Traditional Fantasy as it should be. The story begins with a wizard’s apprentice learning his letters, but the mood soon turns dark as the reader is brought into a world where reading is forbidden and a collusion of renegade magicians is formed.
What I loved about this story is that it drew me in right away, instantly transported into a fantasy world where the parameters were clear even as I learned each detail of the world as I went along. This is a mark of well-written Fantasy fiction. It has all the testosterone-laced marks of the sword & sorcery genre; mercenaries, a runaway slave, renegades who hide their ability to recognise letters and that sort of mock-medieval feeling to the imaginary world.
I noted that it held my interest more than a better-known classic fantasy novel (big 6 published) that I’ve been reading at the same time. There is hope, we do have a new generation of Fantasy writers who can tell a story that is both intriguing and full of action. We just have to sift through the self-published slush pile to find these gems. I will be keeping an eye on Walter Rhein.
Rhein can write a good battle scene. Just enough description to make the movie play in your head. The book finishes on a note that leaves the door open for the inevitable sequel, but with an interesting world established, I may well have to read it. I can see this series developing as it goes along and look forward to reading more from this author.
If you enjoyed this review, why not check out more from Jaq D. Hawkins? See what she likes to read and learn about her own writing. Go ahead and click the images provided to add these books to your Amazon wish lists or purchase.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
Greetings readers, bloggers, geeks, and authors. A while back, I had the pleasure to interview a wonderful author named, Jaq D. Hawkins. A good time was truly had by all, and here’s how it went down.
image provided by author
Toi Thomas:Hi thereJaq! It’s so awesome to have you here at the ToiBox Blog. I’m excited to learn more about you and your work.
Jaq: Hello Toi. I’m ready to share.
Toi Thomas:So tell me, who isJaq D. Hawkins?
Jaq: I started writing at age 6, but I’ve travelled a lot and lived in more than one country so I didn’t settle down and pursue publishing until I was in my 30’s. My first books were traditionally published in the Mind, Body, Spirit genre, though I’ve gone indie now. I love cats and can cook and knit like a proper domestic, but I’m basically an old hippy with Goth tendencies.
Toi Thomas:How very refreshing you are. I can tell this is going to be a fun interview. Like you, I don’t fit into any one particular category and I must admit, I’m excited to see what this old hippy with Goth tendencies is going to say.
Toi Thomas:So whacha got for me today?
image provided by author
Jaq: I’ve just released a new, expanded third edition of Dance of the Goblins, which is first in a series of three books about a post-apocalyptic society that has developed a feudal system of life and is suddenly faced with the reality of goblins living under the streets of the old ruined city. The goblins have a shamanic way of life and really just want to be left alone, but once they are discovered by humans, renewal of an ancient conflict is inevitable.
Toi Thomas:I’m already intrigued. It’s quite clear simply from the way you describe it, that this book has layers and depth. No doubt this is an entertaining read, but I have a feeling it also serves to open one’s mind and make you think.
Toi Thomas:So who’s starring is this 2 dimensional script read ofDance of the Goblins?
Jaq: The two most important characters are the leader of the humans, Count Anton, and a goblin called Haghuf. Haghuf despises humans, but he studies magic and when he learns that Count Anton is a magician along with all of the ruling class, his oldest prejudices are challenged. As for Count Anton, he has his own secrets but the one thing that torments him most is his envy for the goblins’ way of life.
Toi Thomas:I like that it seems that the one element that’s going to bring these two peoples together is one of a spiritual nature. Magic shared by humans and goblins sounds fascinating. It seems as though I quite like the way you think.
Toi Thomas:Past, present, future, is there a rhyme or reason to your writing?
Jaq: I’ve always got ideas overflowing into notes for future projects. I like to write first thing in the morning, in the quiet of morning when everyone else is still asleep. Stories often start with a concept, followed by a beginning and sometimes a predetermined end, like the science fiction story I’m working on now. I’m organised by nature and have had to discipline myself to stick to one project until finish to avoid working on too many projects at once and progressing too slowly on all of them. I write snippets of multiple stories, but I’ve always got a primary project scheduled to be finished next.
Toi Thomas:I like that your methodology. I have to admit, I sometimes get caught up working on too many things at once. I’ve only recently settled on making and keeping notes of new ideas while trying to focus on one primary objective. Someday, perhaps, I’ll be as productive as you.
Toi Thomas:What author(s) has most influenced your writing? Why or how?
Jaq: In my fiction writing, world building has always been the one thing I admire most in other writers and have enjoyed discovering for myself. Marion Zimmer Bradley‘s Darkover books are a strong influence and Anne McCaffrey‘s Pern. Also Roger Zelazny‘s Amber series.
