Review: The New Recruit

"Forced to choose between military school and a Christian spy organization, skeptic Spencer Garmond signs on with the Bible geeks. But before he even boards the plane for Moscow, Spencer realizes this is no Bible club.

These guys mean business.

Stumbling onto a case involving a gang of homeless boys, a chilling tattoo, and the always beautiful Anya Vseveloda, Spencer struggles to find the faith needed to save the Mission League from enemy infiltration."  (From Amazon.com.)

Author of the award-winning Blood of Kings trilogy, Jill Williamson returns with a new Marcher Lord Press book: The New Recruit, set in modern day America and Russia.

Marcher Lord Press is a “speculative fiction” publisher, and the speculations of The New Recruit follow two main paths: first, the existence of a “Christian spy” organization, and second, the existence (and, in some cases, fictionalization/dramatization) of the spiritual gifts mentioned in the New Testament.

Both of them together, in one book, made the book sound very intriguing, and I love Jill Williamson's excellent writing style. Still, I was wary after reading her other modern-day novel, Replication, which was so-so and not half as good as the Blood of Kings trilogy.

My fear proved groundless. Just like all Marcher Lord Press books, The New Recruit showed fantastic style, layout, and editing. Allow me to splurge a bit:

By far, my favorite part of the book was the voice of the main character, Spencer, combined with Williamson's incredible writing style. Her style is one of the best I've read – a combination of wry voice, a balance of action and internal monologue, and modern references and comparisons that make the style colorful.

Character-wise, Williamson brings the book to life. Even though Spencer is something of a loose cannon, you learn to like him, and, at least, care for him. He's human, and the way he approaches Christianity was fresh and original. I have rarely read a book that writes a skeptic so well. It's extremely easy to make such characters cheesy, but Williamson pulls it off.

The combination of Williamson's compelling style and plot makes this book a page-turner. I finished it in a day, which is something I rarely do as I get older. Williamson gives us teasing hints about Spencer's background and past – some of which are left unresolved – and gives us mysterious clues about where the plot is headed. The result is that you can hardly put this book down.

Williamson did a good job on theme as well. Like I've said, Spencer the skeptic is written very well, and likewise the “Christian spies” are presented in a way that makes them seem real. Each of these have their own problems, and Arianna especially comes across as a preachy sort of girl, which may be the intent of the author. In the end, though, the thoughts presented were thought-provoking and well worth thinking about.

I had very few problems with this book, although I'm not entirely certain how Biblical some of the contents are. The author herself mentions that the abilities of the characters are “fictional”, which resolves some of those questions, but the author also gives some very helpful verses to look into and compare to the themes addressed in the novel. This provokes the reader to read the Bible for themselves, and that's always a good thing!

The one big issue I had with the book was the way the adolescents interact. I've encountered this problem in all of Williamson's books, particularly in Replication, which soured my taste for the novel.

While Spencer is a non-Christian, Williamson seems to assume that whenever there is a remotely pretty girl in the same room as a remotely handsome male, there will be romantic flirtation. Over the course of the book, Spencer seems to lean toward one girl, and then another, and so on. Again, Spencer is a non-Christian, so I don't expect him to act like one. But even the Christian characters (i.e. Gabe, Nick, Ryan, etc.) have their “eye” on one girl or another. As an adolescent myself, I can say that I don't melt whenever a girl is in the room, like these characters do – and I certainly don't think about them all the time.

The book finished well, however, and left plenty of loose ends open for book two in the Mission League series. I can't wait!

On the whole, The New Recruit is an excellent, original beginning to a new series, combining an absorbing plot with equally interesting characters to create a novel you can't put down.

Rated 9 out of 10. Five stars!

Do Y'Really Want to Know the Winner?

Hello, readers!  Greetings!  Jake here. :)  I have come to announce the winner of the unbelievable Blood of Kings giveaway.  I have barely escaped death and chocolate rabbits to bring you this news.

But now that I'm here, I'm not entirely sure if you want to know.  I  mean, it's not like you entered or anything.  Or invested any time.  Or effort.  Or maybe you just don't want to win.

