Category: General

The price of doing business

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“You will be returning the body, right?“ I ask. The man sitting across from me looks surprised by this request. 

“Whatever could you want with his body?” He asked. 

“I’m sure he has family somewhere and he had a few pseudo-friends in my organization and really, what do you need the body for?”

“What makes you assume that I still have it?”

“Because the moron only broke into your base last night and while you do move quickly, there’s no way you’ve had time to dispose of it given the weather conditions.”

“I am still not entirely sure I believe he was not acting under orders.”

“I promise you, he wasn’t. Even if he drastically misinterpreted them you have in front of you all of the communications he recieved in the past week. We have been over this.”

“Yes, yes. I am sorry for questioning again, its a force of habit.”

“Occupational hazard, I understand. There has been much cause for distrust between our factions for generations. It will take time before we have really turned our new leaf, but with these negotiations, we are taking a step in the right direction.”

“I agree, I am just wondering what his body would be worth to you. He did strike a blow against my organization and I cannot let this slide.”

“Of course, and he has already paid the price for his foolishness with his life. I promise to keep this facet of the agreement private, in order to help you preserve your reputation among your people.”

“He nearly destroyed your hard work…”

“Davis was impulsive and reckless and prone to bouts of irrational decision making, but he was one of mine and I have a reputation to uphold as well. He was also acting on what I assume to be good, if incredibly misguided intentions. I want to see him laid to rest properly. Then we can put all of this behind us and move forward in our partnership.”

He thinks for a moment, feigning like he is going to say no. I grab a pen and scratch out a few numbers, replacing them with something I think will make up the difference. It does. 

By the end of the day the agreement is signed, the peace has been declared, and we are one step closer to an alliance. Davis’ body is loaded into the back of my vehicle, as requested. I climb into the back with him. 

Once we are far enough away, I threw off the top of the barrel Davis was stuffed in. 

“I am so sorry boss…” 

“Save it, Davis. You owe me big time. Next time you pull something like that, you can find your own way out.”

Spirit of the Mountain

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Hidden within a cavern within a sprawling mountain range, seated so high that it has never not been covered in snow, there is a temple. 

Within the temple is a set of secrets that the world is not yet ready to know. For generations, that secret has been kept safe by various families from around the world. 

Each family is chosen by a spirit that calls them to trek through the mountain, overcoming challenges to both prepare them for the challenges that lay ahead. It was also a test to prove to those who wait within the temple that these protectors are worthy of the task. 

It is not an easy thing, to uproot ones life to begin anew in response to a calling you do not understand. But to answer this calling was to find oneself steeped in a life they could not imagine. So many impossible things happen within and around the mountain peaks. 

Some say that the spirit was the first keeper of the temple, perhaps even the one who created it. If it has a voice, it has not used it for some time and the truth of where it came from only it knows. But the purpose it serves now is clear. 

Once the new family is settled in to their duty, the spirit leaves and begins the search again for whoever will take up the mantle next. It roams the earth, taking care to watch and study those it thinks might be worthy until it is ready to give them the call. 

Meanwhile, the previous family dedicates themselves to preserving the temple and uncovering those of its secrets that have been lost to the time and snow. They find pieces of the history of the place, unlock some of its secrets, and preserve what was left behind by those who came before. 

They continue on in this magical world until the return of the spirit. Then they pack up their belongings and leave, letting the next family take over. 

They take their memories with them, though try as they might they will never be able to find that place again. Unless the spirit returns to guide them home.

Review: Six of Crows

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SYNOPSIS

Six of Crows

Ketterdam: a bustling hub of international trade where anything can be had for the right price—and no one knows that better than criminal prodigy Kaz Brekker. Kaz is offered a chance at a deadly heist that could make him rich beyond his wildest dreams. But he can’t pull it off alone. . . .

A convict with a thirst for revenge

A sharpshooter who can’t walk away from a wager

A runaway with a privileged past

A spy known as the Wraith

A Heartrender using her magic to survive the slums

A thief with a gift for unlikely escapes

Kaz’s crew is the only thing that might stand between the world and destruction—if they don’t kill each other first. 

WHAT I KNEW GOING IN

I bought this book soon after finishing Shadow and Bone mostly because we were sold out of Siege and Storm, the second book in the series. I also had all of my coworkers who had read them telling me that this second series was much better than the first. I also knew that it takes place a few months after the end of Ruin and Rising, set in a different part of the world. So the stories don’t overlap and I was assured there weren’t any major spoilers. At the time I knew it was going to be at least a few weeks before we got the second book into the store, so I decided to dive right in. Between the fact I enjoy groups of misfits running a heist and that Leigh Bardugo’s writing was already starting to grow on me, I had a feeling I was in for a good time. 

