In April, I pledged another update on or around 7 July, but I’m going to defer that for now — albeit with many apologies.

Negotiating wild country… (Art credit:  PJ Fitzpatrick)

The reason why is that I am currently in the middle of writing an important but proverbially thorny passage. While I am currently negotiating the briars, I prefer to keep my focus on maintaining momentum and reaching the other side of the ‘hedge of thorns.’ (Yes it does make me feel like I’m back in Thornspell territory, just a little.)

…& here, too, be dragons!

It should also allow me to do a more meaningful update, which I hope you will agree is not the worst reason for ‘biding a wee’ — but not for too much longer, I hope. Meanwhile, onward.

A friend highly recommended The House In The Cerulean Sea to me, and thanks to the good offices of the publisher’s (TOR’s) regional rep, a copy has recently arrived on my TBR table. Huzza!

I’ve already started reading — and enjoying! –what appears to be a story aimed at younger readers, while crossing over to the discerning of all ages. It is Fantasy—of course!—and one that, as reference to the inside cover confirms, comes with a swag of author recommendations and glowing reviews. 😀

Many of you may already be familiar with the book, but for those who’re not, here’s what the backcover tells us:

He Expected Nothing But They Gave Him Everything

Linus Baker leads a quiet life. At forty, he has a tiny house with a devious cat and his beloved records for company. And at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he’s spent many dull years monitoring their orphanages.

The one day, Linus summoned by Extremely Upper Management and given a highly classified assignment. He must travel to an orphanage where six dangerous children reside, including the Antichrist. There, Linus must somehow determine if they could bring about the end of days. But their guardian, the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, will do anything to protect his wards. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, Linus must choose between duty and his dreams. 

It doesn’t give a great deal away, does it? But that’s all to the good, imho, because the important thing about a book is to read and experience the story for oneself—and the Hogwarts meets Good Omens vibe of the synopsis inclines me to continue doing just that. 😀 I’ll be back with a fuller report once I’m done.

Yes, indeed, the first of another month has been and gone—which of course means that on 1 July, the 5th instalment of the What Makes A Fantasy Hero? series posted on the Supernatural Underground.

Continuing my “C” tradition, this month’s post looks at Challenge. It flows on from a premise in last month’s post on Courage:

“Often, in Fantasy tales, the protagonist must risk their life for others and/or to complete the heroic quest. Yet high risk consequences may also comprise unjust imprisonment, loss of standing and/or livelihood within a society, or outright exile from family, community, nation or species.

In short, answering the call and committing to the degree required to count as heroic, must necessitate either physical and mental, or moral courage—or all three.”

Challenges abound for the Crows in Shadow & Bone

The ensuing post focuses on the four types of challenge that may (imho) be encountered by Fantasy heroes, with reference to many example books, of course! If you agree, disagree, or have a favourite example to further illustrate the point, do feel free to comment on the Supernatural Underground (or here if you prefer.) 😀

Otherwise, to read all about it, click on:

What Makes A Hero? #5 — Challenge

And have the best week and month (until the next SU post) you possibly can, whatever the challenges and circumstances. I’ll try and do the same!

The Wall of Night characters may face a challenge or two as well… 😉

Currently I’m reprising a Daughter of Blood  (and by extension The Wall Of Night ) Q&A series that first featured in 2019—with some really great questions that I’m enjoying getting to read and think about again.

Today’s I’m refeaturing Rosie’s question on the Web of Mayanne.

UK/AU/NZ

Rosie: The Web of Mayanne is a fascinating part of the plot which really comes to the fore in Daughter of Blood. Can you tell us about how you came up with that kind of ‘thread magic’ and the influences behind it?

I suspect that the Web of Mayanne’s origins lie in my love of history and the importance of tapestry as art and artefact throughout a considerable portion of history. The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the more famous examples that records a significant historical event, albeit from the perspective of the victors. Picasso’s Guernica, although not a tapestry, is an example of a similar work but from a wider perspective. Both works, despite the differences of medium and almost a thousand years in-between record major events of their times, demonstrating that art can be an important medium for reflecting and passing on historical and cultural information. The Web of Mayanne is such an artefact, but its significance has been lost over extended periods of time. (A team of archaeologists and anthropologists may need to be parachuted in. 😉 )

The Web, with its connection to the Hunt, is also based on medieval tapestries that depicted hunting scenes, including the famous Hunt of the Unicorn and the Devonshire Hunting Tapestries. Similar scenes, including lovers in enclosed gardens, featured in medieval Books of Hours. Throw in the prevalence of myth and folklore around wild hunts, the white hart, and magical hinds, and its possible to discern at least some of the mythical threads woven into the Web of Mayanne—although I would not discount precedents from myth and legend, such as Penelope of Ithaca’s weaving, or the Lady of Shalott’s web in literature.

