Shout-Out: Seven Devils by Laura Lam and Elizabeth May

This first book in a feminist space opera duology follows seven resistance fighters who will free the galaxy from the ruthless Tholosian Empire--or die trying.

When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy's most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire's voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray.

Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated.

When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire's inner workings.

Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can't, millions may die.

Book Review: A Guide to Medieval Gardens: Gardens in the Age of Chivalry by Michael Brown

Pros: lots of photographs, interesting information

Cons: superficial, some chapters could have used more depth

This is a general guide on medieval gardens, specifically in England, that consists of 13 chapters, a conclusion and a quick listing of medieval gardens in England that can be visited. The chapters are all fairly short and to the point. They are: Evidence of Medieval Gardens, Influences of European Medieval Gardens, Monastic and Sacred Gardens, Secular Gardens, Medieval Garden Features, Water in the Garden, Parks and Pleasure Parks, The Plants of the Medieval Garden, The Medieval Gardener, The Gardener’s Tools and Equipment, Cultivation Techniques, The Medieval Gardening Year and Making your own Medieval Garden.

The first few chapters give background on how we know what little we know, and what types of gardens were grown. I enjoyed the later chapters more as they got more specific regarding the types of plants you could find and going over individual tools that gardeners used.

I wished some of the sections were fleshed out more. It felt like just as you got into a topic and wanted to know more of the deeper details the chapter ended. I can understand that there’s limited information but the author worked on medieval gardens at the Prebendal Manor and I would have enjoyed hearing more about things he learned from practical experience trying out medieval tools and techniques. For example, the chapter on making your own medieval garden simply mentions having a water source and gives some general advice. There’s no sample layout with ideas of what plants fit well together. I’d have loved to see a few photos from the gardens he maintained, including what he chose to grow where).

There is a good number of colour photographs illustrating what the author is discussing. I enjoyed the mix of the author’s photos and images from medieval sources, misericords and manuscripts. Not every tool got an image, and in some cases, like the spud, I would have appreciated a photo to better understand the tool as I’ve never heard of it before and the description left me somewhat unsure of what it looked like.

If you’re new to medieval gardens this is an excellent primer that goes over the basics and then some. If you’ve read a couple of books on the topic already, some of the later chapters may still hold useful information for you.

Angry Robot Open Submissions Period for Novels coming in February

I got an email with the following information regarding the Angry Robot Open Submissions period that's coming up in February. If you've got an SF/F/H manuscript ready to go and no agent, this might be an excellent opportunity for you.

The Angry Robot Open Submissions Period is Coming Back!

We are delighted to announce the Angry Robot Open Submissions Period is happening once again! Our submissions are open from the 21st to the 28th of February to SFF/Horror writers without agent representation.

The AR team are very excited to see what fantastically weird and spellbinding SFF novels you submit. In the past, our Open Submissions have led to the publication of many of our well-loved books, including both our January publications, ‘Deep Dive’ by Ron Walters and ‘Obsidian’ by Sarah J. Daley! This is your chance to wow us with your manuscripts. We’re looking for new and exciting stories, and particularly encourage writers of colour and LGBTQ+ authors to submit. Send in your stories – we promise to take care of them.

The Submission period will run for one week, from Monday the 21st of February to Monday 28th February. We don’t prioritise early submissions, so take the time you need to polish your documents before you send them in!

To apply, please send us:
– A sample that consists of the first three chapters of your work (or first fifteen pages if the chapters are short).
– A synopsis of the full work in a separate Word document.
– An elevator pitch and author bio in your email.

We are looking for:
– Novel length works.
– Science Fiction, Fantasy and Horror.
– Adult fiction.
– Finished manuscripts.

We are NOT looking for:
– Short story collections or novellas.
– Young Adult Fiction.
– Works in Progress.
– Works that have been submitted to our Open Submissions before – unless they have had a significant rework (rewritten or structurally edited completely).
– Previously published works.

More details on where to send your submissions will be released soon.

If we like your submission, we will get in touch to request the full manuscript and go from there! Only one submission per author, and remember that the Open Submissions period is exclusively for authors who do not have an agent.

We can’t wait to read your amazing stories!

Witches Frolic Kickstarter

I was contacted by Inkdrop Studio regarding their kickstarter project to bring back into print the story "Witches Frolic" from Ingoldsby Legends, by Thomas Ingoldsby (the pen name of Richard Harris Barham). The edition they want to reprint is from 1888 with illustrations by Ernest M. Jessop.

The rewards start at 5 Euro, for a digital edition. Check out their kickstarter page if you're interested in learning more. 

Book Review: Servant Mage by Kate Elliott

Pros: interesting politics, fascinating magic system, fun characters

Cons: too short

Fellian is rescued from her indentured servitude by a group of Monarchists who need her help as a Lamp - a fire mage. But are the Monarchists really any better than the liberationists that overthrew them years ago?

This is a novella so you’re not getting the in dept world-building you might be hoping for. It’s a bit of a shame as the world is interesting and I’d have loved to learn more about the politics and magic. I loved the idea that human magic is caused by demon-wraiths nesting in their bones. The politics were complicated and messy as expected when a revolution has recently occurred.

Fellian asks a lot of questions, annoying her companions but giving the reader vital information. She’s clever and resourceful. Her team is an interesting mix and I enjoyed their dynamic.

The book is fast paced and compelling.

This is a quick, enjoyable read.

Music box wooden model

I got this model for Christmas and spent several hours over two days putting it together. It plays a song from the Ghibli film Castle in the Sky when you wind it up. Though the online listing proclaims 'no glue required', it not only came with glue, but most steps required gluing pieces together, which I thought was hilarious. It's a nice looking piece, but a bit finicky and not the most stable. You have to carefully cup the upper part of the bottom to turn it, because the dowels used for the stand are quite thin and won't survive long if you twist it holding the base.

Book Review: Where the Drowned Girls Go by Seanan McGuire

Pros: thought provoking, plus sized protagonist, interesting story

Cons:

Cora Miller is still having nightmares months after returning from the Moors and no longer believes Eleanor West’s Home for Wayward Children can help her. So she transfers to the other school for children who have found doors to other worlds, Whitethorn. Upon arrival she realizes she’s made a terrible mistake. But while it’s easy to enter Whitethorn, it’s very hard to leave.

This is the 7th novella in the Wayward Children series and relies on knowledge of the prior books to really work. You find out what happened to Regan after the events of Across the Green Grass Fields as Cora deals with the trauma of visiting the Moors in Come Tumbling Down.

Cora is a fantastic character and though it’s not her origin story (so no mermaid adventures in the Trenches) it was wonderful watching her grow and realize that she doesn’t need to be in a portal world to be a hero. And that sometimes you just have to deal with your problems head on.

I found the book thought provoking as it pointed out some of the daily horrors humans inflict on each other, especially towards those with larger bodies.

The story is engaging and the perfect length.