Great Review of DUSKFALL

It's always cool to stumble across good reviews of my books!

Brandon Sanderson Reviews DARK IMMOLATION

In case you missed it, Brandon Sanderson recently reviewed Dark Immolation on Goodreads!

So, yeah, that's a thing.

For those who aren't aware, Brandon has been a mentor of mine for some years now. I took the class he offers at BYU (and which you can now see online, check it out if you're remotely interested in writing!), twice officially, and twice unofficially (audited). He taught me just about everything I needed to know to get an agent and eventually land a publishing deal, and his feedback on my work the first time I took his class (when I was writing the very first, very different version of Duskfall) was encouraging enough to motivate me to actually pursue a career in this crazy business.

So, anyway, it's cool that he's been able to read my books and has nice things to say.

Just a few highlights:

"...A series full of strong ideas, intriguing questions about morality, and solid writing--books I think will appeal to anyone who enjoys my epic fantasy."

"I think an aspiring writer can study these books as an excellent example of blending the familiar with the strange in a way that's different form my personal approach. Though magic plays into the books, it often takes a back seat to interpersonal relationships."

"...A thoughtful epic fantasy series that explores religion in an interesting way, and which has an impressive depth of characterization."

🙌👍👌💯💪🎉 ⚔️🛡🖋📚🖤

In Which I Gush About A QUIET PLACE

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It's been a long time since I've bothered blogging about a film I enjoyed, but I can't help myself with this one.

Generally speaking, I like the thriller and horror genres. I'm a fan. The best films of those respective bunches usually manage to elicit a visceral response from me with one, maybe two scenes. Recent films that managed to do this for me include Get Out, It, Wind River (with one very intense sequence towards the end), It Comes at Night, mother!, and Unsane. Again, each of those got to me with one, maybe two scenes, perhaps with an entire sequence.

Let me be real with you: A Quiet Place had me on the edge of my seat, my stomach in knots and chest constricted, for about 90% of the film.

Some light spoilers follow.

Part of this, I'm sure, stems from the fact that I have a young daughter and a pregnant wife. I could relate to the family on the screen very closely. Even more than that, however, the terror generated in the film felt new, innovative, and centered around character.

This was a quality film, ya'll. Easily the best I've seen all year, and I've seen a fair share already. Let me just bullet-list some of my personal highlights:

• Acting was superb, all around. I sometimes find it hard to take John Krasinski too seriously because of how long he spent as "Office Jim," but I saw none of that here. Emily Blunt is great in just about everything, but she was truly phenomenal here. Even the young actors knocked it out of the park. I'm not sure if the fact that there wasn't much spoken dialog helped or made that more difficult, but either way I'm astounded.
• As a general rule, the more intimate a horror film, the better it tends to be. A Quiet Place was incredibly intimate. Each character was individually motivated and developed, but they also meshed together incredibly well. Again, kudos to the cast.
• Creature design. Yikes. Creeeeepy, and very well-designed. I love seeing interesting, new creatures. When I first got a full (brief) look at one of the monsters, I thought it felt a little demogorgon-esque, but the more I saw of the creatures the more interesting, unique, and terrifying they became.
• Tension. I've already mentioned this, but the whole premise of the film (the monsters are attracted to noise of any kind) began as interesting, and progressed to downright gut-wrenching. Each situation built on what we knew of character and setting. IT WAS SO INTENSE.
• Storytelling. Nothing groundbreaking here, but it was far from a weak point of the film. It was a solidly told story, with great character development.
• John Krasinski's direction. Wow. Dude has chops. The direction here magnified the tension, as it does in all good horror. Just. Wow.

Let me come down from my high for a moment, because the film wasn't perfect. I have two minor critiques: (1) I'm slightly skeptical that the method the family discovers to fight the monsters wasn't tried much earlier by people who would have expertise on the subject, and (2) I'm slightly annoyed said solution wasn't integrated just a bit earlier. But, seriously, those are incredibly minor critiques. Let me say again: best film I've seen this year (so far), easily.

I'm still reeling. Go see A Quiet Place as soon as you get a chance.

Praise for DARK IMMOLATION

I was scaling through my blog archive, and realized I forgot to post (and finish, for that matter) this! While I stopped keeping track of reviews a while ago (hence, I figure, my forgetting about this), I'll post this anyway, because some good people have said some good things about Dark Immolation, and I think that's pretty cool. :-D

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"This is a series full of strong ideas, intriguing questions about morality, and solid writing--books I think will appeal to anyone who enjoys my epic fantasy." - Brandon Sanderson, author of the Mistborn series and the Stormlight Archive

"The second book...can make or break a series. In this case, Dark Immolation very clearly makes the series...Husberg keeps everything moving at a solid pace." - MySF Reviews

"Husberg flawlessly glides from the POV of one character to another. Knot and Astrid are as brilliant as ever....This is a series that I'm so glad I picked up." - Strupag

"Dark Immolation is one hell of a sequel, one of the most interesting I've read in a while." - Luke Tarzian Writes

"Dark fantasy of the highest order, telling an expansive story across a truly epic canvass." - Barnes & Noble

"Better than the first book (love when that happens) and I look forward to the next." - Books for Life

"An all-enveloping read that demonstrates why epic fantasy was created." - The Book Bag

"The characters are, in my opinion, the best thing about Dark Immolation (and Duskfall, the first book). It's great to see the relationships developing between the various characters, and although there are a lot of them, you never feel overwhelmed by the different points of view. There's some pretty great world-building in these books, with strong writing, well-developed characters, and a truly fascinating setting. I can't wait to read Blood Requiem, the third installment." - The Bookish Outsider

"5 out of 5." - Abi's Book Reviews

"If the fantastically written characters and intriguing plot wasn't enough to have you desperate to read this series, there's also plenty of countries looking for a fight, some not so friendly demons running loose, and more than a bit of magic flying around. The Chaos Queen series is magnificent." - The Bibliophile Chronicles

"Shit goes down in this book. Amazing shit. Crazy shit. Baffling shit. Jaw-dropping shit. Just a ton of epic and awesome shit. And I have a distinct feeling that Husberg is just getting started." - Erlebnisse

The Forge and the Flame

Receiving requests to review manuscripts, read ARCs, and give cover quotes is a part of author-life. Unfortunately, if I said yes to every single one of those requests, I'd never have time to write, but I do try to acquiesce as often as I can, because that's part of the business--writers did that (and continue to do that!) for me, and I'd like to pass that on to others. It's a pay-it-forward system, and it's one of the parts of the business I appreciate the most.

