Release Date: 01/09/11
SYNOPSIS:
Enter a world of darkness and danger, honour, daring and destiny in David Chandler’s magnificent epic trilogy: The Ancient Blades.
One thief against the world…
When allies become enemies, to whom can a clever thief turn?
Armed with one of seven swords forged at the dawn of time, Malden was chosen by Fate to act as saviour…and failed dismally. Deceived by the trickery of his one-time ally, Mörget, the young thief employed his newfound might to help destroy the naturally barrier protecting the kingdom of Skrae – and now there will be no stopping Mörget’s barbarian hordes from pillaging the land. Suddenly friends and former supporters alike covet the young hero’s magic while seeking his destruction – from the treacherous King and leaders of the City of Ness to the rogue knight Cloy, who owes Malden his life.
It will take more than Malden’s makeshift army of harlots and cutpurses to preserve a realm. Luckily the sorceress Cythera fights at his side, along with the ingenious, irascible dwarf Slag. And the wily thief still has a desperate and daring plan or two up his larcenous sleeve…
REVIEW:
The final part in David Chandler’s Ancient Blades trilogy and one that builds up to the crescendo for one hell of a final confrontation as the events from the previous play out to their epic conclusion. Whilst I had problems with the first book, the second picked up and the third continued in much the same vein allowing the reader to get a full blooded fantasy adventure and one that satisfied when the final page was turned.
It was definitely an interesting series, the prose for the final was solid and with a principle player that I could really get behind made this a real joy to read. Great stuff.
Release Date: 04/08/11
SYNOPSIS:
Enter a world of darkness and danger, honour, daring and destiny in David Chandler’s magnificent epic trilogy: The Ancient Blades.
It takes a thief to destroy a demon…
Circumstance made him a criminal.
Destiny may make him a hero.
As a thief, Malden is unparalleled in the Free City of Ness. But he has no desire to take up arms against the forces of horrific evil. By saving the life of the knight Croy, however, Malden has bound himself to an ancient, noble brotherhood…and he now possesses a magical weapon forged at the dawn of time – one of only seven swords capable of destroying demons.
Malden fears accompanying Croy and the barbarian Mörget on their quest to dispatch a foul creature of nightmare…nor does he want to disturb the vengeful dead. But with an assassin on his heels, the young cutpurse is left with no choice but to follow. And there is the comely sorceress, Cythera, to consider – promised to Croy but in love with Malden – not to mention the fabulous treasure rumoured to be waiting in the inescapable depths of the demon’s lair…
REVIEW:
For me, the first book is always one that announces an author to a genre, yet its always the second book that can either earn them their own triumph or damn them to the gallows. So with this, his second Fantasy title to be released in the Ancient Blades Trilogy, David Wellington had to make up for a sadly disappointing (in my opinion) fantasy debut which I felt concentrated more on centralising the world than any real solid characters or development, which for me is a huge error.
So what did this book do? For me, this title restored a lot of my faith in him as an author as it allowed his writing skills to come to the fore as the plot moves forward at quite a pace. The characters pick up from their original 2d impressions to be more fleshed so that they stand out and when you add crisp prose alongside some good dialogue (with the addition of a cracking undercurrent) which made this book vastly superior to its predecessor. I really am now looking forward to the third and final part.
Release Date: 07/07/11
SYNOPSIS:
Enter a world of darkness and danger, honour, daring and destiny in David Chandler's magnificent epic trilogy: The Ancient Blades. Croy is a knight errant, and bearer of an ancient blade with a powerful destiny. He's also kind of, well, dim. He believes in honour. He believes that people are fundamentally good, and will do the right thing if you give them a chance. Unfortunately, Croy lives in the city of Ness. A thriving medieval city of fifty thousand people, none of whom are fundamentally even decent, and who will gleefully stab you in the back. If you give them a chance. Ness is also the home to Malden. Malden is a thief. He lives by his wits, disarming cunning traps, sneaking past sleeping guards, and running away very fast whenever people are trying to kill him. Which is often. One time Malden stole a crown. And then he had to steal it back to avoid a civil war. Croy got the credit, of course, because he's a noble knight. Another time the two of them went into the tomb of an ancient warrior race, and Croy accidentally started a barbarian invasion. Guess who had to clean that up? They probably wouldn't be friends at all if it wasn't for Cythera. Cythera is a witch. A mostly-good witch. And despite herself she can't stop thieves and knights falling in love with her! At the same time.
