Judge a Book by it's Cover - but don't make it a habit. The key here is to a) read the summary, b) skim through the pages to see if it looks exciting or boring, and c) realize you are taking a risk and try to be open minded. Good books can still be found this way, especially if they are near books you like.
5. Ask Staff - of course, this assumes you are in one of those bookstores with helpful people - and you can also ask the person by you. Just realize if it is a 15 year old boy looking at Star Wars books and you are going for feminist fantasy, you may not like his recommendations.
6. Author Loyalty - Mercedes Lackey, Juliet Marrilier, P.C. Cast - these are a few of my favorite authors and I've not read too much I didn't like by them. Usually if I want to play it safe but have no time (screaming 2 year old anyone?) to skim books and ask others for help I just snatch one I haven't read by a favorite author. OK, still semi-risky but the odds are better I'll like it.
7. Surf the Web - Last but not least, read blogs about fantasy books. (Like this one.) You may not agree with the blogger, and their is still a risk you won't like what they recommend, but at least you'll have some fresh titles to consider.

I'm almost halfway through Dance upon the Air (Three Sisters Island Trilogy) by Nora Roberts and am really enjoying this book. The main character, Nell Channing, is running from her past and falling for the local sheriff of Three Sisters Island. The paranormal element? Witchcraft - but not the weird creepy kind - this is the love/light/goddessy kind. So far this has all the elements of a very tasty, page turning story with strong female empowerment themes throughout.
Read it? Share your opinion in the comments.

Years ago I remember reading a historical type romance by Nora Roberts. I remembered reading it today when I saw someone reading a Nora Roberts book at a family gathering. OK, so historical romances aren't really my thing, but I do remember enjoying it... whatever it was.

Check out my new squidoo lens at http://www.squidoo.com/romanticfantasyfiction
for Romantic Fantasy books new in 2008 I can't wait to read. What are your top books
new for 2008? Post in comments!

If you haven't read the book Twilight (The Twilight Saga, Book 1) yet then you probably don't know about the movie coming out in December. My little sister, who is always more "with it" than me, told me about the movie weeks ago but today is the first time I noticed how inundated the internet is with versions of the Twilight trailer. Google brought up 544,000 listings when I typed in Twilight Trailer, so I headed over to http://www.stepheniemeyer.com/ to see if I could find a link to the actual trailer. Sure enough, it was there: the Twilight Trailer Link. I also found a link to the making of the movie on Meyer's site.


Although I feel the books are hardly perfect - and very reminiscent of every teenage romance I have ever read - I am interested to see what the movie makes of the page turning Twilight book and if anything changes - maybe for the better? I'm a bit leery of the violence aspect - which I found rather icky and intense in the books and am hoping isn't graphically played out in the movie. Would love to see a cool superhero/love story rather than the horror aspect it could turn into.

On a different note, Stephanie Meyer's newest book The Host: A Novel is out and I'm interested to see what an adult novel by her is like.

Looking through my bookshelf I ran into this old favorite - Daughter of the Forest (The Sevenwaters Trilogy, Book 1) by Juliet Marillier. Her website refers to her fantasy style as historical fantasy, and that is certainly true - but history as the dry subject I remember is a far cry from this book. Celtic mythology, and yes, historical events, make their way in, but this is such a magical book it's hard to classify. All I can say is that it is very very good.

Although it is the first of a trilogy it is also a good standalone book - the main character plays a quiet background role in the next two. This was my favorite of the three.

Sorcha, the main character, undertakes a perilous quest to save her brothers who have been cursed by an evil enchantress. A poetic, powerful story is inside this book and it's one I will return to again and again.

I found this journey-type series by author Elizabeth Vaughan light and riveting. The main character, Xylara, is a healer and also a princess, who is caught into a very intense situation with the conqueror of her people. This series is nice and romantic without being too physical - it's more of an emotional romance, which I prefer.

Xylara is a character on the path to self-discovery. Her love for the Warlord is a bit obsessive for me but makes for a great romance. She has some identity issues and is very young - but this makes it a two fold journey series - the physical journey made and the emotional one Xylara goes through as she matures.

As part of her Goddess Summoning series, P.C. Cast is releasing Warrior Rising. It's a good time to return to the Summoning series, a light and airy romantic fantasy collection perfect for summer. I'll be doing more reviews of these when I can, but in the meantime check out this excerpt from Warrior Rising. All of the books in this collection are great stand alones - don't worry about the order you read them in (unless you are picky about stuff like that;)

P.C. Cast has long been one of my favorite authors. She has many books out, most with a goddess/feminist/fantasy theme to them, and also a few vampire-type books that I haven't read. This post will focus on my favorite world built by Cast, the world of Partholan.
I am organizing the books here the same way Cast has them on her website.

First is Divine By Mistake, which is the same as Goddess By Mistake only renamed and published by Luna books. This is the story of Shannon Parker, who is magically transported to the world of Partholan and made the Goddess Epona's Chosen. It's a fun, mostly light and entertaining read that is easy to get into and captivates.

Second is Elphame's Choice (Luna) which takes place in the world of Partholan but in a completely different time with different characters. It was enjoyable and I'd like to see more Partholan books written in this time period.

Third is Brighid's Quest, which is like a sequel to Elphame's Choice with the secondary characters becoming main characters in it. I liked this one a lot too.

Fourth goes back to the first book's character Shannon Parker with Divine By Choice. It wasn't an enjoyable read for me but was important for the storyline. I disagreed with a lot of Shannon's decisions and some of the content was overly graphic for me. I skipped over those parts and got through it.

Fifth is Divine By Blood (Partholon Novels), the third (and final?) installment in the story of Shannon Parker. It focuses on Rhiannon's daughter and I really liked this one. It had a really terrific ending and the main character was human and likable.

Overall, P.C. Cast is still one of my favorite authors. I don't always agree with or like everything she puts in her books, and sometimes stories get repetitive, but there are more winners than losers here.

For Christmas I received a variety of books, including some new faves by Robin McKinley.
The Outlaws of Sherwood, a new take on Robin Hood, was a terrific read, with great character development. Maid Marian is featured as a strong secondary character with all the female-empowered traits I've come to expect from McKinley.
Spindles End is a new variety of Sleeping Beauty with a twist of an ending. A fun read, though I may of wished the ending to be more traditional. But it was realistic, if a fairy tale should ever be called that.
Some other favorites by McKinley are Deerskin, which I've noticed she subtly ties into some other books, The Hero & the Crown & The Blue Sword. I find I need a long stretch between each book or the characters & plots become to similar.