New Book Alert: Stories From The Vale: Gifts Of The Elven by Kathy Ann Trueman; Return to The Vale Now Troubled With Prejudice Towards Gifted Individuals

 

New Book Alert: Stories From The Vale: Gifts Of The Elven by Kathy Ann Trueman; Return to The Vale Now Troubled With Prejudice Towards Gifted Individuals

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews

Spoilers: When it comes to Bookworm Reviews authors, Kathy Ann Trueman is the champ. With Epic Fantasies under her real name and Regency Romances under her pen name of Catherine Dove, this is the fifth book of hers that I have reviewed by request making Trueman one of the most reviewed authors on my blog. (Phillipa Gregory and Jasper Fforde have more.) Of course this blog is only almost five years old and I only started reviewing new books four years ago, so it's not a worldwide great achievement. But still quite impressive by my standards. Not only is she the most prolific reviewed author but every book received positive reviews, and two (Stories From The Vale: Path of the Dragonfly and Greenspell)  ended up in Best of the Best Year End countdowns. Anyway, when it comes to Bookworm Reviews Authors, Kat you are the GOAT!

And she continues to deliver with the sequel to Stories From The Vale Path of the Dragonfly with Gifts of the Elven. She takes the excellent world building and characterization of the predecessor to a higher level by deepeng on the themes of love and acceptance that are so prominent in the real world as well as a fantasy one.

In the previous book, Path of the Dragonfly, Shak, a middle aged and retired soldier is assigned to protect two children: Falin, a thief with the ability to freeze time and Celia, a mage with the ability to communicate with dragons. While looking after these children, Shak is seeking revenge against Lord Sefal, a childhood friend turned noble, whom Shak blames for the death of his wife. Meanwhile, Sefal is on a journey of his own, to search for his long lost son, who, surprise surprise, turns out to be Falin. Well, after many sleeps in inns, sword fights a plenty, encounters with snooty elves, an arrival of dragons, and magic spells galore, Sefal and Falin are reunited. Shak and Sefal restore amends. Shak discovers a familial connection with Celia and becomes an honorary uncle to the kiddos. Celia gets proper training from Shak's eccentric grandmother. Friends and family are united and goodness reigns overall.

The action of Gifts of the Elven is set over 20 years later and things have changed in the fantasy kingdom of the Vale, to say the least. "Medieval Yuppie," Lord Sefal has become king with Falin fully established as a prince and has had more children and grandchildren. Shak lives in comfortable retirement on a farm (and unfortunately does not appear in this book much.) Celia is a well known sorceress but mostly stays out of politics. The former children have grown, married other people, and have had children of their own. Things should be good but they're not.

Falin and Celia's abilities are not a one time thing. Many other children since then have been born with unique abilities like invisibility, telepathy, and  shape shifting. They are called the Gifted but to some they are more like the Cursed. They are ostracized, attacked, and treated like second class citizens. It's gotten to the point that families that are supportive of them have to keep their children hidden. Sefal created rules protecting the Gifted though some suspect ulterior motives. They are not that far off. Besides Falin, he has a grandson, Arlin, whose abilities are extremely hard to hide. He has an enormous pair of sharp wings and can fly. Unfortunately, Arlin accidentally injured his Aunt Celia and terrified and remorseful, he ran away from home.

On a road, he encounters Fiella, an apprentice book binder and seller. She too is Gifted, though with mental manipulation. The two meet and go through the usual animosity brought on by class distinction and differing personalities. A friendship is formed as they make their way to Safehold, a haven for the Gifted.

Meanwhile, Shonwin of Kuturan, a shape shifter, and his mother bear a grudge against Sefal. They long to seek revenge and what do you know, his grandson is wandering around the Vale with a bookseller, making a perfect opportunity for kidnapping.

