Why Creators Shouldn't Insist On A Specific Interpretation Of Their Work
Labels:
creative writing,
creative writing interpretation
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Most creators of media have a vision in mind when they set off to make their masterpiece, and so when audiences don't "get it," they can understandably get frustrated. Some creators even seem to get resentful of the audience they've attracted, if they feel the audience has been attracted for the wrong reasons.
The thing is, as creators of artistic work, we have to accept the fact that each person is going to experience it differently than we do and take away something a little different, whether or not we intended it to be that way.
The reality of the matter is, if someone sees or doesn't see something in your work, that is a valid interpretation, no matter how disagreeable it might be. When you turn your work loose on the world, it's no longer truly yours. Other people are going to see and have opinions on it. And this is a good thing. It means you have created something that has touched other people, that has made them want to stay in your world a bit longer, even if they see it a different way.
Book Review - Huntress
Labels:
book review,
huntress,
novella,
renee carter hall
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| Cover art courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: Renee Carter Hall
Publisher: Smashwords
Publication Date: September 20, 2015
Version I Read: Ebook
Rating: 5/5
I've always loved anthropomorphic animal fantasy, so when I found this book I was instantly drawn in (the cover floored me, especially for an indie). I don't regret it - Huntress was amazing.
Note: this review is only regarding Huntress, not the short stories that are included in the ebook. I haven't read those yet, but I most certainly will when I get a minute.
Huntress tells the story of Leya, a young lioness who wants nothing more than to join the karanja, proud huntresses who bring meat to their villages. But to do that, she must forego life with a mate and cubs. At first, she can't wait to get out from village life and under her mother, but when her childhood friend confesses his love for her, her choice becomes more complicated than she could have imagined.
Huntress, is, quite simply, a magnificent piece. If anything, it could have easily been expanded into a novel.
Spoiler warning.
The world building and sheer details of the culture stand out most of all. These are truly anthropomorphized animals, as they act human but still very much live in animal ways (the males are the leaders of their villages while the karanja are groups of all female hunters - that's basically how lions work.) A lot is crammed into this novella in regards to their culture and mythology, which grabbed and fascinated me from page one. But none of it manages to get convoluted or confusing. The only thing I would have liked more of was more information on the other anthropomorphized animals out there, since Hall chose to include them (the painted dogs and the jackals). Perhaps they'll feature more in the short stories.
Even in such a small space, every character is given significance and views the world and situations in very different ways, which only serves to make the story more interesting. Leya is, of course, a spunky, likable heroine who grows tremendously over the course of the story and I'm never going to say no to that, Bahati was the very kind, stable pillar she needed, Thembe was a cool substitute mom and guiding force for her, and Nuru had lots of interesting things about him. Even Masika, Naimah, Shani, and Ndiri, relatively minor characters, all had dimension and came to life. I think I liked pretty much everyone.
Leya's choice becomes more complicated the more she learns, and it's effectively communicated to the reader how hard this choice is. At first I wanted her to get together with Bahati, but the karanja are so cool too and I wanted her to follow her dream as well. The things she had to do to become a karanja were also creative (such as the initiation test with the ants; even her thought process was well thought out and believable) and horrifying (having their breasts cut off. Eeek.). I also really appreciated the spiritualism and Hall's choice to make it maybe magic, maybe mundane - it's up to you. (Maybe the elephant is her spirit guide or Thembe's spirit, maybe it's both, or maybe it's just her own inner voice given shape.) Her final decision to take a third option and forge a path for herself, scary as that must have been, left me feeling very satisfied for these characters and the world they are going to build together.
The Verdict: Huntress is an engaging novella with fantastic world building, likable characters, and a good story.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
New Story - Past, Present, and Future
Labels:
creative writing,
fiction,
free book,
karen lofgren,
science fiction
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"Modern soon-to-be college freshmen Melanie Geyer discovers she has the rare and amazing ability to Jump - time travel - between two times other than her own. One is Victorian England, the other a space station orbiting a devastated Earth far in the future. As more and more complications come to light, Melanie finds herself faced with an agonizing choice.
An 11,000 word digital exclusive from Loyalty Press and Karen Lofgren, author of the urban fantasy Imagine Someday and the epic space opera saga The Souls of the Stars."
An 11,000 word digital exclusive from Loyalty Press and Karen Lofgren, author of the urban fantasy Imagine Someday and the epic space opera saga The Souls of the Stars."
Here are the links to download:
Kindle*
Nook
Kobo
iBookstore
Smashwords
*I am still working with Amazon to get the title free on their site, but until then, if you have a Kindle and you want to read the book and not pay the $0.99, please visit Smashwords and simply download the .mobi link from them and load it onto your Kindle.
Thank you, as always, for checking out my work. If you enjoy the book, please consider leaving a review and taking a look at my other work. Look for more to come from me and Loyalty Press in 2016!
Kindle*
Nook
Kobo
iBookstore
Smashwords
*I am still working with Amazon to get the title free on their site, but until then, if you have a Kindle and you want to read the book and not pay the $0.99, please visit Smashwords and simply download the .mobi link from them and load it onto your Kindle.
