The Conqueror's Shadow, now available!

[Mouseferatu]

It was in the featured New & Hot in Fantasy Fiction.

Oh, cool!

P.S. Does Planeswalker: Agents of Artifice rely on knowing anything about Magic?

Not really. There are a few references/names that won't mean as much to newcomers, but they're few and far between (and also unnecessary to enjoying the book). It was, in fact, deliberately and specifically written as a jumping-on point for people new to Magic, as well as to appeal to existing fans. (In point of fact, I was basically a newcomer when I got the gig; I'd only ever played magic a couple of times, and hadn't read any of the fiction. They specifically wanted someone new, who wouldn't feel bound to reference or build on any of the previous fiction. Though I did fly up to Seattle for a full-day meeting and basically a "crash course" in the basics.)

 

[Blastin]

Going to the beach for a week in June and I picked this up as one of my beach books. Looking forward to it.

 

[Welverin]

First off, liked the book, looking forward to your next one.

Now my question, not long after reading Gehenna, on your site that you had listed a trilogy of books that you had written that you were looking to find a publisher for, was this one of them, or are they the books mentioned in your author blurb (or somewhere) that you now viewed as a learning experience that wouldn't see the light of day?

 

[Mouseferatu]

Now my question, not long after reading Gehenna, on your site that you had listed a trilogy of books that you had written that you were looking to find a publisher for, was this one of them, or are they the books mentioned in your author blurb (or somewhere) that you now viewed as a learning experience that wouldn't see the light of day?

Hrm... I don't recall the context, but I'm trying to think of what I could have been talking about...

I'd written two books of an intended fantasy trilogy a few years before; if that's what I was talking about, then yes, those are in the "never see the light of day" category.

I'd written three other novels that I did want to sell. They aren't connected, so they wouldn't be a "trilogy" proper, but since there were three of them, could that be what I was talking about? If so, then The Conqueror's Shadow is indeed one of them, albeit after many, many rewrites.

Or I could have been obliquely referring to a trilogy of novels I was supposed to write for White Wolf, for the Scarred Lands setting, before that setting got canceled.

Other than those possibilities, I'm really not sure what else I might have been speaking of.

 

[renau1g]

Oh BTW, just got the book in the mail today and if it wasn't for that infernal work I have to do right now I'd be getting ready to read it with a coffee... *sigh*

 

[Welverin]

Hrm... I don't recall the context, but I'm trying to think of what I could have been talking about...

>snip<

While you've made me doubt myself, I'm all but positive it was a trilogy, but it was definitely something original and not any kind of shared world project.

 

[john112364]

I just finished it last night. I posted a review on my blog, but I'll recap here.

Fun setting. Fun premise. I liked Corvis Rebaine as a character quite a bit. The plot was rock solid.

What I think didn't work quite as well was the tone, which seemed to clash with the theme. Everyone was a little too light-hearted; too easy going, for the events that were actually going on "on screen." It was hard to take the darkness seriously, even when fairly dark stuff was happening. Plus, the sarcasm really undercut the evil. Khanda felt more like Katherine Hepburn to Rebaine's Spencer Tracy rather than a soul-eating demon. And before Khanda came along and took all his lines, he was nearly indistinguishable from Davro in that regard.

And then, when we got the POV of Audriss and his camp, it was almost eerie how the only thing that really changed was the names.

Anyway... not an unfavorable review. I still enjoyed the book.

Mouseferatu, I finally got around to reading your book. (Sorry it took so long. I had a back log of reading and not enough time.) I enjoyed the book very much. If fact, once I started I didn't want to put it down. (A sign of a very good story.) I quoted Hobo here because I agree with his views on this book and he stated them better than I probably would have. I hope you just chalk it up to a learning experience, because aside from these few qubbles it was a very good read. I would recommend this to any fan of fantasy. I look forward to the second book. (You do have a second book in the works don't you? )

 

[Mouseferatu]

I hope you just chalk it up to a learning experience, because aside from these few qubbles it was a very good read.

No worries. As long as it's phrased more or less politely, I never have a problem with constructive criticism. And as I've said before, I agree that the sarcastic tone was probably too "universal" among the characters.

I would recommend this to any fan of fantasy. I look forward to the second book. (You do have a second book in the works don't you? )

Sequel to TCS, The Warlord's Legacy, comes out early next year. The Goblin Corps, which is not related to TCS, comes out mid-next year. Household Gods, which is not related to either, comes out some time in 2012.

 

[john112364]

Wow. Busy, busy, busy. Keep that up and someone might think you can make a living off of writing books.

That cool btw. I'm looking forward to them.

 

[Mouseferatu]

Wow. Busy, busy, busy. Keep that up and someone might think you can make a living off of writing books.

I'll be happy to dissuade them with a depressing look at my bank account.