REVIEW:
Whilst many may not know the name of David Chandler, this debut series is one that I’ve been keeping an eager eye on when I originally heard about its forthcoming release. Firstly as it was to be released in quite a short turnaround and secondly because I know David’s writing under another name David Wellington.
What I expected from this tale was a story that is cleverly woven, one that keeps the reader glued and a whole host of fascinating characters to populate the world and whilst that is what was presented the world felt a little flat and sadly not quite formed well enough in his imagination to help keep the reader attached.
Add to this sadly stereotypical characters that yet again felt more 2d than fully rounded and it was a title that whilst reasonable enough left me feeling that the author had taken a bit of a backwards step as a writer. Don’t get me wrong, for those not used to the authors writing style it will entertain but it doesn’t blast out from the genre to stand apart like a great many others and when you’re up against authors like Patrick Rothfuss and George RR Martin you really need to pull all the stops out. With luck the second book will pick up where this one fell and hopefully redeem the series to a level that is more reminiscent to David’s Laura Caxton series.
Release Date: 07/04/11
SYNOPSIS:
All the official reports say they are dead - extinct since the late '80s, when a fed named Jameson Arkeley nailed the last vampire in a fight that nearly killed him. But the evidence proves otherwise. When a state trooper named Caxton calls the FBI looking for help in the middle of the night, it is Arkeley who gets the assignment - who else? He's been expecting such a call. Sure, it's been years since any signs of an attack, but Arkeley knows what most people don't: there is one left. In an abandoned asylum she is rotting, plotting and biding her time in a way that only the undead can. But the worst thing is the feeling that the vampires want more than just Caxton's blood. They want her for a reason, one she can't guess; a reason her sphinxlike partner knows but won't say; a reason she has to find out or die trying. Now there are only 13 bullets between Caxton and Arkeley and the vampires. There are only 13 bullets between us, the living, and them, the damned.
REVIEW:
I love an urban fantasy that takes me somewhere different and having only read David’s Werewolf titles I was hoping that the writing style would be maintained and his attention to detail would come across as well as it usually did. What unfurled within this book, is a story that is gripping, the characters are rounded and it brings the whole mythos of the vampire into something a little different, here they’re treated as feral animals with cunning alongside having half dead servants with a short lifespan.
It’s cleverly written, its fast paced and the dialogue alongside the prose really helps this title move at a pace without dragging the reader back. There’s seriously good concept of speed, great description and in a world where the Vamp went officially extinct in the 80’s it’s a world that has to face some harsh truths. All in a great start to a series and I’ll definitely make sure that I get my hands on the next offering as soon as possible.
Regular readers of the blog know how much I love to bring new authors to thier attention, and whilst David is well established, his latest series is set around Werewolves and takes the man beasts into a new direction.
Here we chatted to him about writing for a living, who he just can't wait to pick up from his local bookshop and the erradication of Platoons...Falcata Times: Writing is said to be something that people are afflicted with rather than gifted and that it's something you have to do rather than want. What is your opinion of this statement and how true is it to you?David Wellington: I don’t consider it an affliction so much as a quirk of neurochemistry. I was never able to do anything but write. I’ve never been particularly good at any other job. As to whether it’s something that has to be done, that is definitely true. Writing is an activity, not a state of being. The only good definition of what a writer is, is someone who is currently writing.FT: When did you realise that you wanted to be a writer?DW: I was six years old, and had just learned to read, and bored with the books that were available to me. So I decided I had to write my own. I haven’t looked back since.FT: It is often said that if you can write a short story you can write anything. How true do you think this is and what have you written that either proves or disproves this POV?DW: Oh, short stories are hard. Miserably hard, sometimes. But they don’t prepare you at all for writing a novel. Novels are still hard, but not quite as maddening. But it’s a completely different skill set. I’m not a great short story writer, though I dabble in them—the way an oil painter will occasionally try his hand at watercolors. One doesn’t necessarily train you to be any good at the other.FT: If someone were to enter a bookshop, how would you persuade them to try your novel over someone else's and how would you define it?DW: I would probably leave them