Gifts of the Elven works on so many levels. It has the tone of a humorous buddy adventure. Fiella and Arlin are the typical adversaries turned friends from opposite sides of the economic spectrum. Arlin grew up pampered and spoiled until the moment when he ran away. It is kind of ironic since his father did not exactly have an easy childhood, separated from his parents and raised as a thief. I suppose he was the type of parent who overcompensated by giving his children everything that he never had growing up. Not to mention that the book upfront says that Falin and his wife unashamedly played favorites and Arlin was often left out. Instead he was preferred by Grandpa Sefal and since we saw what a great influence he was in the previous book, it's no wonder Arlin grew up as he did.

Fiella is that kind of rare character who is both book and street smart. As an apprentice bookseller, she loves and cherishes the written word. She is well versed in many subjects and is able to converse on multiple levels with other people from every class and walk of 

life. She is also very tough and practically carries Arlin through their adventures. However, Arlin has the political and diplomatic experience that she lacks and has only experienced through books and travels. Like all true friendships, each character is able to fill the deficiency that the other needs. Arlin needs to learn to be self sufficient and Fiella needs to learn refinement. 

It's also nice that unlike other Epic Fantasies, a romance does not develop between the two characters. In fact, Fiella falls in love with another character and there are implications that Arlin's romantic interests lie elsewhere. This is mirrored in the predecessor when Falin and Celia, despite being thirteen years old, do not fall in love with each other and in fact later marry other people.

Through Shonwin and his mother, Trueman shows that redemption does not come easy. In this book, Sefal is not the same arrogant social climber that he was in the previous book. He has amended his ways, but his previous actions are still called into question. He made a lot of unscrupulous decisions and hurt a lot of people to get where he is.

If he didn't have any former enemies, that meant he would have gotten off too easy for his earlier mistakes. Shonwin and his mother show that redemption and forgiveness are things that it takes along time to really get and accept even within oneself.

The other way that Gifts of the Elven works is as a metaphor for the world that we live in reality. Using special abilities as an allegory for racial, gender, and sexual identity is nothing new. X Men is the most prominent example and I have encountered it myself in many of the books that I have read. But in a time when division is most prominent and even the very idea of discussing such inequality in schools is being challenged, this theme could not be more prominent. Arlin, Fiella, and the other Gifted are trying to claim and accept their identities and learn who they really are. Society also needs to accept and learn to understand them as well and give them that geographical and psychological space to live their lives.

 

Hopefully, this won't be the last trip through the Vale. In fact since the books are not numbered, it would be nice for Trueman to do a midquel to reveal exactly how Falin and Celia met their spouses (a muscular warrior woman and a slightly spaced out troubadour respectively) and how they got brought into the family. 

I have a feeling there will be many more trips through the Vale to come. At least, I hope so.

Weekly Reader: Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters Book One) by Catherine Dove; Regency-Era Romance Shines With Cute, Fun, Likeable Characters

Weekly Reader: Mr. Harding Proposes (The Rowland Sisters Series Book One) by Catherine Dove; Regency-Era Romance Shines With Cute, Fun, Likeable Characters

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


PopSugar Reading Challenge: A book written by an author with flora and fauna in their name (dove).


Spoilers: If the last set of books that I read such as Laura Preble's Anna Incognito and Matthew S. Cox's The Girl Who Found The Sun ended up making me too uncomfortable because they became frequent even unintentional reminders of current events, then the books that I am reading now are the exact opposite. These books are doing everything they can to get the Reader away from the real world. These books are the ultimate escape from a world in turmoil from a pandemic, first responders and essential workers putting their lives on the line, and conspiracy theorists and impatient protestors who are disobeying pandemic guidelines that could potentially cause premature openings and further illness.


These are the books that are designed to help you forget and one genre that thrives on escapism is Romance. This is the second of three different types of Romances that I am reviewing this week. One Month Only is a modern love story about a couple combining business and love in Tuscany. Two Like Me and You is a breezy humorous YA Novel about two teens falling in love while helping a nongenerean reunite with his lost love.


This one, Catherine Dove's Mr. Harding Proposes is a historical Regency era romance that invokes comparisons to the works of Jane Austen and Oscar Wilde, a humorous little novel that thrives on manners, class structure, and cute lovable couples to help see the Reader through the plot that is fun and lighter than air.

