Just Finished?
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. (Fantasy)

Reason for Reading? As I said before, it’s all Sarah Monette’s fault. There’s a bit more to it than what I suggested last time, though. Yes, Alec as a ‘relation’ to Felix Harrowgate was a draw, as was the fact that this was a story that did not rely on hetero-normativity. Also, however, was the fact that this was a book of some importance to at least one of my favourite authors (Monette) and that it was read and enjoyed by several other authors that I like. In the course of reading it and exploring how it was related to Kushner’s other books, I came to realize that I’d been hearing about the series (which isn’t really a series, I gather?) to some degree for at least ten years from a number of different fantasy fans: I just didn’t realize it until I was part way through. So it’s well-read and well-liked – I’m not sure if it can be considered a fantasy classic, but I would say that it’s well on its way to being there.
Oh hell, I’m getting side-tracked, aren’t I?
I was talking about why I was reading this. Okay then, here’s another thing: I love fantasy as a genre, and for all that I read Tolkien’s The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings when I was quite young (elementary school, I think) and watched truly obscene amounts of 80s fantasy films (Yeaaaaaah that explains a few things, doesn’t it?) I didn’t really get in to READING fantasy in a big way until about about… 2000? A few things here and there before that, but not a terrible lot, however much I may have postured to the contrary.
And of course, when I finally did get into the genre, I typically read stories that were fairly recent. (Some of the works of Mercedes Lackey are the only exceptions I can think of off the top of my head.)

So basically, from the 1950s to the start of this millennium is a great big blank in terms of what I know about the fantasy genre. And if there’s one thing I’ve learned at university (especially in this past year at Trent) it’s how important and moreover how interesting it is to track the development of, well, stories. The Lord of the Rings, for example, is better if you’ve read viking sagas. I’ve become really quite cognizant of how much I’m missing by not reading good books from years past. I’ve got a lot of the really (REALLY) old stuff under my belt, but the stuff from my parents’ day? Or my grandparents’? Or theirs?
Published in 1987, Swordspoint is only two years younger than I am, so there’s no way that I was reading this when it was new.

Was it Good? Yes, though I’ll admit that I found it to be a little slow to get into.

Why? Why. It’s hard to describe, this one. Why do I like it? Plot, characters, pleasant writing style are all there, certainly. But I’m not absolutely enamoured with the characters, and the plot isn’t so wildly different from other works of fantasy that I’ve read or seen that it is singularly captivating. Likewise, the world that it takes place in is rich and real, but I can’t feel it in the way that I can some of my other favourite imaginary places.
And yet, this is a good book. A REALLY good book. As I said, if it’s not a fantasy classic yet, it’s probably going to become one. Certainly it will hold that role in my heart and mind.
And that, I know, is related to why I like it. It’s distinctive. A lot (a LOT) of fantasy novels are crap that blend into each other. This one isn’t. This one is… special. And yet I can’t quite put my finger on why, except that it is.

What’s it about? It is about a swordfighter, in a society which practices dueling. It’s ultimately about the lifestyle, and how the lifestyle can and does lead to trouble. In some ways, it is very similar to courtly romances, but it’s not too similar, or else I wouldn’t like it. But it’s an almost-courtly romance in a world where courtly could romances exist, and where they are almost certainly read by the characters of the story.
That sounds stupid.
I’m sure someone out there has said it better than me – I think I’m far too literal.

Who’s your favourite character? I really cannot decide between Richard and Alec.

Favourite secondary character The Duchess.

Would you recommend this book to others? Yes. I recommend it to readers of fantasy in the same way that I recommend The Odyssey to anyone who reads books – enthusiastically.

Anything Else? There are three short stories set in the world of Swordspoint at the end of my copy of the book. My favourite of these is easily The Death of the Duke though I found The Swordsman whose Name was not Death to be especially charming. I also thought it sounded like a set-up for a story I would love to read (And since I believe that it IS a set-up for The Privilege of the Sword), I foresee more of Kushner’s books in my library.
On that note, I can’t decide which book in this series I should be reading next – Privilege which was written later but takes place sooner, or The Fall of Kings which was written earlier, but takes place later! Any advice?
Also, it took me a little while to get used to the writing style at first – ultimately, though, that same style served to enhance the world of the book, so I didn’t mind. However, if you pick this up and you are having trouble getting into it, give yourself time to get into it.

Since the lack of hetero-normativity was part of the reason that I picked this book up, I should probably say something on it, huh? I liked how ‘bisexual as the norm’ was portrayed – it was so well integrated into the book, and so similar to my own concept of sexuality that I almost forgot to mention it.

Up Next?
Storm Front (Book one of the Dresden Files) by Jim Butcher
OR
Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens, I haven’t decided yet.

