Hi Romina! It’s been just over a year since we had our interview for the release of Lobizona. What have you been up to in this last year and the lead up to Cazadora’s release?

Hi! The coolest part of the past year was probably launching Lobizona in Spanish. Reading my story as retold by the brilliant translator Jeannine Emery was such a surreally delightful experience, but the best part was hearing from readers who were seeing their language & customs reflected in a fantasy realm. Things peaked in July, when I was able to present Wolves of No World at an in-person conference (Celsius 232) in Avilés, Spain! It was there that I reconnected with a reader I met three years ago in Madrid named Saysa—the inspiration behind the character—& it was awesome to be able to personalize her book & thank her for being one of my muses.

Did your process change much with how you approached the writing of Cazadora?

My process doesn’t change much. I am a staunch Virgo who likes to outline every plot point before I dive into drafting, so I had all the beats figured out early. However, something that wasn’t in my plans was the Epilogue—that idea came after submitting the first draft to my editor, Eileen Rothschild. We felt we needed one final scene to close out the duology & give readers a glimpse of the adventures to come. After all, endings are beginnings. . . 

Where did the inspiration for Kerana come from?

The textures of Kerana are inspired by the beauty of Buenos Aires, Patagonia, la Pampa, los Andes, & more. I didn’t expect that redesigning the landscapes of my birthplace as fantastical manadas would be such an empowering process, but there was something magical about it. I felt like I was reclaiming my relationship with my homeland, on my own terms, in my own words.

In our previous interview you had mentioned that your favorite part of the publishing journey was hearing from and meeting fans, which was obviously difficult to do in 2020. Even with the world a bit rocky in 2021, have you gotten to experience more connection with readers through virtual tours or in person signings?

Even though I’ve only done one in-person event, & that was in Spain, I still feel very connected to readers. Thanks to social media, I’m able to engage with anyone who reaches out—however, I do really miss the energy of in-peson book talks. Luckily, Books & Books is hosting a signing & photo op the day before Cazadora’s release, so I’ll be able to interact with local readers here in Miami. Plus, there’s the virtual launch event with Zoraida Córdova!

Something that always stands out to me while reading is food descriptions and there are some great food moments in both Lobizona and Cazadora. Do you ever get hungry when writing food descriptions into your stories and what is one of your favorite foods?

YES! I am always getting hungry when writing these scenes, especially because they involve my favorite foods—milanesa, entraña, choripán, sandwichitos de miga, empanadas, medialunas, & on & on & on! I’ve actually put together a couple of recipes for anyone who’d like to try making empanadas & chimichurri—if you go for it, please share your experience with me on social!

Do you have any writing necessities to put yourself in the writing mindset?

Iced lattes rank pretty high on that list. I also need a good view—I prefer people-watching, but it can also be just a skyline or even something on TV. I’m constantly looking up when I write, & I often like channeling energy from my surroundings. I can’t work in empty spaces!

I’m going to include a fairly off topic question: in our previous interview you mentioned Buffy and Angel when I asked about cliffhangers. As huge Buffy and Angel fan, I have to know: what are some of your favorite episodes from either show and why?

::takes deep breath::

First I have to calm my inner fangirl . . . or should I say fang-girl? (I can hear the groans from here.)

OKAY, to keep this answer under novel-length, I will limit myself to discussing a handful of episodes from each show—though my bestie/critique partner Nicole Maggi (whose books everyone should check out!) & I can lose entire days analyzing these shows & reliving our favorite moments:  

BUFFY

• ONCE MORE WITH FEELING!!! I am obsessed with the musical. I used to listen to the songs on repeat in my car.
• CONVERSATIONS WITH DEAD PEOPLE because it was just so well done. I remember everything coming together, the pacing, the dialogue, the music, leading up to the big Spike reveal.
• FOOL FOR LOVE b/c I love me some Spuffy!!
• GRADUATION DAY is such epic YA, with everyone coming together to defeat the evil principal, & the Buffy-Angel angsty farewell. It had to make the list.
• HUSH is masterful—to speak so little but say so much is just brilliant.

ANGEL

• SPIN THE BOTTLE!! I looove this episode so much!
• For all the others, I may have to go with the entirety of season 5, peaking with LIFE OF THE PARTY & SMILE TIME! I love the gang working at Wolfram & Hart. I think that twist was genius, & I would have loved to see where things went if they could have continued.
  • I also love the last episode—NOT FADE AWAY—which is one of my favorite final episodes of any show.
  • & how could I not mention A HOLE IN THE WORLD?! That episode gutted me, in the best way! LOL

Now I’m itching for a rewatch. We can tackle Firefly for my next interview!

Last question and always my favorite: can you tell us anything about what you are working on next? *leans in closer for hints about a book 3 for Manu and friends*

Even though Wolves of No World is a duology, I have written a 5,000-word synopsis for a third book. Yet whether or not those pages ever blossom into a novel depends largely on readers! If you like the series & want to know what comes next for Manu, you can make that happen by doing things like rating/reviewing the book on seller sites, posting about it on your social media, telling your friends to check it out, giving it as a birthday gift, donating a copy to a school, etc. 

I didn’t feel represented in the books I read growing up, so Lunaris is the home I’ve been chasing since childhood. I wrote this series because every teen deserves the chance to find themselves on the page. Now go forth & shatter every convention!

