Review: The Warrior's Apprentice

The Warrior's Apprentice by Lois McMaster Bujold

My rating: 5 of 5 stars



Second time through TWA--first time on audio, this time reading. Even better the second time around, and still one of my all-time favorites!

I stumbled on this series entirely by accident while I was writing a book with an MC named Miles and decided to see if there were any Mileses in other SFF. Turns out, there was one, and while the sound of this story didn't impress me much at first, I decided to check it out, and downloaded the audio version. Best. Decision. EVER.

Imagine a character that's part Tyrion Lannister, part Ferris Bueller--in space, and you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Lois McMaster Bujold's addictive Miles Vorkosigan. It doesn't hurt that Bujold is one of the most highly decorated SFF writers there is with multiple Hugos, Nebulas, and other awards under her belt. While reading the Vorkosigan books, I went from peals of laughter to bated breath to tears as this quirky, brilliant character leaped from one escapade to the next alongside a host of terrifying, hilarious, and fully dimensional side characters.

These books are literary Pringles. You can't read just one. And with 16 novels and 6 novellas, this is one series to keep you busy for a while.



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Four Addictive Series to Binge Read

It's the literary equivalent of a weekend Netflix session--book bingeing. With so many current publications leaving us cliffhanging for a year before the second or third book comes out, it's nice every now and then to pick up a complete, addictive series to consume our lives for a few weeks.

As a habitual literary binge reader, I am always searching for my next fix, whether its YA, Sci-Fi, or Fantasy. The top things I look for in a literary binge are:

• compelling, three-dimensional characters
• unpredictable plots
• strong emotional twists
• original, believable world building
• the more books, the better!

Here are my top four go-to binge series. Most of these I've read over and over again, and they get better every time. If you're looking for something not only to read, but to be completely, wholly absorbed in, here's where you start:

1. The Vorkosigan Saga by Lois McMaster Bujold

I stumbled on this series entirely by accident while I was writing a book with an MC named Miles and decided to see if there were any Mileses in other SFF. Turns out, there was one, and while the sound of this story didn't impress me much at first, I decided to check it out, and downloaded the audio version. Best. Decision. EVER.

Imagine Tyrion Lannister in space, and you've got a pretty good idea of what to expect from Lois McMaster Bujold's addictive character Miles Vorkosigan. It doesn't hurt that Bujold is one of the most highly decorated SFF writers there is with multiple Hugos, Nebulas, and other awards under her belt. While reading the Vorkosigan books, I went from peals of laughter to bated breath to tears as this quirky, brilliant character leaped from one escapade to the next alongside a host of terrifying, hilarious, and fully dimensional side characters.

These books are literary Pringles. You can't read just one. And with 16 novels and 6 novellas, this is one series to keep you busy for a while.

2. Tomorrow When the War Began by John Marsden

This Australian series remains one of my favorite YA stories out there. It's a huge hit Down Under, even spawning a pretty good movie starring Caitlin Stasey (CW's Reign) and Pheobe Tonkin (CW's The Originals). The movie is available on Netflix under the same name, but I HIGHLY recommend reading the book before you watch. There are six books in the series and each installment is short enough to finish in a day or two--perfect binge material!

The story is convincingly narrated by Ellie, a teen in rural Australia. She and her friends set out on a camping expedition, and while they're gone, Australia is invaded by a foreign army. Ellie and her friends transform from normal teens into guerrilla fighters with heart-wrenching believability and emotion.

It's like Red Dawn: Outback Edition, but so much better. Oh, and bring a box of tissues. Um. Make that two boxes.

3. The Farseer/Tawny Man sextet by Robin Hobb

For the high fantasy lovers out there, if you haven't discovered Robin Hobb yet, then you're doing it wrong. She's right up there with Lois McMaster Bujold as Writers I Most Admire And Want To Be When I Grow Up. I had the immense pleasure of meeting her at the Decatur Book Festival (she is all kinds of classy) in 2012, and when she came to my signing and got a copy of Origin, I couldn't even handle it--I cried.


I picked up the first Farseer book, Assassin's Apprentice, off the shelf of the antique store I worked at part time after college, and sneaked chapters in between my boss coming in and out of the shop (hey, I never said I was a model employee). The series is broken into two trilogies: the Farseer Trilogy and the Tawny Man Trilogy. The two flow seamlessly together, and contain my all-time favorite literary bromance. Expect no fantasy cliches here! The originality and unpredictability of these books is stunning. But the tears, man. I've read the series through twice now, and I think I wept even more then second time around. The worldbuilding is superb, but it's the characters in these books that rip your heart out and put your emotions through the wash.

And the best part? The last book came out a decade ago, but Hobb just announced that a new trilogy featuring the same characters is in the works--so that's three more books to look forward to! And if you, like me, get to the end of these six and still need more--don't worry. Hobb has 11 other books, most of which are set in the same world as these ones, and 11 more books under pen name Megan Lindholm. Talk about a binge.

4. Dark Tower series by Stephen King

Though I'm not a big fan of his horror, I adore Stephen King's weird, grotesque, unpredictable fantasy epic about The Dark Tower. King has called it his magnum opus and his homage to Tolkien's Lord of the Rings. It's dark, odd, and completely King, and if you're a fan of his larger body of works, you're in for a special treat--Easter eggs are hidden all throughout the books. You'll meet characters, objects, and hints from many of his other books dropped all over Midworld.

With his usual skill, King creates fully real characters inhabiting a world both familiar and bizarre. He combines medieval quest lines with Wild Western settings and sci-fi time-space bending in a strange goulash that shouldn't work, but somehow does.

There's no predicting what will happen in this epic that spans worlds, times, and genres--so the best thing to do is sit back, open your mind, and let the story take over.