MY FIRST IMPRESSIONS

Right off I knew the world was going to have a totally different feel and I love it. Ketterdam is a place full of gritty streets and messy people doing whatever it takes to survive. I very much enjoyed being able to learn more about the wider world of the Grishaverse and see for myself how these different companies treat the Grisha. It is a step away from the coming of age type story that is the Shadow and Bone series and into something that is more dark, more raw, and more human. I quickly found myself growing fond of several of the characters and incredibly curious about the others. When we were introduced to the impossible job and its incredible reward, I knew I wouldn’t be putting the book down for a while because I had to know if this crew of talented misfits could pull it off. 

WHAT I LOVED

Leigh Bardugo is an incredible author and seeing how much her skill has grown from one series to another was mind blowing. I love the way she toys with your expectations of where a scene is going to go in a way that feels natural and leaves you guessing. 

This story features some of my favorite things. Found families. Incredible world building. Complex characters with their own fears and dreams. HEISTS! Everything is woven together so beautifully that I devoured the book in a few days. 

Some of them exist in that grey area where they are doing the wrong thing for the right reasons and sometimes I am not sure if they know why they are doing what they are doing aside from a sheer need to survive. The leader of the group, Kaz, is an absolute enigma even after we are finally introduced to what he is trying to accomplish and why. Yet it is hard not to root for the Dregs as they lay it all on the line to follow Kaz’s plan to break into an impenetrable prison to steal a man whose invention could set the world ablaze. 

Needless to say, I loved everything about it. 

WHO I RECOMMEND THIS TO

As I mentioned, Leigh Bardugo is an excellent fantasy author who has a gift for weaving together secrets of the past with mysteries of the future to tell a story that you cannot put down. 

If you are a fan of stories that linger near the darker side of fantasy that center around a charming group of misfits with somewhat questionable morals, this is the story for you. The world is rich and the Dregs from the Barrel may be poor but they are very good at what they do. And this story has an ending that will have you immediately reaching for Crooked Kingdom. 

Review: The Glass Spare

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Wilhelmina Heidle, the fourth child and only daughter of the king of the world’s wealthiest nation, has grown up in the shadows. Kept hidden from the world in order to serve as a spy for her father—whose obsession with building his empire is causing a war—Wil wants nothing more than to explore the world beyond her kingdom, if only her father would give her the chance.

Until one night Wil is attacked, and she discovers a dangerous secret. Her touch turns people into gemstone. At first, Wil is horrified—but as she tests its limits, she’s drawn more and more to the strange and volatile ability. When it leads to tragedy, though, Wil is forced to face the destructive power within her and finally leave her home to seek the truth and a cure.

But finding the key to her redemption puts her in the path of a cursed prince who has his own ideas for what to do with Wil’s power.

With a world on the brink of war and a power of ultimate destruction, can Wil find a way to help the kingdom that’s turned its back on her, or will she betray her past and her family forever?

Fun fact: when I found this book, it was in the business section. Obviously, it was in the wrong section but it definitely caught my attention. So I read the back.

Me reading the back of a book is actually a pretty dangerous thing. It leads to me buying said book and adding yet another to my shelf. I just can’t help it sometimes. A girl who was basically raised to act as a spy who can suddenly turn people to gemstones through touch? I had to have it.

The king, Wil’s father, is a tyrant dead set on maintaining the old ways while the world around them embraces technology. He is also rather paranoid and power-hungry, determined to take over the world through war. He pressures the youngest and smartest of his sons to create weapons of unfathomable destruction. The oldest son is in training to be king. And the middle child is angry and jealous. 

When it comes to his daughter, she is nothing but a tool for him. A way for him to accomplish things that he doesn’t want people to know he is doing. We mostly see her going on missions to find specialized ingredients to help her youngest brother with his experiments, but there are hints of countless other missions. 

The relationship between Wil and Gertie (the youngest son) was something I very much enjoyed reading. It was so pure and so strong that it made me want to have a brother like that. Well, I have a guy friend who is like a brother, but my point still stands. I have always enjoyed stories that play with various family relationships, whether it is biological or adopted. This story plays around with these dynamics in a way that I very much enjoy.

