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Andy Graham Author

Author of dark fiction and fantasy, dystopia, horror.

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Writing

The Rise of Sigurd series by Giles Kristian

February 17, 2021 by andygraham Leave a Comment

After last week’s mini-review of The Raven Saga, it’s only logical that I follow up with Giles Kristian’s follow up/ prequel to that series: The Rise of Sigurd.

The books were written after Raven but are set before them (Sigurd is already a jarl by the time the Raven books come around.) They chart the rise of Sigurd from a younger son fighting for recognition, through the betrayal of his family, to him becoming a respected jarl.

Essentially the books follow the same pattern as Raven: vikings with a heart of gold (Mainly. Some are nasty b*st*rds.) plunder and loot their way through one country after another. Most survive. Most of their enemies don’t.

It’s gory. (Again). It’s imaginative. Sigurd is a likeable character full of ‘low cunning’. He is surrounded by a varied band of characters, each one different to the next. Once more, an honourable mention goes to Svein the Red. Despite his brutality, he has a simple/ honest approach to life which makes him a nice foil to Sigurd’s ‘Loki-cunning’. It also sets Svein up for some good observational humour.

The world and its people’s lives are authentic and evocative. The details that give that realism aren’t rammed down the readers’ throats but are woven into the story well. There are no information dumps that read like a Wikipedia page

There is a lot of action and the series gives a nice back story to the characters present in Raven. (Those that survive, obviously…)

The writing style is much smoother than Raven. Stands to reason, I guess, but there is a noticeable jump in quality: the prose, the descriptions of nature in the vein of Bernard Cornwell, the action scenes. They are all much more developed and contain hints of the writing that Kristian produces in his superb Arthurian tales (Lancelot and Camelot.) Part of me wishes I had read Sigurd before Raven as it allows for a chronological unfolding of events. That said, given the evolution of the writing style, it may have been a little jarring to have done so.

Gotta love the covers!

I don’t have many criticisms (I like Kristian’s books), but there are a few things that came up.

MINI-SPOILER ALERT!

 

Valgerd. I have no problem with shield-maidens. Women fought in history. It’s a fact, if you don’t like it, go read a book. My issue with Valgerd is what happened with Sigurd, especially given her previous relationship. It felt crowbarred in, almost as if someone said ‘this book needs some romantic tension’. I think the story would have been better had Sigurd admired Valgerd from afar and never got the chance to lay with her. (Or ‘swive’ her. There’s a lot of ‘swiving’ in the books.)

 

MINI-SPOILER ALERT OVER!

Secondly, the action. It’s relentless. A change of pace would have been good. Essentially Sigurd and his crew go somewhere, get into trouble and either trick or fight their way out of it. They may get treasure. They may get women. They may get nothing. Rinse and repeat for three books. It’s a harsh assessment but that was the way it felt after having read Raven and then Sigurd.

On that note, the sting is taken out of many of the fight scenes because I know who survived having read Raven. There’s not much the author can do about that, I know. That, in itself, is enough of a reason to read Sigurd first.

All in all, though. I liked the series. If you want a book about vikings who don’t wear horned helmets, if you don’t mind gore and violence, if you want a book that is well-researched but doesn’t use facts as a substitute for a plot, if you like dark humour and fast-paced books, these are for you.

Just watch out for the blood.

Filed Under: English, Reviews, Writing

The Twelve by Justin Cronin

November 15, 2019 by andygraham Leave a Comment

Warning: If you want a well-written, critical review, stop now. I’m about to gush words all over the page.

I’m not sure where to start with this book – it’s epic. I’ll get that out of the way before I start nit-picking.

My issues, and they are minor, are similar to Book One (The Passage).

  • It jumps around a lot. I should have known better than to expect a simple continuation of where the story left off. Story arcs and characters were left hanging as they were between the two sections that make up The Passage. If you want your fiction served up in a straight line, this series is not for you.
  • There are a lot of characters. It was easier to keep track having read Book One, but even so, there were times when I struggled.
  • It dips a little in the middle as characters are being moved into place for the final push.
  • Would the chapters dealing with escalating viral problem be better in Book One? After all, The Passage skips the immediate issues of the virals/ dracs/ Twelve* and leaps almost 100 years into the future. I’m split on this. I think I would have preferred that overall, but it is also nice seeing the origins of First Colony already knowing what happens to them. Alicia’s ancestory, in particular, is nicely tagged on. (Almost like the literary equivalent of a post-credit scenes you get in certain types of overly-muscled superhero movies.)
  • Michael seemed like a new character rather than a development of Book One Michael. I know people change, but this guy was so different to ‘Circuit’ that it threw me.

