So after multiple requests, I've created an official map of Eos (the world of the Prophecy Rock Series). I had already created one, a really cheap and dinky one on a whiteboard for my own reference, but it was a great exercise to create a much better looking one. The major cities of Gozin for the Renzai Empire and Mount Syphax for the Vicedonian Kingdom are there, as well as a number of other locations featured in the novels. I hope you enjoy the map and that it improves your reading experience! Let me know what you think!

Ender’s Game by Orson Scott Card

Ender Wiggins is a riveting and multifaceted character who is immediately established as someone of utmost significance to Earth’s survival against the Buggers (he is essentially Earth’s only hope). Ender is a genius amongst geniuses, and I forget that he begins his journey as a six-year-old boy, yet he talks like an adult, as do the rest of his classmates of similar age. At first, it seemed rather unbelievable, but I soon forgot about it as the story continued to draw me in. It then occurred to me that child geniuses probably would speak like adults since they already possessed superior intellectual abilities (i.e. child prodigies who go to college sound much like adults).

Beyond his genius, though, Ender is deeply flawed by overwhelming feelings of insecurity, loneliness, borderline paranoia, and schizophrenia that are all made real by his dysfunctional relationship with his older siblings and fellow geniuses, Peter and Valentine. Due to the fact that Ender is a Third, a derogatory label for children born beyond Earth’s two-limit child policy, he’s unfairly subjected to a litany of prejudices by strangers, authority figures, classmates, and even by his own parents who do love him but simply cannot relate to him. Peter, though, a prototypical bully with sociopathic tendencies serves as Ender’s hell during his early years. Even after Ender leaves Earth, Peter continues to haunt his younger brother’s thoughts with Ender dreading the terrifying possibility that someday he will become just like Peter.

In the novel, Ender is subjected to one intense scenario after the next. From navigating the social complexities of school, reflecting upon his tenuous relationship with older classmates, dealing with bullies who push Ender to his absolute limits, or to the intense Battle Games that are so brilliantly realistic in war strategy, Card pulls it all off effortlessly. To that point, Ender’s Game is now required reading for the U.S. Marine Corps, a testament to the soundness of the battle strategies and leadership training. The only moments when Ender seems to get any rest is in his sleep or during his time playing the fantasy game on his desk (much like an iPad) but both are just as restless as thoughts of Peter or the strangeness of the fantasy game haunt him relentlessly (the meaning of the fantasy game eventually comes full circle and is later explained). All this contributes to a book where there are few moments to breathe; leaving me wanting to flip pages all the way to the end.

The one break from Ender’s tale comes through the chapters of Peter and Valentine as they utilize the Internet to post political rhetoric under usernames Locke and Demosthenes. The chapters are interesting as they serve to set up the scenario on Earth and are well written with Card’s research into history coming to the forefront (including an update with the end of the Cold War and fall of the Soviet Union), but I couldn’t help but rush through these chapter to get back to Ender’s tale.

Ender is not a normal human being and never will he be one, he’s too unique and is fated to be isolated and alone. The common man cannot understand the inner workings of a genius, so sometimes that ignorance can lead to fear. Ender’s pure moments of humanity come in his bitter moments of sorrow as he internalizes the consequences of his own actions. No, Ender doesn’t relish in harming others, but he also understands the long-term consequences of losing and thus cannot allow it to happen. It goes against his logic to do so. At one point, Ender is maddeningly jealous of Bonzo Stilner (despite being cornered by Bonzo in the shower) because Bonzo is allowed to go home after their fight. All Ender truly wants is to go home as well (indeed a very basic human want is to be safe) but he truly has no home to go to and so he must leave the normalcy of Earth behind.

Over time you would expect Ender’s moments of crisis to begin to numb him, but he still mourns like a human, as a child even. Ender is indeed human, but even still he will be destined to die in a fishbowl by himself as a prisoner of his own genius. His lake house in Virginia and his moments on his hand-made raft are where Ender can be as human as he can, and that always means alone.

Ender is special and the enemy Buggers even know it when the end is revealed. Ender is destined for a great purpose in humanity’s time in existence, and the fact that Ender’s contributions go further than simply ending the war against the Buggers (more wars are always inevitable), but Ender’s final compilation of Speaker for the Dead and Hegemon both give rise to a new religion worshipped by people on Earth and the colonies. Religion is his gift to them, giving them hope for the future.