Well, along those lines, I recently read The Forge and the Flame by Aaron Lee Yeager, and I'm happy to say that this book is one of the good ones, folks!

Beren Collier is shocked when Master Tannimbaugh--the greatest blacksmith alive, able to forge weapons that can summon dragonfire and call down lightening--chooses Beren as his new apprentice. But Beren, despite his unsophisticated upbringing, takes naturally to the apprenticeship, and quickly shows his quality as both a burgeoning blacksmith and a hero-in-training. But a rival apprentice who will stop at nothing to overtake Beren's coveted place at the foot of Master Tannimbaugh is the least of the young man's problems; dark forces stir in the corners of the world, threatening not only the tightly knit circle of friends and family Master Tannimbaugh has created around himself--of which Beren is now a part--but the entire world.

The Forge and the Flame is genuine in nature, epic in scope, and downright entertaining. I enjoyed the melding of magic with the well-researched, fascinating aspects of blacksmith life--there's a beautifully written sequence toward the middle of the book that had me reading on the edge of my seat as the characters raced to forge a special weapon to save Master Tannimbaugh's business. The characters, especially Beren, are vividly presented, competent but flawed, and powerfully hopeful. They solve complications as effectively as they create them, and that makes for pretty great storytelling.

Aaron Lee Yeager weaves an enchanting, uplifting tale with engaging characters and an intriguing magic system. The Forge and the Flame has the soul of a true classic!

#AuthorLifeMonth Day 11: A Favorite Review

I've been really happy to see that most of the reviews of Duskfall have been overwhelmingly positive, and that I actually have a whole bunch of awesome reviews to choose from. This seems like an opportune time, in fact, to thank everyone for reading the book and, if you're able to write a review (whether an official review or one on Amazon or Goodreads--they are all incredibly helpful)! So, everyone, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You folks make the whole process worth it!

All that said, I think I do have a favorite. Part of the reason I love it so much is that there's a pretty funny story behind it. I also enjoy it because it's simply fun to read. Oh, and, yeah, it has some pretty awesome things to say about my book, so that doesn't hurt either :-). Nicole Evans wrote the review on her blog, Erlebnisse. Cool side note, she recently wrote a "Waiting on Wednesday" post on my forthcoming novel, Dark Immolation. But anyway, without further ado, here's the review:

Check it out!

What people are saying about DUSKFALL

Reviews for Duskfall are rolling in, and so far they're quite positive! I'm going to keep this page up and continue to update it as an index of all the good things people are saying about the novel. Without further ado...

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"Christopher Husberg’s breathtaking debut fantasy novel Duskfall manages to be dark without being hopeless, savage without being ugly, and wise without being pedantic. This is a stunning debut, and bodes well for the four books to come in the series." - Dave Butler, author of The Kidnap Plot

"This is a dark epic and a gritty page-turner, with complex characters making hard decisions and wrestling with the past. It's a great fantasy debut and shouldn't be missed." - Martha Wells, author of The Edge of Worlds

"A delicious mix of Jason Bourne, dark fantasy, and horror. The kind of debut that has me thrilled for the future of fantasy." - Steve Diamond, author of Residue

"This is one of my favorite epic fantasy novels ever....Duskfall is a novel that moves, the characters are compelling, and the world is awesome and well-drawn. Seriously, you should read it right now." - Janci Patterson, author of Skipped and A Thousand Faces

"A fascinating mystery that slowly unfolds, and cultures and religions in conflict. Enjoy." - Melinda Snodgrass, author of The Edge of Reason

"One of the best books I've read this year....I love books that make me feel, make me care and inspire and challenge me to improve my own work. Duskfall? Yeah, it had all of that." - Erlebnisse

"Absorbing and unputdownable....A speeding horse of a good read." - The Book Bag

"Beyond what I could have hoped for....a must for any fantasy lover." - SFReader

"Wonderful characters that leap off the page..." - Crossroads Review

"With this book Husberg has crafted a really strong opening book in his Chaos Queen series, which in this bloggers humble opinion is sure to be one of the top new fantasy series over the coming years. And, for Duskfall itself, well it has to be ranked as one of the debut fantasy novels of the year." - The Tattooed Book Geek

"Husberg weaves real life issues within his fantasy world--trust, family ties, addiction, and racism are all incorporated into the pages of the novel....I was completely consumed by this story from the start." - Strupag.com

"Duskfall is an entertaining and strong debut novel that beckons fans of epic fantasy to explore its fascinating world and realistic characters. I have a feeling that it will strongly appeal to everyone who loves well-told fantasy stories. It will please those who have read epic fantasy, dark fantasy and grimdark fantasy. If you're looking for a new epic fantasy novel to read, please consider reading Duskfall, because it's excellent entertainment. Highly recommended!" - Rising Shadow

"[Duskfall] is a solid setup for a great new fantasy epic, perfect for fans of Daniel Abraham and Brandon Sanderson." - Library Journal

"What a debut!! Husberg has proven his talent with just one book and I feel like we will see much more of him in the future. I certainly can not wait to see what comes next. Utterly original, magical, and impossible to put down." Aggie's Books

"Absolutely blew me away! ... If you are looking for a novel with an amazing storyline and something that will suck you in and keep you entranced from beginning to end, you have to read this book!" - Bookaholic Banter

"I really enjoyed how...addiction was handled in Duskfall. Husberg did a good job showing both sides of the issue....a unique take on the typical epic fantasy....solid, entertaining, and left me eager to read the next book." - MySF Reviews

"Wonderful from the very first pages....I know I will be recommending it to everyone!" - impedimenta

"I liked the characters and how well their motivations tied in with their actions, but what I especially liked was how gently Chris unfolds the world he built.... At every turn it was clear there was more to learn, but I felt guided rather than blinded." - Read In, Breathe Out

"Husberg's prose is assured...and some of his tweaks—particularly his variation on vampires—indicate that the series may develop in intriguing ways." - Publisher's Weekly

"Once you get started you will be drawn in and the story will keep you interested from beginning to end. This is one super exciting book." - Vic's Media Room

"Duskfall is a fantastic book that is great for people who love fantasy, or for people who have not really tried fantasy before." - Abi's Book Reviews

"I'm happy to say I'm eagerly awaiting the next volume in the Chaos Queen Quintet. If this was Christopher Husberg's first effort, fantasy has a bright future indeed." - Adventures in Poor Taste

How to Support Your Local Authors

Well, tomorrow is the big day, folks. My first novel shall be released upon the world!