Well, I suppose I have to do it sometime.  Just remember: never put off 'til tomorrow what you can put off to the day after tomorrow.  And since it's the day after tomorrow...

First, I must put up the Blood of Kings banner.  Just for good measure.  After all, it is the indirect subject of this post.

So, are you ready?  Really ready?  I mean, ready to face a charging dragon-mouse hybrid bent on utter destruction and the oppression of cows?  That kind of ready?

All right, enough delay.  I present to thee, the winner of the Jill Williamson giveaway!

Congrats, Seth! Shoot me your address and choice of the books, and I'll send them on to Mrs. Williamson.  If you don't reply in three days, then I shall draw another winner.  Thanks so much to those who participated! You guys rock.  

And just to give you all a little reward, have some pie. :D

And some cheese!

Thanks again, readers.  Ta-ta!

Interview with Jill Williamson & A Giveaway

Greetings, blog readers!

(This picture is on my desktop.  *grin*)

If you remember, I have been raving about a book (one that I have yet to read) and an author for a while now.  From Darkness Won, by Jill Williamson, the last in "The Blood of Kings epicness", as one person put it.

You've read my review (here), so I have no need to rave about it on this post. And raving (good as it is) is not what I came here to do.  In actuality, I have conducted my first interview--with Jill Williamson!  And I get to share it with you.  Buckle in, folks.

Please welcome Jill Williamson, all!  *widespread applause*

*******

Why do you write? And why do you specifically write speculative fiction?

"I want to tell exciting stories to teens that inspire them to grow into men and women of integrity. I want to put my love for God within the pages of my stories and show the readers that life is fulfilling when you know your maker.

"I’ve always loved reading fantasy novels. But when I first started writing, I wrote nonfiction articles for teens. Frank Peretti’s This Present Darkness really opened my imagination to the possibility of writing something Christian. I had never read Christian fiction before that book. When I did start writing, I didn’t set out to write something speculative. I just wanted to write something entertaining for teens. I wrote a teen spy story first. Then I wrote a story about a cloning lab. Then I wrote my first fantasy novel. I remember being so frustrated because I kept hearing that new writers needed to figure out what genre they wrote, and I didn’t have a clue what my genre was. Was it fantasy? Science Fiction? Urban fantasy? Contemporary? Adventure? At Mount Hermon in 2007, I went to Jeff Gerke’s class on speculative fiction and was pleased to discover that I was writing in the same genre. It was called speculative fiction. What a relief!"


When was the first time you were infected with the writer's virus and felt the symptoms?

"I wanted to speak to teens. I discovered that sometimes, people hire speakers based on articles written by the speaker. So I looked into writing articles. Then the new Harry Potter book came out, and a new barrage of debates within the church community flared up as to whether or not the books were bad for Christians to read. The debate inspired me to write my own blockbuster-style novel for teens that glorified God. Once I started that spy kid story, I was hooked and didn’t want to go back to writing articles aver again!"


Who's your favorite wordsmith?

"I have too many favorites to single one out. In no particular order, I love Jane Austen, Ted Dekker, Lisa Samson, Robert Liparulo, Caroline Keene, C.S. Lewis, Frank Peretti, Jenny B. Jones, Rick Riordan, Brandilyn Collins, J.R.R. Tolkien, Suzanne Collins, Michael Crichton, Cathy Gohlke, Anthony Horowitz, Caroline Cooney, John Grisham, Megan Whalen Turner, Melody Carlson, Nicolas Sparks, J.K. Rowling, Francine Rivers, Randy Ingermanson. The list goes on and on. I enjoy stories that make me laugh, cry, or stay up all night because I can’t put the thing down."

If you were to become proficient in the use of a certain weapon from your novel, what weapon would you pick? And who would you choose to train you?

"I’d want to use a bow, and I’d want Kates to train me (I don’t know if I could stomach Inko! Lol). I think a bow would be a good weapon for me. It would keep me far enough away from my enemy—or dinner—that I’d be able to run away if need be. LOL"

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream?

"World Class Chocolate from Baskin Robbins. It’s a swirl of chocolate and white chocolate ice cream."

What is the best tip on writing you would give to an aspiring writer? (Aside from "read a lot", which seems to be a common one.)

