Tag: Book Review

If you haven’t met Nicodemus Weal, you should. He’s the kind of character that will touch your heart and change your perspective.

A brilliant debut by a talented writer, Spellwright‘s story is all the more intriguing because it parallels the author’s own struggles with dyslexia. The story of Nicodemus Weal, a dyslexic apprentice wizard who becomes hunted by several factions when it’s thought he could be the long awaited Halcyon, who will bring unity and power to defeat the dark forces threatening their world. Others fear he could instead be the storm Petrel who will bring destruction. So Nicodemus finds himself on the run, wondering who he is and who to trust.

Spellwright takes place in a well crafted and interesting world where words are not just communication but a force to be reckoned with. They can be harvested as weapons or shields by those with the gift of magic who learn to control them. The journey of Nico and his mentor, Magister Shannon, grabs hold of you and never lets go, taking you on a fascinating and compelling ride.

The background of author Blake Charlton (http://www.blakecharlton.com/) is as unique and interesting as that of his main character. On his own website he writes:

As a child, severe dyslexia placed me in special education for most of elementary school. Only with the support of my saintly parents did I improve enough to be mainstreamed into a normal fourth-grade classroom. I was still pulled out for remediation in half of the classes. Each year, I just barely advanced to the next grade. At twelve years old, I still couldn’t read a book by myself.

But his parents were persistent and began reading fantasy to him: Robert Jordan, Terry Brooks, Tad Williams… As his interest grew, they began to read to Blake less and less, faking sore throats or other ailments, but always leaving the books behind. Blake writes:

I became obsessed with fantasy. I snuck Robert Jordan and Robin Hobb paperbacks into special ed study hall and read them under my desk when I was supposed to be completing spelling drills. My grades improved only marginally, but my height increased exponentially. The football coach at a local high-powered private academy noticed this and helped me get into his school. About that time I started reading science fiction (Frank Herbert, Orson Scott Card, etc.) and discovered more classical fantasy: Grandpa Tolkien, John Gardner, Ursula K. LeGuin, and Mary Stewart. Suddenly school wasn’t so bad: I discovered that Shakespeare and Spenser weren’t so different from Tolkien, chemistry not far off from alchemy, physics the closest thing to magic. Though I still loved football, I began to live to put my nose in books.

But this dyslexic child went on to graduate from Yale Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa, with distinction in the major and Trumbull College awarded him the John Spangler Nicholas Scholarship. His fascination with reading fantasy and science fiction, soon fed his creativity and he began writing. A college dean encouraged him to take time out upon seeing an early draft of Spellwright. And in 2006 Tor, seeing promise in Spellwright, offered Blake a three-book deal. Stanford Medical School, seeing the value of a career in writing and medicine, offered him admission.

Since then, Blake’s completed the preclinical years of medical school and taken the US Medical Licensing Examination. During that time, he twice rewrote Spellwright, while Stanford provided financial support in the form of a Medical Scholars Research Fellowship to write fiction.

But overcoming his own disability still wasn’t enough. In addition to his desire to help people through medicine, Blake has been an English teacher, a learning disability tutor and a football coach. His passion for learning disabled kids is part of his inspiration for Nicodemus Weal and Spellwright‘s story of the power to overcome any struggle and succeed.

Blake is preparing his draft of the followup Spellbound to turn into the publisher shortly and it should be out by the end of year. Maybe he’ll give me an early review copy, if not, I know I’ll be waiting outside the story.

A great read, a unique world, a fun adventure. Spellwright is highly recommended.

One of the things I want to do from time to time is review books by other authors which I have really enjoyed.

The first such entry is Lamentation, Book 1 in the Psalms of Isak, by my friend Ken Scholes.

A mix of fantasy and science fiction, Lamentation tells the story of the Named Lands, home to the survivors of a great destruction. When the great city of Windwir is suddenly destroyed, and the Named Lands’ library and repository of knowledge with it, the leaders of the provinces find themselves on the brink of war. Accusations fly about who caused the destruction. While some seek retribution, others seek restoration, and still others just want to make sense of what’s happened. Across the miles, they initiate their plots, each seeking to protect him or herself and her people and their lands.

This is epic fantasy at its finest but no sorcery or dwarves or elves. Scholes has created his own world and people, one that we’ve never seen before, and populated it with characters like us. They draw us in and capture our hearts, making us care deeply about what happens to them.

Scholes uses a variety of points of view throughout, with short, tight scenes that keep the pace compelling. I found his voice unique and his story compelling. His prose is haunting and captures you, pulling you along with it for the ride. His world building and characterization are also top notch. In fact, it was difficult to pick a favorite: Rudolfo, leader of the famed Gypsy Scouts from the Ninefold Forests; Petronus, the former pope who faked his own death and disappeared; Jae Lin Tam, faithful daughter who’s sacrificed her body and spirit in the service of her father’s political goals; Neb, illegitimate son of a monk, who watched Windwir explode and his father and whole world with it. Or perhaps it would be Isak, the metal man, keeper of the last remnant of knowledge, and possessor of a dark secret about the destruction of Windwir. Each have their own arc and history, compellingly brought together in conflict and friendship by the events which unfold.

The book has drawn impressive praise, too. New York Times bestselling speculative fiction author Orson Scott Card wrote: “This is the golden age of fantasy, with a dozen masters doing their best work. Then along comes Ken Scholes, with his amazing clarity, power, and invention, and shows us all how it’s done.” Card liked it so much, he participated in a reading of the book voicing characters.

Analog calls Scholes “one of the best writer’s you’ve never heard of,” and Editor/Publisher Jonathan Strahan said “it has the chance of standing as an important book in the evolution of the epic fantasy form…a delight…a book that readers are very likely to take to heart. it’s one of the best fantasies I’ve read in some time.”

Two of the books are out, and I’ve read them both, and I can’t wait until Antiphon comes out this fall. I wish they’d hurry up and get the others out. My only complaint is that Scholes needs to write faster or maybe just concentrate. I told Ken I am jealous of his first readers. But he’s not talking, I have to wait like everyone else lucky enough to have discovered Scholes’ saga with baited breath!

If you have tired of high fantasy or other forms you’ve seen done time and again, no matter how well, give Ken Scholes’ series a try. It’s fantastic and well worth the effort. I can’t recommend it enough.