Will you be picking up Cazadora? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Romina Garber, Author of ‘Cazadora’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Jumping in right where we were left off at the end of the fantastic Lobizona, Manu is on the run with her friends from the Cazadores who want to capture and punish Manu for being born a hybrid. But as they search for the mysterious Coven who may give them shelter if they truly exist, the Cazadores are nipping at their heels and running them ragged. Manu will have to choose her path to resist and hope she makes the right choice to prove the archaic systems of the Septimus wrong about her.

I want to start this review with a focus on Manu. As an adult reading YA novels, it can be hard to connect and understand what young protagonists are going through, which can lead to frustrations while reading. Though I am very different from Manu (and have quiet a few years on her), I never felt disconnected from her. Garber has done what can be nearly impossible in YA and struck the perfect balance of relatability and believability in a fictional character. Manu is not perfect, but she is relatable and understandable. She makes mistakes just like everyone does, but it’s not in a way that makes you feel like the author was creating bad decisions to move the plot along. It feels the like the decision of a young person who is trying to navigate their world and it’s done in a way that feels understandable to anyone, regardless of life experiences.

And while I could go on for hours about Manu’s beautiful characterisation, I do have to concede that many of the secondary characters lose some dimension in Cazadora. The friendships and romances in the core group of characters do deepen throughout the novel, but it didn’t feel like quite enough to latch onto. There was a lot of focus on Manu and Cazadora truly felt like HER story. Without diving into spoilers, I believe readers will come to see the reason for this focus and I think we’ll see some heavier exploration of the secondary characters in potential future books set in this world.

Speaking of the world: WOW! Garber excels in worldbuilding and imagination. If you are the type of reader who sees movies in their heads as they read, you are in for an absolute adventure with Cazadora. The scenes Garber crafts feel otherworldly and unique, while the struggles faced by Manu and her friends keep the story grounded. The descriptions are beautiful but don’t fall into overly flowery prose that can turn some readers off. Garber walks the line of fantastical and believable without stumbling.

As with Lobizona, there are times when the story slows a bit, but readers will still find themselves motivated to keep going. Garber tackles a lot of difficult and timely subjects and there are a lot of situations that arise in the story that have real world comparisons which many readers may not have experience with. But this is what drives the story and keeps the reader engaged. Stories expose us to other experiences and it is absolutely refreshing to have a novel that isn’t based in whiteness.

When I reviewed Lobizona in 2020 I said that Romina Garber was poised to become a strong literary voice of this era. After reading Cazadora, I’m even more confident in my belief of that. Garber’s ability to unflinchingly address modern day topics and weave them into fantastical tales is unparalleled. I look forward to not only more from the Wolves of No World series, but anything Garber puts to page.

Cazadora is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of August 17th 2021.

Will you be picking up Cazadora? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

In Cazadora, Romina Garber weaves together Argentine folklore and what it means to be illegal in a timely, intimate, and emotionally powerful narrative.

Werewolves. Witches. Romance. Resistance.

Enter a world straight out of Argentine folklore…

Following the events of Lobizona, Manu and her friends cross the mystical border into Kerana―a cursed realm in Argentina―searching for allies and a hiding place. As they chase down leads about the Coven―a mythical resistance manada that might not even exist―the Cazadores chase down leads about Manu, setting up traps to capture and arrest her.

Just as it seems the Cazadores have Manu and her friends cornered, the Coven answers their call for help. As Manu catches her breath among these non-conforming Septimus, she discovers they need a revolution as much as she does.

But is she the right one to lead them? After all, hybrids aren’t just outlawed. They’re feared and reviled. What happens when the Coven learns of Manu’s dual heritage? Will they still protect her? Or will they betray her?

And after running this far, for this long―how much farther can Manu go before her feet get tired, and she stops to take a stand?

The post Review: Cazadora by Romina Garber appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Clara Densmore is an Everwitch. The first in a century and the one who will save the world from the damage it is doing to itself. But Clara has lost more than she can handle because of her magic and she wants nothing more to do with it. When other seasonal witches start dying at alarming rates from the escalating natural disasters, Clara must finally accept her role as Everwitch, no matter the cost.

So let’s dive straight into the things to love about The Nature of Witches. The magic system is absolutely entrancing. Griffin weaves the elemental magic and climate crisis that, while providing a much needed and stern message about global warming, never feels heavy handed Clara, our chosen one main character, is an Everwitch, meaning her power is not bound by the seasons unlike other witches, but her power is her problem.

And this is where we get into some of the not great aspects of this novel. The Nature of Witches, while being beautifully written and full of emotion, doesn’t bring anything new to the Chosen One trope. Clara, having killed people that she loves with her power, doesn’t want the magic anymore, regardless of the fact that it’s the only thing that can save the whole world. While younger readers, objectively the ones this book is truly for, will find Clara relatable, older YA readers may struggle with Clara’s personality.

Griffin brings a lot of character focus in this story, which is both good and bad. Sang is a fantastic romantic lead and Paige is a great side character. But the story felt slow anytime there wasn’t some weather related action happening. With so much focus on the characters, the stakes of the plot never felt very important. The novel as a whole would have benefited from more balance with the plot and characters.

At the end of the day, The Nature of Witches is a really good debut novel. Rachel Griffin is at the start of her career and I feel like we will see a lot of growth from her and her magical stories. While The Nature of Witches didn’t blow me away like I was hoping, that doesn’t take away from the fact that it is an intriguing read from an author to watch.