Why? Oliver Twist partly for that literary roots thing I was talking about, and partly because I feel bad loving the musical but never having read the book. Storm Front because dad’s friend gave us his used copies of the series, and they’re ones that I’ve considered buying on and off for a while now. Also, I think it’d be a quick read?

Hopes? For Storm Front – I suspect that I’ll like it, enjoy reading it, but that it’s ultimately fluff that I will just walk away from when I’m done.
For Oliver Twist – Lower, sadly, than I would like. Apparently the scenes with Fagin are terribly anti-Semitic, which will probably make me sad and confused. (Especially since Fagin is my favourite character in the musical version.)

Want to know who’s read this book before you? Sure! Especially regarding Storm Front, as I know nothing about it, except what’s written on the back cover.

Just Finished?
Red Seas Under Red Skies by Scott Lynch. (Fantasy)

Reason for Reading? It’s the second book in the Gentleman Bastard sequence, following The Lies of Locke Lamora which was one of the most incredible books that I’ve read recently. Not reading the this book would have been a crime after enjoying Lies so much.

Was it Good? Fuck yes.

Why? These books are clever. They’re not just pretending to be clever, either, which is a bad habit in books that (I suspect) occurs when the author isn’t nearly as bright as the people he/she is writing for, these ones actually ARE clever. Red Seas has likable, well-written characters, who live in a beautifully developed world. It’s got layers upon layers of things happening, and, much like real life, have scenes that are gut-wrenching, as well as scenes that are so hilarious one cannot help but laugh aloud. Plus the characters are my type of characters.

What’s it about? Spoilers, partly for ‘Red Seas’ but more for ‘Lies’, as it does build from the end of that book. It’s about thieves – Locke Lamora and Jean Tannen again, as well as others that join the cast for this book. Thieves, pirates and politicians, really. It starts off with one of Jean and Locke’s fabulous schemes, the pair of them trying to move on after the disasters in Lies. Eventually, there are pirates.

***

If you ever watch the bonus features on the Road to El Dorado DVD, one of the people describes that story as being like picking the characters Rozencrantz and Gildenstern and giving them their own story, rather than making them side characters. Something about them being more interesting than most main characters. Lies and Red Seas are like that, but instead of Rozencrantz and Gildenstern, it’s Fagin, Dodger, and their little gang of mischief.

Who’s your favourite character? Locke, who I also like to think of as the “main” character, even though Jean is just as “main”.

Favourite secondary character Requin! Holy crap that guy is attractive.

Would you recommend this book to others? Yes. I think that quite a few people would enjoy Lies and Red Seas. That said, these books are not for people who do not fantasy – though, if you only like it sometimes, this would probably be on of the times that you do.
Maybe more importantly, these books are not for people who don’t like to read. If you rarely read books longer than 200 pages and/or your idea of a complicated plot involves Hugh-Grant-movie-style love triangles, don’t bother. These books are fairly hefty, and the plot can be twisty-turny: I suspect you’d lose the basic thread of it if you weren’t paying full attention to the book. (Fortunately, Lynch makes it difficult NOT to pay full attention to the book.)

Anything Else? I find myself cackling at a lot of the interactions between Locke and Jean. Also, I adore the concept of the Crooked Warden. Spoilers for ‘Red Seas.’ This book sees Jean gain a love interest, a love interest that, Gods above, I’d go for (good job Mr. Lynch! Love interests are often so… dull or annoying.) During this, we see Locke feeling, well, a little put off, even if he’s also happy for Jean. I’m sure this is meant to be generally negative, but I found myself relating to Locke in those scenes more than I’ve directly related to a character in as long as I can remember. That maaaaaay make me a bad person.

***

Red Seas is one of several books that I’ve read recently – Corambis and Midnight Never Come to name a few, not mention a slew of books on the history of London – that have made me think of cities and places as characters in their own right. Not every book does this, of course, and I think I would be disturbed and put off were that the case. But when it’s done well, as it is in Red Seas, I love the ‘City as character’ concept. Winnipeg (my city) I don’t believe is the type of city that acts as a character, which may be why the concept is something fairly new to me. I’ve certainly been to cities that do fall into that category, however: Athens, Naplion, Ottawa, Victoria (and I’m led to believe that London and Los Angeles fit the bill as well. Thinking about the character of cities themselves is very interesting.

Up Next?
Swordspoint by Ellen Kushner. (Fantasy)

Why? Because I’ve been reading Sarah Monette’s Livejournal. She often praises this book, and cites the character Alec as being being an early ‘ancestor’ of her character Felix Harrowgate. Further, she notes that this book was the first one she read that showed her that hetero-normativity need not occur in every made-up world.
I’ve been curious about it for some time, and so I ordered it off Amazon (for less than $3! @_@). Additionally, it’s fairly short (only 319 pages), and, while it is part of a series, I don’t *own* the next book(s) in the series, unlike some of the books of planning to read in the near future. That can make it a nice little “break” book.

