Book Review: Steward Stories by Beth Wangler

Book Review: Steward Stories by Beth Wangler

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Blurb

“What was there in life, if not an endless wrestling against an unconquerable foe?”

*****

Freedom doesn’t bring the peace the nation of Maraiah hoped for.

Giants, soldiers, and nomads fill the promised homeland—and they’ll do anything to hold onto power.

Thrown into an unfamiliar landscape and constant danger, Maraiah struggles to maintain her identity.

It’s a time of faith.  Aia raises up Stewards to stand between His people and death. He works great miracles through them, reshaping the very ground of the promised land.

It’s a time of disappointment. Home looks nothing like Maraiah had dreamed. Generations drag on, and still violence, confusion, and doubt abound.

Will a Steward ever truly establish peace?

*****

These seven short stories take place between Child of the Kaites and The Steward’s Apprentice, providing snapshots of key figures whose struggles with pride, trust, courage, and identity shape Maraiah’s future. Continue reading “Book Review: Steward Stories by Beth Wangler” →

Why Sequels Are Harder to Write – Guest Post by Hope Bolinger

Why Sequels Are Harder to Write – Guest Post by Hope Bolinger

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Today we have a guest on the blog! Hope Bolinger is a YA author and literary agent, and this post is part of the blog tour to promote her upcoming book: Den. Stick around to the end of the post to read more about that.

Have you ever read a sequel and thought, “Meh. The original was better”?

Or have you ever felt that a book didn’t need a sequel, and that the author simply wrote a second book because their publisher said, “Stacey, you sold a million books. We need a second installment NOW!”?

Believe it or not, authors get intimidated by writing sequels. Even if we’d originally planned for a series, we worry that our second book will end up like so many other second installments to popular books: mediocre at best.

In this article, I’ll break down some of the trickiest obstacles to writing a sequel, and how to overcome them. Continue reading “Why Sequels Are Harder to Write – Guest Post by Hope Bolinger” →

Writing Fantasy to Explore Worldview

Writing Fantasy to Explore Worldview

Posted on by R.M. Archer

Something I’ve been exploring a lot lately in my Deseran worldbuilding is worldview. What cultures believe what? How do those beliefs differ from group to group and person to person? How do those beliefs clash with the beliefs of other cultures? I’ve found that I really enjoy exploring these different perspectives, and exploring how they do or don’t capture the real-world truth. So I wanted to write about some ways we can explore worldview effectively when writing fantasy, in hopes that some of you will also find it interesting or informative. This is something I’m still learning, so I don’t have it all figured out yet, but here are some of the things I’ve been able to identify from my own thought processes. Continue reading “Writing Fantasy to Explore Worldview” →

5 Things YA Fiction Could Do Better

5 Things YA Fiction Could Do Better

Posted on by R.M. Archer

A few weeks ago, I wrote a post on why I read YA even though it often stinks. Today I want to talk about a few ways I think it could stink less. ;) Obviously, considering my previous post, I read YA even though I personally find it less-than-ideal, but here are a few things I’d like to see more or less often in YA fiction to sort of balance out the not-so-great YA books.

All book links are BookShop affiliate links. This means I earn a commission if you buy with these links, at no extra cost to you. And BookShop is awesome because it supports local independent bookstores in the U.S.!

Continue reading “5 Things YA Fiction Could Do Better” →