REVIEW: BLACKWOOD

Cover art: Steven Wood

BLACKWOOD

BY

GWENDA BOND

ISBN: 978-1-90884-406-4

Pages: 352

Published by: Strange Chemistry

Published: US/CAN/e-book 4 September 2012, UK 6 September 2012

On the cover:

On Roanoke Island, the legend of the 114 people who mysteriously vanished from the Lost Colony hundreds of years ago is just an outdoor drama for the tourists, a story people tell. But when the island faces the sudden disappearance of 114 people now, an unlikely pair of 17-year-olds may be the only hope of bringing them back.Miranda, a misfit girl from the island’s most infamous family, and Phillips, an exiled teen criminal who hears the voices of the dead, must dodge everyone from federal agents to long-dead alchemists as they work to uncover the secrets of the new Lost Colony. The one thing they can’t dodge is each other.

   I'm a big fan of history, so I was immediately drawn in by the historical connection this novel has. The Lost Colony at Roanoke Island will be familiar to anyone who's ever had an interest in the "mysterious disappearances sub genre" of history, and Bond really does use it to great effect in her novel. I was especially pleased with the appearance of one historical figure who is connected to magic. It seems so logical when you read it, and it brings the supernatural elements from history to the present in a completely natural way.

   The novel doesn't take long to show us the present day mystery that is the main focus of the story, and the novel is "up and running" before the reader has time to get settled in. Bond is great at setting a fast pace, the story moves along so quick that the slower passages feel like a welcome opportunity for the reader to take a deep breath. The fast pace of the novel doesn't mean that it feels rushed, the pace of events flows naturally from the page.

   The fast pace of the novel is not caused by the action, although there is enough of that to satisfy, instead the story is driven by mystery. Bond presents the reader with events that deepens the mystery and suspense throughout the novel. There are a lot of twists and turns to what is happening and although one element is not a surprising revelation that doesn't mean it is predictable. It is very hard to see what is coming, and the answers to mystery we do get doesn't take away from that. Bond manages to keep up the level of suspense all the way to the end, and when all is finally resolved it is a satisfying ending.

   A novel isn't only driven by its story, it has to have characters that you care about in it. Bond has created some really great ones here. The main characters, Miranda Blackwood and Phillips Rawling, come very well to life. Miranda is the protagonist of the novel, she is very well drawn and manages to feel both familiar and original. That there's something special about Miranda and Phillips will not come as a surprise, but the way Bond presents them, it doesn't feel out of place but just as a natural part of who they are.

   The supporting characters are also very well done, and they come with their own stories. We may not get to see it, but they are so alive on the page that you just know it is there. Even Miranda's father, who frankly gives a cliched first impression is shown to be much more than that later in the novel.

   To sum up, this is really a great novel. It has a great supernatural suspense story at it's center, and the pacing of a good action-thriller. The Urban, or in this case rather Rural, Fantasy elements are suitably fantastic while still managing to be realistic. We get great characters whose story is a joy to follow, and who I wouldn't mind seeing again.

   Bond has written a Young Adult novel that shows the strengths of YA, and how good YA can be when done right. Despite not being anywhere near the YA age group I found this a great read, and I can recommend it to anyone who likes Urban/Contemporary Fantasy. 

   This is a great debut novel by Gwenda Bond, and it is a novel that deserves a place on the shelves of any Fantasy fan. And for those that are partial to Young Adult, this is a must buy.

NOTE: An ARC of this book was provided to me by the publisher.

LINKS: Gwenda Bond  Strange Chemistry

COVER REVEAL ROUND-UP (II)

   Note: For those of you who are wondering, that is the Roman numeral 2 up between the ( and the ) up there in the title. It's not an attempt at an emoticon gone wrong.

   I'm not very actively searching for covers for these posts, I just post what has caught my eye during the week. But if you are a publicist, editor, etc that want to give me a heads up on a new cover, you can contact me by the e-mail on the right or on Twitter @Weirdmage.
   So, on to this weeks covers:

Cover design: Neil Lang

   This is the cover for Stormdancer by Jay Kristoff, to be published by Tor UK. 

   I think this cover really works, it looks good and the design gives a depth to it I like. It is also different enough from the usual photo covers that I think it will stand out.

   The book itself also seems very interesting, on the Tor UK blog it's described as "This is an adventurous dystopian fantasy with a hint of steampunk and a flavour of feudal Japan.", and I must say that sounds interesting, and it also seems the cover keeps with the description.

