Scribes & Archers

5-Year Blog Anniversary

Posted on August 2, 2022August 6, 2022 by R.M. Archer

Today marks the 5-year anniversary of Scribes & Archers! 5 years ago today I got serious with my blog, rebranded everything, and set up an official schedule. The rest, as they say, is history. Today we’re going to delve into some of that history and look at what the next five years may hold, plus there will be a giveaway and I’ll open the floor to questions in the comments! Stick around to participate in all the fun. :)

*Links with an asterisk are affiliate links, meaning purchases made through them earn me a small commission at no extra cost to you

The Story So Far

The history of this blog really extends back Continue reading “5-Year Blog Anniversary” →

Book Spotlight: Aivan – The One Truth by Kayla Green

Posted on July 26, 2022July 27, 2022 by R.M. Archer

Kayla Green has been a superstar when it comes to spreading the word about my books, especially Calligraphy Guild, so today I’m thrilled to return the favor and spotlight her new book Aivan: The One Truth!

What is Aivan about?

Two young people from opposite sides of the Great Continent must make sense of their life.

Rune has grown up all of her life in the mountainous northern nation of Kansanai. As granddaughter of the Senior Elder, she has been a devout Continue reading “Book Spotlight: Aivan – The One Truth by Kayla Green” →

How Should Christians Write About… False Gods?

Posted on July 19, 2022July 20, 2022 by R.M. Archer

This is the first of a couple posts I have planned on controversial topics among Christian authors of fantasy. Beyond this post, I want to write one about writing magic and I might add one about writing God’s speech (or the speech of an allegorical God figure). They won’t be consecutive, but they will all crop up eventually.

Do note that while these are titled “How should Christians write about xyz,” these are all topics I think are dependent on personal conviction and spiritual maturity and my goal is more to present my thoughts and provide food for thought and biblical insight than to say “This is the one right way to do things.”

With all that out of the way… How “should” Christians write about false gods?

Perspective One: Just Don’t Do It

Some Christian authors will say it’s never a good idea to write about false gods, whether because it’s idolatry, it detracts glory from God, it could mislead readers, or for some other reason. And some of these are valid concerns (certainly any of them can be depending on Continue reading “How Should Christians Write About… False Gods?” →

Book Review: Wishtress by Nadine Brandes

Posted on July 12, 2022June 25, 2022 by R.M. Archer

If you’ve been around a bit (or if you read my recent interview with Kayla Green), you may know that Nadine Brandes is among my favorite authors. So, naturally, I was thrilled to receive an Advance Reader Copy of her upcoming book Wishtress! I was already super excited about this one due to it being a straight-up fantasy, which is my favorite genre. And it’s a standalone, which I think is underrated these days—especially in the fantasy genre. Y’know, besides Nadine being the author. And Wishtress did not disappoint!

(Required disclaimer: I received an ARC of this book from the publisher but was not required to contribute a positive review. The following thoughts are entirely my own, honest review.)

What is Wishtress about?

She didn’t ask to be the Wishtress.

Myrthe was born with the ability to turn her tears into wishes. It’s a big secret to keep. When a granted wish goes wrong, a curse is placed on her: the next tear she sheds will kill her. She needs to journey to the Well and break the curse before it claims her life–and before the king’s militairen track her down. But in order to survive the journey, she must harden her heart to keep herself from crying even a single tear.

He can stop time with a snap of his fingers.

Bastiaan’s powerful–and rare–Talent came in handy when he kidnapped the old king. Now the new king has a job for him: find and capture the Wishtress and deliver her to the schloss. But Bastiaan needs a wish of his own. When he locates Myrthe, he agrees to take her to the Well in exchange for a wish. Once she’s fulfilled her end of the deal, he’ll turn her in. As long as his growing feelings for the girl with a stone heart don’t compromise his job.

They are on a journey that can only end one way: with her death.

Everyone seems to need a wish–the king, Myrthe’s cousin, the boy she thinks she loves. And they’re ready to bully, beg, and even betray her for it. No one knows that to grant even one of them, Myrthe would have to die. And if she tells them about her curse . . . they’ll just kill her anyway.

Review

Wishtress gives the Out of Time series a run for their money as my favorite Continue reading “Book Review: Wishtress by Nadine Brandes” →

5 Types of Dragons (with Examples)

Posted on July 5, 2022July 4, 2022 by R.M. Archer

A reader recently asked me where to start with books featuring dragons, and I ended up giving a handful of recommendations featuring different types of dragon portrayals. I thought it would be interesting to write a blog post about these different portrayals, plus provide some dragon book recommendations for other readers, so here we are!

*Marked links are affiliate links, which means purchases made through them earn a small commission for me at no extra cost to you. These are BookShop affiliate links, which means you also support local U.S. bookstores while you shop!

1. Villainous Dragons

In western literature, anyway, dragons were originally Continue reading “5 Types of Dragons (with Examples)” →