Angela VanWell

Author | Reader | Traveler | Tea and Coffee Drinker

Inspiring Authors

Inspiring Author of the Week: Terry Brooks

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There were several series that I move with, and Terry Brooks wrote two of them. The Shannara Series and the Magic Kingdom of Landover Series. Although I love the Shannara Series, it was Terry Brooks Magic Kingdom of Landover series I read first. I was searching through my highschool library, this book was published in 1986 so you get an idea how long ago this could have been😊, when I came upon the book cover where a dog was reading a book and a man knelt on one knee before him. Instantly intrigued, I read the back cover, and the rest is history.

Magic Kingdom For Sale Sold

I first read this as a teenager, but when I reread it as an adult, I connected with the story even more. Ben Holiday, a widowed man, receives Rosen, his wife’s favourite store’s, Christmas Wishbook. They filled the Wishbook with an eccentric collection of oddball gifts to fulfill the wishes and dreams for those who could afford it. Gifts included everything from a private dinner in a movie star’s house to the purchase of a Magic Kingdom. A place to escape into dreams and “be born again.”

The Witch of the North seemed to think for a time, with her head bowed and her eyes upon the ground. Then she looked up and said, “I do not know where Kansas is, for I have never heard that country mentioned before. But tell me, is it a civilized country?”

“Oh, yes,” replied Dorothy.

“Then that accounts for it. In the civilized countries I believe there are no witches left, nor wizards, nor sorceresses, nor magicians. But, you see, the Land of Oz has never been civilized, for we are cut off from all the rest of the world. There we still have witches and wizards amongst us.”

L. Frank Baum, The Wizard of Oz

The above quote is at the front of the book. It foreshadows the adventure Ben Holiday will have in Landover.

With his disposition delayed and his preliminary injunction impossible as the judge bears stays and pleas was on a 30-day vacation, and Ben feeling lost in life, he meets with Meeks and agrees to start with a ten-day examination as the King of Landover. In the contract, if he does not change his mind and return within the first ten days, then he must stay in Landover until the first year is complete.

Escape into your dreams…

Maybe.

And maybe he would be escaping into his nightmares.

Terry Brooks, Kingdom For Sale Sold

Ben headed out to the Blue Ridge Mountains, wearing the Medallion, which was his key to enter Landover and prove he was the rightful heir. Entering a tunnel cut through the center of a wall of oaks, was attacked by the demon Lord, Iron Mark, and saved by the Knight on his medallion. Not the greatest start. Then Ben finds his guide, Questor Thews, a half-baked wizard lacking control over his magic and that he is the ruler of a dying land.

With the Barons unwilling to recognize him as king, the peasants left hopeless, and a dragon terrorizing the countryside, Ben Holiday’s magical adventure turns out to be a stew of politics, evil plots, and a duel to the death. It is a good thing Ben is stubborn.

Eyes tell more about a man than anything he says. Eyes reflect a mans’ soul. They reflect a man’s heart. Sometimes they even tell the truths a man wants to keep hidden.

Terry Brooks, Kingdom For Sale Sold

The rest of his vessels consist of a man turned into a dog, and a couple of flying monkeys.

I can’t buy a house in downtown Vancouver for one million, so I am not sure what Ben expected paying one million for a kingdom. You get what you paid for. He paid for a Kingdom suffering the Tarnish, with no one paying taxes, and plenty of enemies. And I paid for a light, humourous fantasy adventure in a Wizard of Oz like land and enjoyed every minute. Rereading it was a pleasure. It reminded me of my early preference for light humour and action in a fantasy realm. I love darkness and action, but there are times I need something light to escape into, and Magic Kingdom For Sale Sold provides the perfect escape.

If you are looking for a place to escape to, I suggest this series:)

Happy reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: David Farland

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This series was a thrift store find. A series of books well broke in and enjoyed by their last owners; the spines broke in several places, which made sense as the books are massive. The reason for the 600+ pages was the impressive world building and the unique use of magic. It reminded me of a roleplaying game, where my knight had the strength of ten men and the wit of four. The difference being, the strength and wit wasn’t gained through experience, but through removing them from another being and endowing them to their receiver. Leaving people sacrificing their attributes, weak and slow-witted. It is a dark premise, one that provides a dark look at what people will do to become Runelords.