Ender’s cast of characters fully round out the story with every character serving a specific role. Characters such as Bonzo, who pushes Ender to a critical point of both desperation and transformation, Hyrum Graff who guides Ender from beginning to end with an iron fist, Alai whom Ender considers a friend and closest equal but remains hesitant to bridge that gap of friendship, to the precocious Bean who mirrors Ender’s own life and becomes the primary subject of the Ender’s Shadow Series. Valentine serves as Ender’s only hope of normalcy, and Peter is the one who can utterly destroy that dream. I couldn’t help but sympathize with Ender when he finally lets go of his emotions and cries to himself, acting like the child I forget he is.

Throughout the novel, it feels like Ender slowly loses his humanity as he is forced into situations where eliminating his most human basic human emotion is required in order to survive. He must think objectively, sacrificing friends and soldiers in simulated battles to win at all cost, or by isolating himself to keep his army’s moral untainted. Only Valentine is able to reconnect Ender with his tenuous humanity, even though Ender seems to doubt it himself. Much like in their younger childhood (because they still are children), Valentine serves as the shield for Ender, protecting him from the madness and manipulative mental torment of Peter. It is because of her love and willingness to intervene that Ender is able to finally accomplish his goal.

A sign of a great book is that it transcends time and remains relevant to the present. Card’s writing underlies political tensions that are still evident today and his futuristic scenarios seem highly plausible if we were to ever get to that point. His use of desks are essentially what we call tablets today. Telling, too, is the global connectivity of the Internet, primarily used in this novel as a means for political dissemination and platform building by Peter and Valentine. Peter seeks to become Hegemon of Earth and to rule in the aftermath of the war with the Buggers. Peter is a genius, a mad genius in his own right who’s just smart enough to pull off world domination and simply sociopathic enough to instill fear in the reader of what kind of bleak world Earth would be if he were to rule. Peter’s use of a pseudonym rings true as anonymous voices can gain power without repercussions (Cyber bullying, etc…) The dangers of posting anonymously online can be a double-edge sword. Just as great as it is to have Valentine (a child) have an outlet for her political genius… it’s just as scary to have Peter’s madness equally as accessible behind the safety of a computer.

In the conclusion, Ender is haunted by thoughts of xenocide when a surviving Bugger Queen reveals to Ender the Buggers side of the war. As his moral consciousness is tortured, he comes to understand the enemy that much better, making it all the more difficult to harm any bug, leaving Ender feeling emotionally battered and remorseful. Ender rectifies his xenocide by heading deeper into space, searching for a new home for the Bugger race to begin anew. Ender’s Game is a masterful work that transcends time, always feels relevant, and asks probing questions about human nature. Just as enjoyable through the first read to the tenth read, it is deserving of being considered one of the greatest works of literary science fiction.

James Dashner’s Maze Runner Trilogy focuses on a young teenage boy named Thomas and his journey through a mysterious (heavy on the mystery) dystopian world in which he not only struggles to figure out where he is, but more importantly who he is. The story begins as young Thomas awakens from a mysterious metallic box and finds himself surrounded by a group of teenage boys of varying ages. Wearing ragged clothing and speaking with a strange slang, Thomas’ confusion is exacerbated by his immediate surroundings. The lush grounds and vegetation are starkly contrasted by looming and ominous concrete walls that keep the boys sealed in the Glade. Haunted by strange and disparate visions, Thomas’ quest for answers truly begins when he steps out of the confines of the Glade and into the surrounding maze.

Dashner hits the mark in his attempt at creating a unique world where every seemingly apparent truth is anything but. Readers will find themselves second-guessing every “revelation” not because the explanations seem unbelievable, but rather because Dashner has masterfully weaved that sense of mistrust into the plotline. Reminiscent of Lord of the Flies, moral questions that come into play between contrasting perspectives of basic survival versus the quest for truth is handled expertly throughout the series. Dashner’s characters also come to life through the pages with unique personalities and motivations. From Thomas to his best friends, Minho and Newt, to Theresa and Brenda and the ensuing love triangle between them, Dashner fills his world with characters readers will be rooting for and against—and even torn between others.

From The Maze Runner (Book One) to The Death Cure (Book Three), Thomas’ adventure ramps up with every subsequent installment. The Scorch Trials (Book Two) really kicks the pace into overdrive. Readers will flip through pages at a rapid pace in an urgent need to discover the answers as to why Thomas and his friends have endured such horrific obstacles that include needle-stabbing-robots, crazed humans called Cranks, and the ominous WICKED organization that appears to be behind everything. The stakes are ratcheted up as the series progresses with unforgettable moments of heartache and pain (let’s just say there was a betrayal in book two and three that left me feeling a little red in the face) leading to an epic conclusion with a satisfying payoff in the final book.