The Nature of Witches is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up The Nature of Witches? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

For centuries, witches have maintained the climate, their power from the sun peaking in the season of their birth. But now their control is faltering as the atmosphere becomes more erratic. All hope lies with Clara, an Everwitch whose rare magic is tied to every season.

In Autumn, Clara wants nothing to do with her power. It’s wild and volatile, and the price of her magic―losing the ones she loves―is too high, despite the need to control the increasingly dangerous weather.

In Winter, the world is on the precipice of disaster. Fires burn, storms rage, and Clara accepts that she’s the only one who can make a difference.

In Spring, she falls for Sang, the witch training her. As her magic grows, so do her feelings, until she’s terrified Sang will be the next one she loses.

In Summer, Clara must choose between her power and her happiness, her duty and the people she loves… before she loses Sang, her magic, and thrusts the world into chaos.

Practical Magic meets Twister in this debut contemporary fantasy standalone about heartbreaking power, the terror of our collapsing atmosphere, and the ways we unknowingly change our fate.

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With the 10th anniversary of Divergent’s debut, beautiful new editions of the series are being released, featuring new covers with artwork from Victo Ngai and exclusive content from Veronica herself!

I recently got the chance to ask Veronica how she is feeling about the 10 year anniversary, what she has learned and how she has changed over the last 10 years, and what faction she considers herself in these days.

Hello Veronica! Thank you so much for taking the time for this Nerd Daily interview! Can you start by telling us a bit about yourself and what you’ve been up to recently?

Thank you for having me! I’m Veronica, I live in Chicago, I have a spouse and a dog. What I’ve been up to lately, professionally speaking, is that last year I released my first book for adult readers, Chosen Ones, which is about a group of people who saved the world from a “dark lord” figure ten years ago and are now wildly famous for it. The world has asked them for too much already and it’s about to ask for a little bit more.

Personally speaking, I’ve been wearing comfortable pants as I become increasingly passionate about watching tennis and try to keep an orchid alive. Wild, I know.

April 2021 marked the 10 year anniversary of Divergent being released. How does that make you feel?

Old, mostly! I’ve written three novels and a short story collection since then, but it still feels like it shouldn’t be that long ago. Really, though, I feel proud and pleased that the books still have such a presence after ten years. I hear from new readers almost every day, and I feel fortunate to still be connecting to people through this series.

Looking back on the last 10 years, what is the most important thing you’ve learned about publishing?

You can really only control the work that you do. That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t push for the things you want, but it means that when disappointments come, and they will, no matter who you are, the only way to endure them is to return to the work that got you into books in the first place: writing. Writing is my home base and my anchor.

How has your writing style changed and evolved over time since Divergent was released?

At the end of the day, you can only ever be the writer you are. I’m not going to spontaneously start writing poetic prose. What I can do is become a better version of myself, though, so I’ve worked on things like detail, verisimilitude, humor, and pulling back during dramatic moments to leave room for the reader. I’ve also gotten a lot better at world-building. Chosen Ones, my most recent book, is also set in Chicago, and I think when you read it, it feels a lot more real than Divergent’s Chicago, which is a bit dreamlike. I remember the director of the Divergent movie, Neil Burger, asking me how the plumbing worked in Divergent Chicago, and I was embarrassed that I didn’t have an answer. I can definitely answer that for Chosen Ones. Currency, technology, plumbing, electrical, architecture, history. I know it, even if it’s not on the page. I’m particularly proud of that area of growth.

With Allegiant, you pulled off one of the most stunning finales of a YA trilogy to date, and it is still being talked about to this day. Did you always know you wanted to end the series this way or did the ending come into existence as you wrote?

I did know from the start, yes. I think you can see that in the way the books’ endings are structured– they very intentionally mirror each other. Tris in the tank in Divergent, Tris in Erudite headquarters in Insurgent, and finally, Tris in the lab in Allegiant— encountering roughly the same thing each time, but with different ways of thinking about it, so it changes slightly with each book. In the lead up to release–and my husband can attest to this!– I was actually worried I had telegraphed it too clearly, and there would be no surprise in it. This is something he and I laugh about now, because obviously I misread the situation. That said, I wouldn’t change the end of the series for the world. I did what felt right for the story, and that’s all any writer can do.

Interview continues below images…

Browsing your works, it is easy to see that science fiction is something you enjoy. What are some of your favorite works of science fiction?

Oh man. Well, my first big science fiction loves were Dune by Frank Herbert, 1984 by George Orwell, and Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card. But as I’ve gotten older and my understanding of the genre has expanded– and the genre itself has expanded, too!– I’ve found a lot of new favorites, like Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro, Blue Ticket by Sophie Mackintosh, Rosewater by Tade Thompson, and I can’t believe I have to wait so long for the third book in Tamsyn Muir’s Locked Tomb series to come out. (POUR ALECTO INTO MY BRAIN, PLEASE.)

I do want to say that I think science fiction really shines in the short fiction realm, so if you haven’t already, you should read Ted Chiang, Martha Wells, Ken Liu, Alexander Weinstein, and Nnedi Okorafor. George Saunders, too, writes short fiction that sometimes steps into the futuristic or fantastical.

Did you associate yourself with a faction back when Divergent first came out? Has that faction changed over the last 10 years?

