Category: modern fantasy books

Review of THE LORDS OF THE WEST END

The content of a recent review from WS Bookclub (Instagram book reviewer) is below the book cover: "This is one of those books that is high on entertainment value. Bradan is an extremely long-lived, magic-wielding ne-‘er do well who just wants to hang out with his band, sell art, and get by. Okay, so his … Continue reading Review of THE LORDS OF THE WEST END →

Book Review: UNION STATION by Ian Welke

UNION STATION by Ian Welke is a modern fantasy novel set in Los Angeles and published by a cool, boutique publisher, Omnium Gatherum. The story focuses on books. Its protagonist is a magician and ex-librarian with a complicated backstory, Tom Jackson, whose magical talent is to locate rare, valuable books (including a first edition Hemingway!). … Continue reading Book Review: UNION STATION by Ian Welke →

TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing (part 2)

Trope and cliché aren’t that different. Maybe a good working definition can be that a ‘cliché’ is a badly done or over-used ‘trope’, while a ‘trope’ is a ‘cliché’ used imaginatively to remind the reader of what’s familiar and likable in a genre. In the former situation, the author is lazy; in the latter, they’re … Continue reading TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing (part 2) →

TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing

It’s tricky to balance writing originally while still pleasing readers. If a fantasy author does this right, they’ve made magic. But it isn’t easy. Fantasy readers generally like more of what they’ve liked in the past, so an author needs to 1) be aware of the genre’s tropes and 2) include at least some of … Continue reading TROPES AND TRAPS – Avoiding Cliché in Fantasy Writing →