The plot revolves around two sisters, Georgiana AKA Georgie and Cecelia AKA Cecy Rowland. Cecy prepares for her Season where she will be dolled up, attend many balls, soirees, and salons, and is officially declared available for England's Most Eligible Bachelors. Georgie does her best to help her sister through this whirlwind Season while dealing with her own romantic troubles.

Georgie receives a proposal of marriage, but not one that she expects. It comes from the mouth of Mr. Richard Harding, her best friend since childhood. Unfortunately, Richard does it so awkwardly and with his usual jocular teasing tone of voice that Georgie thinks that he is kidding and turns him down.


Meanwhile, there is a character that causes a lot of discomfort and controversy during the social Season. She is Lady Shipton, a former actress made good by an advantageous marriage. Unfortunately, she is the target of much scandal and gossip and many dowagers prefer their daughters to stay away from her including Georgie and Cecy's mother. However, the more that they spend time with Lady Shipton, the more Georgie and Cecy find her charming and helpful.


Mr. Harding Proposes is hardly a deep plot, but it is a lot of fun and the perfect antidote of sunshine for a time of tough stress and darkness. You can't help but root for Georgie and Richard to get together. They are like those couples like Benedick and Beatrice from Much Ado About Nothing who need to be together because life would be too boring for them otherwise.

Georgie is a character who is extremely smart and liberal minded, perhaps too smart for her own good. She is very intelligent and we'll read the kind of woman who in another time would be a great career woman but is hampered when her only career is finding a husband. Her intelligence and sarcasm unfortunately turns many men off.

However, it also is a virtue for the right kind of people. She is able to tell that one of Cecy's suitors is a cad and is able to handily get rid of him.
She is also able to see through social constraints to see the real
person. This is particularly noticeable in her moments with Lady Shipton, who is certainly a scene stealer and is one of the more interesting characters in the book. (I highly recommend that Dove write a prequel starring a youthful Lady Shipton.) She is able to see beyond the scandalous past to the warm woman underneath.

Lady Shipton arouses the interest of Georgie because of her being so scandalous, but she earns her gratitude when she takes part in getting rid of Cecy's rakish suitor. Georgie also defends her when she begins dating Georgie's uncle much to her mother's shock and chagrin.

Unfortunately, Georgie's intelligence causes her to question everything even Richard's proposal. Her better traits are a detriment as they are with Richard. He is a humorous character, probably in another book would be the plucky comic relief best friend of the lead male. But in his own book that could be a problem when he is sifting through his own love life. He has a quick wit and is often there for Georgie when she needs him. Because of this, he is permanently Regency Friend Zoned.

Georgie confuses his romantic overtures for simple friendship or using her as a safety marriage ("If we are still single at 35 let's marry each other…") . He even questions his own motives, but the two clearly care for each other. There are times when they especially Richard counter romantic expectations knowing that sometimes there is more to love than romantic poetry and beautiful wordy proposals against the backdrop of a scenic lakeview. Sometimes, it is about just being the handy life saver that is just what the other person needs.

Sometimes all you need to get through life is a good Romance and q chance to escape. Mr. Harding Proposes provides that expertly. The answer to the proposal of whether this book should be read is "Yes, yes a thousand times, yes!"

Weekly Reader: Greenspell: A Fantasy Anthology by Kathy Ann Trueman; A Brilliant Anthology of Lovely Fantasy Stories About Female Magic Users

Weekly Reader: Greenspell: A Fantasy Anthology by Kathy Ann Trueman; A Brilliant Anthology of Lovely Fantasy Stories About Female Magic Users

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews


Spoilers: There is a new name in epic fantasy literature and that name is Kathy Ann Trueman. Last year, Trueman's book Stories of the Vale: Path of the Dragonfly was a strong character driven look at epic fantasy tropes such as feudal lords, magical creatures, spells, and adventurous quests. Another book, Greenspell is an anthology though not as epic in scope or plot is still rich in character and magical detail.


A common thread in all the stories is that the protagonists are all female and the majority are magic users of some kind. While there are some feminist moments in the stories that explore the solidarity and companionship of sisterhood and features female characters challenging many fantasy tropes by being active leaders, the stories aren't political so much as they are fantasy stories in which the lead characters happen to be female.