That’s it.

Not many nits to pick, are there?

Now… the good stuff.

  • The section that deals with the immediate problems of the virus hitting is superb. #istandwithlaststandindenver
  • The section that deals with the concentration camp is harrowing. Not so much for the red-eyes but the normal people who willingly go along with their evil.
  • The ratcheting up of the tension towards the end is compelling.
  • The prose is sublime: minimal descriptions that paint so much better a picture than books stuffed full of adverbs and adverbs; alternating sentence structures that have their own internal rhythm; and a use of language that is, simply, beautiful.
  • There is an attention to detail that doesn’t swamp the plot. (i.e. it doesn’t read like a Wikipedia page)
  • Some of the most effective horror is hinted at: a growing, luminescent green light; a clicking noise; tree-tops rustling (‘They come from above.’); and, worst of all, the inevitable terror heralded by waning daylight.
  • Characters that are so flawed and so real because of it. There’s not even a mention of a kick-arse heroine who can speak multiple languages, holds multiple black belts in multiple mystic martial arts (Including the Approach of Aggressive Alliteration) but suffers from a deep dark secret that only one person knows. As for hard-bitten detectives with marital/ drinking/ authority* issues but are good at their job? Forget it.
  • And how the author manages to bring all the disparate characters and arcs to the climax as he does, I have no idea.

In short this book is phenomenal, a classic example of ‘just one more chapter before I switch the lights out.’ It has played hell with my insomnia. Not only because I wanted to know what happened next, but because the shadows in my bedroom grew claws and teeth.

But despite that pace and prose, the masterful weaving of story lines and complicated/ real characters, despite all that brilliance, there was one line that grabbed me and wouldn’t let go for days: a moment of tenderness in a world beyond hope.

“I’ve got you,” he said, hugging Tim fiercely; and again, over and over, so that the boy would be hearing these words. “I’ve got you, I’ve got you, I’ve got you, I’ve got you.”

Last Stand in Denver

Read The Twelve, you’ll see what I mean.

It is awesome.

*delete as appropriate

Please note I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon sites.

Filed Under: Reviews, Writing

‘Salem’s Lot by Stephen King

October 17, 2019 by andygraham Leave a Comment

OK.

At the time of writing (Oct 2019), I’m forty-seven.

Remember that number, OK?

Right, the book: ‘Salem’s Lot.

In no particular order.

It started slowly. Very slowly. It crawled. But, round about 15%

(Yes, I read on a Kindle so talk about % now rather than page numbers…)

of the way in, I realised that the crawling plot had, in fact, been tying loose knots around my imagination. And when the first few people disappeared, those knots started tightening. That didn’t stop until the end of the novel. And that’s the thing – no one and nothing is sacred in this story. From the initial, chilling sacrifice to the Lord of Flies to the final show down. People drop like, well, flies, I guess. They are there and then they’re gone.

The problem is, most of these people come back. After dark. And these are not nice vampires. They don’t sparkle. They don’t come armed with comedy accents and cliches and dress in cloaks. They are unpleasant and, in some cases, tragic. But the nastiness doesn’t stop there. There’s a house – The Marsten House. Its cellar is almost as scary as some of the monsters. As the author says in the foreword: ‘it’s one of the scary ones.’

But, outside of Barlow and his vampires, and the Marsten House and its cellar, and the superb depictions of some very messed up people there were a few things that jarred.

1 – the vast number of peripheral characters was hard to follow. We’re talking about a town’s worth. Many appear and disappear then reappear and I wasn’t always sure who was who. Are you the useless cop? The horny (pervy) dump manager? The wifebeater. And so on…

2 – the ending was over too quickly. The set up to the final moments were chillingly good, but the final resolution? Over too soon. Maybe it’s better that way rather than turning the last pages into a B-movie gore schlock fest?

3 – where are the rats? They exist in the deleted scenes at the end of the book but were culled from the finished version. I’d have preferred they were kept as some of those scenes are terrifying.

All in all, though, this is another one of those books where I found myself wondering why I had never read it before.

So. Back to my age. You remember how old I am, right? Go check it you’ve forgotten. I’ll wait.

Back already?

OK.