In anticipation of that, I thought I'd try and answer a question that I get asked in varying forms more and more often, and that's along the lines of "how can I best support you as an author?"

Well, the short answer is that there are a LOT of things you can do--but some help more than others. Let's start with the most obvious (and I'll frame it referring to a sort of nebulous grammatically questionable plural-form author, because just referring to myself feels super pretentious...even though that's obviously what I'm getting at here...).

• Buy the book! Again, obvies, but of course it's true. A few other perhaps less obvious things in regards to buying the book, though:
• Having trouble thinking about what to get someone for a holiday/birthday/whatever? Get them the book! There is LITERALLY no limit to the number of people you could buy a book for ;-). This also goes without saying, but the more copies you buy of an author's book, the more you support them. (That said, I certainly don't expect anyone to go out and buy a bunch of copies of my book. Seriously, I'm going to be ecstatic if you pick up just one!)
• Buy the book during the first week of publication. The sales numbers during the first week are what matter the most--they're weighted the most when it comes to algorithmic ranking and search engines, and it shows my publisher that they maybe aren't wasting their time with the author, strengthening the possibility that you'll see more of their books in the future.
• Post reviews! Amazon and Goodreads are the most helpful places. Reviews are almost as helpful as someone buying the book. They don't have to be long, just a few sentences, but they help IMMENSELY. They're really a form of word-of-mouth marketing, but with the added benefits of aiding search algorithm placement.
• Tell people you enjoyed the book! Word-of-mouth is still the single most powerful marketing tool. If you enjoyed the book, don't be shy about telling people.
• Post about the book on social media, and/or re-share the author's posts!
• Attend the book launch, signings, readings, etc.!

If you're looking for even more ways to support a local author, or an author who might be a friend of yours, Dave Butler (a fantastic author in his own right, by the way) compiled a great list of a ton of items to consider. Check it out!

One more thing. All of the above is helpful, but you should never feel obligated to do any of it. I for one would be immensely appreciative if you did anything on that list to help me out, but I don't expect it from you or anyone. You don't owe me or any other author anything. But, if you know me, like me, want to support me, and most importantly, if you enjoyed the book, then please consider doing any one or combination of the the things above :-).

Daredevil Season 2

In case any of you are hiding under rocks, Netflix's flagship Marvel series, Daredevil (hereafter DD), released Season 2 a couple weeks ago.

Folks, this show is phenomenal.

DD's first season was groundbreaking stuff. Phenomenal fight scenes that paid homage to some of the greatest cinematic fights of all time. Profound, multi-faceted characters. Social relevance. Great acting. And, of course, one of the greatest MCU villains of all time. DD also opened the gate for three other Netflix superhero programs (Jessica Jones, Luke Cage, and Iron Fist) that would eventually culminate in a Defenders series tying them all together, Avengers-style.

That's all very exciting (and intimidating, and overwhelming, as the MCU is quickly becoming..but that's a rant for another day). And when Jessica Jones came out last fall, it blew me away--even edging out DD's first season, imho (JJ offered all of the incredible things from DD's first season, but Jessica's arc was even more compelling to me than Matt Murdock's).

Unfortunately, I think DD2 falls short of DD1 and JJ.

[This seems like as good a place as any to say SPOILERS FORTHCOMING, PEOPLE! BE YE WARNED!]

Don't get me wrong--DD2 is still really fantastic television, and has some great stuff in its favor:

• Pretty much everything involving Jon Bernthal as the Punisher was phenomenal. Bernthal somehow expressed the Punisher's over-the-top violence while still making him seem very human (not a comic-book cut-out), and that's no easy task.
• Vincent D'Onofrio as Wilson Fisk once again delivers. He's only in a few scenes, but he steals the shit out of those scenes and makes them his own. He's a dominating, compelling, fascinating villain, and I'd venture to say he's the greatest villain the MCU has yet to produce (with Killgrave and Loki coming in at a very close second and third, respectively).
• The main cast shines once more, and have great chemistry together.

But, of course, I did find some flaws with this season...and they all sort of revolved around Elektra.

I actually really liked Elektra's character, and I totally ship her and "Matthew." Elodie Yung makes Elektra sophisticated, captivating, and edgy. It was pretty much everything involving the Hand that I didn't particularly enjoy. The faceless ninjas. Zzzz. The lack of a solid villain (I was really feeling the gap left by Fisk). The seeming lack of real motivation on the Hand's part. (So you're after a weapon. Fine. That means you want to kill people, I suppose. Fine. BUT WHY DO YOU WANT TO DO THAT?! GIVE ME SOMETHING MORE FOR CRYING OUT LOUD.) The storyline involving the Hand wasn't terrible, but compared to the awesomeness that went into the Punisher's plot, and DD1 and JJ, it really fell short for me. Also, that ending? Elektra dying and then showing up in the regeneration coffin thingy? I totally called that. Like, in episode six I called it. That isn't a good thing.

The other aspect of the season, again tangentially bordering Elektra, was Matt's proposal to her at the end of episode eight. He convinces her to drop Stick and start a life of pious vigilanteism with him instead, and Elektra finally agrees, letting Stick go and fully committing to Matt.

Then, basically at the beginning of episode nine, when Elektra kills a kid that was about to kill Matt, Matt's like "Um...about that spending the rest of our lives fighting crime together thing? Yeah, never mind."

WHAT.

THE ACTUAL.

Sigh.

That drove me crazy, in case you can't tell.

I get that she killed someone after basically committing to Matt that she wouldn't. But the dude doesn't have at least one ounce of FORGIVENESS in him? Isn't that what he's trying to instill in her--that people--even people who do bad things--deserve second chances?

That whole sequence was a huge miss for me. If it had happened over much more time, with accompanying character arcs (because that bit not only affects Matt and Elektra, but Karen as well), it'd be fine. If they had just shown me a bit of Matt's motivation behind what went on, I'd at least be able to let it go. But, as is, it does none of those things, and that really bothers me. For a show with such phenomenal writing, I'm very disappointed to have seen something so mishandled.

So that's my take on DD2. I'd like to rewatch DD1 and 2 together in the near future, and I might change my mind once I do that. But (a) it doesn't look like I'll have time to do that anytime soon, and (b) even if I do, I highly doubt I'll change my mind about this.

