The Clockwork Crown by Beth Cato
Jo Niederhoff
The Clockwork Dagger amazed me with the rich world Beth Cato created of Caskentia, devoted to the worship of a woman turned into a mystical tree, and Tamarania, more reverential…
August 2015
Thomas the Rhymer by Ellen Kushner
Jonathan Thornton
What songs do you sing to them in Elfland? There, where all songs are true, and all stories history… I have seen lovers walking in those glades, with gentle hands…
Does Size Matter In Epic Fantasy?
Dan Hanks
This year I decided to do something crazy—compete in an online writing contest called Pitch Wars. Run by the wonderful Brenda Drake, this is where unpublished writers query a selection…
Killing Pretty by Richard Kadrey
Zachary A. Matzo
Seven books in, Richard Kadrey’s Sandman Slim series continues to have its hooks in me. Killing Pretty—the latest entry—was released at the end of July and I plowed through it…
When The Dust Settles
Aaron Miles
While attending this year’s Nine Worlds convention I went to a session titled “How To Win The 21st Century,” which talked about games as a dominant cultural medium. This and…
Writing Fight Scenes – What an Editor Wants to See
Hierath
As an editor, something I’ve discovered when I’m editing books for other people is I’m making the same comments over and over again in relation to action scenes. I thought…
September’s Newsletter
Overlord
Dear Fantasy Factioner, Another incredible month here at Fantasy-Faction HQ. We’ve not only had our usual array of awesome articles and reviews, but also a noteworthy discussion on Self-Publishing that…
Demon Road by Derek Landy
Lucy Hounsom
Derek Landy’s new novel is just as exciting, just as break-neck and just as addictive as his wildly successful Skulduggery Pleasant series. I tore through those books because I loved…
The Lowdown on REALMWALKER PUBLISHING…
Following the awesome response to my article on beginner writers choosing to Self Publish, we’re having a bit of a ‘means of publishing your work’ month on Fantasy-Faction. A piece…
The Romance of Fantasy
Victoria Hooper
Romance isn’t a word that we usually think of as being inseparable from fantasy; some people enjoy love stories with their fantasy and others vehemently object to them. But romance…
Gemmell Award Winners
Congratulations to the winners of the 2014/2015 David Gemmell Awards. Although I wasn’t able to make it this year, I’m told the evening – hosted at Nine Worlds Geekfest –…
I Hate Info-Dumps
Geoff Matthews
You’ve all thought it, haven’t you? Come on, be honest. You’ve had that heart sinking moment when you are reading a book and a new character appears in the narrative…