I read the bulk of this book whilst staying in a largish flat in London. I was on my own. Reading late in the evening. Suffering from insomnia. One night – I think it was near the end of the book when things had really gone belly up for the inhabitants of the Lot – I couldn’t sleep. Not because of my insomnia, but because a doubt had crept up on me, rat-like, whiskers tickling the toes of my imagination. Who, or what, was in the other rooms in the flat? I was there on my own, right? Of course I was. Just me. No one else. Not a soul. Only little old me…

Yup.

A forty-seven year old man got out of bed to check there were no monsters in the closet, under the bed, in the other rooms or hiding on the landing.

Are you laughing at me?

You should be…

Now go read the book. It’s scarily good.

PS Ben Mears (the protagonist) is an author, a ‘serious-minded person’. At one point he meets a young woman’s parents for dinner. After a few beers he goes home while the evening’s young because he wants to write. The reason he gives the woman’s dad is that he owes his current book some pages. I’m paraphrasing (badly), but I think it’s a great idea: an author owing their book words. Guess where I’m going now.

 

Please note I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon sites.

Filed Under: General, Reviews, Uncategorized, Writing

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

September 28, 2019 by andygraham Leave a Comment

I don’t do many reviews. I should, knowing how helpful they can be. But I’m not sure a book like this really needs another review. It won the Pulitzer Prize! But here’s my brief take on it.

I wasn’t convinced at first. Despite the stunning writing, I didn’t really think it was going anywhere. But the more I read, the more desperately beautiful it was, and the more the sense built that something terrible was lurking on the next page.

Some of the throw away lines about what people do to survive, what and who they eat, are possibly better glossed over. I’ve returned to a few of these sentences and actually thought about what is being said. When put in relation to my life (and my kids…), it is horrific.

And any author who can describe a trout as ‘polished and muscular and torsional’ deserves attention.

In short? It’s tragic, touching and brilliant.

Read it.

 

You can pick up a copy of The Road on Amazon US by following the link.

 

Please note I am a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon sites.

Filed Under: Reviews, Writing

One Book Interview #31 – Duncan Bradshaw (Author)

September 14, 2017 by andygraham Leave a Comment

We’re up to Interview #31 and I have absolutely no idea how to introduce this week’s author.

Go read his bio at the bottom of this page or on his website.

Go on.

I’ll wait.

Back already?

See what I mean?

How do you introduce someone who can’t even introduce himself? (Hi, Dunk, you’re not really reading this are you?)

If, however, you’ve been too lazy to click on a few links, I’ll leave you with this, from the self-professed ‘loon’ himself.

“It’s taken me a long time in my life to pull my finger out and do something that I enjoy, to most people, myself included, work is a chore. Writing helps me get through that by giving me a shining beacon to keep me going. Whatever that beacon is in your life, follow it, embrace it and make the most of it. Life is too fucking short, don’t have regrets, just do it.”

That’s not crazy. That’s utter sanity.

Good people of the Internet, writing out of Chippenham, Wiltshire (UK)  – Duncan Bradshaw

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

There are a number of books that lay to the claim of ‘stone cold classics’, and I agree with a number of them. Personally, I’d say that everyone has to read 1984 by George Orwell, without a shadow of a doubt. Yes, there are parts in the final third which feel a bit superfluous to the modern reader, but as a work of fiction, it is near peerless. With recent events, this, and a number of other dystopian books have been pimped out again, whilst they (Fahrenheit 451, Animal Farm, Handmaid’s Tale, A Brave New World etc) are excellent reads, 1984 surpasses them all.

2 – you would take with you if you were going to be marooned on Mars

I’d take House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski with me. This would be a bit of a bold move on one main fundamental issue. I haven’t actually read it. I bought it a few years back following a recommendation by a friend. It has sat, nestled within my TBR pile since that fateful day. As other books have been picked up and devoured before it, still it looks out at me, hoping for the day when its turn will come. Being marooned on a distant planet, where time and the sheer size of this weighty tome are no longer considerations, I’d finally be able to read it. I just hope that I enjoy it, else it’s going to be a loooonnngggg time on the red planet.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

Got to go with Ready Player One, by Ernest Cline. You know those books where you hear people go on about, even those who you don’t know that well, and you feel inclined to pick it up, just so you know what they’re banging on about? That was Ready Player One. I snagged it in Southcart Books, in Walsall, when I was doing a reading, with the intention of slinging it on the TBR pile, and getting to it at some point, (a la House of Leaves). I ended up starting it a few days later and was completely and utterly hooked. Not quite knowing what to expect, as I got more into it, I realised that this book is aimed squarely at me and my generation. So many references in there, so many favourite games and popular culture references, I loved it. I passed it to my brother who approached it with similar expectations, and he loved it too. It’s a winner.