Magic is a huge presence in the stories in which characters use magic for different means some in defense and protection of others and some for greed or vengeance. There is no definite good vs. evil black vs. white magic set up. Instead some character's fates are sealed by the choices they make without any moral philosophy thrown at the Reader.


Greenspell is a very short anthology, only five stories but they are all good. The stories are:


“The Sow's Ear”- This story was also featured in Marian Zimmer Bradley's Swords and Sorcery anthology. If Rod Serling and George R.R. Martin ever collaborated on a fantasy driven episode of the Twilight Zone, this would be it. (Actually George R.R. Martin did write some episodes of the 1980’s Twilight Zone series so I'm not too far off.)
This story follows the theme of “Be Careful What You Wish For” to a clever conclusion. Janell, a sorceress is hired to aid a woman who was once young and beautiful and wants her original appearance back.
The plot turns on a few twists as Janell realizes too late that the woman is not what she appears and Janell is trapped inside a curse that is unique and continues the story's meaning of appearance concealing the true nature.

“Thief from Thief”-This sequel to “A Sow's Ear” has both drama and humor. Janell is still punished by the previous story's curse. Trueman devotes many paragraphs describing Janell's three year torment in an extremely small confinement well. Janell is driven to near insanity trying to find a way out of her imprisonment as well as the boredom of such a small area. While she never ages (because it's a magic curse), she is aware the world has changed around her and can't be a part of it.
Her enemy, also a carry over from the previous story, is good at psychological torture as well often giving Janell just enough of a glimpse of the outside world to let her know what she is missing and creating illusion spells so if a wayward knight or wanderer enters their lair, it mistakes Janell for a rock formation and goes on their way.
Humor is found as Janell finds a thief who could rescue her. She weaves a spell to end the illusion on her so he could see it. She uses various magic to get his attention just about doing anything but holding up a large neon sign that says “I'm down here, Idiot!”
Keeping her magical knowledge and cleverness in soliciting the thief's help, Janell manages to break free from her enemy and the curse.

“Friends in Spite”- I hate vampire books and stories. Anne Rice's Lester books are overrated. I found Dracula to be less a brooding tortured soul than a creepy perverted rapist. Don't get me started on Buffy the Vampire Slayer or Angel. In fact I will go out on a limb and say the only literary vampire that I can for sure say I like is C.D. Bitesky of Mel Gilden's Fifth Grade Monsters. The reason that I am saying this is I want the Reader to understand the full scope of my meaning when I say “Friends in Spite” is my favorite short story in this anthology despite or because the main character is a vampire sorceress.
Elianne, the aforementioned vampire/sorceress and her friend, Trevia, a swordswoman are in a village in which two people are attacked mysteriously. Elianne sees the lack of blood in the bodies and knows the killer was like her: another vampire.
There are some clichéd moments such as Elianne turning into a bat and having the urge to levitate (even vampires that cross genres have standards to uphold). But thankfully not many.
There are genuine moments of horror and graphic violence. The vampire killer not only kills it's victims and takes their blood but it mutilates them so people think it was murdered by a wild animal. To find the vampire, Elianne casts a spell that makes all vampires including herself lust and hunger for blood. These moments give the story genuine horror.
Elianne and Trevia's friendship is the true heart of this story as they are able to complete each other with Elianne's knowledge of magic and vampires combined with Trevia's swordplay and muscle. Through her friendship and trust in Trevia, Elianne reveals vital information on how to kill the vampire and is able to combat her spell cast blood lust for Trevia. While it is a story of strong fantasy and horror, it is the friendship between Elianne and Trevia that is the real core of “Friends in Spite.”

