DRAGONMOUNT

Welcome to another edition of Dragonmount's "Fantasy Review."  This time, I had the pleasure of reading the thrilling conclusion to Greg van Eekhout's Daniel Blackland series: Dragon Coast.  This book will be released next week, on September 15th, 2015, and can be preordered in our eBook store.   Spoilers will follow!     Dragon Coast By Greg van Eekhout   Synopsis: It's been a year since Sam was dissolved into the Firedrake, and Sam's consciousness is starting to rouse itself inside the dragon—he's trying to take control of the beast's primal urges.  He's having a hard time, as the dragon is bigger, stronger, more magic than Sam.  But as he pokes around the dragon's insides, he becomes aware that there are others inside with him.  Are they allies or enemies?   Daniel's been tracking the Firedrake for the past year with Moth and Em as companions.  He has plans to leak Sam's essence from the dragon and return it to another golem.  But when Daniel finally tranquilizes the beast, agents from Northern California steal Daniel's adopted son away.  Now Daniel needs to go into enemy territory, and what better way to gain access than to pose as his own golem, Paul?   As Paul, Daniel is given access to a life of luxury.  But what he really needs to free Sam is a bone the Northern Heirarch keeps.  It looks like he and his crew are up to their old ways, looking for the best way to heist the crown jewels right under the Heirarch's nose.   Pros: This novel continues the excitement and thrills of the first two books in the series.  Daniel's desperate now to get Sam back, and he turns almost reckless in his desire to free his son from the dragon.  His plan to pose as Paul seems logical, but Daniel's knowledge of his golem's habits, and of life in the north, are non-existent and likely to cause problems.  Daniel falls into the charade even deeper when he finds out Paul has a daughter—magically-skilled, four-year-old Ethelinda.  Now he has to worry about his own son, and Paul's daughter.   This shows that Daniel—despite the hard appearances he keeps—cares very much for the younger generation.  He has so many horrible memories of what being orphaned was like, and he struggles to make lives better for the children around him.  Especially since he was the one who killed Paul, he feels a debt to Ethelinda, and let's her know that she can find him if she ever needs revenge.   Gabriel Argent, water mage, plays a big role in this book.  Gabriel is one of my favorite characters within the series, because he's able to have power, and remain a good man.  However, this time he's put to the test.  He, Max, and Cassandra, aid Daniel by sneaking into Northern California and helping him find the Firedrake.  Gabriel has other plans, though.  For the good of his city, the Firedrake needs to be tamed—and he has the means to put it under his control.  But having that much power changes a man, and Max is not about to see his master and best friend corrupted.    This really turned into an interesting examination of human nature: will power ultimately turn a man to evil?  Gabriel has been the good guy from the beginning of the series, while Daniel has been traipsing through gray area the whole time.  Yet, this gives us a complete 180.  Gabriel's mad grab for more power turns his allegiance, even to his closest friends.  It was so shocking, but incredibly engaging, to see.   Cons: The pace was a bit slow at times.  Because we switched between Daniel posing as Paul, Gabriel sneaking into San Francisco, and Sam within the dragon, there were times when we had to catch up with the other storylines, even though more exciting things were happening elsewhere.  It was fascinating to see Sam's point of view from inside the Firedrake, but we had very few chapters about him.   Conclusion: This story was bitter-sweet.  A great conclusion to the series, but leaving a bit of sadness at some of the unresolved plotlines.  And not unresolved to the reader, unresolved to Daniel.  He's such a broken man—needing a goal to work towards to give his life meaning.  And after this heist is done, he has nothing else to give him purpose.  The overwhelming sadness is absolutely beautiful.    The fact that these characters pull so much at my emotions is amazing.  I really hope that Mr. van Eekhout revisits Los Angeles sometime soon, and gives us another glimpse into the life of Daniel Blackland.   Rating: 5/5      If you'd like to see more by Mr. van Eekhout, you can check out the reviews of California Bones and Pacific Fire.  You can also read an interview with Mr. van Eekhout, here.