Giveaway

I love these book so much, am so confident you will love them too, that I'm going to put my money where my mouth is by giving away the first book in each of these series to one lucky winner! Use the form below to enter. Warning: prizes may be addictive and prone to CONSUMING YOUR LIFE. Contest open to USA/Canada only!

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Is It Worth Writing? How to Critique Your Story Ideas

The first step in writing a novel is also the most crucial--conceiving a good idea. You may be a master of prose and a genius at character development, but without a strong, compelling idea, you don't have a story. And when it comes to seeking publication, what agents/editors are primarily seeking are ideas. Be sure yours is iron clad before you shop it around.

It's easy to move from the idea stage to the writing stage without ever really evaluating the concept of your story, and as a result, wasting time on an idea that was never worth it to begin with. Before you devote yourself to a story, it's a good idea to first take time to judge whether the idea is a sound one.

Here are five ways to determine whether your idea is a good one:

1. Has it already been done?

This might be the first thing you want to address. I've had several strong ideas go to waste after I learned they'd already been done. For example, last year I began outlining an idea for a story about a boy who finds a female AI trapped inside an old iPod--and he begins to fall in love with her. Less than a month later, I discovered the upcoming movie Her, which is basically the same plot. I was devastated! But so glad that I hadn't gone further with the story, wasting my time on something that, no matter how it truly originated, would be called derivative.

Do your research on what's already on the market, in books, films, and TV. Be constantly paying attention to new releases in all these categories, and do thorough searches on websites like Amazon, Goodreads, and other book sites to be certain your idea is unique enough to write (be sure to keep an eye out for not-yet-released books/movies--you have to think ahead!) 

If you do find similar stories already out there--and usually you will--then be sure you clearly define how your story is different than those others. Why is your Cinderella retelling different from Cinder? Why is your spaceship-set Sci-Fi different from Across the Universe? Why is your dystopia different from The Hunger Games? Even if you know your idea is not derivative, nothing will stop readers from calling it that if you don't do your research and differentiate it from any similar works.

Darn you, Joaquin.

PS. Hope you win that Oscar.

2. Is it high concept?

"High concept" is a buzz word in publishing that you need to be familiar with. In short, a high concept idea is one that can be immediately and succinctly communicated. Here are some examples of high concepts:

• In a dystopian future, teens fight to the death on national TV. (The Hunger Games)
• Recreated dinosaurs escape their enclosures on a tropical island. (Jurassic Park)
• A habitual liar's life unravels after receiving a hex that renders him unable to tell anything but the truth. (Liar, Liar)
• A boy goes to a magical boarding school while fighting the evil wizard who killed his family. (Harry Potter)
• Girl detective chases boy criminal in futuristic Los Angeles. (Legend)
• Man sails on ship captained by a madman hunting the white whale that took his leg. (Moby Dick)

High concepts immediately communicate a strong visual on characters, plot, and tone. Even if all you know about the story is the one-sentence log line, you can easily picture what the story will be about. If your concept requires lengthy description to "get the idea across," then it's either not high-concept or you don't have a good enough grasp on the story in order to pitch it. 

Now, a story doesn't have to be high concept in order to sell, but it definitely helps. In a world where entertainment is quick and attention spans are short, you have to be able to cut quickly to the crux of the story in order to snag interest. Try to hone your idea down to a simple, evocative, compelling sentence.

3. Are the stakes clear?

This goes hand-in-hand with point 2. What are the stakes in your story? What's at risk? What is the core conflict? Conflict makes story--so put your conflict front and center when evaluating your story idea. It's not enough to have a compelling character or setting. You absolutely must have a clear idea of the danger your characters faces: is it life-threatening? career-threatening? What does he/she stand to lose? Who is the villain? Is there conflict inherent in the concept?

Ask yourself: what's the main conflict of my story? Then, without deliberating, write it down. If you have trouble defining the main conflict, maybe you have too many vying plot lines. Maybe you don't have a plot line at all. You cannot pitch a story without clear conflict. 

4. Does it have internal plot?

Internal plot refers to the emotional struggle taking place within a character's mind. This struggle parallels the external conflict the character faces and often provides the solution or motivation the character will eventually need to solve or overcome his/her external battle. 

A good, short book I'd recommend is Hooked by Les Edgerton. Edgerton shows how your internal and external plot lines interact to create a solid, resonant piece of writing. Save the Cat by Blake Snyder is another great book that explores inner conflict (he refers to it as the "B-Story") and outlines a way to use the inner conflict to heighten the external.

The internal plot must be as clearly defined as the external one. Is your protagonist dealing with the loss of a loved one? Is she falling in love? Is he working up the courage to confront someone? Is she searching for answers to a question that has haunted her life? Does he need to grow up and take responsibility for his actions? 

Internal plot adds depth to your character and emotion to your story. It's crucial to an effective idea, and before you begin writing, you need to know what your story's internal plot is going to be. 

5. Are you in love with it?

This is crucial! If your idea meets all the criteria above and you are ready to commit to writing it, then you have to be head-over-heels in love with it. Don't write a story just because it's high concept, original, and has strong internal and external conflict. The final ingredient to a strong idea is passion, and that comes solely from you. If you're lukewarm about the idea now, chances are you'll hate it by the time you reach the fifth chapter. It's hard enough to stick with a story you are enchanted by--it's impossible to do it with a story you only like. How do you tell if you're in love with the story? Well, does it tug at you constantly? Do you think about it when you're falling asleep or showering or driving? Do you want to tell everyone you meet about it? Do you have Pinterest boards, computer files, and notebooks devoted to it? Are you your own story's biggest fan?

Passion translates onto the page, but so does a lack of it. Don't expect agents/publishers/readers to love your story if you don't love it first.

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