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It’s been a while since I’ve written here. The pandemic has given me a lot of time to read, but it also brought with it a sort of paralysis whenever I’ve tried to write, even to type out a book review. However, as some of the stressors in life ease off, I’m determined to write reviews and blog posts here again!

What to expect:

I have a backlog of books I’ve read recently to review, with a good mix of older books (think 2010s) with newer releases thrown in as well. There will be a lot less YA than I used to review, largely because I’ve been widening my horizons to check out genres I’d never read much of before, like adult sci fi and fantasy, mystery and thriller novels, and romance.

I’m also toying with the idea of writing some spotlights on indie pc games that I enjoy, especially ones with strong narratives. I have a special fondness for indie games as a storytelling vehicle, and I think it could be fun to discuss them a bit here.

Lastly, I may post sporadic updates about my own writing process, though those will probably shy away from specific details and will likely be short blog posts.

Thanks for reading!

All month, I’ve been on a mission to read as many mystery and thriller novels as possible.

In the coming weeks I’m going to be posting reviews of all these lovely dark books, but for now just this little teaser.

The lineup runs from literary gothics that haunted my soul to salacious slashers and unexpectedly stunning guilty pleasures. Stay tuned!

As I’ve mentioned before, I’m a fiction author. I work from home, and for the last few years, I’ve been working towards finding an agent and getting published.

Typically this time of year I’m making detailed charts of what projects I plan to work on and when I want to finish them. I set ambitious goals like “get an agent by the end of the year” or “finish a draft every two months” and by March, I’m a burned out mess, agitated by the very thought of my writing.

In short, by choosing these artificial deadlines, I’ve been setting myself up to fail.

Now, I realize plenty of people thrive on deadlines and pressure. Even I need some semblance of structure to assure that I keep working towards my goals. Which is why I want to say up front, this post is about my strategy, not necessarily what I think everyone should do. We all work differently.

That said, here’s my goal for 2019: I will not set deadlines for my writing.

Instead, I plan to set aside time to write, and to take it slowly. Rather than rush toward a word count goal, I’ll rediscover the joy of creating. I’ll write the way I read, savoring every bite.

And with any luck, my work will be all the better for it.

If you’re a fellow writer, you may have come across references to Blake Snyder’s “Save the Cat” system. Essentially, it takes the process of storyboarding and screenwriting, and boils it down to a simplified system.

Recently, an adaptation of this system was developed for novel writing. This book, which is based upon Blake Snyder’s original system, is unequivocally one of the most valuable resources I’ve come across in my time as a writer.

In addition to breaking down story structure into 15 “beats”, the book provides a look at genres, theme, and how to create a compelling character arc. It also provides “beat sheets” breaking down popular books into their individual beats, allowing for a better understanding of the system as it applies to these works.

Bottom line: if you write fiction, buy this book. Get a physical copy if you can, grab a highlighter, and Save the Cat.

Happy reading!

I’m back! And I’m here with a review of Beth Revis’s new dark fantasy novel, Give the Dark My Love.

I’m not gonna lie guys, this book ate my heart for dinner. Without getting into spoiler territory, what I can say is that this book is just as much about grief as it is about necromancy.

The emotional threads running though the book are even more compelling than the external plot (which is also pretty great). Nedra and Grey are so different, and their differences help drive their relationship and the plot.

Honestly the characters are all well written, but what struck me the most was the non-point-of-view characters. In a lot of fast paced stories like this one, secondary characters tend to get simplified or reduced to archetypes. In this story, I found a lot of those archetypes subverted or expanded upon, and it really made a difference in how real the secondary characters felt.

Now, I do feel like I should mention that there is significant gore in this book, quite a bit more than I’m used to seeing in YA. While it all felt organic and relevant to the plot, it was very disturbing at times. If you don’t do explicit gore and violence, this is not for you. (I mean, it’s about necromancy, so, be prepared for really gross dead body things. Seriously, reader discretion advised)

In any case this is an incredible book with so much heart and if you can stomach the gory bits, you’re in for a really compelling story.

If you haven’t read Caraval yet, now is a great time to grab a copy, along with the newly minted sequel, Legendary. Aptly named, this book is bound to delight and astound fans of Gaiman’s “Stardust.”

Greatest Hits:

The carnivalesque atmosphere and heady fantasy elements sweep you off your feet right from the start, just like they did in Caraval. Legendary is told from Tella’s perspective, which I think adds a layer of delight and wonder to the story. Tella is the more as adventurous and headstrong of the two sisters, and so approaches Caraval with a measure more confidence than her sister Scarlet did in the first book.

When I realized the second book featured the characters playing Caraval again, I worried it might read like a rehashing of the first book. This is a trap sequels often fall into, but I need not have worried. The trappings of Caraval may have stayed the same, but the story moves forward, going deeper into the lore and the characters minds than before.

My Conclusion:

If you wish to be swept away, run headlong into this series and let Caraval amaze you.

Happy reading!

-Kat