With the release of The Wheel of Time Companion just around the corner, Tor.com has kept us tantalized with fan-suggested sneak peaks into the excerpts we're anxiously awaiting.  But now, we have something that's a bit more meaningful, the Forward to the Companion, written, of course, by Harriet McDougal—Robert Jordan's widow, and the editor of The Wheel of Time series.   In addition to this, Tor.com is also giving us a taste of a more detailed Old Tongue dictionary.  You can see all the past entries they've released, as well as some insightful essays on the series, on Tor.com's Wheel of Time Companion page.

I was privileged enough to meet Greg van Eekhout at the Phoenix Comicon at the end of May.  I listened to him speak on several panels, and was really intrigued by the description of his Daniel Blackland series, as well as his views on writing.  After reading the first two novels in the series (California Bones and Pacific Fire), I am anxiously awaiting the third and final, Dragon Coast, due out September 15th, 2015.   There may be spoilers from California Bones and Pacific Fire below.  Read at your own risk.     Q: In California Bones, Daniel mentions that a sea slug is able to steal genes from algae.  Is that where you got the idea of osteomancy as a magic system?   A: The sea slug that steals genes by ingesting algae was one of those neat things I came across in my research, but the idea of osteomancy, of gaining magic by eating the remains of magical creatures, came from the really general, basic idea that we gain stuff by eating stuff, be it protein, fat, or fire-breathing magic.     Q: Your story is set in an alternate universe, so there are some similarities to our world, and there are some major differences.  How did you decide what to keep and what to change?  For example, why did you decide to keep Disney, and the other LA elite in the story?   A: I wanted LA to be recognizable, but also recognizably different. The big, major, conspicuous change I made was getting rid of cars and streets and freeways and replacing them with boats and canals and elevated flumeways. Some stuff came from LA history, things that used to be there but are gone now, like the Pacific Ocean Park amusement pier. And then there was stuff I kept as-is, mostly little things, like Tito’s Tacos and Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. And there was also stuff I kept but altered, like the different-yet-familiar version of Disneyland that’s the characters allude to. As for what I kept and why I kept it, like Disney, I was governed by the question, “Hey, would this be fun? Can I make it make sense? Then it’s in!”     Q: At the end of California Bones, Sam is ready and willing to sacrifice his own life so Daniel can defeat the Heirarch.  Yet, Daniel refuses to eat the boy.  But once the Heirarch is dead, Daniel does eat him.  So, if Sam had killed himself for the greater good, why wouldn't Daniel view that the same way as he viewed eating the Heirarch?  From Daniel's perspective, is there a difference in the ethics of it?   A: I think for Daniel there’s a huge gulf between eating the Hierarch and eating Sam. The Hiearch is a willing participant in a messed-up, exploitative system that literally treats people as consumables. Sam is an innocent. He’s a victim. There’s no way Daniel would ever willingly hurt someone like Sam, much less eat him.     Q: For character motivation, you mentioned that you like to focus on the difference between what a character wants to do versus what a character has to do.  When dealing with strong-willed characters like Daniel and Sam, is there a difference between what they have to do and what they want to do?   A: Absolutely. Daniel wants to remove himself from Los Angeles and the powerful people who run it, but what he needs to do is penetrate the Hierarch’s stronghold, the actual, physical center of that power. And what Sam wants is to be a normal kid, going to high school, having friends, dating, all the mundane stuff he’s never experienced because he lives his life on the run. What he needs to do, though, is confront the things he’s running from. I think Sam better understands and accepts the difference between his wants and his needs than Daniel does. I think Sam is more of a realist, maybe.     Q: There's a lot of diversity in your characters.  In Pacific Fire, Daniel teams back up with Moth, and we find out he has a boyfriend.  Does this diversity add to the realistic nature of the characters?    A: Sure. The world is populated by all sorts of people, so it’s weird and unrealistic when fictional worlds don’t reflect that.     Q: Daniel, while having good and honorable traits, does seem to take advantage of people when he needs to.  How do you keep him from tipping the balance between good and bad, and losing the reader's sympathy?   