I also really enjoyed the magic system. The world has an air of mysticism to it that I found to be a refreshing step away from the magic laden worlds I am used to. Those born with magic are few and they mostly deal in curses or blessings. Well, I assume there are blessings. We haven’t seen much of that yet as far as I can tell, but the two do tend to go hand in hand. Either way, these curses can only be given by incredibly powerful beings and cannot be broken unless by the one who gave it. 

Two of the characters we meet are cursed. We know where one came from, but not the other. This just adds to the feeling that there is more going on in this world that we have seen so far. There are mysteries yet to be solved, worlds left to be explored, and a war looming on the horizon. So many things that could go horribly wrong. 

The Glass Spare ends with the promise of more to come in The Cursed Sea. This is a fantasy duet that is worth reading. 

How to not Retcon

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I think we can all agree that retconning is bad. We have been there, covered that. Time to move on.

Now, how do we avoid retconning?

I have been putting some thought into this recently. As a writer, I understand how easy it can be to let details slip or lose track of where a particular plot thread was going. As the story grows and morphs, and you move beyond the first draft, things can get lost.

The one I am currently working on has gone through some drastic changes, and it includes possible character name changes part of the way through the book. I’ve trimmed down my cast of characters quite a bit, but there is still a lot to keep track of.

So here are a few things I am going to do to keep my story straight.

Note: there are wonderful programs, such as Scrivner, that help with this but as I do not have any such program, my suggestions will reflect this.

Plot, plot, plot

You may be thinking “duh, we all know how to plot.” Hear me out.

I’ve mentioned before that my current project has gone through a lot of changes. When starting on the most recent draft/iteration, I created a detailed plot outline detailing my idea. Then I talked through the plot with my friend, resulting in some of those points being changed.

I then went back and reworked the plot outline. Its a goal of mine to always have an up-to-date plot outline. The practice may seem like a waste of time, but as your story changes adjusting your outline can help you easier keep track of the current plot.

Also, by intentionally plotting things out ahead of time and throughout the process, this could help you create a smoother, more coherent plot.

It is easy enough to do and will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.

When in doubt, leave it out

Perhaps “keep it vague” is a better way to phrase it.

Picture this:
A writer decides far into the story that they want to do something with a character or the plot that differs from their original plan. They have not built up to this in any way, and chances are they have already hinted that things were going to go differently.

I know I have seen it before and I am pretty sure you have too, at least once. It is super annoying and has a nasty habit of ruining whatever impact that moment might have had.

My solution?

If you aren’t sure where you want to go with something, keep it vague. Don’t give any direct answer as to which way it could go. Even better, leave hints that it could go either way. By leaving it vague or uncertain as to which way something could go, you make the reveal of the truth that much more rewarding.

It can also give you time to consider why you are thinking about doing whatever it is. If it is important to the plot, great. If it is for shock value, maybe reconsider. But that is a topic for another time.

Make a cheat sheet

This relates back to the first point about keeping an up-to-date plot outline.

Odd names for people and places. Important objects that exchange ownership. Convoluted plot threads. If there is a chance you could forget or lose track of things in your story, consider creating a cheat sheet.

Keep records of your characters, how to spell their names, their backstories, how they are related to the others. Write down what they look like and make notes of when that might have changed.

Trace the ownership of important items and note what was going on when they changed hands.

Use the highlighter to visually mark important events and add them to your cheat sheet.

Yes, tools like Scrivener make this much easier, but there are ways to function without them. Use whatever tools you have at your disposal to keep your story straight.

Get more eyes

Lastly, it helps a lot to have a second pair of eyes. Get a friend or someone you trust to read over your work.

I know you have spent hours upon hours pouring over your work. That is part of the problem. You are so familiar with every single word that you are bound to miss things. By having someone who has never seen it before (that may or may not already know the story), you are increasing the likelihood of catching any slip-ups.

I have done this for friends before and helped catch some name mix-ups as well as things that were not made clear. It can be hugely beneficial and, by giving it to a friend, you know you can trust their advice. Also, they are less likely to tear your work into tiny little pieces.

Now, this doesn’t mean that you don’t need to hire an editor. Those are needed too.

Hopefully, you will find these tips and tricks useful when tackling your next literary adventure.

Next week we are going to be tackling one of my favorite questions and the uncertainty it can cause.

As always if you have any questions or comments, leave them down below. I am always looking for new topics to cover!

Until then!