DD2 is great television, and absolutely worth the watch. I'm nitpicking at it because I've seen the writers do such great things in the past. But, for me, it just wasn't as strong as DD1 or JJ.

No Story Left Behind (or: My Thoughts on The Book of Mormon Girl)

I know it's a bit early to call, but The Book of Mormon Girl by Joanna Brooks may be one of my favorite reads of 2013.

The book is honest.  That's really what it comes down to.  What makes it even more applicable to me is that, well, it is so freaking applicable to me.  If I read an honest book on Islamic culture, I'm sure I would appreciate the sincerity there, but there's just not much for me to relate to, for obvious reasons (I'm not a Muslim).  I am, however, a Mormon.  In fact, I'm a liberal, progressive, feminist* Mormon, which seemed to be a key demographic of the book's audience.  The Book of Mormon Girl was particularly refreshing to me because it was being so honest about things that I craved to discuss honestly.  Making sense, much?

The book essentially chronicles Ms. Brooks' childhood as a "root beer" in a land of "cokes"--an adequate metaphor for growing up as a Mormon in a land of people who aren't Mormon--and then goes on to relate her experience with the LDS church as a feminist, intellectual, and progressive liberal.  Her assessment of the culture and overall feel of "growing up Mormon," with CTR rings and pioneer ancestors and relatives in Utah and the Osmonds and everything is uncannily accurate.  She gives special attention to her own faith throughout the book, talking about doubt, about how her faith was sometimes shaken or undermined, and about how, despite all of these things, she never quite lost faith in and love for Mormonism.

And she went through some pretty trying times.  As a middle-class white Mormon guy, just the perspective of growing up female in the LDS Church was eye-opening.  There were issues I never considered, growing up, that all of my Mormon friends-who-were-girls had to deal with.  I like to think that I've begun to be more aware of those issues in the last few years, and hopefully in many ways I have, but this book proved that I (and the LDS membership as a whole) still have a great deal to learn in that arena.

It was fascinating to read about her perspective on the "September Six" and the events surrounding that little controversy.  In the early 1990s, BYU fired a handful of professors.  Many of those professors, along with a few other liberal feminists in the Church, were also excommunicated.  I remembered hearing about the infamous "purging of the English department" during my undergraduate and graduate degrees, in whispered corners from other students and off-hand allusions from professors, but was always very frustrated at everyone's (including my own) inability to talk about the controversy openly.

Hearing Ms. Brooks discuss her association with the experience was eye-opening and fascinating.  She didn't receive any specific Church discipline for her progressive beliefs (at least not that she specifies in the book), but rather felt a constant worry that she might lose her membership in the Church she had grown up in, the religion she had loved, simply for voicing her own beliefs:

Mormons like me found ourselves in the grip of a terrible turn in Mormon history, in the grip of a fear provoked in part by the strength of our Mormon feminist vision:  a fear of the full, glorious, strange, and difficult humanity of our Mormon past. . . . It took a decade to come to terms with the fact that the Church we loved had declared us its enemies.

She imposed on herself an exile of sorts, during which time she stayed away from the LDS Church, mostly, it seems, out of fear of being shunned (if not excommunicated) for her unorthodox beliefs.

Ms. Brooks doesn't pull any punches when it comes to discussing LDS history.  Many Mormons might find the way she discusses Mormonism offensive; I don't believe that's true.  She says it best herself:

These are the unspoken legacies we inherit when we belong to a people:  not only luminous visions of eternal expanses of loving-kindness, but actual human histories of exclusion and rank prejudice.  We inherit not only the glorious histories of our ancestors, but their human failings too, their kindness, their tenderness, and their satisfaction with easy contradictions. . . . We inherit all the ways in which our ancestors and parents and teachers were wrong, as well as the ways they were right:  their sparkling differences, and their human failings.  There is no unmixing the two.

The LDS Church is made up of people, and people, as a general rule, screw up.  Often.  All the time, in fact.  Ms. Brooks is simply honest and up front about that fact.  And as honest as she is about Mormonism's dark times, she's just as honest about it's bright points, both of history and of doctrine.

Lest I paint the book a little too brightly, let me be clear:  I didn't think it was perfect.  Her raw, unrefined but truthy writing style was certainly atypical.  (Actually I really appreciated her writing style as well...again, refreshing.)  Oh, here's a critique:  I was never quite clear what the situation was with her exile.  It seemed self-imposed, but I wasn't sure if there were other factors behind it (other than her association with some of the September Six and some of the LDS Church's declarations around that time period).  I would have appreciated a bit more clarity on how she got to the point where she considered exile, as well as how she decided to come out of it.**

But really I don't have many bad things to say about this book.  And I think, again, it comes back to honesty.  "I grew up in a world," she says,

where all the stories I heard arrived at the same conclusions:  the wayfarer restored, the sick healed, the lost keys found, a singular truth confirmed.  And an orthodox Mormon story is the only kind of story I ever wanted to be able to tell.

But these are not the kinds of stories life has given me.

Every Mormon carries with them a bundle of stories like a suitcase of family secrets. . . . Sacrifices we refuse to believe God would ask of us.  Stories of loss that do not end neatly with restoration and stories of leaving that do not conclude with the return home.

In the world I grew up in it was not okay to tell unorthodox stories.  We did not hear them in church.  We did not read them in scripture.  But sooner or later they break through to the surface in every Mormon life, in every human life, in every life of faith.  I am not afraid of them.  Because this is the story life has given me to tell.

After two and a half decades of trying to decide what to do with these types of stories in my own life, I'm finally learning to not be afraid of them, either.   That's one particular lesson I hope I never stop learning, and one that I pray the membership of the LDS Church picks up on, as well.  We need those unconventional stories about Mormons.  We need to hear that people aren't perfect, that they screw up, and that sometimes they come back from that, but sometimes they don't.  Those stories are in our scripture, but they seem to have lost their way into our culture.  But books like this one --and hopefully many more things like it--are helping to bring those stories back.

One final caveat:  while this is a great book, I don't think its the most informative source to learn about mormonism.  Mormon.org, or the Book of Mormon itself (the actual book, not the musical), would probably be the best references for something along those lines.  But, if you're looking for one person's experience with the LDS religion and culture (especially if you're interested in how progressivism, liberalism, and feminism could possibly have a place in said culture), I highly recommend The Book of Mormon Girl.***



*  Or pro-feminist, depending on your particular brand of feminism.