As much as I enjoyed the Maze Runner Trilogy, of which I do recommend, there were a few areas of which I could’ve done without. First off was the unique slang. Although I truly applaud Dashner (and any author really) for trying to push the envelope and create something new and original, I found the slang to be slightly disruptive to my reading experience. After trying to figure out if these slang terms were substitutes for curse words, I eventually found myself making the switch naturally to make the reading experience go more smoothly. Secondly, I found that The Maze Runner starts off rather slow. I understand the need to setup the world and plot, but only at about three quarters of the way through the book did the urgency begin to pick up. Once it does, it’s a nonstop journey to the end, but there were still some moments where I found it to drag.

Overall, the Maze Runner Trilogy was an enjoyable and great read that I highly recommend to lovers of young adult mystery and adventure. Fans of dystopian themed worlds combined with a hint of love, comedy, sci-fi, and sort-of zombies will be pleased.

Into the Dark by Kristen Pham is a refreshing entry that stands out amongst the overly saturated genre of Young Adult Fantasy novels today. Her protagonist, Valerie Diaz, is an emotionally abused orphan who has already had her fair share of tribulations spanning her young 14 years of life. Where the cliche "unwanted hero saves the world" prototype could fall flat elsewhere, Pham expertly illustrates Valerie's motives and inner-struggles in a way that proves believable and honest. Valerie's time at the hospital beautifully portrays who Valerie is at her core, and sets the stage for her forthcoming globe/dimension trotting adventures. Accompanied by her once-imaginary friend Cyrus, bodyguard Thai, and wise-cracking-2pac loving Kanti, Valerie is whisked away to the magic-filled land of the Globe. When it comes to world-building, Pham is at her best, describing the colorful and distinct lands that exist within the Globe, including underwater cities, roaming temples, candy-filled dormitories, diverse peoples and creatures, and even unexpected means of transportation (roller-coasters and self-guided elevators) that children and adults will enjoy reading about.

On their journey to save Henry, a special child who unknowingly reaches out to Valerie for help, Valerie and gang encounter an assortment of monstrosities who stop at nothing to keep her from her goal. Even these villains prove to be more than simple run-of-the-mill ogres and what not, especially Sanguina, as she is cleverly crafted to make the reader both hate, yet wonder, where she's from and who she is.

The one area where Into the Dark does stumble slightly is in its pacing. As a fan of fast-paced adventure novels, I love it when an author can make me feel like I'm running out of breath, yet still manage to balance that between moments of self-reflection and doubt. Pham accomplishes this in most parts, but there were some scenes that felt a little rushed (the group seems to learn how to fight rather quickly). The story definitely builds up to an epic climax, but even still, it could've used a bit more developing in certain areas to have the payoff be even more rewarding. With that said, this is one minor flaw in an otherwise epic adventure.

Pham triumphs in her debut novel, invoking the grandiose worlds, mythological elements, and strange creatures that all lovers of the Fantasy genre will love and seamlessly combines them with the modern day. Teenagers will find themselves right at home with all the pop culture references and familiar struggles that only a teenager could truly empathize with. Readers of all ages will find themselves immersed in Valerie's mission of discovery through epic battles and subtle indications that point to something more sinister on the horizon. The first book in the Conjurors series is a wonderfully engaging read. Book two can't get here soon enough!

4 out of 5 stars!

Available at Amazon
Find out more about Kristen Pham at www.kristenpham.com

With the movie hitting theaters, I wanted to read the novel before going to watch it. There have been times where I've watched a movie based on a book, proceeded to read the novel afterwards, and found myself visualizing everything through the movie's perspective. Not a bad thing really, but the greatest thrill from reading a novel comes from each person's unique experience. Anyways, I'll save this topic for a later blog, on to the review!