I think it has changed depending on what life is throwing at me at the time. Dauntless was my answer when I was struggling with anxiety the most, and I felt like bravery was a constant requirement. But now that that’s not as necessary anymore, I can admit that I’m probably an Erudite. (At least, right now!) I think curiosity is one of the most important qualities a person can have, and one of the characteristics that most ensures open-heartedness and staves off judgmental attitudes. And I love, love, love to learn.

The 10th anniversary editions of the Divergent trilogy are STUNNING! How did it feel seeing the new covers? Did you have any input with the artist for their work on the covers?

I loved them.  In the early stages of talking about the anniversary editions, I actually brought Victo Ngai’s work to my editor, who already knew about her and had worked with her before. It was serendipitous. We were delighted that she was up for it, and after that, no, I didn’t interfere– I wanted her to do her thing. I knew it would come out amazing, and I was right!

What have been some of your favorite books, movies, or TV series over the last 10 years?

For TV: The one I feel most passionate about is probably “Dark,” which you need to watch in German with English subtitles because the dubbing is unsettling. “The Expanse.” “Watchmen.” And I loved the big, weird swings of “The OA” and “Sense8,” both gone too soon.

For movies: “Ex Machina,” “The Vast of Night,” “Another Earth.” And “Rogue One” is the best Star Wars movie, don’t @ me.

For books: I got into this a bit earlier! But while I’m here, you should also read Vita Nostra by Marina and Sergey Dyachenko, Severance by Ling Ma, and Lightless by CA Higgins.

And lastly, are you working on any new creative endeavors in the near future that you can tell us about?

The paperback for Chosen Ones comes out at the same time as the Divergent anniversary editions! So if you were too busy washing all your groceries to read it the first time around (relatable), you can give it a try now with an awesome new cover by Matt Griffin. (Or, as ever, on audio with Dakota Fanning reading all the narrative sections, and a full cast– including, briefly, yours truly– for all the fictional documents.)

Other than that, I’ve got a few things percolating, but it’s a little too early to say more.

The post Q&A: Veronica Roth, Author of ‘Divergent’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hi Martha! Thank you for taking some time to speak with us! Can you tell our readers a little bit about yourself and your career so far?

I’ve been an active SF/F fan since I can remember and was chairman of a regional SF/F convention in college. My first fantasy novel came out in 1993 (The Element of Fire, Tor Books), and since then I’ve had about 25 books come out, all SF/F, including media tie-ins and young adult. My two most recent series are The Books of the Raksura, which is fantasy and was completed in 2017, and The Murderbot Diaries, which is science fiction. I’ve won a Nebula Award, two Hugo Awards, and my novel Network Effect was a New York Times Bestseller.

What can readers expect from your latest entry to the Murderbot Diaries, Fugitive Telemetry?

It’s a prequel to Network Effect and is set on Preservation Station, where Murderbot has to solve the murder of an unknown person found dead in a station corridor. Knowing Graycris is possibly planning an assassination attempt on Dr. Mensah, Murderbot has to make sure this isn’t related, and ends up having to help Station Security solve the crime, whether Station Security likes it or not.

Where did the idea of Murderbot come from?

There was really no specific inspiration. I got the idea when I was working on the ending of The Harbors of the Sun, the last novel in the Books of the Raksura series. I was working very hard on the book, and just getting a lot of ideas for other books and stories. Somehow during that time I got an idea for a short story about an enslaved security person who had destroyed their governor module but would have to reveal that to save an innocent group of scientists. The first scene that I came up with was the moment in All Systems Red where Mensah knocks on the wall of Murderbot’s cubicle. I started to write the idea down so I wouldn’t forget it, then I ended up writing the cubicle scene. I had to make myself stop and go back to work on the novel. After I was done with it, I wrote All Systems Red.

You’ve written extensively in both fantasy and science fiction. Do you find that you have a different writing process for each genre?

Not really. I don’t think there’s any difference between the way I write them. What is important is the character’s voice and how they fit into their world. When I got the idea for Murderbot, it was very much a story for a science fiction setting.

What is one of the best pieces of life advice you’d share with writers?

You don’t have to be traditionally published to be a writer, but if you want to be, try to learn as much as possible about how the publishing industry works. There are a lot of opportunities to do this online.

If Murderbot had access to the TV series of our Earth, what do you think it would love to watch?

I think it would like a lot of shows, from the DC superhero shows like the Flash and Legends of Tomorrow, to baking competitions, documentaries, and mysteries.

Do you have any favorite AIs or robots from pop culture?

I loved K2SO from Rogue One and the robot from Space Sweepers.

Are there any books, TV series, or movies from 2021 that you would recommend to our readers?

Most recently I’ve really enjoyed Fireheart Tiger by Aliette de Bodard, Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor, Soulstar by C.L. Polk, The Burning God by R.F. Kuang, and Winter’s Orbit by Everina Maxwell. Right now I’m reading A Desolation Called Peace by Arkady Martine. For TV, I’m looking forward to the new season of Legends of Tomorrow.

And lastly, can you let us know what you are working on in the near future?

Right now I’m working on a fantasy novel, though there’s definitely more Murderbot in the future.

Will you be picking up Fugitive Telemetry? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Martha Wells, Author of ‘Fugitive Telemetry’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

There is a dead body on Preservation Station and Murderbot is going to have to work with the humans to solve the mystery. While Murderbot is not happy about it’s new situation, it needs to find a way to overcome it’s dislike of the slow thinking humans (seriously, how are humans so slow?) and determine whether this murder has anything to do with GreyCris or if something more foul is afoot.

