When a twist becomes a break

I just finished reading The House on Durrow Street by Galen Beckett (book 2 of the Mrs. Quent series). It's a gentle adventure that I describe as Jane Austin on another planet, with magic. There's a lot more to it. I enjoyed it as a total departure from some of the dark Urban Fantasy I had been reading. Especially because I trusted this author not to deviate from the tone he had set. There was adventure and danger but nothing too gory or brutal. In fact there was a point where I was sure that my favorite character was about to be captured and tortured, but no, it didn't happen. I was heartily glad that it didn't because that was why I was reading the second book in the series. I knew/hoped this author wouldn't change midstream.

Now let me wade in on Downton. **Spoiler alert**

I love my hour of Downton on Sunday nights. The last episode let me down badly. The show has been about society and family, relationships and conflicts, tragedy and perseverance. The rape doesn't fit. It was so brutal I am still stewing about it 4 days later. And they did it to a sweet character. It broke my connection as a fan. I am disappointed, horrified and wondering if I will continue to watch the show. They didn't just violate the character, they violated my expectations.

I read about twists and reversals and various ways to make a story more interesting. But sometimes I think that it's the writers or the actors that are bored with the action, not the fans. I watch period drama to see people being conniving and manipulative in an elegant manner. If I wanted brutality, I'd stick to crime shows. I think that, in an effort to remain fresh, writers step outside of the original premise. They forget why the fans came to the show in the first place.

Somewhere I read a quote about writing that has stayed with me. The first chapter of a book is a promise to the reader. It tells you what the book is about. I have run across some bad examples of that. If the first chapter is a raging battle against Evil and the rest of the story is a romance, you've broken your promise to the reader. And without a doubt they will no longer trust you as a storyteller.

I've seen a couple of my favorite TV shows suddenly shift darker. I stop watching them. When I tune in for a procedural, that's what I want. When I look for a lighthearted mystery, that's what I want. I don't want the character to go dark and broody and commit crimes that will become unforgivable. I want the promise of the premise to endure.

Too Much Recapping

I just gave up on a novel because of the excessive recapping. I wanted to yell at the author "I get it!"

It was a multiple POV fantasy with a typical plot. The Hero fell in love along the way to gathering his Band of Stalwarts to defeat the Big Bad. The first book was a bit obvious, on-the-nose and predictable. But it was both a debut novel and the first of a series. I gave the author lots of leeway and plunged into book 2. I was hoping for improvement.

The second book is still very on-the-nose. People tell each other things they should already know. The characters escape a smidge too easily from their troubles and stumble into a haven of safety and fresh baked bread. Repeat...repeat. But what bogged it all down for me was the recapping through internal dialogue.

First the Hero thinks about all the things they've come through. He's worried about his friends and if The Girl loves him. Then we go to The Girl. She thinks about all the things they've come through. She's worried about her friends and if the Hero loves her.  AHHHGGH. This goes on for pages combing over the same ground from the two perspectives when we already lived through it with them!

Recapping should be for the reader's benefit, not to increase word count. And the events weren't that confusing. Especially since the reader witnessed it. It didn't tell me more about the characters or world or plot. In my writer's group I would have told the author to at least trim heavily if not cut completely.

Some books need regular recapping, mysteries for example. The sleuth will often put together clues during recapping. Pulling a solution, a lead or a revelation out of recapping makes it work much better. It gives the reader the breadcrumbs that the sleuth is following. Or if many chapters have passed since we last encountered a character or event, a recap might be needed. But I think they always need a light touch.

Too Dark

I am allowing myself to not finish reading books I don't like. It still feels wrong. Once I start reading a book, I feel like I should finish.

Lately I have been picking up books will nilly. I am pushing the envelope of my usual type of book. Sometimes it works. I just finished reading a mystery set in the 1740's. It was very interesting. However, this other one...just did not work for me.

First of all, the language. I'm not a prud. I don't mind swear words. But this felt especially crude.

Secondly the sex was nasty. Not sexy nasty - slave / humiliating nasty. That almost stopped me there. But I kept reading past that bit. Maybe it was just in there to prove a point. OK. As a statement about a bad character, that'll work. Unfortunately, no, there was a whole lot more.