Hopes? High, but not as high as they were going into Red Seas.

Want to know who’s read this book before you? Yes please! And what you thought, if you want.

Pencil Sketch – $20
Single character pencil sketch, no background.

Inked Work – $25
Single character inked image, no background.

Detailed Pencil – $35
Single character pencil image, no background.

Flat Colours – $45
Single character image, flat colours and brushpen outlines. No/minimal background.

Cel shaded – $55
Single character cel-shaded image, no/minimal background.

‘Advertising’ Art – $50
Single character lineless image, no/minimal background.

Smooth Colouring – $75
Single character smooth-shaded image, no/minimal background.

Cel-shaded with Background – $85
Single character cel-shaded image with background. Price is highly variable depending on the background.

Smooth Shaded with Background – $125
Single character smooth-shaded image, with background. Price is highly variable depending on the background. (Two character pieces have been included to demonstrate types of backgrounds.)

Further information can be found at my site in the Commissions section.
Enquiries can be sent to greekamazon [AT] gmail [DOT] com.

But I have T-shirts!

Also, I got a Journal over at blogger which I really don’t update anymore than this one. I’m trying to decide if I prefer blogger or wordpress. Both have their ups and downs.

This one gets more traffic, but the blogger one is nicer to look at.

I was browsing the Manitoba Comic Con website, as I’m wont to with conventions I’ll be attending, and I couldn’t help but notice how very, very much that the artist’s list has expanded.  I must say, I’m impressed.  I like how big this con has become, very quickly.  Also, I’m very excited to meet some of those artists.

However,  it has made me think, about my presentation at these cons.  (Especially given how not well I did at Ai-kon.)  My presentation needs to be something more than “HAY I HAVE PRINTS” and smacking them on the table.  Unacceptable, I’m afraid, and I’ll speak more on this later, when I’ve planned out what I’ll be doing a bit more.

Today I planned out a short-ish (about 150 page) comic, which I like enough that I do want to work on it and submit it places, even if it has to wait about a year or so for me to get cracking on it (since this year, I’ll be working on my thesis, and won’t have time for another comic.  …I don’t think.)

Regardless, I am frustrated with myself – Flighty and easily distracted, I don’t finish things (in this case, stories) even if I have them completely mapped out in my head.  Even if I already have the words ready to commit to paper.

It’s like my brain says “Oh cool!  That’s how the story works out.  Awesome, now what’s next?” and shoves it aside.

The only way I’ve found around this is to sit down and write it all at once, until it’s done.  Fine enough for short stories (and essays…) but anything longer than that, and good GOD man, I’d kill myself from starvation, but not before I started getting hallucinations from lack of sleep, just because I’d forget to do those tiresome things like eating and sleeping.

How do you writer types do it? (Likewise, how do you edit without wanting to destroy everything and start again?)

And let me explain why.  There are two types of good books:  There are the books that are so good that you read them as quickly as you can, because you’ve got to find out what happens next, and you forgo all sorts of necessities like sleeping or eating while you do so.

And then there are the books that you like so very much that while you certainly could read it cover to cover in a span of hours, you don’t.  Instead, you force yourself to take breaks, force yourself to put it down, even though a part of you loathes you for doing so.  Yet you put it down regardless, because you know that if you don’t, you will read it to its end, and it will be done, and you will be sad.

These are the books that you want to savour, even if your willpower for savouring and not ploughing further into the book only lasts an hour at best.

This latter type of good book was what Mélusine was, so it should hardly surprise me that The Virtu  is as well.  Yet that’s the nature of sequels, isn’t it?  You loved the first one, so you know you simply must explore the second one — but at the same time, you fear that the second one will be a letdown.  And let’s be honest:  They often are.

Fortunately, The Virtu was anything but a letdown – it was at least as good as Mélusine, and while I can’t quite bring myself to say it was better, since I truly adore Malkar, a character  much more prominent in the first book, it might have been.

Monette’s beautifully created world impressed me no less this time than it did when I read Mélusine,  and I was eager to learn more about the world (and being a classics nerd, became giddy when I could see where she drew her inspiration from, and curious beyond all reason when I could not.  I shall never forgive myself for not buying that book on the history and mythology of Labyrinths that i saw in Kelowna.)  As well, I was pleased to see the return of some of my favourite characters – Gideon, to name but one – as well as the introduction of new and delightful characters, characters who came from all manner of places within the world, so that even if the main characters – Felix and Mildmay – did not venture to those lands, we gain some concept of the wider world of the story, something which makes the story much more real.