**  Of course, some of these experiences of hers may be of a sort that she doesn't feel comfortable to share publicly (perhaps they're too sacred, perhaps they're too embarrassing, perhaps...who knows).  But even if that's the case, I would have appreciated some hints in that direction.

***  Also, if you're interested in more about Joanna Brooks, I recommend one of her sites, Ask Mormon Girl.  It's a fascinating advice blog that attempts to answer some of those difficult questions--at least from one woman's perspective :-).

Reflections on A Memory of Light (or: Why I Love Things that Depress Me)

I finished reading A Memory of Light on Saturday, 12 January, 2013.  It was good.  Like, really good.  I know it was good, because I was depressed after I finished it.  In fact, I'm still a bit depressed, when I think about it.  And I couldn't be happier about that.

Let me explain.

The onset of a certain depression after finishing a book or TV series, or set of movies, is a sure sign that said media has cut me deep.  I could almost count the number of times this has happened to me on one hand:  (1) finishing the game Final Fantasy VII in middle school, (2) finishing The Lost Years of Merlin series in high school, (3) watching The Return of the King in the theater for the first time, (4) watching the last episode of Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and (5) watching the last episode of Battlestar Galactica.  There might be two or three other works that haven't come to mind yet that also deserve a place on this list, but really, that's about it.

The aforementioned media aren't necessarily my all-time favorites.  Some of them are, others aren't quite.  They don't all have the best writing I've ever scene, although some of them certainly do.  Most of those works are actually very inconsistent in one way or another--the acting isn't always top notch, or there are some holes in the story, or parts that go on too long.  None of these works are perfect*.

But they all seem to have effected me in this particular way.  I love them, and then they end, and then I'm really, really sad.  Actually, it's maybe more accurate to say that I love the characters, and then the story ends, and then I'm really, really sad.  For me, it's all about characters.  They're what really drive the stories I love.  So when those stories end, and I suddenly lose all contact with these characters I've grown to love, it's actually quite upsetting for me.  I come to the sudden realization that these characters will no longer be such an integral part of my life, and that is always a very sad time.  Bittersweet, of course, because I love seeing these people characters live complete their lives arcs, but difficult because it is also a goodbye.  I can return to these worlds and characters, of course, but I'll never live the experience like I did the first time around.

I can't quite pinpoint exactly what sets these works apart from the hundreds of other things I've read and watched, but there's something there.  Of course, there's something to be said about the length of things.  If you read 5+ books, or watch 5+ TV seasons, in any given series, you're bound to grow some kind of attachment to the characters.  At least I am.  But there's more than that.  I loved Harry Potter, but I wasn't depressed when I finished reading those books.  Same with the Ender series, Angel, Lost, and all sorts of other things.

There's some combination, something that tweaks me just so, and each work on the list I gave above has it, whatever it is.

And, having finished A Memory of Light, The Wheel of Time series now joins that elite company.

I will say, however, that The Wheel of Time has not been my favorite series by any means.  The first 6 books were quite good.  Books 7-11 were, for the most part, a real chore.  And that's five books.  For the most part I've been pleased with what Brandon Sanderson has done with the ending of the series, but these last few books have their flaws, too.  Part of me sees some reason behind the decision to change what was supposed to be a 12-book series into a 14-book series, but part of me is also pretty annoyed.  It feels a bit like a Peter Jackson maneuver, if you catch my meaning.  And this last book...well.  One battle takes up about 500 pages, one chapter covering 250 pages or so of said battle.  The rest of the book is...other battles.  There's lots and lots of battles and fighting.

Of course, what do I expect?  It's the Last Battle, after all.  But still...it seems things could have been trimmed down just a bit.

The POVs are pretty jumpy, too--more so in this last book than usual.  It was very difficult (perhaps "annoying" is a better word, here) to keep track of who was fighting where and who was with whom and so forth.

Well, enough about the imperfections.  There were others, but I don't want to dwell on them.

There were some really awesome things that happened in this last book, too.

Egwene.

Lan.

Giant deathgates.

And, of course, there was the ending.  The ending really did make it all worth it.  That's kind of cliche, I know.  But in a series like this, a series that has had so many fantastic highs and almost as many dismal lows (in so many more ways than one), the ending really makes or breaks the thing.  That last bite, the final taste, is what people take with them.

Mine was, I think, nearly perfect.  I was delightfully depressed, and felt the missing-ness (as we say in Italian...) of the characters as soon as I finished the last word.  It was lovely, and sad, and wonderful all at once.

So thank you, Robert Jordan, and thank you, Brandon Sanderson.  It's been a long journey (even for me, and I entered the game late--right around when book 10 came out, I think), but it's been worth it.  Like I said, there are very few works that have the power to depress me.  But this was one of them, and I'm grateful for it.  I look forward to the next, whatever that may be.


May the dragon ride again on the winds of time.




*  Except for Buffy.  Buffy is perfect.

very impressed

I know its been a while since I've posted.  Preparing to teach, starting classes in my MFA program, and other things have kept me busy.  I'll update you on all of that in a later post.  For now, whats on my mind is the final installment of Suzanne Collins's Hunger Games trilogy, Mockingjay.

Wow.  I've already talked about how impressed I was by her first book.  I haven't reviewed her secondbook, Catching Fire, and probably won't get around to it, but it didn't disappoint.  I knew it would be difficult for her to exceed my expectations after such an amazing first book, and she came pretty close.  I don't think it was quite as good as the first, but still an amazing book in its own right.  She did a great job of progressing the series.

And, today, I just finished reading Mockingjay.

Once again, wow.

While Catching Fire progressed the series admirable, Mockingjay completely exploded the story and issues (in a good way).  The only progression of a trilogy that has been so well constructed that I can think of (and, admittedly, this one towers far above the Hunger Games) is Dante's Divine Comedy.  (Thats right, I just compared The Hunger Games to the Divine Comedy.  You heard it here first, people.)  Really, though--Collins's method of constructing a trilogy is worthy in every way.  She got that right, at least.

And she got a whole lot more right than that.

What caught me off guard (and impressed me most) about the third book was how the stakes were higher than the other two books in just about every way imaginable.  All the conflicts--between people, between the Capital and the Districts, between ideas and philosophies--were bigger.  More pressing.  And, of course, there was no shortage of new conflict added to the mix, as well as old conflicts that I thought had taken a back seat.  I'm avoiding specifics here because I'm avoiding spoilers (because I don't have much time and want to get these thoughts out), but hopefully you're getting the picture.