Toi Thomas:I agree that world building is important. I like the idea of feeling as though I’ve been to a place that I know doesn’t exist…
Toi Thomas: Now this is where the questions get a little personal; are you ready?
Jaq: Absolutely.
Toi Thomas:Alright then, here we go.
Toi Thomas:Whose brain are you just itching to scratch?
Jaq: Brian Cox would be fun to chat with. He’s intelligent and has imagination. I can imagine the kind of fiction he would write if he moves that way from writing his science books.
Toi Thomas:Nice choice. I’ve often had the feeling that people who are experts in certain areas would be best at writing fiction related to those topics.
Toi Thomas:Going for a sense of complete individuality I get that. Fair enough.
Toi Thomas:What’s your ideal reading spot for your next highly anticipated read?
Jaq: Personally I read in a comfortable big chair in my living room. I tune out noise and don’t even hear music if it’s on, assuming I’m reading something really good. I’m most likely to read either a paperback or my Kindle, though occasional hardbacks get onto my shelves.
Toi Thomas:That comfy chair sounds nice. I typically read in bed or at my new desk. For the first time in years, I’m actually using a desk.
from Wikipedia
Jaq: I read a *lot* as a pre-teen. One that stands out was Go Ask Alice by Beatrice Sparks. I had a lot of interest in the hippy culture and read adult level books more often than teen books.
Toi Thomas:It seems that I leaped a bit in my reading as child too (but not in the same way). I adored reading age-level or age-appropriate books until about the age of 13. I never got into teen books…
Toi Thomas: Now this is where the questions get a little kooky; are you ready?
Jaq: Absolutely.
Toi Thomas:Alright then, here we go.
from Wikipedia
Toi Thomas:If you could only watch one movie for the rest of your life, what would it be?
Jaq: It would be a toss-up between Yellow Submarine by the Beatles or Labyrinth, with David Bowie.
Toi Thomas:Shut up! 😀 I love Labyrinth! I mean I like Yellow Submarine too, but Labyrinth is one of my all-time faves.
Toi Thomas:What makes you geek out?
Jaq: Filmmaking. I got into it sort of accidentally and I’ve learned loads about editing in recent years. It has definitely brought out my inner geek.
Toi Thomas:How cool it that!As much as I adore the cinema, you’d think I’d be trying to learn more about it; maybe one day.
Toi Thomas:When the soundtrack of your life is playing in your head, what songs express your glee and what songs bring out your rage?
Jaq: I have Mars in Pisces so don’t do rage, but I like deeply intense music from many categories. Goth, Classical, and sometimes the upbeat 1960’s stuff as well as 80’s music (not Disco) and some of the bands that have come out of Scandinavia in the 90’s. I have very broad musical tastes, but Deine Lakaein would be a good band for my personal soundtrack.
Toi Thomas:It saddens me sometimes how much music is dismissed simply as a form of entertainment. Music is emotional and personal. Music is communication across barriers. I love asking this question and receiving insight into a person’s character. I still find it hard to comprehend how some people don’t like music of any kind, when I enjoy so many kinds.
Toi Thomas: Now let’s play zombie urban survivor. What 3 things do you need to survive a black-out in Central Park the day zombies attack?
Jaq: You know I’ve got a zombie film in edit, right? My favourite zombie kill involved diet coke and Mentos.
Toi Thomas: Wow, you are too cool! Are you allowed to tell me the name of the film? Do you force feed a zombie a hand full of Mentos and then pour in some diet Coke and wait for the head to explode, or am I totally on the wrong page?
Toi Thomas:What’s the most fun experience you’ve ever had, to date?
Jaq: My first summer of film production would be a definite contender. I got away with so much! Travelling with a carnival at the age of 16 might beat it though.
Toi Thomas:How many kids want to run away with the circus- and you traveled with a carnival. I’ll say it again; you are so cool! I bet that was fun. You should write about that.
Toi Thomas:Not that you can see into the future, but in your opinion, what does the future hold?
Jaq: I will always write. My filmmaking has specific goals and once they are reached, I’ll settle back into just writing again. Hopefully a bit more travel by then.
Toi Thomas:I like those plans. They are simple and sweet.
Toi Thomas:Is there a question you would like to ask me?
Jaq: More an observation. You’ve done a lot to encourage and promote other authors and I think we should all appreciate the efforts you make for indies.
Toi Thomas: Thank you for saying that. It really means a lot.
