So now that The Broken Kingdoms has been out for awhile, I figured it was time to resurrect the Character Studies. And who better to start with than our protagonist, Oree Shoth. Spoilers, obviously!
Character Study: Oree KEEP READING
As a commenter reminded me in the other pronunciation post, there are quite a few new names in The Broken Kingdoms, so I should do a list for this book too. Again, I don’t really care how these names are pronounced; they’re fictional characters, not real people who can get upset about it. But for those who really want to know, here goes. Oree Shoth: OH-ree SHOTH Easha, Wesha: EE-sha, WEE-sha Vuroy: voo-ROY Ohn: OH-hin (the “i” is very soft and brief) Ru: ROO Role: ROH-luh Maro/Maroneh: MAH-roh/mah-ROH-nay Nimaro: NEE-mah-roh Rimarn Dih: rih-MAH-rin (again, a brief “i” in that last
A Pronunciation Guide for The Broken Kingdoms KEEP READING
…on some things I’ve been asked about, privately and in interviews, re the Inheritance Trilogy lately. I’m a big believer in the idea that a book’s text is fundamentally interactive. It means both what the author intended it to mean and what the reader interprets it to mean, with the actual value falling somewhere in between. The two cannot be separated, and a good author tries to anticipate what her readers will bring to the table. She can’t always succeed, of course; different readers bring different things. But she can try, so here’s what I was trying to do. Huge
A Few Points of Clarification KEEP READING
Apologies for not yet getting my London pics online; between Launch Week and life stuff I haven’t had time to edit and optimize. I’m not much of a picture taker, to be honest, and I tend to not do much with photos when I do take them. The visual fascinates me far less than the textual or auditory, for whatever reason. But I have two visual treats to share nevertheless: First, when I was in London, I did a signing of The Broken Kingdoms at the Forbidden Planet bookstore there, which is kind of like the sexily accented big brother
What Fantasy Writers Do On Vacation KEEP READING
It’s the big day at last — The Broken Kingdoms is officially out in the US. Calling this “launch day” is kind of moot, actually, since most of the major booksellers have been shipping preorders for the past few weeks, both here and in the UK — I did a signing at the London Forbidden Planet on Saturday, so they’ve had them since last week. I figure this is a good thing, me being the impatient type, and I imagine a number of readers feel the same. I’m understandably anxious about this one, because naturally I dread the sophomore slump.
Just got back from London last night! More on this later, when I’ve had time to recover from the jetlag and post photos, but it was a fantastic trip. However! I’ve come home to an inbox full of good news. First, The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms and The Broken Kingdoms have both been nominated for Romantic Times 2010 Reviewers’ Choice awards for best SF/F novels! I’m positively chuffed, as the folks across the pond would say. Also, this is Launch Week for The Broken Kingdoms! According to Amazon, it’s officially out in all English-language markets as of November 3 (Nov. 4
LaunchElectionVacationreturnAwardnom Day! KEEP READING
Busy week coming up, boys and girls, as part of the run-up to The Broken Kingdoms’ launch. A list: Sunday, Oct 24: I’ll be reading from my short story “The Effluent Engine” at Steampunk Day at the Dumbo Lofts, here in NYC. Then I’m leaving on a jet plane, and… Wednesday, October 27: I’ll be in London! Reading at the BSFA meeting there, and getting interviewed in person by Niall Harrison. ::wibble:: Might also be doing a Q&A with Orbit UK; more on this later. Then… Saturday, Oct. 30: I’ll be doing a signing with Karen Miller at Forbidden Planet!
Stuff happening in places with people doing things! KEEP READING
Now that the first two chapters of The Broken Kingdoms have been posted, and you’ve gotten a glimpse of what life is like in the city beneath Sky, I have a question for you: would you want to live there? For those who haven’t read the sample chapters, I’ll give you a brief description of the city. Spoilers for those who haven’t read The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms!
The City of Shadow: A Tour KEEP READING
This past weekend was crazy busy for me because of two events: Orbit’s third anniversary in the United States, and New York Comic Con. I wasn’t sure until the last minute that I’d be able to attend NYCC, but a friend helped me out — so I got to wade through packed aisles full of cosplayers and creative reenacters, fans and professionals, and all kinds of booksy goodness. NYCC isn’t just about comics anymore; there’s a growing SF/F-writer presence there, and all the big publishing houses were out in force promoting their stuff, including Orbit. (And a few lucky people
It’s Really, Really, Real! KEEP READING
One month to go ’til The Broken Kingdoms launches… and one more sample chapter to tease you and tide you over ’til then. Oree, who discovered a dead godling in chapter 1, gets into more trouble in this chapter thanks to the actions of a certain very problematic houseguest. Enjoy!
Chapter 2 of THE BROKEN KINGDOMS KEEP READING