I will say, perhaps as a warning, that Mockingjay was a very, very violent book.  But in my opinion, it wasn't excessive.  It was necessary to the story Collins was trying to tell and the world she had created.  It was disturbing at times, much more so than either of the first two books, but it drove the themes of her books that much closer to home.

The book wasn't perfect by any means.  The prose in the beginning was slightly annoying at times (almost Meyer-esque, dare I say it), and there were one or two rather heavy-handed sections where Collins's themes seemed to take over her writing.  But other than that, her prose was very crisp, and Katniss's personality was clear as crystal.  Also, I won't mention how the love triangle in these books worked infinitely better, and seemed much more real, than a certain other series of young adult books that may or may not involve vampires and "werewolves."

And the ending--bittersweet, unexpected, but satisfying.  I couldn't ask for more.

In my opinion, the Hunger Games trilogy is a must-read.  Get your hands on it now, if you haven't already.

dream on

And of course . . .

Inception (SPOILER WARNING--this whole post might be teeming with them!) was a pleasure to watch. It was captivating, thought-provoking, and epic. It had a good storyline, good writing, and some pretty good acting, as well.  In fact, some of those things were much better than good, they were great.  Fabulous, even.  The movie overall was a huge success, as thrilling as it was intriguing.

That being said, I don't think it was perfect.  If anything, I think it stopped achingly short of the absolutely INCREDIBLE film it had the potential to be.

But, it was still an awesome film.  Here's some reasons why:

• It wasn't an action film (per se), and this was a pleasant surprise (although considering the nature of The Dark Knight, I should have known better).  It had action in it, of course, but this action felt needful, and appropriate to the film.  (I'll admit I am an occasional fan of inappropriate and unnecessary action, but I don't think it generally contributes to well-crafted and inspiring films.) The main action scene I recall involves Joseph Gordon-Levitt in a crooked and gravity-less hotel hallways, and it was Matrix-esque in its quirkiness and innovation.  Indeed, overall the action was a positive component of the movie, and its relative scarcity certainly helped, ironically, leaving room for the (far more important, in my opinion) intellectual and emotional aspects of the movie.
• The acting.  First of all, Leo is turning into a very respectable actor.  I was particularly impressed with his role in The Departed, and I've heard good things about what he did in Blood Diamond as well (which I have yet to see, although its on my Netflix queue . . .).  I thought his acting was worthy in Shutter Island earlier this year, and his role in Inception as a gritty, mentally unstable widower was in the same tradition and equally profound.  Ellen Page did a fantastic job in the film--her gigs in Juno and Whip It were cute and well-executed, but she shows herself capable of some real acting in Inception.  But, surprisingly, I was most impressed with Joseph Gordon-Levitt's performance.  I think he really stole the thunder from Di Caprio, and I would go so far as to say his role was Oscar-worthy (he's come a long way since the days of 3rd Rock From the Sun).  Ken Watanabe, Cillian Murphy, and Dileep Rao deserve nods for their performances too, and--oh-- Marion Cotillard's performance as Leo's wife was simultaneously heart-wrenching and highly disturbing.  In fact, my only qualm with the acting was that Michael Caine wasn't in more scenes (really, can anyone ever get enough Michael Caine?).
• The world-building in Inception was fantastic.  Although I didn't find the film as mind-bending as it was advertised, and I anticipated most of the "twists" from early on in the movie (I have a dreadful knack for that), what did blow my mind was the depth of the dream-worlds Christopher Nolan created.  Shiny golden props to him for creating such a fascinating world.
• Christopher Nolan himself.  With such films as The Dark Knight, The Prestige, and Memento under his belt, I expected quite a bit from him with Inception.  He delivered.
• Ambiguity.  I'm a sucker for ambiguity, and Inception had loads of it.  The final scene with the spinning top* quite literally tops the movie off (no pun intended, please).  But everything from character motives to in-world rules to the meaning and interpretation of the film itself oozed obscurity, and thats my bag of tricks, baby.  It was delightful.

So, those were some things I enjoyed in the film, among a great many others that I'm probably forgetting.

Now, why do I think it fell short, you ask?  Well, I'll tell you.  First of all, it was supposed to be this mind-bending, surprising, innovational film that changed things.  Well, it didn't do that for me.  As I've already mentioned, the dream world(s) it(them)-self(ves) surprised me, and bent my mind in a few new directions.  I appreciated that.  But the plot itself, and therefor the film as a whole, did not.  It was relatively predictable.  The twists were anticipated, if you can call them twists at all.  The movie does a lot of make-up work for these shortcomings with its deep and surprising characters and its ambiguity, but the holes are still there (at least for me).

And another reason:  I think the movie didn't delve into the Limbo concept as much as it could have.  I think it could have taken things a lot further down there, have made the movie even more epic than it was, and it just didn't quite make it there.  It is still epic, of course, but it could have been that much deeper.  I wish, in a way, the film would have taken its own advice (both in regards to creation and "going deeper").

But, those are minor issues when compared to the whole.

In the end, I thought the film was a blast--and not only a blast, but a quality film too, worthy in just about every respect.  I'm already looking forward to Nolan's next venture, and Leo's next role, and Gordon-Levitt's future as an actor--and, of course, anything involving Michael Caine (seriously).  I wouldn't even mind a sequel in the Inception world--I think it could be done in good taste, and I'm still itching for the deeper aspects to be plundered.

My Rating:  ****** (6/7 stars)

*  I'll mention briefly my opinion on the end of the film (and hence this footnote will be SPOILER-ridden).  My heart tells me that the top toppled.  It fell over, and Leo's character had finally come home in the end.  My mind, on the other hand, insists that the top continued indefinitely, and that he was still in a dream, and that his wife had been right all along--in fact, the whole movie itself seemed to be an (failed) attempt at Inception in Leo's own mind.  He rejected the inception, and chose to live his own reality.  And I think there is actually a lot of evidence that supports this--the whole movie itself, even the supposedly non-dreaming sequences, seemed suspiciously dreamlike (Leo wedging himself through an increasingly narrow space to escape strange pursuers, reminiscent of the security-pursures in Murphy's subconscious, among others).  But there is also something to be said on the fact that, in the end, Leo DIDN'T CARE--he set the top spinning, and instead of staring intently to see whether it would fall or continue, he leaves it alone.  This signifies enough change in his character that the movie can end with a feeling of accomplishment and contentment, whatever ending one interprets as canonical.  Its all about the ambiguities.