Toi Thomas: So, do you mind if I ask, thoughts on EC: GA?
Jaq: I’ve done a review on Amazon for Eternal Curse. I thought it was a really interesting story and very original. I’m still new to reading stories about Angels but I think this one set the bar pretty high.
Toi Thomas: Again, thank you for your kind words. I don’t know that this book will ever fit into any specific genre enough to be fully understood by the masses, but if I’m able to provide a little entertainment, I’m cool with that. Who know, maybe one day I’ll be a dynamic as Jaq D. Hawkins in whatever genre I settle in.
Okay readers, blogger, geeks, and authors, that’s all for today. Be sure to follow this blog to see who will be visiting next time. For more fromJaq D. Hawkins, check out these great links:
Click image to see more books in the Deathgate Cycle.
I’ve read Fantasy since a very young age and one of the wonderful discoveries of my young reading days was the series. Fantasy writing involves a lot of world building and setting up ‘rules’ of the society, but more importantly, the reader as well as the writer often falls in love with an imaginary world and a series allows both to continue to visit these Fantasy realms in our imagination.
Some of my early loves were Anne McCaffrey’s Pern and Marion Zimmer Bradley’s Darkover. I was fascinated by the laws of Physics and how they were gently warped in Roger Zelazny’s Amber. Some worlds were less of a joy to visit, such as the challenging worlds conquered by Michael Moorcock’s Eternal Champion series heroes and the prison world of the Deathgate Cycle by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman. Even these worlds embraced the fantastic and stretched the imagination into the far reaches of possibility. The seedy streets of Thieves World and the subculture of vampires in Anne Rice’s novels that began with Interview With the Vampire allowed the reader to adventure in dark and dangerous realms from the safety of their favourite reading chair.
I first became a published writer in the old traditional way in the 1980’s, but I was writing in a non-fiction genre and there was a part of me that always wanted to write in my own Fantasy world. I made an attempt once or twice to formulate an imaginary world and found that it couldn’t be forced. I had written a lot of fiction in high school, but as much as my Mind, Body, Spirit books flowed easily, my inspirations for fiction had become fragmented during many years of my life when I was travelling a lot and experiencing different aspects of real life.
It was something from real life that eventually sparked the seed of a new Fantasy realm. George Bush II was about to be re-elected *cough* and I had dipped my toe into activist groups in an attempt to start a worldwide protest movement that would reflect the atmosphere of 1969. I found that modern activist groups mostly worked separately and each had their own agenda, so co-ordinating anything after the effects of the ‘me’ generation of the 1980’s was effectively impossible. While contemplating how things should be rather than how they are, a line of dialogue entered my mind.
“We are not like you. We do not glory in having power over our own kind. Or imagining that we do.” ~Haghuf, Dance of the Goblins
It wasn’t something that a human was likely to say to another human, so in my mind the speaker became a goblin and suddenly an idea for a whole society, a Shamanistic subculture of goblins was born. Ten minutes later I was busy scribbling and when I stopped, chapter one was finished. I threw in some magicians for the goblins to interact with and they took over as the ruling class and suddenly, a whole new Fantasy world had effectively laid itself out for me.
During the course of writing the first book, the second and third books became notes files. There were things I wanted to follow up in subsequent generations, but I decided I would definitely stop at three. A series that goes on too long can weigh heavy on a reader. As much as I enjoyed Deathgate Cycle, I was very anxious for it to finish in the last few books. However, Darkover and Anne Rice’s Vampire books had transcended the sequential series by expanding through stand alone books. These worlds can be dipped in and out of without any need for sequence. My answer to this was to work towards a book of short stories related to my goblin world, Meat For the Storytelling. At this stage I have story notes to fill two volumes, but the stories that have been released to date can be read at http://jaqdhawkins.wordpress.com/.
When I finish ten of them, I will bundle them into the first collection and offer it at minimal price. How long it will go one to further volumes will be decided by the goblins. As long as I still have need to visit their world, the short stories will make a convenient arena to fill in pieces of back story or new adventures that reveal more detail about the societies that make up the series.
If you are writing about a Fantasy world, don’t feel that you have to put everything into a first book. Let it unfold in stages so that both you and your readers can enjoy the thrill of discovery at every point along the way. To build a world begins with a basic landscape and a few rules. The rest will fall into place as you write. Once you have established your own world, side novels or stories can go on for as long as someone, especially the writer, wants to return just one more time to experience this special realm of your imagination.
Thank you for taking the time to read this post. If you like it let me know and share it with others. See you next time, Toi Thomas. #thetoiboxofwords
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