Third, did not like the protagonist. So when he had icky sex that was a little too explicit, in a sticky - smelly sort of way, it lost me. I didn't like him or his friends or his world. I had no idea what his goal was. And since I wasn't feeling very kind toward him, the icky sex thrown in made me like him even less. Which made me wonder about the choice of putting that scene in there. It underscored the point that he had made bad choices in the past and apparently was going to continue to do that.

I guess that's just my taste.

The book was traditionally published, so someone somewhere thought this had a good sized audience. I wonder what that was? The protagonist is gay. So do they think gay audiences want to read about a man making bad choices? Or do they think straight audience was to see a gay man make bad choices?

I have read lots of books with gay protagonists. Doesn't matter to me as long as the story is well done. And that includes the sex scenes.

When good writers go bad.

I'm not going to name names.

I picked up the latest book in a long series and in a couple of chapters gave up on it. I loved the earlier books. This was about #12, I think. It's a big name author with a big name publisher. The writing was spectacularly bad.

Since I've been in a critique group I have found myself reading much more critically. Awkward sentences and typos stop me flat. And I don't think that's really a good thing, but there you are.

This unnamed novel had all of the newbie mistakes that have critics raving about self published dreck. In one paragraph every sentence started with 'she'. She was, she had, she felt...

Then there was the insanely repetitious description - I'm paraphrasing here: The lamp was on the table. The lamp had a small flame. The flame was too small to light the far corners of the room which were dark.

YAAAHH! I get it! The room was poorly lit. Sheesh. Just get on with it!

And then the dialog.  Ouch. Not only was it horribly awkward, it made the major mistake of summarizing the previous action. So people are telling each other what just happened when they, AND THE READER, already know.

There was a conversation at cross purposes that just about had me tearing my hair out. It didn't further the plot, the characters or the situation. And the repetition made me nuts.
Something like:

"I just arrested the murderer."

"You arrested the murderer?"

"Yes, I found the murderer and arrested him."

"How could you have arrested him?"

"I tracked him down and arrested him."

"But I saw him die."

"No, he's in jail."

You get the jist. The point is that there are 2. And this conversation went on for waaay too long. Which made the characters seem more like Abbott and Costello than the serious characters they should be.

So my question is - how did this get past all those publishing gatekeepers that are supposed to be so astute?

Meandering Protagonists

I just finished reading a book and am halfway through another where the protagonist feels like she is wandering through things. That doesn't grab me.

The one I finished reading was a second book in a trilogy. The first book was very interesting, great world building and good characters. In the second book the author took the protagonist away from everything that was important in the first book. Which was OK at first. But I kept expecting an escape or a rescue so we could get back to all those other people and plotlines I was so invested in. Nope. Also the protagonist seems to be sleepwalking through most of it, more reactive than proactive. And there were a lot of cryptic dreams that I couldn't sort out. On top of all that, the character is degraded, humiliated, tortured and finally maimed. Ugh. Probably won't go looking for the third book.

The one I'm halfway though now might just be aimed at a different audience. It's an old plot - young girl suddenly develops powers she doesn't know how to control. She fears the people who can teach her and spends the whole first part of the book hiding from them. OK. But I don't feel like there is enough that happens in all that hiding and escaping. Only a few characters are developed and they aren't that interesting to me. But again, maybe I'm not the right audience. I assume the second half will be her training, because they finally caught her. I hope that's a little more engaging.

In both stories the main character is reacting to events beyond her control. They seem to be wandering through the story in a daze reacting badly and suffering consequences. I'm not sure what the fix is, what would engage me more. But I know I need to watch out for that in my own stories.

Gleaning the free-loads

I have to admit that I love free ebooks. However, I've run across some real stinkers. I downloaded a whole pile of free ones recently and I'm just now getting around to reading them all.

When I'm looking through, I read the blurb and the reviews. The bad ones must either they get all their reviews from friends or I've just got weird taste. Sometimes, even if they aren't exactly to my taste, I download in an effort to read outside my comfort zone. However, lately the ones I've picked were more than a little out there.

I'm trying to comment constructively on the ones I don't like. That's what I'd like from reviewers that don't care for my book. There's a difference between a well written book that doesn't appeal to me and a badly written book. I try to make that differentiation.

I had to intersperse some library books - a palate cleanser, if you will - between all the self-pubs. A couple favorite authors to soothe my ruffled imagination. I spent a few days lost in another Juliet Marillier. Wow. That woman writes stuff that transports me. I fall into those novels and they stay with me for days. Sigh.