World War Z by Max Brooks, published in 2006 as a follow up to his popular Zombie Survival Guide, is a wonderfully entertaining read and a pleasant surprise. Admittedly, I'm a casual fan of the zombie/living dead/undead/whitewalkers/whatever you want to call them. Most of my knowledge of the genre stems from the ubiquitous Walking Dead TV series (great show!), horror flicks, and the "I wanna eat your brains" character that we all know and love. So going into World War Z, I was expecting slow-as-hell Resident Evil type monsters chasing down a ragtag group of survivors (an old military vet, a young child, an attractive teenage boy and girl who fall in love, etc...). What I didn't expect was the unique perspective Brooks uses to tell the harrowing tales of survival from multiple global experiences. Stories of being attacked by throngs of decomposing zombies was just the teaser. The heart of what makes World War Z such an engaging read is the belief that Brooks' scenario seems almost plausible today. His social-political commentaries about the inefficacy of modern forms of government rings true - and the direction they will lead us down during a major crisis is a startling scenario. What would really happen if the world went to hell? (Literally). The Redeker plan proposed and utilized by many nations to quell the zombie uprising is shocking not because of what it proposes (basically it suggests using the population of survivors who have no practical survival skills as a diversion), but because its coldly calculated details sound like the only logical plan to ensure humanity's survival. And still, even after the tide is turned against the "Zacks" and humanity has repositioned itself once again as the top species on Earth; the post-war stress, trauma, and memories continue to haunt each and every single survivor. The last bastion of hope is when the next generation, and subsequent generations thereafter grow up in a time when the Zombie Apocalypse is relegated to a single unit in a history textbook. Only when you are that far removed from it will you finally feel completely safe.

Aside from the well-written and uniquely crafted plot, I truly have to commend Brooks on his level of detail and research. A litany of military terms and weapons, war strategies, and tie-ins to actual historical events (complete with footnotes) sounds like a monumental undertaking for a writer, but Brooks pulls it off effortlessly. At times, I did find myself glancing over some of the details about X-28Z-SS Missiles (ok, I made that up) but it sure sounded real to me.

World War Z doesn't have much to truly criticize; it's well-written, thoroughly researched, has an engaging plot full of action and human emotion. The only thing that slightly bothered me was the amount of interviews. I understand the need to have as many global perspectives as you can to paint a full picture, but some tales probably could've been left out. Many are memorable (the Chinese Submarine Commander, the two Japanese survivors, Yonkers, the female pilot, and more) but some I don't really remember either (I can't list them because I don't remember them).

All in all World War Z was a fantastic read, amongst a proliferating genre of zombie this-and-that coming out now, Brooks' work stands above the rest. I highly recommend this book to anyone, especially before you see the movie (although I hear the movie's script is a bit different anyways). Fans of horror, thriller, action, political, historical, and social (wow, he really covers everything) intrigue will find themselves turning page after page of this outstanding piece of literary work.

Oh, and the scene where the monkey pees in the soldier's face made me laugh out loud for a good straight minute.

   

Genesis is now available on Smashwords for $1.79! Available for immediate sampling and purchase in multiple ebook formats, readable on virtually any ebook reading device! Start your adventure today!

T. Sae-Low's Smashwords Author Profile: http://www.smashwords.com/profile/view/tsaelow
Book page to sample or purchase Genesis (Prophecy Rock Series, Book 1): http://smashwords.com/b/317349

A vivid portrayal of the inner turmoil that is inherent to being human. Stevenson's creative allegory of man's desire to be righteous and socially accepted juxtaposed by his sinister and more animalistic wants is beautifully crafted and cleverly paced. A classic that will always remain relevant.

Here's my full interview with BookGoodies. I share a lot about my inspirations, my own writing process, and the current state of the publishing industry. Check it out! For the original post, go here.



Author Bio:
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, California. The youngest of three siblings, my parents emigrated from Thailand to the U.S. in the late 1970′s, setting up residence in a one bedroom apartment in the Koreatown District of L.A. As a child, I spent my early Saturday mornings watching my favorite cartoons and playing video games with friends. The rest of my time I spent reading and collecting comic books and anime with my older brother. Inspired by titles such as X-Men, Akira, and Robotech, I buried himself in these imaginary worlds, drawing my favorite characters and creating plenty of my own. I transformed a corner of my family’s small living room into a makeshift art station. Mock covers of my favorite comics and magazines adorned the wall. At school, my journals and homework were filled with doodles in the margins, much to the chagrin of some of my teachers. As I grew older, my love for incredible stories led me towards a degree in history, where I found fact to often be more amazing than fiction. I graduated from UCSD with a degree in History and a minor in Education. Shortly after, I received my teaching credential and have been teaching since, finding it to be a rewarding yet challenging profession, all the while continuing my love for brave new worlds with my insatiable appetite for books and graphic novels.