alone and just hope they picked up my book. I live in mortal terror that anyone ever thinks I’m pushy or forward. Cursed is a good book, there, I’ve said it, now I feel like my skin is crawling. No, seriously, it’s a gripping story of loss, betrayal, and the desperate kind of love that comes from utter loneliness. It’s about werewolves who act like real wolves, based on intense research into wolf behavior. And it’s a ripping yarn. Okay, that’s done. Now I feel soiled.FT: How would you "sell" your book in 20 words or less?DW: A young woman is lost in a forest, five hundred kilometres from any human habitation. But she is not alone.FT: Who is a must have on your bookshelf and whose latest release will find you on the bookshops doorstep waiting for it to open?DW: I love fantasy and science fiction novels. Iain Banks is the one who gets me every time. Richard K. Morgan. Terry Pratchett. Funny, those are all Brits. I’m really letting my countrymen down. Cormac McCarthy. Yes, he’s an American. Very good.FT: When you sit down and write do you know how the story will end or do you just let the pen take you? ie Do you develop character profiles and outlines for your novels before writing them or do you let your idea's develop as you write?DW: I usually start knowing exactly how the book will end, but nothing else. Then I try to imagine how the characters got to such a dismal turn of events. The characters often present themselves for duty, fully formed and ready to be put into dire peril. If not, I try to imagine who is the best person to throw into that situation, and who is the one person that should just never be exposed to that kind of danger. Then I decide which of those will give me a more interesting story.FT: What do you do to relax and what have you read recently?DW: This must be one of those words we don’t have in America, this “relax”. No, I write books. I don’t ever stop writing books. I read books to inspire me to write more books. Right now I’m reading “The Sad Tale of the Brothers Grossbart” by Jessie Bullington. It’s interesting.FT: What is your guiltiest pleasure that few know about?DW: I play video games when no one is looking. Really nasty, violent, gore-filled video games. Don’t tell me friends or family. They know me as the mild mannered, well-adjusted horror writer. If they knew I spent my off hours wiping out platoon after platoon of space marines with an assault rifle, they might think there was something off about me.FT: Lots of writers tend to have pets. What do you have and what are their key traits (and do they appear in your novel in certain character attributes?)DW: Cursed would not have happened without my dog, Mary. I was just starting to do research for the book at the same time I was training her. I kept trying to communicate with her like a human being, but she clearly wanted something else—she wanted me to be an alpha male wolf and put her in her place. Learning about the ironclad social structure of wolf packs, and how dogs relate to their universe, took Cursed to a new level. It’s one of my most realistic books, because of her help.FT: Which character within your latest book was the most fun to write and why?DW: Dzo, the muskrat spirit, was great fun. He is completely immortal and inhuman, but he tries to be helpful and friendly. He’s just a truly decent sort of person, except that he has no idea what pain or death are like, so he sometimes fails to empathize properly. Ahem. You’ll have to read the book to see what I mean.FT: How similar to your principle protagonist are you?DW: She’s a twenty-something athletically fit young woman who does things like get lost in the Canadian wilderness and try not to be killed by werewolves. I’m a thirty-something not-as-fit middle aged man who spends most of his time indoors because the sun is just a little too bright for my taste. So, on the whole, we’re pretty much identical twins separated at birth.FT: What hobbies do you have and how do they influence your work?DW: These… hobbies, was it? And… relaxation? I’ll have to look into them when I have time. Which will be when I stop writing books. Which I can’t seem to do.FT: Where do you get your idea's from?DW: There’s a great new website that offers free delivery if you order your ideas in bulk. Oh, gosh, this is the question every writer hates being asked, but not for the reason people think. It’s because we don’t have a good answer. It’s an utter mystery where ideas and inspiration come from, and most writers I know would like it to remain that way—we worry if we ever found out the real, concrete answer the ideas would stop coming.FT: Do you ever encounter writers block and if so how do you overcome it?DW: Every day. Sometimes every fifteen minutes. I get up and pace for a while and sit back down and write something. That seems to help.FT: Certain authors are renowned for writing at what many would call uncivilised times. When do you write and how do the others in your household feel about it?DW: I can write any time, any place. It’s one of my favorite things about my process—I don’t need any special mood lighting or burning incense, nothing like that. At the moment I live alone, so I can pretty much write whenever