Review: The Hunger Games

The popularity of Suzanne Collins's book The Hunger Games has spread like wildfire since its release in 2008.

And now, having finally read it myself, I can understand why.

First of all, her world-building is top-notch.  The post-apocalyptic, dystopian setting she has created is as impressive as it is haunting.  There is one major political force in the accessible world (located somewhere in the western U.S.) called the Capitol that rules its twelve satellite-districts with an iron fist, the culminating example of its power being the Hunger Games, a sort of Gladiator-meets-Survivor Man with teenagers held between the twelve districts, supposedly to discourage rebellion.  I found Collins's approach to the post-apocalpytic/dystopian world refreshing and innovative, with elements I've rarely seen before (or at the very least, elements presented in ways I've never seen them before).

Her second strength:  characterization.  The main character, Katniss, is shockingly real and well-rounded.  She was very well written, and I felt I came to know her better and better as the book progressed.  Katniss had some beatiful conflicts, both internal and external, and the ways she dealt with them were real and believable.  Other characters that I thought were particularly well-written were Gale, Rue, and Haymitch--even Peeta, who I think is one of the weaker characters, still has his shining moments.

And then there are the Hunger Games themselves.  I have to say, I haven't read a sequence this engrossing since, perhaps, the Army battles in Ender's Game.  The way Collins describes the fighting and survival is true edge-of-your-seat, nail-biting action.  She also integrates her world-building into the Games seamlessly, revealing interesting facts and histories in the world as she adds conflict and intensity to the Games.  And although I found much of the Hunger Games slightly lacking in some descriptions and imagery, the effect nevertheless seemed to contribute to the brutality of it all, the stark reality and immediacy of the Games.

Also contributing to the feeling of immediacy is Collins's use of first-person present tense as the main method of telling the story (from Katniss' point of view, of course).  I found it an interesting and, ultimately, a very wise choice for the book.

Another refreshing aspect was the love triangle.  Don't let the terminology throw you off, this is no vampire-werewolf-clumsy teenage girl love triangle.  It felt much more real, much more believable, and much more in depth than any other attempts at the cliche I've seen lately (I'll name no names).  Admittedly, it is a cliche, but Collins handles it responsibly and creatively.

Quite honestly, one of my biggest worries is how the second (Catching Fire) and third (Mockingjay) books in the series will be.  Now that the Hunger Games are out of the way, I wonder if Collins will be able to keep me as interested as I was in this first book.  She certainly has her work cut out for her, and I'll find out soon--I have the second book on hand and will read it as soon as I finish the YA novel I'm reading right now (Percy Jackson and the Sea of Monsters).  But I must say, as engrossing as Ender's Game was, I've always thought that Speaker for the Dead was a better work in just about every way (except, perhaps, on the excitement level).  I'm not sure if Collins has the same miracle inside her or not--The Hunger Games is a phenomenal book on almost every level, with only a few micro-flaws--but it will be interesting to find out.  I'll let you know what I conclude.

My rating:  ****** (6.5/7 stars)

Two (very unrelated) reviews

Leon:  The Professional

I've been hearing about this movie for some time now, mostly as Natalie Portman's acting debut.  I finally watched it the other night, and pleasantly surprised does not do it justice.  More like delightedly dumbstruck.  Rapturously amazed.  Exultantly astounded.

It was a really good movie.

The acting, first of all, was superb.  I didn't think Portman would be as believable as she was (her only other young performance I was aware of was in Phantom Menace--not known for its acting by any means), but I was with her every step of the way.  Her portrayal of the abused, disillusioned, neglected, infuriating young girl with nothing to live for was touching at times, funny at others, and often surprising.

Jean Reno's performance was impressive as well, both lonely and enigmatic, but it was Gary Oldman's portrayal of the villain that caught me most off-guard.  He was terrifying and despicable, and but strangely alluring.  I have nothing but respect for Oldman.

The story was surprising as well--when I thought I was in for a long assassin-in-training montage, I got some unexpected character development.  When I thought betrayal was imminent, I saw a strange friendship.  The ending was somewhat predictable--it is the type of story for which I can only conceive three or four possible endings off the top of my head, all of them very similar--but it was tastefully done and kept me interested in the film and the characters.

Overall, I would highly recommend it, especially if you're a fan of any of the three main actors in the film.  A very well-done, surprising movie.

My rating:  ****** (6/7 stars)

The Next American Essay

Edited by John D'Agata

And, of course, my first official foray into the world/genre of nonfiction.

D'Agata arranged the collection by taking a different essay, from a different American essayist, from every year from 1975-2003.  Each year is preceded by a segment of an essay that D'Agata himself wrote, weaving in and out of each author and each year, connecting them all together.  Indeed, D'Agata's essay was one of the most compelling components of the compilation--not only was it a great connector between each collected essay, but in and of itself was a thought-provoking and informative piece about the genre of the personal essay.

I've discovered that the personal essay (and nonfiction in general) is really a hit-and-miss category/genre for me.  I loved some of the pieces in the collection.  Some of my absolute favorites included the prologue by Guy Davenport, "And;" Annie Dillard's "Total Eclipse" from 1982; Eliot Weinberger's "Dream of India" from 1984 (which, incidentally, was the inspiration behind the current nonfiction piece I'm working on regarding perceptions of Mormonism); "Notes Toward a History of Scaffolding" from 1990, by Susan Mitchell; and from 1997 David Foster Wallace's "Ticket to the Fair."  Each one of these essays either informed and educated me, mystified me, emotionally provoked me, intrigued me, or all of the above.  They were delightful samples of the genre, and pieces that genuinely inspired me to venture my own attempts in the genre.

But there were a few other essays, ones I won't mention by name, that I found boring and overly presumptuous, if not utterly useless.  Whether they're more of an acquired taste or the type of essay that I simply will never appreciate remains to be seen as I continue exploring the genre.

I'll return again to D'Agata's own essay (again, without a doubt on an equal level of the favorites I mentioned earlier, and one of the more delightful sections of the compilation).  Portions of his last entry I found particularly interesting, especially in light of my current thoughts on nonfiction.  To quote D'Agata (p. 435-6):

"Some literature in this genre challenges [the] very presumption of fact."

"What happens when an essayist starts imagining things, making things up, filling in blank spaces, or--worse yet--leaving the blanks blank?  What happens when statistics, reportage, and observation in an essay are abandoned for image, emotion, expressive transformation? . . . There are now questions being asked of facts that were never questions before.  What, we ask, is a fact these days?  What's a lie, for that matter?  What constitutes an 'essay,' a 'story,' a 'poem'?  What, even, is 'experience'?"