“Just Until Sun-Up”- Another friendship story between a magic user and non-magic user though this one favors humor rather than horror.
Neikei, a witch and Karra, a minstrel/juggler's horses and gear have been stolen by a group of thieves… and that's it. That's the plot. It focuses mostly on the theft and the duo trying to get their stuff back.
While not long on plot, the story features some byplay and one-liners as Neikei and Karra go after the thieves. (When Neikei reminds Karra that her spells are to protect her person not her possessions, Karra sarcastically remarks “Oh and if the thieves had tried to take you, that would be different.”) Karra's sardonic anxiety plays off Neikei's calm rationality rather well as the two act like a comedy team, the Female Fantasy Answers to Abbott and Costello or Bob Hope and Bing Crosby in the Road To… movies. (Road to King's Landing.)
Though unlike the other comedy teams Neikei has some magical ways of defeating their antagonists whivh she shows Karra in a way that gets their horses back and dispenses justice in a hilarious and original manner.


“The Sun God's Reading”- Similar to “A Sow's Ear” this one also plays on “Be Careful What You Wish For” but in a less vindictive manner. This focuses on the idea of aspiring to reach a certain goal but once it is met evaluating whether one is able to achieve that greatness ever again.
Yula, Gunnie, and the Narrator attend a school in which the students develop their talents and

connections with the Gods. Brilliantly, the story makes no distinction between the various pantheons as Odin, the Norse God of Wisdom pals around with Apollo, Greco-Roman Sun God.
The three students are granted one wish at the end of the year.(“Nothing frivolous like world peace,” The Narrator tells us.) and only one will be granted. The Narrator wants a lute made of gold. Gunnie wants a ship to sail the seas and Yula wants to meet Apollo and to have him read one of her poems.
Despite the mystical setting, there is a contemporary theme to this story of goal setting and being ready to meet those goals and move on once they are met. The three students are very capable in their studies of music, maritime travel, and poetry but they are filled with self-doubt and worry about their studies and whether they are really good in their chosen fields.
Once the wish is granted, the students go through transitions which are true to life as well. Two continue with their studies even getting their wishes granted on their own. The other abandons them feeling that she will never be as good as she was then. Instead she settles into a different life with a husband, children, and a job which is tied to her earlier ambitions but isn't as fulfilling. These divergent paths the student take is similar to the many graduates who peak at young ages. Some continue down their paths to their brand of success. Others end up elsewhere that while not necessarily bad was not what they envisioned.

Greenspell is a great example of how fantasy authors can create magic, 

believable  characters, and built worlds in a few short pages just as well as they can through a novel or a series. Trueman excels at both: the long and the short of fantasy.

New Book Alert: Stories From The Vale: Path of the Dragonfly by Kathy Trueman; Powerful New Fantasy Novel is Aided By Four Memorable Leads That Form A Family

New Book Alert: Stories From The Vale: Path of the Dragonfly by Kathy Trueman; Powerful New Fantasy Novel is Aided By Four Memorable Leads That Form A Family

By Julie Sara Porter

Bookworm Reviews




Spoilers: If I were to take a poll over what is the most popular genres for new writers, I would bet Epic Fantasy would be number one. So far three of the new books that I read and reviewed were right in that genre. What is it about this genre that so many budding authors want to experience? Perhaps it is the highest level of creativity; the author not only has to create characters, plot, and conflict but they have to build worlds. They have to consider the sociopolitical structure, the flora and fauna, the races, religion and how these characters fit in their world. Perhaps it is personality. Authors are by definition largely introverted imaginative people so they are often attracted to Epic Fantasies, like Lord of the Rings, The Shannara Chronicles, The Dragonriders of Pern, and so on. They want to write the stuff they like to read. Then again it could just be marketing. Many Epic Fantasy Series have been bestsellers like Harry Potter, Song of Ice and Fire, and Lord of the Rings and have made box office success. Authors often put their fantasy novels into series, requiring the Reader to buy more volumes. Either way it's a genre in which many love to play and fortunately for me, many do a good job.




Case in point: Kathy Ann Trueman’s Stories From the Vale: Path of the Dragonfly. Trueman's book is your standard fantasy road trip filled with Lords, ladies, cheerful inns, magic users, and fantasy creatures like elves and dragons. However, what makes this book stand out is the rich characterization in which she provides four brilliant leads that form a family in times of trouble.