"Write, write, write. Get into a critique group where you feel you are learning. And finish that first book. Many new writers tend to get stuck writing that first book for years. Then they get so close to it they can’t let go. Train yourself to be a writer by doing the hard work of completing a full manuscript. Then go back and rewrite it. And rewrite. And when you are done, put it down and write another book. Then write another. Then another.

"One of my favorite writing quotes is from Michael Crichton. He said, “Books aren't written - they're rewritten. Including your own. It is one of the hardest things to accept, especially after the seventh rewrite hasn't quite done it.” It’s so true."

How much do you write in a typical day?

"It depends. If I’m not in the middle of a book, sometimes I don’t write at all. I might be promoting instead or blogging. I try never to write on Sundays. If I’m working on a book, I try to write for three-four hours a day. Sometimes more. If a deadline is close, I might write all day long for weeks straight."

What is the strangest experience you've had as a writer?

"Winning the Christy Award. I wanted to win it, but I didn’t really think I would. When I saw my name scroll by on my TV screen, it was so strange. It felt like it was happening to someone else."

How did the epic saga we now know as The Blood of Kings Trilogy get published?

"I wasn’t trying to get published when I submitted my first chapter of my fantasy novel to Jeff Gerke at the 2008 Oregon Christian Writers’ Summer Coaching Conference. Marcher Lord Press’ submission guidelines were clear: no young adult novels.

I’d met Jeff at the 2007 Mount Hermon Christian Writer’s conference and used his editorial services on a different novel. When I saw he was at OCW, I submitted my manuscript to him hoping to glean wisdom. I was surprised when he wanted to meet with me. I was even more surprised when he wanted to read the full.

“Why does it have to be YA?” he asked.

As soon as I got home, I looked over the book and sent it off. A few months later I got an email from Jeff that said: “Do you happen to be by a phone right now so that I can call you?”

And that was the beginning of a new adventure."

*******

Mrs. Williamson has been gracious enough to also provide a book to give away on Teenage Writer!  But this giveaway is unique: the winner gets a choice between any one of her three books.  If you haven't heard or read The Blood of Kings trilogy, then (should you win), you can choose to receive By Darkness Hid, book one.  If you've read the first two, then, by all means, ask for From Darkness Won!  Only one book is being given away, however; but that book is a choice of the three Blood of Kings books.

To enter, all you need to do is post a comment and answer one of the three questions below.  If that is done, you are automatically entered in the giveaway!  **NOTE** You will not be entered in the giveaway if you do not comment or you do not answer one of the questions.

1) Who's your favorite author?
2) Where's your favorite place?
3) Who's your favorite fictional character?

Fire away, readers!  Make this the biggest giveaway yet!  This giveaway ends May 6.

Review: From Darkness Won

Achan steps into his role as Crown Prince and prepares for war. But war against whom? Could Esek still be alive? Has Lord Nathak taken Esek’s place? Or is the mysterious Hadad the true enemy Achan must confront?

Vrell has her own agenda of serving Prince Oren as a healer, but when she is stormed and lost to the Veil, Achan does all he can to bring her back. His conversations with her are strange, though, as if she has no memory of who he is.

In a land consumed by Darkness, the fate of Er’Rets hangs in the balance as Achan endeavors to take the throne and end the reign of Darkness. (From the back cover.)

This is it.

The end.  Or, the end of the beginning.  All of what happened before has been leading up to this—a final battle for the heart and for the land of Er'Rets.

As I began reading this book, (I was reading the print version, a whopping 661 pages) I couldn't help but wonder how things would turn out.  How everything would work itself to a satisfying ending.  It had been a long journey, and there was much ground left to cover, and a few strands of plot to tie up yet.  I wondered, could this book measure up to the other two?

It certainly could.

From Darkness Won takes you on an adventure and if I would describe the word adventure, I would include in that definition a mention of this series.  You don't read this book—you live it.  The characters are real, in your imagination.  Alive.  I read this book and felt like everything that happened happened to me.  Such is the power of Jill Williamson's writing.  Adventure has become a common word, thrown around to describe various books.  But when I say adventure, I mean this: a saga.  An epic.  A story so real you can touch the grass and fly into the Veil yourself.  And From Darkness Won is undoubtedly an adventure.