We bought several books in the series at once, the perk of shopping second hand, and found David Farland’s magic system refreshing. This was the first series I read where branding was related to magic. Where the strength of a nation lay within its halls; the people who now required full-time care as they gave their best attributes to the Runelords, known as endowments. As a reader, the idea was barbaric. And believable.

Prince Gaborn Val Orden, recognized the truth, even though he too is a Runelord, and plans to change the practice once he is in power. But while he is on his way to meet his father’s longtime friend’s daughter, to woo her into becoming his wife, Raj Ahtan, ruler of Indhopal, attacks. Raj Ahtan’s goal is to become the legend figure known as the “Sum of all Men”. A man with so many endowments that he has become immortal. This sets up an eastern culture against a western culture fantasy, showing the eastern kingdoms with the more barbaric goal. I, however, found all the kingdoms barbaric in their abuse of humans and animals to augment themselves, even if the victims sacrifices themselves. 

There are layers upon layers of world building, with each chapter bringing new, interesting details to the story. David Farland also included layers of history with alliances of old holding true if forgotten by many. A connection to the earth, not controlled by the realm of men.

This is a conflict of clashing cultural use of the ruins, fighting over land and the ethical use of the forcibles, metal. Which is already a contentious issue between all kingdoms, there is even more at stake. Gaborn makes a vow to serve the Earth and brings to light a two-thousand year old prophesy, of an Earth King, a mythic figure with “earth site” who can judge the worthy and Choose them. Creating a connection and the ability to to send a message to their Chosen.

Chapter 1 sets the stage with a fight to the death over secret knowledge the kingdom did not know it held.

As Raj Ahtan, the Wolf Lord of Indhopal, presses to make himself the sum of all men, Gaborn and his allies struggle to retain their freedom. It is a deadly battle, and David Farland spares no one in this tale. Pain, loss, and sacrifice are felt by all the characters, and the readers feel it along with them.

The reason I had such visceral feelings about the book is the story is immersive. The barbaric abuse of the people repulsed me and the history of how the cultures justified it to themselves. The lust for power and how it corrupted the individuals provided a stark example of the effects to society, even the imaginary ones. A disturbing example is when the Gaborn’s father, King Mendellas Draken Orden, would rather die than to be a dedicate for Raj Ahtan. They never considered the hypocrisy as they did the same to their own people.

If you enjoy stories with dark premise, searching the darker sides of culture, this series might be a great fit for you.

Happy Reading

Inspiring Author of the Week: Angela Roquet

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As you know from the previously shared authors, I like a little snark. Action and a brief romance are great, but I need a character I can connect with, which means sarcasm, snark, banter, deadpan humour, etc. I want to smile and laugh while reading a story I am fully engaged in.

Angela Roquet, author of the Lana Harvey, Reapers Inc. Series provides loads of snark while her protagonist, Lana Harvey meets the minimum requirements as her position as a reaper. Why not? She’d rather hang out with her friends—though really she only has one outside of work, the archangel Gabriel.

Lana is a reaper, created by the Grim Reaper, along with other generations of reapers, to disperse souls to the collective afterlife. Leaving the Grim Reaper more time for management and paperwork. It sounds good on paper, but really the reapers are indentured servants with limited rights. Lana does not see any reason for her to work hard and take extra courses at the Reaper Academy, they have no souls and therefore no afterlife to work towards. All she has to look forward to is more work. I know God will not give me anything

Despite Lana actively working towards mediocrity, she receives a promotion to reap a special soul. A soul capable of solving the overflowing Sea of Eternity issue. Lana, her co-captain and friend Jose, the overachieving Coreen, and their new reaper Kevin collect Mickey’s soul when usually one reaper is more than enough for the job. The stakes increase as dog-faced demons, the same demons Lana has seen with Caim, are also after Mickey’s soul.