I want.FT: Sometimes pieces of music seem to influence certain scenes within novels, do you have a soundtrack for your tale or is it a case of writing in silence with perhaps the odd musical break in-between scenes?DW: Oh, no. That’s the one thing I need—quiet. I have to concentrate to write. Which is not to say I don’t use music for inspiration, or to relax when I’m done.FT: What misconceptions, if any, did you have about the writing and publishing field when you were first getting started?DW: Mostly that it couldn’t be done. I’d been working for nearly thirty years, toiling in obscurity, with nothing whatsoever published, before I got my first book deal. It seemed impossible that this would ever change. When it did happen everything just sort of fell into place at once. It’s amazing what comes to one who waits for it.FT: If music be the food of love, what do you think writing is and please explain your answer?DW: Writing is the fuel of the intellect. The coal in the furnace of the mind. Music stirs the emotions, but books make the wheels of thought turn. It’s always seemed to me like a very industrial process, a kind of applied technology of the imagination. Well, you asked.FT: What can you tell us about the next novel?DW: It will be approximately the same physical dimensions as the last one. And the two covers will look quite attractive when placed side by side. Other than that I will provide no spoilers.FT: What are the last five internet sites that you've visited?DW: Hmm, let’s see… i09.com, http://goldenagecomicbookstories.blogspot.com/, http://arbroath.blogspot.com/, http://bigthink.com/blogs/strange-maps, and Fail Blog. Which I won’t dignify with a URL. That’s about as honest an answer as I’m willing to provide, lest I incriminate myself.FT: Did you ever take any writing classes or specific instructions to learn the craft? If so please let us know which ones.DW: Quite a few, none of which were particularly useful. I actually have an MFA in Creative Writing, which is a degree that forces you to write short stories and novels by way of preparing you to teach Creative Writing. It’s really a wonderful recursive system. Workshops are really just exercises in group validation, as far as I can tell—or an excuse to be nasty to your fellow writers. Which of course is something most writers treasure.FT: How did you get past the initial barriers of criticism and rejection?DW: By being too stupid to listen to them. A smarter person might have ended up with a real job. Instead I kept doing this. Oh, alright, I’m being facetious. But it was most stubborn bull-headedness. I’ve never been interested in hearing people tell me I couldn’t do something. I spent most of my youth convinced I had all the answers already, and didn’t need advice. I was wrong, of course, but the important thing was to always believe it. It’s crucial for a developing writer to cultivate a massive ego early on in his or her career. The rest of their life will be one long process of chipping away at that confidence, with one demoralizing event after another, so that by the time one has any real success, one will be down to a nice healthy level of modesty and be able to use self-deprecating humor in interviews.FT: In your opinion, what are the best and worst aspects of writing for a living?DW: It’s the same thing for both, worst and best—the total lack of structure. It means I can sleep in every day and still be productive. But it also means that I succeed or fail completely on my own discipline. That makes it pretty terrifying. But it also means I get plenty of healthful rest.
Release Date: 02/09/10
BOOK BLURB:
Revenge in the face of bloodlust is seldom sweet…
There’s one sound a woman doesn’t want to hear when she’s lost and alone in the Arctic wilderness: a howl. For Cheyenne Clark, there’s a bad moon on the rise. When a strange wolf’s teeth slash her ankle to the bone, her old life ends, and she becomes the very monster that has haunted her nightmares for years. Worse, the only one who can understand what Chey has become is the man - and wolf - who’s doomed her to this fate. He also wants her dead.
Yet, as the line between human and beast blurs, so too does the distinction between hunter and hunted…for Chey is more than just the victim she appears to be. But once she’s within killing range, she may find that - even for a werewolf - it’s not always easy to go for the jugular.
REVIEW:
With many of the Werewolf titles now moving more into Urban territory here David Wellington, takes the reader to the wilds on an adventure that is not all that it seems. Definitely a different take on the Werewolf myth as our principle protagonist is about to discover when the world she thought of as black and white is more shades of grey than she could imagine.
It is well written, the character reachable by the reader and above all else it’s the backstory that really makes this offering. It’s got action, its got adventure but perhaps most of all its got humanity about it. Whilst this won’t please very supernatural reader out there its different enough to find a firm base with a large number of readers out there that want something a little different to the norm.
Release Date: 01/09/11
