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Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog! Remember a while back I posted an article about where you could buy a heron marked blade online? Well, just recently, one was brought to my attention which takes my breath away! Here is the link. It was custom made to specification by Brendan Olszowy and advertised on his website, called Fable Blades. Brendan doesn't replicate these; every item he makes is custom. That sword though, is, I think, by far the nicest take on a heron marked katana I've seen. Possibly one of the nicest swords I have seen, full stop. It's just exquisite. The website has a large gallery of his other work, including several weapons from The Lord of the Rings and other fiction, as well as some historical swords and weapons. It's well worth perusing and if you have the cash, then this guy can do some serious work. That's all for now! Have fun! Until next time, friends!
This month's Fantasy Review is going to be a little bit different. The chosen book is Shadows Beneath, a short story anthology written by the four members of the Writing Excuses podcast: Mary Robinette Kowal, Dan Wells, Howard Tayler, and Brandon Sanderson. Each week, a different story of the anthology will be featured. This week's will be Mary Robinette Kowal's story "A Fire in the Heavens." But first, a quick explanation of this book. The Writing Excuses team put this anthology together as a tool for new and emerging writers. The book includes the initial brainstorming session that took place on Writing Excuses for each novella. The podcasters all share their ideas and work out the overall plot for their story. The book also includes the first draft of the story, allowing the readers to get a feel for what was added to and what was cut from the final version. And finally, each story has a second podcast where the first draft is discussed and improved. The bonus material in this story is overwhelming! For the podcast episodes, there's also a link (in the eBook version) to listen to it online, rather than read the transcript in the book. Without further ado, I bring you: "A Fire in the Heavens" By Mary Robinette Kowal This review will contain spoilers. Synopsis: Katin is a follower of the Five Sisters—a religious group that believes their people came to the current continent from Selen, their homeland across the ocean. Katin has been sent, along with a hired ship and crew, to search for the ancestral homeland. As they sail, they spy a moon on the horizon, which gets bigger and higher in the sky the further they sail. The crew and Katin are apprehensive about the moon's appearance, but they press on. Finally, they spy land, and they sail into port. The people's complexion is similar to Katin's, and those who follow the Five Sisters. She is convinced they have found their homeland. But, once in port, there is a communication barrier. Katin's religious texts use an old dialect, which is similar to the one spoken on this continent, but not quite the same. And worse, she discovers that the people here don't worship the Fives Sisters. They worship the moon, and anyone who does not worship the moon is sentenced to death. Katin must fight for her life—and the crew of the ship—with a bare minimum of cultural and linguistic knowledge of this unknown land. Pros: This concept is so fascinating. I love the idea of two worlds, on complete opposite ends of the world, having no knowledge of each other. Katin is a well-developed character, one who is easy to relate to as she searches for the roots of her heritage. There are times when the things she believes are completely shattered—like the existence of the moon—but she presses on. She doesn't let all the stumbling blocks deter her from her faith or her path. The language barrier on the new continent is well done. It seems like in movies or books, we fall into that tendency of having everyone speak the same language. Having that be one of the main conflicts was very refreshing. Katin could communicate a little, but the language had evolved from the ancient texts the Five Sisters worshippers study. The lack of reliable communication really added to the reality of the story and to the overall plotlines. Cons: The idea, though interesting, felt a little too grand to be condensed into a short story length. I feel this tale would have done better at twice the length, or even as a full novel. There were so many aspects that could have been explored that weren't, due to the size. I would have loved to see more of Katin's current continent—it's mentioned, but never shown—and the way of life there. I would have loved to see more of the new continent—much of the time there is spent in jail. Short stories have been expanded into novels before; I hope Mary Robinette Kowal will eventually expand this one. Conclusion: This was a solid story. The action, the conflicts, the characters were all well done, and interesting. The story kept me hooked. The ending, too, had another hook, which begs for an extended version, or perhaps a sequel. Like Kowal's other works, its language is beautiful, like poetry; she does an excellent job of illustrating the wonders of a new world with only words as her medium. Rating: 4 our of 5 If you are interested in buying this book, it is available here, at the Dragonmount eBook store. You can listen to the first and second Writing Excuses brainstorming sessions on this story by clicking the links below. "Brainstorming with Mary" "Critiquing 'A Fire in the Heavens'" Next week's story will be Dan Wells' "I.E.Demon."