4 – you’ve written that is your favourite

My personal favourite is, heXagram. It’s six stories, set across five hundred years of human history, charting the dissemination of an ancient Inca ritual. It is fundamentally an action/horror book, based on the adage ‘we are all made of stars’. What if it could be harvested? How can knowledge, partial or complete, be twisted to fit different people’s views or hopes? It tracks this information as different people come into contact with it, and seek to use it to their own ends, visiting the American Civil War, the Whitechapel murders, a suicide cult in the eighties, up until the modern day. For me, it was the most serious thing I’d written, using different styles to create a patchwork quilt of a narrative, all wrapped up in an epic overarching story. Sounds pretentious huh? It certainly isn’t and has definitely been my ‘marmite’ book, but to me, it is my absolute stonewall favourite.

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

When I was halfway through college, we moved 40 odd miles down the road, which meant that I had to get the train to study. This gave me vast parts of the day with time to kill. There is only so much bowling and arcade games that you could play, so I decided to work my way through my mum’s bookshelf. I ignored the Stephen King, and headed straight for the Russian literature, mainly Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn. One Day In The Life Of Ivan Denisovich stood out a mile. The struggles of getting through one day, alive, and somehow surviving, knowing that the next day would be the exact same situation all over again, gripped me. History has always interested me, but learning about things which governments tried to bury and suppress, trying to silence the victims and the survivors, left a profound effect on me. Though I later read the likes of Primo Levi, it was always One Day In The Life…that left an indelible mark.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

I’ve never been a fan of authors giving tips on writing, it just seems a bit silly. What works for me, is anathema to someone else, and downright crazy for the next person. I think the book that gave me the confidence to write what I wanted was Vinyl Destination, by Adam Millard. If you’re not familiar with his work, you really are missing out. Vinyl Destination is a simple premise, but pushes the silliness envelope into overdrive. I was on holiday when I read it, and the amount of times I laughed out loud and got odd looks from people was high. When I finished it, I thought if he can do it, why can’t I? Not in the same way, that’s impossible, but it showed me that I shouldn’t be limited in my ambition. Most of my ideas are a little odd, and as I don’t plan what I write, even mundane scenes end up veering off into weird territory. This book took off my mental shackles, and allowed me to be the writer that I want to be, not what I think I should be, and that’s a helluva big deal.

7 – of yours that prospective readers should start with if they want to get to know your work and where they can get it.

I’m mostly known for two things, zombies and silliness. This is encapsulated perfectly in my zombie short story collection, CHUMP. Nine stories on the undead, each one is very different from the others. There is one set in the Wild West, another gives an alternative reason as to why the Eastern Bloc boycotted the 1984 Olympics. There is even a story featuring zombie fish! In the midst of it all, is a novella length story, and a serious one at that, which follows a courier living in the apocalyptic wilds. It’s passe, but there really is something for everyone in it, even if you’re not that fond of zombies. It is a true mix of styles, and was even nominated for a Saboteur Award at the beginning of 2017. Which was nice.

You can find Duncan at: www.duncanpbradshaw.co.uk

Give me a D! D. Give me a U! U. Give me an N! N. Okay, so this wasn’t the best idea was it? If you hadn’t guessed already, Duncan P. Bradshaw (spell out the letters in your head if you want), was a cheerleader in a previous life. Many was the day spent practicing his moves on windswept playing fields, and nursing twisted ankles after nasty spills on wooden gym floors. When he was murdered brutally by renowned serial killer, Ed Turpin, aka The Broom-handle Basher, he was reincarnated and, sometime later, the memories of his hideous demise came flooding back. Day and night he was wracked with visions of his final moments, and other things, other lives, other futures. GASP! So, to try and make sense of it all, he began to write them all down, hoping that he can bring enough words into existence that he might be able to form them into a broom-handle of his own, find Ed Turpin, and HAVE HIS REVENGE! Please help him, by reading his books, or by leaving out snacks on your porch. He mostly likes tea (milk, one sugar) and biscuits.

Filed Under: English, Interviews, Writing Tagged With: #amwriting, #author, #onebookinterview, #thriller, #zombie, horror, horrorfiction, vampire, writing

One Book Interview #1 – Nicole Ayers (Editor)

February 16, 2017 by andygraham 4 Comments

I’m very happy to announce the start of the One Book Interview series, a weekly feature of questions to authors, editors, & readers about their favourite books.