Monette’s writing style is nothing short of a pleasure to read, her terminology varied while appearing effortless, the metaphors she has her characters use often making me burst out laughing.   The switching between perspectives gets points across without having unnatural expository scenes, and allows us to better understand not only the whole of the story, but why characters react the way they do.

Mildmay’s vantage I particularly enjoyed, I could hardly stop grinning from ear ear to ear when I read his scenes; gruff and full of slang, but inherently intelligent and often humorous, I’ve no doubt that Mildmay is the reason that my cheeks hurt like a damn by the time I was done the book.

Monette herself has been a scholar, and it shows in her writing.  Or perhaps more accurately, it shows in her characters; most notably in Felix and his circle.   This is not a criticism, but rather, a compliment.  Monette understands what drives scholars (a variety of things, to be sure) and how they think.  This may not sound like much of a feat, but I assure you that it is.  Many authors write scholars as backwards social misfits (not that they cannot be, but they are not JUST that) or they write them as teachers, in the high school sense of the word. (Not that teachers cannot be scholars, and certainly not that scholars are not often teachers, but the two are not interchangable.)  There is a love for learning that scholars have, even if they have other motives as well, and Monette writes that love to a tee.

But I’ll avoid talking about any more details.  After all, I don’t want to spoil the book.  (One of my only complaints is that the blurb on the back did spoil the book, a little.  I really must learn not to read those, if it’s not the first book in a series.)    The Virtu flows smoothly from Mélusine, and I eagerly await the third book in the series The Mirador, which will be available in four days time.

Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go read the first four chapters of The Mirador, which are available on Ms. Monette’s website.

Cheers, all!

I could write book reviews, and the truth is that I might start doing that more often, since I honestly didn’t realize how much I’d missed writing those things until I wrote that one of Mélusine a few entries back.  (Speaking of, I grabbed “The Virtu” yesterday.  I’m about halfway through.  *Enjoying it*)

But the trouble with reviews is that I have to be in the right mood to write one.  Besides, a lot of books I read are pretty well-known.   Like Harry Potter.  (The last one was awesome, by the way.)

So.  What to do?

…Well, I like webcomics.  And webomics can always use more attention, at least in my opinion.  So I’m going to talk about them.  And why I like them.  And why you should go see if you like them.

The first one I’ll talk about is Inverloch.  It’s probably my favourite webcomic out there right now, and it’ll be drawing to a close shortly, so now seems as good a time as any to discuss it.   Written and illustrated by Australia’s Sarah Ellerton,  this  fantasy comic  that has all sorts of elements that any fantasy fan will be familiar with; elves, wizards, seedy towns, and so on.  But in a lot of ways, the story is character-driven, and the art is gorgeous.  I’m not going to do an in-depth analysis, since all I’m trying to do is point you in the direction of this comic, but if you’re a fan of fantasy, I’d suggest checking it out.  It’s light-hearted most of the time:  If it doesn’t make you laugh, it’ll at least make you crack a smile.  It might make you cry sometimes.

I started reading this comic around the time that volume three was coming out – I had no idea I’d been reading it so long.  It has definitely stood the test of time. 

And for the record?  It is available in print form, published by Seven Seas Entertainment, a company which has quite a few nice titles under its belt.  I own the books that are out so far, and I suggest getting them.  Not least of all because they have shiny new material in them, but also because the work put into this comic is quite obvious, and , for one, think that Ms. Ellerton should get some return on it.

So cheers, and hope you like that comic as much as I do!

I took pictures of these, I’ll be posting them on my sketchblog later.

Regardless, I find it interesting that whenever I talk to other artists about cons, the advice is always to draw fanart for conventions, because no one cares about original characters.  I don’t draw a terrible lot of fanart, and so it’s always a bit of a hassle, but I do try and get some fanart done.  This year, I drew DeathNote’s L.  A popular character, I knew, and certainly so at the con – many, MANY people dressed as L.

And yet, not one person bought my L picture.  Not one.  …One of the other artists traded me for it, but that’s all.

My fanart never sells, which kind of confuses me, since my original stuff does alright.  Other people seem to have the opposite problem.

Oh well.  *shrug*

I’m looking forward to it, except that I don’t really have any new art done for it – my own fault, of course, but I’m still not happy about it.  I’m alternating between working on art for it and working on commissions, and I’m not really finishing either.  I wonder what I can get done in the next few days and still have time to print.

I’ll be sharing my table with the lovely Laura, who has more art done than meeee – but everyone else we’ve heard about for the con has a LOT more.  Drat.

*chirp*  Oh well.