But I did find a gem in the dross. Natural Causes by James Oswald was very good. There were a few typos and a misplaced word or two, but the writing was good enough that those few problems were easy to ignore.

Happy to find a good one. I'll go mining again soon.

Thornyhold by Mary Stewart

I was reminiscing with my sister the other day about the books we all read growing up. Our house was stuffed with overflowing bookcases. It was a family joke that we didn't need to hit the library for research papers. We had at least 2 sets of encyclopedias, maybe 3.

We both named Mary Stewart as a favorite, but neither of us could name any books other than her Merlin series. I looked her up and found she was very prolific.

I just finished Thornyhold. It's a wonderful tale set in the English countryside with a bit of magic and a touch of romance and a hint of horror. The description is rich. I have a solid image of the old stone house clearly in my head. I love this sort of story. The protagonist is unassuming and gains great strength over the course of the story, mostly in protection of others.

And it has a happy ending. Lovely.

Child of the Phrophecy by Juliet Marillier

I just finished another very enjoyable book from Juliet Marillier. Her books flow wonderfully. The world doesn't change, but the viewpoint character does so it all feels fresh again.

This main character was much darker than the previous two. And I have to say she's got some of the most patient men in history in there. Or is persistent a better word?

This story ends leaving several characters at crucial turning points. I am eager to tuck into the next one in hopes that those loose ends will be tidily braided up.

The Dark Mirror by Juliet Marillier

This story didn't sing for me the way her other books have. I can't put my finger on what put me off. The main character is a young boy, but I don't think that's it.

Maybe it had too many themes. It could be a coming of age for Bridei and Tuala. It is also historical (pre-historical?) fiction based on the Picts in Scotland. It is also the student and prodigy sort of thing with the boy learning Druidic magic. And there's a smattering of fairy folk in the Midsummer's Night Dream sense of them watching and manipulating humans. The political maneuvering and grooming of Bridei as the future king give it an Arthurian flavor. And then there is a bit of a longing, pining love story, too.

There's a lot in there. I think it might be a bit too heavy on the history and locale for the fantasy topic to fly.

I have to admit to scanning some chapters because I just didn't care about those characters.

It is the first book in a series and I am ambivalent as to whether I will go on to book 2.

Stone Spring by Stephen Baxter

This was marked as Science Fiction in my library. I don't know what I would call it. The story revolves around a village and spans generations. Since it happens in prehistoric times, I suppose it could be fantasy. Although, the traditional hallmarks of fantasy - magic, good vs evil, non-humans - are not there.

If you want to know about the life of hunter-gatherers, this is the book for you. The setting, traditions and rituals of their lives is richly laid out. The characters are bit thinner. There were a few things that felt anachronistic to me. But having no knowledge of the time period, I could be completely wrong.

It was an interesting journey.

Seer of Sevenwaters by Juliet Marillier

I've commented before on books that were "Not my cup of tea," THIS IS. I really enjoyed the story, the characters, the setting, just everything. The prose is so smooth you don't see the words and fall into the story. Wonderful! Now I will start at the beginning and read all of her works.

I can't put my finger on the elements that suck me in so readily. Maybe the realistic characters, or maybe the harsh setting resonates with me somehow.

The writing is clean and tight. After reading a handful of clunky, awkward self-pubs this book was a dive into cool water.I blasted through it without a backward look. No jockeying back and forth over a sentence to figure out who was speaking or thinking or such. No peculiar word choices or poor punctuation. Ahhh. Just a lovely story written well. Yummy.

Hellhole by Kevin J Anderson and Brian Herbert

I read this with no expectations. It's an easy read. There are lots of planets and lots of characters. It was fun. But when I finish it was more of a "Huh", than a "Wow."

So I went to Goodreads and checked out the reviews. The criticisms amazed me. People are writing about the lack of plot twists and overused tropes. I guess the average reviewer is more erudite than I realized.

That made me think about the book to see if I could find what made it feel less than spectacular.

There were several reviews that said the characters were one-dimensional. And there are a lot of view point characters. I can't say that any of them really got to me. There is so much going on with all of them. We only get to visit for a short period of time. I think I would prefer to stay with less of them for longer periods of time. And also, there's my dislike of spending too much time with the villains. I could have happily skipped those chapters.