A: I can only hope I don’t lose the reader’s sympathy! Daniel definitely does have a selfish streak. He does what he feels he has to do, and he’s willing to use people, even those he loves, to achieve his goals. In that way, he’s caught up in the same system of exploitation as the bad guys. But what I think redeems Daniel is his awareness of his flaws and his desire to protect and improve the lot of those he loves. But he’s certainly far from a perfect person.     Q: Osteomancy is only one form of the way magic manifests in your series.  How is Gabriel's water mandala different from osteomancy?   A: Gabriel’s hydromancy is more akin to engineering. If you learn how water behaves and learn the ways of manipulating those behaviors with plumbing and patterns of water flow, you can do mighty things. The most powerful kinds of osteomancy, what Daniel’s father calls “deep osteomancy,” requires one to change their own physiology over time. You have to change your body so you can ingest magic and use it to its full extent. It’s a more intimate and personal kind of magic.     Q:  In California Bones we see that Daniel and Gabriel are slight variations on the same theme.  And in Pacific Fire we see that Daniel and Sam have that same relation.  Will it be possible for the three of them to form some sort of alliance?   A: The three of them don’t really team up in Dragon Coast, but if enough people buy the books, who knows?     Q: I think it's pretty safe to say that Sam would have grown up different if Daniel had left him in Los Angeles.  But, would it have changed his nature, what's at his very core?  Would he have seen the reconstructed mammoth as food not kin?   A: It’s hard to say, because in addition to his magical heritage, he’d also be influenced by his environment and the people around him. If he’d been raised by evil turds, he may well have turned out an evil turd.     Q: Is Sam at all affected by the love potion in Daniel?   A: Daniel has managed to rid himself of the loyalty spell between California Bones and Pacific Fire.  It's one of the untold parts of hte story that I hope will come out someday, maybe as a short story.     Q: Did Daniel eat any part of his own body when he switched with Paul?   A: Ew! No! Gross!       Mr. van Eekhout is the author of several other fantasy and YA novels and short stories.  You can find out more at Mr. van Eekhout's website.  You can also purchase all three in the Daniel Blackland series in the Dragonmount eBook store.

Deadpool vs Marvel by Comicstorian Greeting all! It is Thursday again meaning it is time for another installment of the Rotating Features blog! The dice have been been tossed and the featured topic has been chosen. 
   In light of the San Diego ComicCon having come and passed, many comic and movie fans have been salivating over some of the Marvel and DC movie trailers. Admittedly I am one of these people, unfortunately I feel very disconnected from my comic book roots as I have not purchased a comic in years. This said, I am sadly out of the loop when it comes to my favorite comic book universes. And I have found a solution!   The YouTube channel is called Comicstorian. This, by the way, is a GREAT name as this website takes comic book story arcs, breaks them down, and reads them back to you in easily digestible bites, typically between five and eight minutes long per video. This effectively makes them part story tellers and part historians when it comes to the comic book universe. Additionally, they have a true passion for the genre and highly encourage folks to still go out and buy the comics, as do I.   This channel does not replace comics, as you do not see all of the wonderful artwork, and they summarize the dialogue quite a bit, but if you are just trying to catch up on what you missed, want a fairly clear backstory to some of you favorite character, or just simply want something to do while waiting for your mac and cheese to finish cooking, this website is an awesome option.   For more in depth explanations you can also try Comics Explained: another YouTube channel, but one where the videos are typically 30 minutes or longer. The advantage to this is the videos are much more detailed and you get a little more of the character development, but again, these are longer than your standard YouTube videos and I don't always have the time. None the less, it also does a great job of catching you up on the story arcs as well.   Watching either one of these channels will get you caught up on what you may have missed. If you have never read comics, or consider them a lesser form of literature, I highly encourage giving them a try as some of the stories are just amazing and some of the characters are just simply splendid.   Last thing, what comic book inspired or based movies are you looking forward to? Anyone have a favorite comic they have yet to turn into cinema gold?   As always I hope you enjoyed this installment of the Rotating Features blog. Sorry for my repeated absence. As always feel free to comment with your thoughts and any topics you would like covered in future Rotating Features blogs. Until next time, this is Azeryn signing off to begin working on a costume in preparation for February 2016... DEADPOOL!!!