A friendly study of the world’s religions is a sacred duty.

Mahatma Gandhi

Seeing the collective afterlives of multiple religions and the organized chaos of all the souls reaching their afterlives is an interesting idea. A council of deities attempts to work together to ensure souls reach their appropriate destination while dealing with the overflowing Sea of Eternity and the non-believers contained within it. The idea is unique from anything I read before. A little religious philosophy, a tongue-in-cheek bureaucracy in the afterlife, and a reaper they force to deal with it all.

Angela Roquet fills the novel with creative world-building for Limbo and the Sea of Eternity. It does not slow down the pace and provides insight into what might happen to deities who no longer have followers. There are a lot of characters in the cast, but in a book series, that is to be expected. The pace is fast, so it was an easy read. Something to enjoy on a day like today where the power is out in much of Houston and the lack of insulation froze our water lines. Why not enjoy the warmth of the afterlife?

Happy Reading

Inspiring Author of the Week: Ben Aaronovitch

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To be clear, I have not read a single book in the Rivers of London Series, instead they were my introduction to audio books. And once I heard Kobna Holdbrook-Smith’s voice, there was no looking back. His voice brought the characters to life and took me into the magical dark underworld of London.

I read Book 1, Midnight Riot, under the title Rivers of London for the version on Audible. My husband prefers to listen to books as he spends so much time in transit, and he urged me to try the series. I gave the audio version a go since he said it was so good. He was RIGHT. It was only the second book I enjoyed as an audiobook. No matter how many books I sampled, I couldn’t get into the story. The narrator’s voice and tone was so different to what my imagination came up with, I couldn’t get into the stories. Maybe it was because I did not read the books, but I think Kobna made the stories his own and I loved the characters voiced by him. Even the villains.

The author, Ben Aaronovitch, clearly spent much of his life in London. His knowledge of the city, the feeling of each of the streets, read true throughout the story. I wish I had listened to the books before visiting London, I would have felt more connected with the city. He also filled the book with British slang, so I learnt so much more about British expectations and idioms. Some were eye opening, he filled the book with adult content. But it fits. It was not excessive, and it made sense in a city filled with dark secrets and a young, single cop who was learning his way around magical London.

“Being a seasoned Londoner, Martin gave the body the “London once-over” – a quick glance to determine whether this was a drunk, a crazy or a human being in distress. The fact that it was entirely possible for someone to be all three simultaneously is why good-Samaritanism in London is considered an extreme sport – like BASE jumping or crocodile wrestling.”

Ben Aaronovitch, Midnight Riot

Constable Peter Grant’s goal is to be a detective in London’s Metropolitan Police. It does not look like his dreams will ever come true, when a strange case, with a puzzling murder, provides Peter with exclusive information from a witness who only Peter can see. His witness is a ghost. His ability to interact with the dead brings him attention from Detective Chief Inspector Thomas Nightingale, who investigates magical crimes.

The rivers of London are deities, goddesses who interact with their modern world. It was a refreshing take on urban fantasy, a gritty, dark, magical detective procedural. The magical detective story brought two of my favourite genres together while exposing me to the dark underbelly of London as shown by Ben Aaronovitch. Peter is a complex character with an interesting family and upbringing that affects how he sees his world. I don’t know if I would have enjoyed the books as much without the narration, but I enjoyed so much, I don’t care. Happy Reading.

“The motto of West African cooking is that if the food doesn’t set fire to the tablecloth the cook is being stingy with the pepper.”

Ben Aaronovtich, Midnight Riot

Inspiring Author of the Week: Veronica Roth

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Divergent is one of those stories where I don’t remember which I saw first, the movie or the book. I suspect it was the books, as I was moving between countries that year and I turn to books when I need to escape the stresses of life. What better place to escape to than a world reduced to are area within post-apocalyptic Chicago’s city walls where society has split into five factions? It reminded me how fortunate I am to live in a world where borders exist, but humanity is a tapestry of personalities, characteristics, and beliefs.