In terms that I think Murderbot would appreciate, Fugitive Telemetry feels a bit like a filler episode on a TV series. Now, sometimes filler episodes don’t add much to the overall story, but this is Martha Wells we are talking about and she really nails it when it comes to Murderbot. Reading this was akin to watching a murder mystery procedural TV episode. We’ve got a dead body, some incompetent police types, and the gruff investigator who will definitely solve the murder but would rather be doing something else instead. For Murderbot, the something else would be watching media, but it knows that helping the humans will go a long way in making it’s existence easier.

There is something in the way that Wells writes the Murderbot Diaries that fits perfectly in the novella space, but never lacks the world and character building you’d get from a 500+ page space opera. I’ve talked to readers who tend to say they don’t want to read novellas because they don’t feel like it’s a whole story. When I’m faced with this attitude, I immediately recommend the Murderbot Diaries. As evident in Fugitive Telemetry, and all previous Murderbot novellas, Wells excels in deep storytelling, all in under 200 pages.

The main misstep in Fugitive Telemetry is it’s place in the Murderbot timeline. Set between Exit Strategy and Network Effect, it feels a bit like a regression. Since it’s not explicitly stated that this sixth entry is actually set between the 4th and 5th books, some readers will be a bit thrown off at first (it’s me, I’m some readers). Readers will have to bring themselves back a bit in terms of what they know about Murderbot and the things it has experienced, which feels a bit odd to do. After finishing this, one can’t help but wish it had been published in sequential order.

Timeline issues aside, Fugitive Telemetry is peak Murderbot content. There is no lack of snarky internal dialogue from our favourite SecUnit and the murder mystery aspect of the story serves to accentuate Murderbot’s amusing annoyance with the human race. And whether it wants to or not, Murderbot is always growing and learning, which brings a level of character development that could be missing in a lesser story.

Fugitive Telemetry is a great entry into the Murderbot Diaries and is sure to please long-time readers. If you are looking for a sci-fi series that won’t overwhelm you and will make you smile with sardonic glee, look no further than the Murderbot Diaries novellas.

Fugitive Telemetry is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of April 27th 2021.

Will you be picking up Fugitive Telemetry? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!

The post Review: Fugitive Telemetry by Martha Wells appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Having fled Moray, Amaya, and Cayo, along with their friends, make their way to Baleine to track down the origins of the counterfeit money that is causing Ash Fever and find those responsible. But deep distrust between Amaya and Cayo threatens their work and with the plague growing day by day, the stakes are higher than they’ve ever been. The two must find a way to work with each other to stop their world from being ravaged by plague and greed.

There is a blessing and a curse when it comes to duologies. On one hand, it is easier to stay engaged in the story when we don’t have to wait 3+ years to get to the finale. On the other hand, the second book in the duology can end up overstuffed with story because it is doing the work of what would typically be books 2 and 3 in the average YA trilogy. Ravage the Dark, the second and final book in Tara Sim’s Scavenge the Stars duology, mostly avoids the duology pitfall. Mostly.

Starting with the really good, Tara Sim excels in her worldbuilding here. It’s not hard to imagine the world she writes about and everything in the story helped build up the world in a way that felt deep, yet effortless. While not the most unique world ever seen in a YA story, Sim brings a flair all her own and adds the right amount of intrigue to keep readers hooked.

Another point of excellence in Ravage the Dark is the characters and their development. Amaya and Cayo, in particular, grow in a way that isn’t seen much in YA these days. From the start of the duology, you knew these two broken characters were meant for each other, but in Ravage, much of their growing relationship is fractured from distrust. And while a good amount of the story in Ravage is about fixing that distrust, it never feels like the plot hinges on their budding romance. The romance is there, but it is so backburnered, that it just provides a pleasant warmth to a dark and gritty story.

Sim takes care with her secondary characters as well, bringing Liesl and Remy into the forefront throughout the story. Another interesting character focus is on Boone and Kamon. Unravelling the whole truth of the past and how the Ash Fever came to be sets the tone for Ravage and seeing how both men are entwined in that kept the plot intriguing.

The stumbling bit of Ravage is the pacing. Where Scavenge the Stars had the momentum of Amaya’s deception and revenge, this novel feels pulled in so many directions that it is hard to stay fully invested. The bulk of the story is our crew finding a lead in their search for the true origins of Ash Fever and then having it not pan out. And then they find another lead…and it doesn’t pan out. It never felt like the characters were truly moving forward until about 60% through the story. Then we get the shocking plot twists and revelations that bring us to the culmination of the story. But at times, it can feel like getting there took a while.

Though I don’t want to discount all that happened in the first half of the book. As mentioned earlier, the second book in a duology has to do a lot of heavy lifting, and Sim certainly put a lot of weight into her story. From Liesl’s search for her sister, to Cayo growing past his playboy ways, there is a lot of emotional ground covered in the beginning of this book. But the consequence of that is a slower start and a rushed ending.

And while the ending may feel a bit quick, it certainly closes out the duology in a satisfying way. Ravage the Dark holds a lot within its pages and there is much for the readers to sink their teeth into. Pacing issues aside, Ravage the Dark will give readers a world and characters they can get lost in. And at the end of the day, that’s what makes a book a truly good read.