Cover design: Lauren Panepinto

   Cover for Wolfhound Century by Peter Higgins, to be published by Orbit in the US, and Gollancz in the UK.

   This is Peter Higgins' debut novel. It is set in an alternate Stalinist Russia, and there are hints that there are some fantastical elements to it. The cover has a very nice design, I especially like the wings added to the familiar Soviet symbol. It made me look twice, and I like the uncluttered feel of it.

Cover by Larry Rostant

   This cover for Shift by Kim Curran is the second we have seen from Strange Chemistry. It is not a final version, but I can't see much need for change.

   I really like how action filled this cover is. It has a sense of being a captured frame from a movie. Looks like it is set on a subway/tube train, but what is that light in the background? It's very good when covers get you wondering what is happening in my opinion, and this cover certainly does that.

Cover art: Steven Wood

   If this looks familiar, it is because I had this on the post last week, but now it has text added to it and this is the finalised version that we will see in stores. Oh, and it's the cover for Blackwood by Gwenda Bond, coming from Strange Chemistry.

   I think I said enough about how much I like this last week. So I'll just add that I think the text suits the cover just fine, it doesn't take attention away from the gorgeous art.

Last weeks Cover Reveal Round-Up is here.

COVER REVEAL ROUND-UP

   I like seeing cover reveals, it's always interesting to get an early look at a coming book. Sometimes I want to blog about them, but I don't want to fill my blog with posts about new covers, so I thought I'd start doing a round-up of cover reveals on a semi-regular basis. These are some of the covers I have noticed lately, with a brief comment of what I think of them.

WARDS OF FAERIE BY TERRY BROOKS

   This is the cover for the first volume in the The Dark Legacy of Shannara trilogy, published by Del Rey.

   I'm really not sure what to think of it. It's pretty minimalistic for a Fantasy cover, and I have no idea from the cover what the novel is about. I assume the covers for the nest two books will be in a similar style, and I think it may look better when seen together with those. But I also think it will to some degree stand out in the Fantasy section as it is. 

THE FORGE OF DARKNESS BY STEVEN ERIKSON

   The first book in a new trilogy form Steven Erikson, and Tor Books, set in the world of The Malazan Book of the Fallen.

   This is pretty much a generic Fantasy cover, and I am a bit disappointed by it. It does look good, but I feel that this is very much a cover that could have grazed any Fantasy book ever published. My first thought was that it was a cover for a new edition of The Sword of Shannara by Terry Brooks. I am of course excited by a new Malazan book by Erikson, but I wish the cover was more special.

THE DIRTY STREETS OF HEAVEN BY TAD WILLIAMS

   Another first book of a new trilogy from an established Fantasy author (, looks like the trend this year.) This from Tad Williams and published by Daw Books (US) and Hodder & Stoughton (UK).

   I actually liked this cover. It's not very original, but it seems to be a very good representation of what the book is about from what I have read. This is a book I am very excited about, Williams is a great author.

INEXPLICABLES BY CHERIE PRIEST

Cover art: Cliff Nielsen

   The cover for a new installment in Cherie Priest's The Clockwork Century series. Published by Tor Books.

   I love this series, and I have really liked the covers for the previous books. This cover fits in nicely with the earlier ones, and I think it looks great. I can't wait to find out what the character on the cover is staring at.

BLOOD AND FEATHERS BY LOU MORGAN

 

Cover art: Simon Parr

   This is the cover for the debut novel coming from author Lou Morgan, to be published by Solaris Books.

   This is an excellent cover, it really comes out at you. The red figure on the black background is a nice contrast. Even though I know Lou online and have been excited to read her book since I first heard about it, this cover managed to get me even more excited. I'm looking forward to getting my hands on this one.

BLACKWOOD BY GWENDA BOND

Cover art: Steven Wood

   This is not only the cover for the first novel by Gwenda Bond, it is also the first cover we've seen from new publishing imprint Strange Chemistry.

   This is not a final cover, and there will obviously be some text added to this before it is in the shops. It really is a lovely cover, and I was already looking forward to the book, this has made me want it more. The colours, the woman, and that snake...it's really brilliant, I want it as a poster.  And I can't wait to see what covers Strange Chemistry comes up with after this one.

   I hoped you liked my first cover reveal post. I will be keeping an eye on the internet for more cover reveals in the future, and there will be more of these posts on the blog from time to time.

   What did you think of these covers? The comments are open.