Shak, a retired soldier has had enough of bloodshed. He is haunted by memories of his deceased wife and scenes of brutality such as the time when after a battle he abandoned two children inside a temple. He is only motivated by one thing: to kill Lord Sefal, a former childhood friend turned enemy whom he blames for his wife's death.

Shak's magical grandmother gives him a request: He must find two orphaned children and take them to a magical place called the Vale where they will find their families. Shak agrees and meets two children: Falin, a boy who has the ability to freeze time and was raised as a thief and Celia, a human girl with telepathic abilities who was raised by elves to learn magic. It doesn't take long for Shak to realize-small world-these are the same two kids that he abandoned at the temple.




Most of the book is centered on the journey that Shak, Falin, and Celia take and also with Lord Sefal's attempt to follow him with as equal a vengeance mindset as Shak's. While the journey could be a typical one, Trueman's writing provides deep characterization that keeps the book from being too formulaic.




Shak is a memorable protagonist. While sometimes he comes across as the standard “gruff soldier/hero softened by a child’s love,” he is never written to be hard hearted in the first place. He is someone who was fond of children but never got the chance to father any of his own. As soon as Falin and Celia are in his life, Shak goes into protective father mode. He rescues them from danger when they are kidnapped by bandits. When the elves’ magical training caused Celia to suffer what amounts to a near breakdown, he is there to comfort her. He tries to straighten out Falin's behavior so he isn't so impulsive and headlong. He is a warm father figure and his moments with the kids are truly touching and heartfelt.




Shak is not a character without flaws. He is very stubborn and persistent particularly in his hatred for Sefal. He blames the Lord for his wife's death based on circumstantial evidence that most would question, but as far as he is concerned only certifies his already growing hatred for him. Shak takes the two kids out of their way so he can mount his revenge in a mano-y-mano fashion at first without realizing that if he fights Sefal and gets killed, then he will leave those kids abandoned anyway. It takes well into the book before he realizes the truth about his wife's death and even longer still before he can forgive Sefal or himself for it.




Falin and Celia are also terrific characters. At times they come across like a comedy team such as when the proper literal Celia acts like a Lady when they visit an inn and the feisty argumentative Falin is irritated with playing the part of her servant. Other times they act like loving siblings like when they protect each other after getting captured and display their unusual talents-Falin's ability to freeze time and Celia’s mental communication with a dragon- to escape. Even though they are about thirteen, Trueman's tactfully avoids any romance between the two allowing them to emerge as friends and family.




Some of the more gripping moments involve Falin and Celia's pasts and their returning memories of what happened to them. They both reunite with long lost family members and feel love and acceptance for the first time in their lives whereas before Falin was an abused thief with no purpose and Celia was manipulated and controlled to follow her sinister elvin guardians’ orders. Once they emerge from the journey, they not only find their families but Falin finds a new direction in his life that allows him to grow into a better person and Celia finds a calling in which she doesn't have to be a puppet for other's machinations.




Trueman's talent for writing believable characters is not just limited to her protagonists. It's also seen in the way she writes her antagonists, most notably in Lord Sefal. While Shak hates him and is filled with vengeance and vice versa, Sefal is never written as an irredeemable character. Instead he is sort of like a Medieval Yuppie, a poor boy made wealthy by making powerful alliances and an advantageous marriage but realizes too late how lonely he is at the top. His marriage is crumbling and he is grief stricken over the loss of a child. As the book goes along, it’s clear that he envies what Shak has: friends, family, and two children who look up to him.




Sefal also goes through a transformation especially when he finds out about Falin and Celia's identities. He becomes driven to protect them almost as much as Shak and redeems himself in a way that isn't phony or overdone. Instead it is true to a character who is surrounded by wealth and power and realizes almost too late how lonely he really is.




The plot moves along as revelations are made which make sense to the characters and their world. The climactic final battles at the Vale fit the overall style and tone of the book particularly when Falin and Celia play key parts in taking down their enemies. Kathy Ann Trueman is a brilliant author in the Epic Fantasy genre and if this book is any indication, I look forward to another trip to the Vale.