Ravage the Dark is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up Ravage the Dark? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

For seven long years, while she was imprisoned on a debtor’s ship, Amaya Chandra had one plan: to survive. But now, survival is not enough. She has people counting on her; counting on her for protection, for leadership, for vengeance. And after escaping Moray by the skin of her teeth, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and her friends.

Cayo Mercado has lost everything: his money, his father, his reputation. Everything except his beloved sister. But he’s well on his way to losing her, too, with no way to afford the treatment for her deadly illness. In a foreign empire also being consumed by ash fever, Cayo has no choice but to join Amaya in uncovering the mystery of the counterfeit currency, the fever, and how his father was involved in their creation. But Cayo still hasn’t forgiven Amaya for her earlier deception, and their complicated feelings for each other are getting harder and harder to ignore.

Through glittering galas, dazzling trickery, and thrilling heists, Cayo and Amaya will learn that the corruption in Moray goes far deeper than they know, and in the end the only people they can trust are each other.

Step into an opulent world filled with risk, romance, and revenge and find out whether two unlikely heroes can save the world and stop corruption.

The post Review: Ravage The Dark by Tara Sim appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Navigating a sham marriage was never going to be easy, but Cordelia Carstairs and James Herondale find themselves having a harder time than they imagined. Between James’s restless nights, Cordelia’s uneasy feelings with Cortona, and a growing attraction neither can deny, the newlywed Shadowhunters have a lot to deal with. And then the murders happen. Something is killing Shadowhunters and James, Cordelia, and the rest of the Merry Thieves endeavour to bring the culprit down themselves. But soon the secrets between these friends become complications that endanger the lives of those they love the most: each other.

On the surface, Chain of Iron, the second book in Cassandra Clare’s The Last Hours trilogy, is a good read. It is a classic Shadowhunter story, one that will delight long time fans of the Shadowhunter universe and ensnare new readers. To have a series that has remained so popular for so long is a fantastic accomplishment in writing. But where do you draw the line in your critique of a story when it comes to enjoyment vs innovation?

Reading Chain of Iron felt like reading any other Shadowhunter novel. There was drama and passion and snark and betrayal. As a long time reader of the Shadowhunter Chronicles, I couldn’t help but notice little twists and plot devices that have been used before in the Shadowhunter series. I will be the first to admit that at this point in the Shadowhunter mythos, nothing feels wildly new or fresh. But I will also be the first to tell you that it is not necessarily a bad thing.

The thing that Clare excels most at in her writing is creating a sense of community and belonging. Every time I read a Shadowhunter book, it feels like being welcomed back home where all my friends have been waiting for me. Reading this novel while the world struggles through a deadly pandemic that keeps us separated from our loved ones felt like a warm and much needed hug. The scenes where the Merry Thieves spend time together, chatting and joking and just being friends, nearly brought me to tears. Not because anything overly dramatic was happening in the story, but because they are so familiar and it felt like being able to see my friends again. Clare’s ability to evoke such depth of emotion through her characters will always be her greatest writing strength.

And while it was nice to be back with all my Shadowhunter friends, let’s talk for a minute about one of the downsides to having such a long running series with multiple crossovers. Chain of Iron is so heavily saturated with nods to Shadowhunter past and set ups for previously released Shadowhunter novels that are set in the future, that readers may feel a bit overwhelmed. Contending with past and future Shadowhunter plots leaves little space for our current band of Shadowhunters to claim for their own. And with so many characters, trying to keep family trees straight in your head as you read is nearly impossible.

The actual plot of Chain of Iron was engaging, and while there were some twists that were genuinely a surprise, the overall structure of the story was very similar to previous Shadowhunter novels. Yet, what drives the story is the drama of it all. While the structure may feel repetitive, you just can’t help but be sucked in. Clare has this ability to fill her novels almost to bursting with plot and drama, yet somehow it never feels too dense. To put it in a personal perspective, I read Chain of Iron in just under two days which is the fastest I’ve read a 350+ page book in probably two years.

In the end, there isn’t anything groundbreaking about Chain of Iron, but there also isn’t anything truly wrong with that. More often than not, if you are reading a book series that has been running prolifically for over a decade, you aren’t there for innovation. You’re there because it feels like home. That’s what the Shadowhunter novels are. They are familiar and comfortable and utterly engrossing. And I wouldn’t have them any other way.

Chain of Iron is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 2nd 2021.

Will you be picking up Chain of Iron? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

The Shadowhunters must catch a killer in Edwardian London in this dangerous and romantic sequel to the #1 New York Timesbestselling novel Chain of Gold, from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Cassandra Clare. Chain of Iron is a Shadowhunters novel.

Cordelia Carstairs seems to have everything she ever wanted. She’s engaged to marry James Herondale, the boy she has loved since childhood. She has a new life in London with her best friend Lucie Herondale and James’s charming companions, the Merry Thieves. She is about to be reunited with her beloved father. And she bears the sword Cortana, a legendary hero’s blade.

But the truth is far grimmer. James and Cordelia’s marriage is a lie, arranged to save Cordelia’s reputation. James is in love with the mysterious Grace Blackthorn whose brother, Jesse, died years ago in a terrible accident. Cortana burns Cordelia’s hand when she touches it, while her father has grown bitter and angry. And a serial murderer is targeting the Shadowhunters of London, killing under cover of darkness, then vanishing without a trace.