Hello! Welcome once again to Fan Art Friday! I’m Seafolk Sedai, and so you probably won’t be surprised that my very first topic will be…the Atha’an Miere. I’ve been in love with the Sea Folk since the very first time Bayle Domon mentions them in Eye of the World: Adventure, strange sites, treasure, and an entire ethnic group that lives on ships? Yes, please. I’ve always been fascinated with the ocean, and all things related, so when I saw a mention of Sea Folk in the first book, well, that was the moment that hooked me on the series. I put my book down, stumbled down the rabbit hole of internet fandom, and fifteen years later I come before you as Seafolk Sedai. Enough about me, though. Let's get to the art! Seafolk Porcelain by minnearts I enjoy a little tongue-in-cheek art! This is really well done, and informative! Apprentice Windfinder, source "Pattern Weavers" in ''Dragon Magazine: Annual 6'' I found this piece of artwork on what my one semester of Spanish and context clues told me was the page for Windfinders, and I find this image to be stunning. Especially since I have never seen this one before. It reminds me of more traditional fantasy art, and there is so much intricate detail. This is also on the English version of the WotWiki, but Spanish is totally sexier, so I’m keeping Detectora de Vientos in mind for future use. Speaking of sexier, this one pushes the envelope a little for PG-13, but do you know how hard it is to find Sea Folk artwork that is PG-13? My troubles, let me tell you about them. I know the toplessness is meant for the provocation factor, but I find the attire worn by the Atha'an Miere to be fairly efficient, and pretty egalitarian. It only sucks that the shorebound are so conservative and weirdly mysogynistic for a culture with so many women in positions of leadership that the female Sea Folk feel the need to cover themselves--even if it's only nominal. Atha'an Miere of Wave Runner by DrowElfMorwen This is a piece of digital art by DrowElfMorwen for some RolePlay characters. It looks simplistic, but I know that digital art is far more complex than it seems. I like that this artist actually put thought into the colors for each rank, and the accessories each character is wearing, since they're such important aspects of the Sea Folk culture. Zhai din Eiran by Noiry This is a lovely image of an Atha’an Miere woman who is Aes Sedai of the Brown Ajah. Seems SweetYuya and I had similar thoughts on what that would look like! I like the sketch/watercolor feel of this piece; usually sketched style art looks somewhat unfinished to me, but this looks completely finished, entirely purposeful, and it’s lovely! Airelle by Jefita And now for my very favorite Seafolk image. I’m completely biased. In full disclosure, this is an image I commissioned for a character I roleplay on the Prophecies of the Pattern MUD, which was my first introduction to Wheel of Time fandom. This is another Sea Folk Aes Sedai – Airelle din Diko. Jefita, as the artist goes by online, also has another piece of Atha’an Miere art, but it is of the more traditional sort, and therefore not PG-13: Atha'an Miere by Jefita. It is too amazing not to share. Sea Folk Man, source The Wheel of Time Roleplaying Game And because yes, there are men among the Atha’an Miere, here’s a Cargomaster, all decked out and ready for battle. And that’s it this time! If you have other Sea Folk art that you love, please share it in the comments below. I’ve seen pictures out there of a couple people who have done Sea Folk costumes; if you’re one of those, I want to hear about it!
After the #justwheeloftimethings post last time, I couldn't help but read off the list as if I were singing the song "Royals" by Lorde, so I decided to write some lyrics! For your enjoyment, a parody song entitled "Wheel of Time Things." Verse 1: I’ve never seen Randland in the flesh Cut my teeth on 14 books (but still no movie) The wheel of time turns And ages come and pass, leaving memories… Pre-chorus: The Wheel of Time is like Smooth skirts, Darkfriends, chasing the Forsaken Aes Sedai, braid tugging, blank expressions Egwene don’t care; she’ll spy on you in your dreams And Wheel of Time is like Sul’dam, angreal, Daes Dae’mar Ta’veren, tel’aran’rhiod, saidin, saidar We don’t care; we are caught up in a love affair Chorus: Just Wheel of Time things (Wheel of Time things) This series runs in our blood The Dragon battles The Dark One While romancing more than one woman It’s just Wheel of Time things (Wheel of Time things) You can call me Empress JK I’m an Aes Sedai (Aes Sedai, Aes Sedai, Aes Sedai) The Seanchan are the worst Verse 2: Folding your arms beneath your breasts Draghkar, Myrrdraal, Trollocs, Gray Men, and Darkhounds And everyone in Randland knows That men are woolheads And women are impossible Bridge: Rand’s got Lews Therin in his head And Mat’s got memories from the dead Nynaeve battles Moghedien And wolves are talking to Perrin I hope you have enjoyed my little attempt at songwriting. The Light illumine you; have a great week!