Tor.com has released another teaser entry to the Wheel of Time Companion, due for publication November 3, 2015.  And the theme this time is the Oath Rod and the Nine Rods of Dominion.   We know from several interviews that the Nine Rods of Dominion were actually governors of the regions—Lews Therin's ability to summon them showing his authority even over the laws and governments of the land.  And, we know that the Rods of Dominion are not linked in anyway to the Oath Rod, which is a binder ter'angreal.  Two very different things, according to interviews Robert Jordan gave in the past, as well as other members of Team Jordan recently.    Here's one question and answer that is still relevant:     With the leaps and bounds made prior to the Last Battle, many Sisters, and even Novice and Accepted, know how to make ter'angreal.  The possibility of binders being made and used in Tel'aran'rhiod is much higher than before.  Of course, with the Bore sealed again, perhaps the Darkfriends and any Black Ajah members will silently slink away.     And I always thought this question, and Brandon Sanderson's answer, was interesting because it showed how easily the Oath Rod could be beaten:     A person's perspective on things is so easily swayed—especially to a group of women who have been taught to be evasive in the first place.   I also thought it would be fun to examine fanart of the Oath Rod.  But, I was unable to find very much.  Here's an Oath Rod pendant, made by Dragonmount's own Elaevia for a Wheel of Time craft event in the Tuatha'an Social Group.       Oath Rod Pendant by Elaevia   Even though the Oath Rod is pretty non-existent in fanart, there are several other ter'angreal that make an appearance.  Here is a 3D version of Egwene's Dream ter'angreal.     Tel'aran'hriod Ring v2 by Shrakner   Another 3D representation of the Choedan Kal.     Choedan Kal by CorellaStudios   This is a beautiful work that shows the end of the Time of Illusion.     With the Choedan Kal - Saidar by JaredtheDragon   And here is the archway ter'angreal used to test Accepted.     Terangreal by anonymous   And though not a ter'angreal, I thought this picture of Rand with his angreal to be really impressive.     Rand with angreal by FiF     Make sure to check Dragonmount's Facebook page and Twitter account for more up-to-date news on The Wheel of Time Companion.

It's with great pleasure that I get to write about the first ever official Wheel of Time Convention held in Australia—The Land of Madmen Convention.   This Convention will take place on September 26, 2015, at Fitzroy Hall in Burwood, Sydney.  Tickets are available at the discounted price of $32.79, until September 11, 2015.  After that, ticket prices will be $38.  They can be ordered online, or can be purchased at the event the day of.   This year's Guest of Honor will be Linda Taglieri, creator of the Wheel of Time fansite The Thirteeth Depository.     The Convention will host several events, including Wheel of Time discussions, trivia, costume contest, and workshops.     For more information, you can check out The Land of Madmen's website, or their Facebook page.  You can even talk about the event on the Dragonmount forum here.

This edition of "Fantasy Review" looks at Greg van Eekhout's Pacific Fire, the second in the Daneil Blackland trilogy.  You can find a review of the first in the series here.     Pacific Fire By Greg van Eekhout   Synopsis: Ten years have passed since Daniel defeated the Heirarch and liberated the Heirarch's golem—who now goes by the name Sam Blackland.  But, the powers in Los Angeles have a plan to cause more chaos, reviving an ancient Pacific firedrake, and Daniel and his osteomantic abilities are needed to destroy it.  When an attack leaves him weak and on the verge of death, Sam decides it's up to him to step in and save the day.   Pros: This is another tale full of action, adventure, danger, and compelling characters.  From start to finish, this book never let up.  Though Sam takes center stage as—arguably—the main character, Daniel is still relevant and important to the plot.  After his near-death experience, he sets off for Los Angeles to save Sam, and calls on his old friend, Moth, for help.  There's also some significant secrets about Daniel's past that come to light, mainly, what happened to his mother in the Northern California Kingdom.   Daniel's character is such a badass.  He's ten years older than in the previous book, and that mean ten years more experienced, and ten years more jaded.  