Thank you, as always, for checking out my work. If you enjoy the book, please consider leaving a review and taking a look at my other work. Look for more to come from me and Loyalty Press in 2016!
Book Review - The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms
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| Cover image courtesy of Barnes and Noble. |
Author: N.K. Jemisin
Publisher: Orbit
Publication Date: October 1, 2010
Version I Read: Mass Market Paperback
Rating: 3.75/5
I have mixed feelings about this one. The book is, quite simply, amazingly crafted, but I had a hard time really emotionally liking it. Perhaps this is just one of those titles that I appreciate critically while not liking personally.
I can't really think of a good way to give a quick recap, so you might want to go read the official book description. Also, spoilers.
The cultures (that the book addresses, at least) and mythology of this world are lushly presented. The plotting is also very, very good, with many engaging twists and turns, especially near the end. I like the narrative style and the voice - the way Yeine's narration jumps around feels authentic to real thought. This was one of the few pieces of media I've come across where it actually makes sense why this cruel ruling class is and remains in power: they literally have enslaved gods on their side.
The narrative isn't as vast or expansive as its title suggests, which is fine because the book really does only focus on certain characters. But I think it's a misnomer to call it The Hundred Thousand Kingdoms. It's not really epic fantasy - more like political intrigue low fantasy with a dash of mystery. The focus isn't on the mortal world and its goings-on but the gods: their past, present, and future. Which, fortunately, was well done.
The big problem for me was the characters. The only ones I cared about at all were T'vril, Relad, and, most of the time, Yeine. I genuinely liked T'vril and Relad - they were decent guys and I wanted to take them home and bake them cookies. While I may not have liked him, Viraine was truly a multidimensional character - probably the only one besides Yeine, Dekarta, and, to a lesser extent, Nahadoth and Relad.
Yeine herself is a refreshing heroine in the fantasy genre, just as the author, N.K. Jemisin, is a refreshing voice, being a black woman able to make that too-long-unheard voice heard. Yeine is decidedly human, with flaws and a believable voice. Most of the time, I was completely behind her, wanting her to triumph. I especially admire her desire, even after all the horrors she has seen, to make the world a better place, even if she must die for it. But every now and again, she would really try my patience. My two biggest problems with her are as follows: her choice to kill the two Menchey men and her relationship with Nahadoth.
Whether or not she felt the need to appear strong, killing the Menchey men (especially the second one) was, put simply, a dick move and almost made me not finish the book. It would have actually made a lot more sense for her to allow the first man to die (because he had tried to attack her) while sparing the second one (because all he tried to do was help his comrade). I think that would have sent a more powerful message to Menchey: that if you attack us, we will destroy you, but if you don't, you won't be harmed. This would have sent a two-pronged message of threat and assuredness that's more likely to get what you want. Whether she felt guilty afterward or not is irrelevant; she made the choice and was the direct cause of the innocent death of a pawn who really didn't have much choice to begin with. That turned me off to her hard and fast. (Also, why didn't she bring Relad back to life at the end?)
That moment was both a little hypocritical and, I'd even argue, out of character, as throughout the rest of the book, Yeine proves herself to be a decent, compassionate human being, wanting nothing more than to not be Arameri. And then she goes ahead and does something very Arameri. It's understandable that she wants to protect her homeland, especially seeing as she knows she is going to die, has some power now, and is the former leader of her people. However, when taken along with her wish that the world become a better place, her actions come across as hypocritical. She shows no interest in any nation other than her own Darre, including the ones that she's given responsibility for.
Her relationship with Nahadoth is also problematic for a number of reasons (besides the over-the-top supernatural bed-destroying sex scene). First, it continues to pander to the "girls want bad boys" trope, which I have written about before. It's not necessarily a bad thing, but only if handled exceedingly well. In this case, I couldn't really fathom why Yeine is so drawn to Nahadoth over T'vril, unless it's because 1) she wants to experience a more exciting relationship before she dies (which is problematic because that's hardly the basis for a healthy romantic relationship) or 2) she carries the soul of his beloved sister and she is drawn to him because of Enefa (also problematic, because then she's not wholly herself in choosing him, even if you overlook the squicky fact that Enefa and Nahadoth are siblings). I'm not against sex and romance in fantasy, in fact, I encourage it, but something about the portrayal here felt lacking. He just seemed too inhuman for her to really have any chemistry with. A guy who sleeps with his kids and his brother and sister. Yeah, a real winner. Befitting behavior for a god, certainly, but not something to be admired or sought after by mortal morals.
The ending was fantastic and I want to see where this world goes now that its gods are no longer present. This is a plot I love to see in fantasy and so I will definitely be reading the next book.
The Verdict: Rich mythology, amazing take on the relations between gods and mortals, engaging plot and ending. Problematic romance. Characters largely unlikable or flat.
Neither Karen Lofgren nor Loyalty Press has any affiliation with the author or publisher. This review constitutes Fair Use.
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