Hello, friends! The Wheel has turned all the way around to Thursday again, which means two things: the weekend is not too far away, and it's time for our Rotating Features blog! You may or may not be aware that one of my major hobbies is board gaming. I believe I have previously written articles on a couple of my favorite board games. I would like to interject here and say that there is an excellent website where you can get information on a huge variety of games, including detailed ratings which tell you how the game plays so that you can decide if it likely something you would enjoy before you buy! It is called Board Game Geek. Let me reiterate that when I speak of board games, I don’t mean Monopoly and the like. No, no, no. The beauty of real board gaming is that there is a whole world of games out there, different types of game, be they deep strategy or hilariously fun. And many of them have a variety of themes, settings or inspiration. I would like to suggest a few games for you to look into. There is an excellent board game based on A Game of Thrones, of the same name. It is based on a system you may recognize--if you are into older strategy games--called Diplomacy. What is great about it is that it is a strategy game which does not involve dice! So it is almost totally down to you how you fare in-game. It also does a really excellent job of capturing the feel of George R R Martin’s epic series of political intrigue and the character of the world of Westeros. It is produced by a company called Fantasy Flight Games who are an excellent producer of board games--in fact, they are my favorite and are hugely popular. I have never bought a game by them which I did not thoroughly enjoy. Here is a link to the Board Game Geek page for this game. There is also a Wheel of Time Collectible Card Game (CCG) produced by a company called Precedence Publishing. I don’t particularly have experience with their games and am not a fan of CCG’s (not that they are bad; they are hugely popular) so I can’t vouch for it but considering this is a Wheel of Time fan site I thought it best to include it here! Here’s the Board Game Geek page. If you like gaming, why not try one of these out? I’ll bring other games to your attention in the future. If you haven’t really tried these kinds of board games before, why not give one a go? What do you have to lose?! That's all for now! Have fun! Until next time, friends!
The review might contain a few spoilers. Kushiel's Dart by Jacqueline Carey Synopsis The story revolves around Phedre. She is a child of the Night Court but she was born with an imperfection in a place where any sort of imperfection is unacceptable. The imperfection is a red mote in her eye which actually marks her as chosen of one of the gods, Kushiel. She is sold to a House of the Night Court who later sells her to a man named Delaunay with a mysterious past. Not long after she receives a warning that she would curse the day she learns Delaunay's past. Meanwhile, she starts a new life in Delaunay's household where she is taught how to observe and how to think. But when Delaunay and his household is killed and she is sold into slavery to Skaldians she learns of a plot which threatens her country and warn her people of the danger. Pros The plot is interesting and Delaunay's history keeps you going when the story seems to be stretching with nothing interesting happening. There are some stories which can be related to the real world which makes it easier to understand but there is a big twist in the way they are expressed. It's interesting how the plot twists and changes and how Delaunay's teachings help Phedre save the day. Cons There are parts which are boring where it seems that the story would not progress. Either I was in a great hurry or there were just huge gaps between important events. And sometimes even important events stretched for so long that they didn't seem important anymore. With nothing interesting even happening, slowly the suspense begins to die at times. Night Court. I don't like the concept of this whole stream of thinking of Night Court, though it's understandable if seen through the history of the place. Some of the Houses are just creepy. Conclusion This book is good for reading when you want to read a story with love, romance, intrigue, and mystery. It is a good read when you are not in mood for a light story but neither want to attempt something huge. Well, almost any sort of mood would suit reading this. My Rating I give it 4 out of 5 If you are interested in reading this, you can buy it here at Dragonmount's eBook store.
Dragonmount received word earlier this week that the first draft of the Wheel of Time Companion (previously known as the Wheel of Time Encyclopedia) was completed and delivered to the publisher. The Companion is currently scheduled for a November 2015 release. We previously reported that it's expected to be about 350,000 words (about the length of one of the series novels) and will be illustrated with new artwork and maps. It'll be written from a post-A Memory of Light perspective and will be considered a definitive source of information on the series. We'll have more information about the book as we receive it, including information on the artwork.