He's hard and tough, but at the same time has a soft spot for the child he raised, feeling a paternal connection to Sam.  These two sides of him—a rage against the world and a deep love for Sam—give him strong motivation in this book.  But at the same time, he's still as snarky and arrogant as he was when he was younger.  He's an amazing character.   Sam is equally as interesting.  His life with Daniel is unfulfilling—never staying in any place longer than a few days, learning osteomancy as well as self-defense, not able to from relationships with anyone—yet he is alive.  But when Daniel is attacked with a rare poison, he needs the help of the Emmas.  There, he teams up with one Emma—called Em—and she agrees to help him take on Daniel's mission.  For once in his life, Sam gets to be the hero, not relying on Daniel's protection, and of course, everything goes wrong.   Getting to see Sam return to Los Angeles, his birthright, and finally get to use his osteomancy, really grew his character.  Living under Daniel's influence did cause Sam to be jaded as well, but he's still young enough to have a sense of wonder at the world around him.   There were so many scenes within this book that were so touching.  These characters worm their way into your heart, and their pains and struggles and hopes and dreams are so tangible to the reader.   Cons: A few elements of the story relied too much on coincidence and chance meetings.  Sam and Em crash a plane, but are still able to get to Los Angeles within the scheduled timeframe.  They don't have a way to get to Catalina Island, but a passing celebrity happens to invite them to an illegal party on a ship where there's a submarine they can steal.    Coincidences occur in fiction, but it did feel like it happened a few too many times to be believable.   Conclusion: This book was incredible, just as intriguing as the first in the series.  It was teemed with emotion and adrenaline, sure to keep the reader's attention.  The relationships between the characters are what make this story worth reading.  Both Daniel and Sam are sympathetic, relatable protagonists.  And despite both of their tragic beginnings, they still fight to make the world a better place.   Rating: 5 out of 5     This book can be purchased in the Dragonmount eBook store, here.  And the first book in the series, California Bones, is also available.  The third and final story, Dragon Coast, comes out on September 15th, and can be preordered here.

Tor.com has posted a preview of "The Creature That Had Once Been Padan Fain", one of several art pieces that will be included in the upcoming Wheel of Time Companion. "Padan Fain" is by Chesley award winning artist Paul Bielaczyc. The Companion is scheduled for release November 3rd, 2015.      Paul Bielaczyc might be a familiar name to some of you. In addition to his award winning art, he and his brother, Mike and sister, Sara form Aradani Studios, who are popular vendors at conventions and renaissance festivals around the south eastern United States. If you've ever bought a pair of elf ears at DragonCon, Paul or Mike were probably there to glue them on for you. Paul is also the co Director of the JordanCon Art Show where he works with artists from around the country to build JordanCon's Art Show into an attraction of its own. An avid cosplayer, Paul is best known to Wheel of Time fans for his Rand al'Thor cosplay or his award winning Trolloc cosplay (that was so good, someone called the police!)         His art can also be found on some of Ta'Veren Tees shirts and "Padan Fain" is also featured in this year's Wheel of Time calendar.  Paul was also the mastermind behind the hilarious "Rand on the Run" prank in 2014.   Oh, you don't know that one? Settle back, this is a good one.    JordanCon owns a cardboard cutout of Rand al'Thor. You might recognize it from this picture with George R. R. Martin from ConCarolinas last summer.     In 2011, the cutout disappeared from JordanCon and was thought lost. We were all sad, and then Rand mysteriously resurfaced at the JordanCon Opening Ceremonies in 2014. After the convention, Paul wanted to keep the mystery going and took Rand home with him and created a Facebook account to chronicle it.  The cutout was the star of many adventures, some more plausible than others.    As you can see, Paul Bielaczyc is a fantastic artist and longtime fan of The Wheel of Time. We are incredibly pleased to see his art featured in The Wheel of Time Companion and can't wait to see what other artists are included.