In matters of plot, From Darkness Won excels.  If you thought Williamson was done with the plot twists, you were sorely mistaken.  The entire book is a wild ride (except for the ending, that is).  From murders to storming to underground passages and battles; you will find such within these pages.

And rarely have I seen such characters.  They practically live and breathe.  They become beloved to the reader, three-dimensional men and women (and the odd kid) with their own faults and weaknesses.  The point of view of the characters was excellently written as well.  Each POV has an original voice.

As always, the dialogue in From Darkness Won is superb and realistic, and some of the dialogues between Vrell and Achan made me laugh.

The spiritual matters were well-done as well—the dangers and consequences of temptation, lying, and many others were addressed in this novel, as an integral part of the characters' development.

After the climax, the book had fifty pages or so that I nicknamed the Epilogue (though the real epilogue is only at the very end).  It wrapped up loose ends and showed the scenes that the reader had been waiting for in the entire trilogy, which gave me some time to wind down and absorb what had just happened.  It might have been a slightly boring section, had it not been for Vrell and Achan's constant banter, which had me smiling the entire way through.

There were a few cons, however.  First, in the middle of the book, Vrell's name (in her POV) was changed to Averella, which rather annoyed me (though I could see it was necessary).  I expected her POV to change back to 'Vrell' sometime in the book, but it never did.  It made me feel as if I had lost the familiar Vrell I was accustomed to, replaced with a similar character with more refined mannerisms.  Several other characters acted out of sorts with their personalities as well.  However, other than this minor detail, the book was excellent.

All in all, From Darkness Won is a fantastic final installment to the Blood of Kings trilogy.  Highly (and more so!) recommended to older ages.  Rated 9.3 out of 10.

Tomorrow

It hangs over my head like a dark cloud that is actually full of anticipation and delight.  It hovers above my mind like a sheet floating gracefully on air.  It weighs upon me like the contemplation of life (in a lighter way).

It is the release date.

From Darkness Won comes out tomorrow.  Buckle your belts, snap your suspenders, folks, and dig in the couch for that extra change.  I know I will.

This just in: the description of From Darkness Won is up on the MLP website.  Check it out!

DARKNESS TREMBLES

Achan steps into his role as Crown Prince and prepares for war. But war against whom? Could Esek still be alive? Has Lord Nathak taken Esek’s place? Or is the mysterious Hadad the true enemy Achan must confront?

Vrell has her own agenda of serving Prince Oren as a healer, but when she is stormed and lost to the Veil, Achan does all he can to bring her back. His conversations with her are strange, though, as if she has no memory of who he is.

In a land consumed by Darkness, the fate of Er’Rets hangs in the balance as Achan endeavors to take the throne and end the reign of Darkness.

One 

More

Day.

Let's hope we last the night. We have but four hours left.

Upcoming Book & a Giveaway

Hey'a readers, writers, spatulas!  .....spatulas?  *grimace of fear*  Just wait, Frank.  Let me finish the post first.  I can't write posts while weeping and gnashing my teeth.

Anyway, some exciting news coming up.  Firstly, the long anticipated end to the Blood of Kings trilogy (Jill Williamson)--From Darkness Won--is coming out APRIL FIRST.  April Fool's Day, unfortunately, but I'm hoping this isn't a joke. o_O

Check out the epic cover art. :|

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!

I am scrambling for money right now.  I can't wait for this....wow, it looks so EPIC.... *stares*  If you haven't read the first books in this series yet, GO AND ORDER THEM RIGHT NOW.  I'm serious.  They are THAT good.  Some of the best writing I've ever read in my reading career: no joke.

Other news, there's a giveaway going on!  It isn't mine, but it is epic nonetheless.  The Director is giving away a whole slew of stuff in celebration of spring break, I believe.  Including the Roman Britain Trilogy (from which was made the movie "The Eagle", I believe).  Which I really really really want to read. :|  So beware--you'll have to fight for it.




That's about all. :)  I'll try to pull together something meaningful sometime soon.  Until then, adieu!