In the spirit of #justlittlethings and #justgirlythings, I present to you #justwheeloftimethings, an ever-growing list of things that are distinctly Wheel of Time. Feel free to add your own in the comments! The following list comes, respectively, from knifeeared, livia-sedai, mats-bloody-hat, gandalf-sedai, vikrattlehead, morichele, and shootdoctorallen. -telling no one your problems -talking to wolves -hunting men that can channel -hearing voices in your head -going into Tel’aran’rhiod -balefiring things out of existence -channeling the power -talking to dead people -killing trollocs -tugging braids -woolheads -not following advice -floating in the void -smoothing skirts -having an expressionless face -Ignoring the weather so it doesn’t affect you -Eating some pipin’ hot honey cakes -Bonds so strong you are truly emotionally and physically tied to another human being -Hiding expressions in sips of wine -Playing Daes Dae’mar -Carving the Dragon’s Fang in your neighbor’s door I hope those of you who are at Dragon Con are enjoying yourselves! Again, I'd love for you to add to this in the comments. The Light illumine you!
I am calling for applications for one person to join my staff as blogger. Applications for this positions will be open until Monday, September 8th, 2014. Description of the Job Position: The open position is for a Fan Art Friday Blogger. This person will be responsible for a short weekly column that will have such content as fan art, analysis of fan art, and occasional interviews with artists. Please look here for past examples of this column. Job Duties for Front Page Blogger Position: 1. Bloggers are expected to produce content in their respective areas for the front page at least twice a month. They must be able to meet deadlines in a timely manner. 2. Bloggers occasionally will be called upon to assist the Front Page Admin with brainstorming new ideas for features. 3. Bloggers are expected to dedicate time each week to the Front Page Bloggers Staff Board and the DM Staff Board. As members of DM Staff, they act as representatives of the members of DM and their input is vital in the decision making process. Bloggers should be actively engaged in discussions on staff boards. 4. Bloggers must be able to give at least a 6 month commitment of approximately 5 hours per week. LOAs will come up, of course. Anyone who thinks they can fulfill the requirements may apply. Strong candidates are people who possess the following qualities: efficiency, writing ability, organizational skills, creativity, maturity, and the ability to work well with others. The Application Process: If you are interested, please send an email to frontpage@dragonmount.com. In each application, please include: * Your DM Handle. * Some details about who you are in real life, including anything you think will have prepared you for leadership (including past online leadership experience). * A sample of your writing consisting of at least three short paragraphs. This can be in the form of a brief essay, a blog, a school paper, a newspaper article, a forum post, a short story, or a role play. You do not have to write something new for this application; in fact, many of you already have forum posts that are long enough to count. I mainly want to get an idea of your writing style. * Anything else that you think would set you apart from other applicants. Why are you the best candidate? Note: Please specify the position for which you are applying (Fan Art Friday Blogger) in the subject of your application email. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask and I will try to answer them.
Last weekend at WorldCon, Harriet McDougal, the editor of the Wheel of Time series and Robert Jordan's widow, announced that the Wheel of Time Companion (formerly known as the Wheel of Time Encyclopedia) will be published sometime next year, likely November 2015. According to Adam Werthead, the panel moderator and a long time blogger and friend of Dragonmount, the Companion will be around 350,000 words and contain new artwork and maps previously not seen in the series. There will also be an Old Tongue dictionary of about a thousand words and complete profiles on every character (including Bela!). Harriet and Team Jordan have promised to update us when the Companion manuscript heads to Tor for publication. For more details on the Companion and tidbits from the Wheel of Time panel at WorldCon, please visit The Wertzone.
Ta'veren Tees has released a new Blademaster shirt, and a Blademaster iron-on patch!
This week I give you a modern alternate universe in which a few main characters go out for a night of singing, drinking, and merriment. In other words: karaoke night. knifeeared minnielikes (yup, that's me!) failemyfalcon knifeeared Which led to this incredible sketch by karaburrito (aka failemyfalcon): Sounds like a wild night! I want to party with Moiraine... That's it for this week. The Light illumine you!
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