Together with the Merry Thieves, Cordelia, James, and Lucie must follow the trail of the knife-wielding killer through the city’s most dangerous streets. All the while, each is keeping a shocking secret: Lucie, that she plans to raise Jesse from the dead; Cordelia, that she has sworn a dangerous oath of loyalty to a mysterious power; and James, that he is being drawn further each night into the dark web of his grandfather, the arch-demon Belial. And that he himself may be the killer they seek.

The post Review: Chain of Iron by Cassandra Clare appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Hello Cassandra! Thank you so much for taking the time to answer some questions for The Nerd Daily. Can you start by telling us a little bit about yourself and your incredible writing journey so far?

I always loved reading. My family traveled a lot when I was a kid, and I brought books with me wherever I went—many books. Perhaps an unreasonable number of books. I started writing novels when I was twelve and they were all terrible. I wrote a terrible vampire novel, a terrible romance novel called The Beautiful Cassandra, a terrible mystery novel, and a terrible Arthurian novel. Awful as they were, I had fun writing them and sharing them with my friends, who either actually liked them or pretended they did. Those early attempts at fiction were the inspiration for one of my favorite parts of the Last Hours trilogy—Lucie’s ever-expanding adventure romance novel The Beautiful Cordelia!

After college I worked as a journalist and also part-time in a children’s bookstore. Working at the bookstore prompted me to re-read many of the books I’d loved when I was a kid, and doing so rekindled my desire to write. My first novel, City of Bones, came out in 2007 and I’ve been writing books ever since.

What can readers expect from the second book in The Last Hours trilogy, Chain of Iron? 

In Chain of Iron, the characters face a different kind of threat than they did in Chain of Gold, where they reckoned with powerful demons as well as a deadly disease. In book two, life is beginning to return to something like normal for the Shadowhunters of London, though many are still reeling from the events of book one. It’s a moment of relative peace, but peace doesn’t last long. A serial killer is targeting Shadowhunters, and our heroes—Cordelia, Lucie, James, and their friends are determined to catch the murderer. The Nephilim are accustomed to being hunters, not the hunted, after all. I love writing in this setting, Edwardian London, and rest assured that there are plenty of scandalous parties and plenty of romance and adventure to go with the murder mystery!

One of the things that I’ve always enjoyed about your novels set in the past is the attention to detail and descriptions of the settings and outfits of the time. What kind of research goes into that part of your writing?

Researching these settings is one of my favorite parts of the writing process, so I always try to do a lot of it. I definitely go much deeper than might be strictly necessary because I enjoy the process so much. This means walking London with historical maps, scouting locations for the characters’ homes and also for demon fights. Luckily, I worked out most of the necessary basics with Chain of Gold and scouted the locations for Chain of Iron before the pandemic hit, but the research for the final book, Chain of Thorns, has of course had to be remote so far. There’s plenty of research that can be done at a distance, thanks to books and maps and the Internet, but nothing beats really being there—I miss London very much and am looking forward to getting back there when it’s feasible! Right now I’m focusing on two of my great research loves: first, reading literature set in the right era, and books that the characters themselves would be reading (since they’re a readerly bunch). I also have a real interest in historical clothing, so putting together outfits for the characters was great fun. When Chain of Gold came out, I had a dress made for myself that was based on an Edwardian pattern, and wore it to the book release party. That’s research, right?

Who are your favourite characters to write in The Last Hours? 

I find it impossible to pick favorites among my characters, but I do enjoy writing Anna Lightwood and Matthew Fairchild for their amusing banter and impeccable fashion sense. I also get a kick out of writing Lucie, who is herself a writer. Writing Cordelia’s powerful drive to be a hero is something I enjoy, and James has a clever mind that is fun to write as well.

The Merry Thieves have quickly become one of my favourite literary squads and reading the scenes in Chain of Iron of them just being in each other’s presence was almost bittersweet considering the current pandemic situation going on in the real world. Where do you draw your inspiration for such amazing groups of friends?

I have a great group of friends, though they don’t have a whole lot in common with the Merry Thieves! Well, maybe a little, here and there. Writing about friendship is important to me, and I’ve endeavored to include strong friendships in each series— Clary and Simon, Will and Jem, Emma and Cristina, Magnus and Catarina and Ragnor, just to name a few. I’m particularly fond of the Merry Thieves for the ways in which they balance each other—they’re such different people but they’ve grown together into a kind or harmony. Literary inspirations for their friendship include The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas, and Pip and Herbert Pocket in Great Expectations. With a little Jack Aubrey and Stephen Maturin thrown in.

The Shadowhunter universe has been growing for over a decade and has become an integral part of many readers’ literary lives. Are there any books that are a part of your life in such a way? 

Oh, absolutely. The Tamora Pierce books are ones I began reading as a teenager and still pick up each new one as it comes out. The Anne of Green Gables series, everything Jane Austen wrote, and everything Diana  Wynne Jones wrote. I’m a mystery addict as well and enjoy living in the world of long-running detective series like the Robert Parker books, and Sue Grafton and Walter Mosley’s series. A new favorite is the The Rivers of London series by Ben Aaronovitch. He writes fantastic supernatural detective novels set in London. He does a great job of evoking contemporary London, while at the same time telling compelling modern police procedural stories and dark, macabre supernatural thriller stories.

Which type of scene is your favourite to write: swoonworthy romance or heart-wrenching tragedy?

Must you make me choose? I like to write them both, often on the same day. They balance each other out. You must have the bitter to balance the sweet, after all!

If you had to face down a Greater Demon, what three Shadowhunters would you want at your side?