Welcome to another installment of the Forum Roundup.  Here I aim to bring you all of the brightest and best from around the Dragonmount forums, and all of the big news from The Wheel of Time world.   I will begin with something dark; almost as dark as the souls of the members of the Shayol Ghul Social Group. They have continued their thread entitled "Which Wheel of Time character would you kill off?"  They really should seek some kind of help.  I have featured this post before but it seems to be rather popular and keeps popping up on my radar.  Faile seems to be a popular one, although I can't imagine why!  The last time I mentioned this thread I decided that Galad would be my victim of choice and I'm sticking with that.     On a lighter note, member Elgee has started a thread on the Tuath'an Social Group entitled "I color you Tinker."  She has posted some lovely and colorful pictures of possible Tinker garb.  Click the link above to see some fashions that would make a Tinker blush.   The Ogier are feeling a tad mischievous lately.  They have a thread that is sure to ruffle some feathers: "Which Wheel of Time is honestly the best?"  If there was ever a question to cause some heated debate then this would be it!  I personally am a sucker for a prequel, so New Spring is my favorite.  The dynamic between Lan and Moraine is superb!    To finish up, I want to confess something really weird.  Or at least share some of the weird confessions coming from the Wolfkin Forum.  This post confirms something that I have feared for quite some time now--that the Wolfkin bunch are all a bit strange.   Some of the highlights of this "Weird Confessions" thread include:   Hiding snacks from there own off spring so they don't need to share. Hating the Goonies (What? Why?) And Smeagol being someones hero!   And lastly, Tor.com is releasing previews of The Wheel of Time Companion, due out November 3rd, 2015.  The first preview has been posted on Tor's website, and we have a thread dedicated to discussing it.  This post covered strength of men and women in the One Power.  Join in the conversation!     Remember to keep checking Dragonmount's Facebook and Twitter pages for the latest news.  Thanks for reading.

This edition of "Fantasy Review" covers California Bones by Greg van Eekhout.  It is the first in the series, followed by Pacific Fire, and Dragon Coast due out September 15, 2015.  Slight spoilers will follow.     California Bones By Greg van Eekhout   Synopsis: In an alternate universe Los Angeles, Daniel Blackland is the son of a powerful magic user, Sebastian.  However, to cut down a rival, the Kingdom's ruler, the Hierarch, kills Sebastian and cannibalizes him right before his son's eyes, absorbing the magic embedded inside Sebastian's bones.  Daniel escapes, and years later, is brought in to steal his father's most precious artifact, a sword made out of Daniel's own magical essence.  Daniel puts together a crew of his friends, and someone on the inside of the Hierarch's organization.  But Daniel has a hard time trusting someone he doesn't know.  Could this insider ruin the heist of the century and send Daniel into the clutches of the Hierarch?   Pros: This story is about so much more than a heist.  While Daniel—growing up on the streets, orphaned—needs to steal for a living, that is only one thread of the plot.  More important is Daniel himself, his innate magic, what he gathers for the robbery, and his relations to the people around him.  Daniel is a very deep, well-round character with clear motivations, strengths, and weaknesses.  He's never been obsessed with vengeance for his father's murderer, showing that he's smart enough to realize the rules of the world.  If he sought vengeance, he'd be dead by now.  Instead, living is how he gets back at the Hierarch.   The other point of view character is Gabriel Argent, the Heirarch's great-nephew, and a bureaucratic worker in the government.  His family connections are more a hindrance than a help—Gabriel's own mother was eaten by the Heirarch during the Third Correction, the same event that lead to Sebastian Blackland's death.  Gabriel is clever, keeping quiet and unnoticeable within the government, until certain circumstances lead him to the knowledge that Daniel is alive.  He goes to higher-ups with his discovery and suddenly becomes a target himself.    Gabriel is fascinating.  The story could have easily been told with him as the hero.  His view of the world—his morals of working within the system—differ greatly from Daniel, but the two have very similar motivations: only wanting to live and work in peace.   Mr. van Eekhout's writing style is quick and a tad gritty.  It needs to be when it details a society that is ruled by a cannibal.  But it's expertly done, adding to the overall atmosphere of the Los Angeles setting.  The magic system, osteomancy, was refreshing; a new way for power to be used, stolen, and processed.  This book barely scratched the surface of what osteomancy can do, and I hope it's explored more as the series progresses.   Cons: Daniel's crew—Moth, a healer, Cassandra, a good shot and lock pick, and Jo, a shapeshifter—are very important to the plot line of stealing the sword.  Yet, they could have been more developed as characters.  Part of what makes them this way is Daniel's own magic; he makes them loyal to him.  So, it could be seen that they only act the way he wants them to.  Still, I would have liked to know more about them and their backstories—especially more about Moth's abilities, and how Jo got hers.   Conclusion: This story kept me eagerly reading; it was difficult to put down.  I'm really excited to start the sequel and find out how much more the magic system will be explored.    Rating: 5/5     California Bones can be purchased from the Dragonmount eBook store, and so can the sequel, Pacific Fire.