"Facts, in these essays, are not clear-cut things.  What is a lyric essay?  It's an oxymoron:  an essay that's also a lyric; a kind of logic that wants to sing; an argument that has no chance of proving anything."

I'm loving (and appreciating, as this volume is the one that made me seriously question my understanding of "nonfiction" in the first place) the blurring of fact--"statistics, reportage, and observation"--and nonfacts--"image, emotion, expressive transformation."  That, to me, is one of the most appealing aspects of creative nonfiction.  It is nowhere near as confined as I once considered it, and this collection (among other things) has taught me that.

My rating:  **** (4/7 stars)

Movie Review # 1: The Karate Kid

I don't plan on doing a lot of movie reviews on this blog, but I just saw the new Karate Kid movie with my wife's family in California, and I was very pleasantly surprised.

If you don't know the basic story of The Karate Kid then I'm ashamed to call you a fellow human, but here's a basic rundown anyway:  Little kid is weak, gets beat up all the time.  Little kid meets old chinese martial arts master.  Training sequences.  Little kid beats up rivals in an organized martial arts tournament. The end.

This new version of the 1984 classic was pretty true to that basic storyline, but with some interesting twists that, in my opinion, allowed this film to surpass its predecessor(s) by great lengths.  Moving the setting to China was one of the most intelligent ones.  This allowed the movie to tap into a lot more of the mysterious, ancient kung-fu feel that the original only hinted at.  Even simple, brief additions such as a field trip to the Forbidden City added so much to the film's atmosphere.

There were some surprisingly intense and exciting action sequences.  Many of the scenes towards the beginning, where Jaden Smith (Will Smith's son--Will Smith is also one of the producers of the film) was getting his trash kicked, were gut-wrenching.  I expected the rest of the film to follow Jaden's training and righteous revenge cycle . . . and it did, but with some very unexpected surprises.

First of all, the movie was actually pretty funny.  Whether because of banter between Jaden Smith and Jackie Chan, a dance-off in a Chinese arcade, or a number of other scenes, I found myself laughing along for much of the way.

But what the new Karate Kid did that was lightyears ahead of its predecessor was to make me forget about the physical conflict in favor of an emotional one.  I'll freely admit, I enjoy a good fight scene in a movie or literature as much as (and usually more than) the next guy.  But emotional conflict, involving relationships and people's feelings, is where the meet of any story really is.  And this movie surprised me by making me forget about the physical conflict for a time and focus on the relationship between Jaden and Jackie Chan's character (which, in my opinion, is one of Chan's best performances to date).  The way the two characters interact and grow together was pleasantly surprising, and both actors did a great job at showing the progression.  There were one or two parts where the movie was trying too hard to emphasize the emotion, but overall I thought it worked very well.

And, once Chan and Jaden overcome their obstacles, there are some pretty sweet mini-kung-fu fights, albeit overshadowed by a ridiculous Street Fighter-like big screen scoreboard and replay screen.

I'll mention again the surprisingly good performances from Chan and Jaden Smith--I think these two really carried the movie to new heights.  Jaden's Chinese crush-interest doesn't do too shabby of a job, either.  The writing was already not half bad, but they made it even better.  And, although I can't help but feel that the movie was one big birthday present for Jaden Smith, it was still a fantastic remake.

I'm worried about the damage sequels may do to this surprisingly good remake, but for now I'll just bask in the movie's success.

My Rating:  * * * * * (5/7 stars)

Book Review # 1: I Am Not A Serial Killer

I've been hearing Dan Wells's voice for about two and a half years now*, and finally got around to reading his book.

Overall, I'm impressed.

I'm not big on summaries during reviews, so I'll keep it simple:  its about a teenage sociopath who struggles to NOT be a serial killer, even as his small town is ravaged by one.  The premise itself deserves some respect--although it is slightly Darkly Dreaming Dexter-ey, the teenage twist actually put a very different perspective on things--better in nearly every way, as far as I can tell.

One of the most interesting sides of this novel was reading the first person sociopath pov.  I thought that trying to feel empathy for the character or even relate to him at all would be difficult.  And because the main character feels almost no emotion, it was hard for me to empathize with him, in some ways.  And yet . . . in the end, I realized that I had.  I think part of it has to do with John Wayne Cleaver's (one of the best protagonist names I've ever heard) desire to be normal.  Even though I can't relate to Cleaver's specific freaky-ness, I've felt like quite the outsider once or twice in my day and that much at least I can relate to--wanting to be normal, and failing miserably at it.  Dan does a great job with that, specifically by letting me into Cleaver's head.  I'm disturbed more often than not by what I find there, but just as often I'm intrigued and sometimes even sympathetic.  Pretty good for reading about a potential serial killer.

I've heard Dan Wells say multiple times that he feels one of his strengths in novel-writing is his beginnings.  I'll certainly agree as far as IANASK goes.  I was drawn in very quickly, intrigued by both the action and, most importantly, the thoughts in Cleaver's own head.  Dan's prose is also a pleasure--not too flashy, but often beautiful in a brutal, disturbing fashion.  And he captures Cleaver's voice fantastically.  But the ending was surprisingly satisfying for me as well.  He satisfied just enough of my emotional need from the story, answered some questions, and raised new ones.  As far as I'm concerned, any ending that includes all three of those is a good ending.  (The trick to great endings is including just the right ratios).

A few things I wasn't fond of:  the closing lines of many of the chapters, for one.  An extremely asinine thing to point out, I agree, but they did bother me often enough to mention (also, I figure I should say at least one bad thing about the novel, and it was pretty difficult to think of anything else).  My only other complain was that the book was slightly predictable (SPOILER ALERT . . . I mean, Mr. Crowley?  Come on . . . END SPOILER).

But other than that, I really think it was a very tight success, especially for a first novel.  Congratulations to Dan, and I'm looking forward to reading the sequels, Mr. Monster and I Do Not Want To Kill You.

My Rating:  * * * * * (5/7 stars)

Visit Dan's website:
http://www.fearfulsymmetry.net/

Or buy His Book on AMAZON:


*  I've been hearing Dan's voice on the Writing Excuses Podcast he puts on with Brandon Sanderson and Howard Taylor.  They do an amazing job at creating a podcast for inspiring aspiring authors--if you're one of those, or just want to hear these guys talk, I highly recommend checking it out.