Jace, Emma, and Cordelia. Although Emma and Cordelia would argue about which of them got to wield the legendary sword. You really want the strongest fighters when you’re up against a Greater Demon.

What were some of your favourite books from 2020? And do you have any favourite reads from 2021 yet?

Interior Chinatown by Charles Yu, The Book of V. by Anna Solomon, and The Project by Courtney Summers. I’ve not had much time to read so far in 2021, but I strongly recommend Last Night at the Telegraph Club by Malinda Lo.

Last, but certainly not least in the eyes of this Shadowhunter fan, can you tell us about what you are working on right now? 

Yes! I’m currently multi-tasking. On the Shadowhunter side I’m working on Chain of Thorns, which will wrap up the Last Hours trilogy. The final book in a series is always a beast—lots of loose ends to tie up! I’m also working on Sword Catcher, an adult high fantasy that is completely independent from the Shadowhunter universe. That means creating maps and mythology for a whole new world. Writing palace intrigue is a refreshing change of pace! Between those two books I’ve got my hands full, but of course there are also some future projects I have my eye on….Never idle, that’s my motto.

Will you be picking up Chain of Iron? Tell us in the comments below!

The post Q&A: Cassandra Clare, Author of ‘Chain of Iron’ appeared first on The Nerd Daily.

Mary Elizabeth Hart spends her days as a Legacy high school student and her night interning at Monarch Police Department. Ever since her parents were killed in a hate crime, Mary has longed to become a part of the city’s crime solving team. When a fellow Legacy high school student goes missing, Mary finally gets a chance to work on a case. As the investigation progresses, Mary finds out there is more to the disappearances than she realised and those closest to her have their role to play in the mystery.

City of Villains is an intriguing story, but one that suffers from not having time to find the balance of what it wants to be. On one side, it wants to be a light YA (or tween) novel with quippy dialogue, angsty romance, and themes of empowerment. On the other side, it wants to be a dark, gritty noir reimagining of Disney villains with explorations of prejudice and gentrification. These two sides never quite mesh together and the story ends up feeling a little choppy and uneven, though ultimately it stays interesting throughout and the end will leave you ready for more.

One thing that excelled in this novel was the atmosphere. Though Laure was not heavy handed or intricate in descriptions, the scenes and vibe of the Scar were easy to conjure and lent quite a bit of support throughout the novel. Interestingly, I believe the cover of the novel really helped jump start my brain off on the right path for settling into the atmosphere and Laure’s storytelling finished out the rest.

Reimagining Disney villains in a high school setting may not be a new concept, but I feel that Laure made this story her own. However, the story and characters would have benefitted from probably about 75 more pages. The book clocks in at 229 pages, which is quite short for a YA novel. And you can feel the lack of space the story was given. The world building was very vague and there were many mentions of things happening outside the main mystery of the missing teens that never got fully woven into the story and therefore left them feeling random and unnecessary.

As for the characters, Mary Elizabeth Hart gets the best fleshing out since she is the main character, but almost every other character in the story feels underserved. Mary definitely fits into the idea of an intrepid teen with high aspirations and not enough wisdom. She doesn’t always make the most logical of choices, but she is a teen and that’s what teens (and honestly, a lot of adults) do. Mary’s working relationship/friendship with Bella never quite clicked and I constantly felt myself wishing for more background from Bella.

Another aspect of the story that mostly worked, but would have benefitted from more time to grow is the establishment of the Disney characters within the confines of this novel. It never felt like we had a full explanation of how the Disney characters were integrated into the novel’s world. There were some brief cameos of well known Disney names and the purposefully obvious character reimaginings (James is Captain Hook, Mally is Maleficent, and Ursula is well…Ursula), but readers may spend more time focusing on trying to figure out how certain characters match up to their Disney counterparts. And while that was distracting, it was interesting to see how Mary was set up in her role. Readers, myself included, will be very interested to see how that plays out.

At the end of the day, City of Villains never quite hit the mark, but it came darn close. I desperately hope that Laure is given more page time to flesh out her story in book 2, because with more room to grow the characters and logically connect the plot, we would have a great book to read. I recommend going into this one knowing that it’s a little cheesy and disjointed, but has some good bones and one hell of a hook with the ending.

City of Villains is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore.

Will you be picking up City of Villains? Tell us in the comments below!

Synopsis | Goodreads

Disney’s Villains meet Gotham in this gritty fairy tale-inspired crime series.

Mary Elizabeth Heart is a high school senior by day, but by night she’s an intern at the Monarch City police department. She watches with envy from behind a desk as detectives come and go, trying to contain the city’s growing crime rate. For years, tension has simmered between the city’s wealthy elite, and their plans to gentrify the decaying neighborhood called the Scar—once upon a time the epicenter of all things magic.

When the daughter of one of the city’s most powerful businessmen goes missing, Mary Elizabeth is thrilled when the Chief actually puts her on the case. But what begins as one missing person’s report soon multiplies, leading her down the rabbit hole of a city in turmoil. There she finds a girl with horns, a boyfriend with secrets, and what seems to be a sea monster lurking in a poison lake. As the mystery circles closer to home, Mary finds herself caught in the fight between those who once had magic, and those who will do anything to bring it back.

This dark and edgy YA series explores the reimagined origins of Maleficent, Ursula, Captain Hook, and other infamous Disney Villains like you’ve never seen before.

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