In terms of how I came up with the Web of Mayanne in WALL, though… I think it would be fair to say that the Web wove itself into the telling, shuttling warp and weft about the pre-existing thread of the Hunt, as the story evolved. The Lovers version in Daughter evolved out of the first Hunt, based on the evolution in medieval tapestries that I understand saw more attention given to more domestic and intimate images in the late Middle Ages. And then, of course, there’s always Sir Thomas Wyatt’s famous line:

“Whoso list to hunt, I know where is an hind…”

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Previous Thursday Q&A Refeatures:

March 31 — #1 Phoebe’s Question on Book Planning

April 21 — #2 Sam’s Question on Deleted Scenes

April 28 — #3 Sandy’s Question on Characters That Take Charge

May 19 — #4 Lindsay’s Question on Research

June 23 — #5 Chris’s Question on Tirael & “What Would Have Happened If…”

May my heart be kind. May my mind be fierce. May my spirit be brave.

~ Kate Forsyth

—

I love this quote from Kate Forsyth. It’s not about writing, but I think it’s very apposite to the writing art, especially “may my spirit be brave.” Because books can, and do, challenge authors to be more and do more.

credit: B Miller

Just by way of a reminder, the Q&A Thursday featured awa’-away back in 2019, when I invited readers to submit questions on Daughter of Blood in particular, and The Wall Of Night series by extension.

Currently I’m reprising the series and today’s refeatured question came from Chris. 😀

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Chris: What Would Have Happened If Tirael Hadn’t Come To The Camp’s Aid When He Did? Did Kalan Have Any More Tricks Up His Sleeve?

I think we can probably agree that Kalan and the camp’s defenders had done amazingly well up until that point but that their resources were at a pretty low ebb, a situation that Arcolin, the enemy commander, did his best to exploit. Kalan had also proven himself to very resourceful and I certainly wouldn’t have put it past him to have pulled another rabbit out of the defensive hat. On balance, though, I think we can probably also agree that it was Really Just As Well that Tirael and the Star Knights turned up when they did.

UK/AU/NZ

Previous Thursday Q&A Refeatures:

March 31 — #1 Phoebe’s Question on Book Planning

April 21 — #2 Sam’s Question on Deleted Scenes

April 28 — #3 Sandy’s Question on Characters That Take Charge

May 19 — #4 Lindsay’s Question on Research

after the funeral
…………freeing a bee
…………from the spider’s web

© Helen Lowe, 2009
.

Highly Commended, NZ Poetry Society International Haiku Competition, 2009   (Judge, Sandra Simpson)

Published in moments in the whirlwind, Ed. Barbara Strang, New Zealand Poetry Society anthology, 2009

~*~

Refeatured from 2013: The Tuesday Poem series.

UK/AU/NZ

The About The Characters post series focuses on the minor characters in The Wall Of Night series, in large part because:

“I think it’s the presence of the smaller characters that “makes” a story, creating texture around the main points of view.”

~ from my Legend Award Finalist’s Interview, 2013

Initially, the series focused exclusively on characters from The Heir of Night, but now I’m continuing on with minor characters from both The Gathering Of The Lost and Daughter of Blood — in alphabetical order, by name, of course!

Recently, we entered the marvelous realm of “M” — and today we’re exploring it further. 😀

—

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Malar: a Derai warrior from the House of Swords

Malar muttered something indecipherable, which Kalan suspected was profane. Even taking into account his acute hearing and the way sound traveled, he was certain they must be close by … [He] frowned, concentrating, as Malar spoke again.

“…can’t even have a go at that cursed Blood snot. Every time I look around there’s someone watching.”

~ from © Daughter of Blood, The Wall Of Night Book Three – Chapter 10, Ship’s Business

The winter nor’wester
sweeps in
across plain and city,
gusts leaves
into sodden drifts, rattles
at the french doors.

Every tree bends
beneath a mourning sky:

I carry your loss.
.

© Helen Lowe, 2022

Recently, I’ve posted two tributes to Patricia McKillip, 1948 – 2022:

In Memoriam: Patricia McKillip, 1948 – 2022

Patricia McKillip: Marvels and Magic

As I first wrote, then posted them, illustrating both with covers from some of Ms McKillip’s many publications, I couldn’t help thinking that she really did have the most gorgeous book covers.

On balance, I think Kinuko Craft was her most enduring cover artist, delivering many fine covers like the one previously featured for Ombria in Shadow — and today’s, for the mystical Alphabet of Thorns.

You’ll recall from earlier, more general book-cover posts, that I am a fan of Kinuko Craft’s art.

When it comes to gorgeous covers, though, I think Thomas Canty’s art for The Forgotten Beasts of Eld and Dreams of Distant Shores is right up there.

I also really like the Ian Miller covers for The Sorceress and the Cygnet (1992) and The Cygnet and the Firebird (1994)

As for the original Michael Mariano covers for the Riddlemaster trilogy, I’ve always loved them.