And . . . *cue drum roll * . . . in position number one . . . *cue fanfare * . . . we have a person who has been at my virtual side since I started chasing this crazy dream of becoming a professional author.

May I present the Comma Queen herself – Nicole Ayers.

Name one book:

1 – everyone should read

The Princess Bride by William Goldman: It’s fun—pure entertainment. The movie was so popular, but I didn’t realize for a long time that this was a book. When I finally discovered it, I enjoyed it so much. And hearing the actors’ voices in my head while reading actually enhanced the experience.

2 – you would take with you if you going to be marooned on Mars

Humans of New York by Brandon Stanton: These snapshot memoirs showcase the best and worst of humanity. I think I’d want the human connection I feel when I read these stories, and there’d be so much material to mine for stories of my own creation.

3 – you took a chance on and were pleasantly surprised by

A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R. R. Martin: I was prepared to let this cultural phenomenon pass me by—I mean, the series isn’t finished and epic fantasy isn’t my go-to genre. But after so many of my reading people talked about it, I decided to give it a try, and I’ve been pleasantly surprised.

4 – you’ve edited that was most memorable

Geez, this is like asking me to pick my favorite kid. Here are a few stories that have stayed with me:

The Lords of Misrule series by Andy Graham (I know, I’m a suckup :-). I’m also being honest.): This look into an all-too-realistic dystopian future is keeping me up at night in today’s political landscape.

Trapped by Sal Mason: I’ve always had an inexplicable fear of being kidnapped (maybe not so inexplicable—thank you, Thomas Harris, for Silence of the Lambs). This book forced me to take a first-person look at a horrible experience and face my own phobia.

A Tale of Moral Corruption by Marsha Cornelius: This book reverses sexism and spotlights so many of the issues women face. It also works through the problematic idea that empowering women means disenfranchising men.

Undead Rising: Decide Your Destiny by M.E. Kinkade: I loved choose-your-own adventures as a kid. This grown-up version was a hoot.

        

5 – that has influenced you most as a person

Really? One? Thank goodness you’re not being authoritarian with these answers. My best answer is all the books I’ve read, even the crap ones. Books have always been my portal to understanding people and the world. Here are a few titles that stand out:

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee: It was the first book I read about social justice, and it’s always stayed with me.

Little Bee by Chris Cleave: This one humanizes the refugee experience in brutal and beautiful ways. “I ask you right here please to agree with me that a scar is never ugly . . . A scar means I survived.”

The One and Only Ivan by K. A. Applegate: Ivan is a gorilla kept in captivity at a shopping mall. His observations about humans are insightful and heartbreaking.

The Screwtape Letters by C.S. Lewis: Lewis is a master and the alternative viewpoint he writes from forced me to take a close look at what I believe and how I behave.

Tiny Beautiful Things by Cheryl Strayed: This collection of letters from Strayed’s Dear Sugar advice column are beautifully written and masterfully crafted to get to the point of what matters in our relationships with ourselves and others.

6 – that has influenced you most as a professional

Well, this is boring, but I have to say The Chicago Manual of Style. Knowing the intricacies of style guides are a must. A recent book, written by editor Beth Hill, called The Magic of Fiction is fast becoming a favorite though. She marries the mechanics of language with the craft of good story an puts it all in layman’s terms. I highly recommend this for editors and writers.

7 – you have not yet read but think you should

Hillbilly Elegy by J. D. Vance: I think books open doors of compassion and understanding, and I’m trying very hard to make sense of the different electorate groups that are so different from me. I’m currently reading Coates’s Between the World and Me, and Hillbilly Elegy seems like the next step. I know it’s getting some criticism from people who live in Appalachia, but I also think it will give me some insights into at least some of the issues facing the poor white working class in America.

 

Nicole Ayers is the freelance editor behind Ayers Edits. While she’s held many jobs in her life, including stints as a server, camp counselor, telemarketer, print shop lackey, bartender, and teacher, editing is her favorite because she combines her love of reading with the fun of wordplay. Her goal is to help authors create work they’re proud to share. When she’s not marking up manuscripts, she’s chasing the little people in her life, snuggling with her dog, or seeking new adventures with her husband. Sometimes you’ll even catch her at a yoga class if she’s not hiding with a good book.

 

Connect with Nicole at www.ayersedits.com

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: Interviews, Writing Tagged With: #amediting, #amwriting, #author, #editor, #onebookinterview

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