What inspires you to write?
Truth be told, I’ve always been a writer at heart. I can remember back when I was little, creating a comic strip for an elementary school project. I think we had to come up with a poster for an anti-smoking campaign, and I remember creating my first superhero named SmokeKill. He wore these colorful orange and blue tights, and he could inhale all the bad smoke in the world. I honestly thought he was the coolest character ever, so I turned the poster into a full-on comic book. I recall my teacher being impressed with it, and from that point on, I was always creating strange new worlds filled with fantastic characters. (Well, at least to me they were fantastic).

As far as inspiration goes, I find inspiration for my stories everywhere. Whether it be from a great book, movie, news story, or just being on the train and people watching. I love taking that small spark of inspiration and developing it into an entire story. I enjoy the challenge of seeing how far I can take it.

Tell us about your writing process:
For me, I always have a journal and pen with me (if not I’ll take notes on my phone), but I discover ideas for my stories everywhere. I have to jot them down otherwise I’ll forget, because the next story is already taking its place! Once I have a solid concept for a story, I’ll do the necessary research to make sure I’m comfortable with it. Be it setting, time period, etc…I need to make sure that the world I’m going to create makes sense to me.

Next, I’ll work on my characters, fleshing them out in detail and creating back stories for all of them. That way, I keep details and facts consistent, but I always make changes here and there as the story develops. Afterwards, I’ll outline the story from beginning to end. With a solid outline done, I’ll frame the book scene by scene on index cards. I find index cards easy to use, and I can always have them with me. (Tablets are great and all, but I don’t like typing on them, I prefer to write things down). Once my scenes are complete, I’ll begin writing from beginning to end, and then going back for multiple revisions until I’m happy with the final manuscript.

For Fiction Writers: Do you listen (or talk to) to your characters?
Yes…yes I do. I often find myself sitting at my computer, or driving in my car having a full conversation with my characters. It feels odd, but it definitely helps me discover what attributes and motivations best suit their unique personalities. I loosely base some of my characters on people from history, so as to give me a solid starting point. As I write, my conversations with my characters delve deeper and begin to shape and mold them into their own persons.

What advice would you give other writers?
Write and read a lot. Write to practice your craft, and read to see how others are doing it. The difficult thing for me to do at times is to balance out the two. I find myself in “writing mode” where that’s all I want to focus on, but often times I’ll get stuck on a scene, or plot line, and I’ll usually find great inspiration from other works. That’s why I feel it’s a healthy idea to balance the two.

How did you decide how to publish your books?
I decided to self-publish my novel because my original intention was to share my story. It sounds simple, but as I discovered in my research, going the traditional route can be a lengthy and difficult process. At the end of the day, I wanted to get my story out to as many people as possible because I believed in what I wrote. Self-publishing has allowed me to do that with minimal upfront investment. I liked the fact that all I really needed to do was to focus and write my story. The self-publishing process is fairly straightforward, and next thing you know, it’s available to millions of customers.

I think at the end of the day, every writer wants to be published by a traditional publisher, but you can hit a brick wall trying to break through, which can be frustrating. I would advise anyone who wants to get their story out to pursue every path available to you, but know that self-published authors are growing, and are starting to garner more attention (making it to NY Times Bestsellers List, Top Amazon Rankings, etc…). A fair bit of warning though. Know that with the ease of self-publishing available today, there’s a lot of new books entering the marketplace. For your book to stand out, it has to first of all, be a great story. Secondly though, as a self-published author, you don’t have a team of marketing execs getting your book out to the world. You, the writer, will also become a marketing exec because you’re the only person who can really make it happen. I’m finding this step to be a challenging, but very rewarding process as well. It really tests how badly you want to share your story.

What do you think about the future of book publishing?
With the advent of ebooks, and all the myriad of other electronic forms of reading, the amount of books available are growing at an astonishing rate. Traditional brick and mortar bookstores are struggling (Borders went bankrupt), and there’s a shift now towards everything being online. I still love the tangible feel of a book in my hands, and the joy of browsing around a bookstore, but when I see my third grade students going to the “store” on their Kindles, it’s a telling sign of how and where books are being read and seen by potential readers. I personally hope bookstores aren’t replaced entirely by virtual ones, but it would be prudent to stay connected with the industry as it shifts from one medium to the next.

What genres do you write?
Fantasy, Teen, Young Adult, Fiction, Middle Grades

What formats are your books in?
Both eBook and Print

Website(s)
Author Home Page Link

Your Social Media Links
http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6927279.T_Sae_Low
https://www.facebook.com/tsaelow.author
https://twitter.com/TSaeLow