Some reviews complained that the story stole too many story lines from other epic adventures. Well, in my opinion that's what space opera is. They all have a similar formula. Although I can't say I saw a reluctant messiah in this one. There's big evil controlling the masses and small rebellion struggling for the people. Yup - that's epic Scifi.

Maybe they wanted more space battles. There's only one in this story, which was enough for me. I know the next book will have more because the first book ended on the verge of war. I can only hope it's not all battles. The characters and situations intrigued me enough that I will give book 2 a chance, whenever it comes out.

Yarn by Jon Armstrong

The world in this book reminds me a bit of Blade Runner or Minority Report and maybe a smidge of Clockwork Orange. The world is so potent, so bizarre, that it shapes everything said or done. It is a chaotic, overblown place so foreign that sometimes I felt as if I was reading the 7th or 12th in a series and should understand the references more. It was definitely outside my comfort zone, but still not too difficult to read.

That said, I didn't like the world (just my taste) and I wasn't sure what Tane's goals were. There was a hint of revolution, but not enough description of the world as a whole. I felt that all of the characters were unreliable narrators, and that left me wondering what I might be missing. This felt like the first of a series, but I'm not sure if it is. Also not sure that I would wade into that world for a second round.

The Last Goddess by C. E. Stalbaum

A very enjoyable read. Good world building, the characters are fun and the pace is good. The writing is good, and flows well. I will definitely look for more by this writer.

Veiled Eyes by C. L. Bevill

After a bit of a rough start I fell into this book fairly easily. It has some editing problems and a wandering POV, but the storytelling makes up for it. I am not a romance reader, but I would say this falls into paranormal romance. And the romance line isn't so overwhelming as to steal the plot. The characters are strong and the pace quick. I would read her work again.

Hounded by Kevin Hearne

A very fun read!

First of all - 10 points for the pronunciation guide. Thank you!

Secondly, he introduced the Celtic pantheon painlessly. I didn't feel like I needed to do research to understand the actions of the gods. Love the characters and the pacing was fast. I will definitely read more.

Alloy of Law - Brandon Sanderson

I didn't know this was book 1! No fair!

Although I enjoyed the Mistborn books, I'm not sure what to make of this one. It's more like a western with trains and gun fights. I do want to read the next one, because this is a cliffhanger. The main character is a bit Clint Eastwood and a bit Sherlock Holmes. All the characters in the book are interesting. Too much time spent on the fight scenes for my taste, but I'm sure that will appeal to others.

The changes and introductions of new plot twists in the last few chapters make the next book look very interesting.

Unusual Suspects edited by Dana Stabenow

A very nice collection for sampling authors new to me. It runs the gamut from Noir to High Fantasy. Not everything was to my taste, but that is the upside to short stories - you get through them quicker. I had only read work by 2 of the authors previously - Charlaine Harris and Simon R. Green. I will definitely be looking for additional work by many of the authors.

This review was also posted at Goodreads.

Today in Writer Unboxed Donald Maas wrote this:

The protagonists in fiction serve a similar purpose. We look to them as models. What we want from them is not just entertaining stories but examples of how we can feel, see the world, conduct ourselves, grow and change. We admire them, learn from them, celebrate them and return to them over and over for inspiration. Click here for the rest of it

Ah ha! That's why I can't get into some stories. I can't relate to the characters. The book I just finished reading had such mean characters. I didn't like how they acted in their world and I wouldn't want to experience it again. The actions they took were small and greedy. They were all fighting for survival, but only for themselves. Or at least that's the way it felt to me. Not one of them took a larger view. It was all for money or political power. Murder, rape, betrayal.

I'm sure there are people who enjoy this book for it's near future scenarios. What I used to call "After-the-bomb-dropped" stories. Only here it's an "After-the-climate-broke story". Which is well thought out. But there are no heroes in this book. No one to turn the corner and bring hope back. Every decision just makes things worse.

Thanks to Donald Maas for helping me figure out why this didn't work for me!

Book Comments

Holder of Lightning (The Cloudmages #1) S_L_Farrell

The characters were fairly solid but the names were very difficult. I know he was trying to use the Gaelic, but I would have appreciated a pronunciation guide. As it was, the names were so hard to get a handle on that I lost tract of who was who. Despite that, I will be interested to see where he takes book 2.