At age sixteen, the children of post-apocalyptic Chicago are given a choice, stay with the faction they were born into or to transfer and leave their family behind. Tris, previously Beatrice Prior of Abnegation, transfers to Dauntless as she hides a secret she only found out the day before herself. She does not fit in any of the factions, but is a secret, hunted designation, Divergent.

Tris fights for survival in her new faction while trying to find out what Divergent means and why she is being hunted. As she forms friendships and starts a romantic relationship, Tris uncovers a conspiracy that could tear apart the city she grew up in. The choice they gave her was not a choice at all, but a test. The answers of which will threaten the lives of everyone, including Tris.

The book series is full of action, a little romance, and a lot of learning to trust one’s self. Veronica Roth paints a bleak future where humanity is separated and categorized. Where there is an Us and Them mentality. It is a vivid and scary imagining of what society can fall to if everyone does not learn how to accept each other’s similarities and differences. The expectation that Tris will fall in line and learn to think and act as her new faction decrees rather than using the strengths of Abnegation to improve Dauntless’s teachings, shows the problems in their society. The threat of becoming factionless if she does not conform is a bleak statement of societal expectations.

I am not only a pacifist but a militant pacifist. I am willing to fight for peace. Nothing will end war unless the people themselves refuse to go to war.

Albert Einstein, interview with George Sylvester Viereck, Jan. 1931

As my family moves between countries and cultures, I have learned to appreciate the open-mindedness of most individuals. Where they invite us in and let us explore their cultures. We absorb some of their beliefs and celebrations and leave some of ours behind with them. Divergent was a reminder, a scary alternate reality, of how our world could be.

I finished the series, but have not read the collection of short stories yet. Perhaps they will be added to my “To Be Read” list of 2021.

Happy Reading!

Inspiring Author of the Week: Kristen Painter

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I found Kristen Painter’s books when I first subscribed to Bookbub. I found it in the paranormal romance category and thought it looked like a fun read. The cute cover and the idea that a small town, Nocturnal Falls, celebrated Halloween year-round, appealed to me. The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride was free on Bookbub, I had nothing to lose, so I bought it. I have since read seven books in the series, and they get better with every book.

The first book in the series, The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride, starts with waitress, Delaney, who witnessing her boss murder a guy. Alone, needing to escape, she accidently finds a mail-order-bride service. Stealing a file, she pretends to be the mail-order bride, not realizing her intended groom was a vampire. Hugh, the vampire victim, was setup by his grandmother with his unexpected, and unappreciated guest. He agrees to put up with her presence, to make his grandmother happy, and as she agreed never to bring up him marrying again if it doesn’t work out.

As with all good romantic comedy, both are hiding secrets from each other, but they both need to play the part. The challenge is even bigger as Nocturnal Falls, the town of perpetual Halloween, in all its oddity, turns out to be endearing to Delaney, as is Hugh. As they realize the other person might be someone they could love, their secrets, and enemies, have a way of catching up with them.

A tingle of something shot through Delaney’s spine. Fear? Hope? Stupidity? Probably all three.

Kristen Painter, The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride

Nocturnal falls is the setting for the Nocturnal Falls series. A town where tourists flock to celebrate Halloween year-round, never guessing the vampires, gargoyles, and witches are all real. The local population enjoys living in a place where they can be themselves, even under the gaze of tourists.

The Vampire’s Mail Order Bride is not my favourite book in the series. As with most series, the author grows and gets to know their magical world better, and this series is no exception. It is a fresh take on the vampire’s challenge of falling in love with a human, and it works. Each story in the series adds a different angle to the supernatural vibe of the town where the locals find love in the most unexpected circumstances. My favourite, so far, is The Dragon Finds Forever, who doesn’t want a Dragon to have his happily ever after.

It was such a quick read; I had difficulty choosing snippets to share.

If you are looking for a light romance with some supernatural flair, this is the series for you! Book One of the series is currently free, so help yourself to the series and see if it entertains you.