Tag Archives: Sherwood Smith

Published: December 5, 2012

Even More Signed Books from Cool Authors

This is a Worldbuilders Blog.

Today we’ve got more books donated by the authors themselves. Gaze on them with wonder and delight…

Some of them we’re putting up for auction along with a select few other books.

But the vast majority of them are joining the hundred of books that will be given away lottery-style to everyone who donates on our Team Heifer page.

Right. On to the books….

  • Auction: A set of Inda, The Fox, King’s Shield, and Treason’s Shore. Signed by Sherwood Smith.  Includes a hand-drawn map and 5 hand drawn pictures from the author.

“Intricate and real…Filled with magic and glamour…Characters spring to life with humor… Complex and compelling.” – San Jose Mercury News

Pat’s Note: Over the years, authors have donated some really cool stuff to Worldbuilders. Rare editions. Editorial Manuscripts. Cool memorabilia….

But this year, Sherwood has really raised the bar. She went above and beyond.

Along with the full set of her signed books, she’s send along several hand-drawn illustrations. What’s more, she has included a huge map of her world that she’s drawn and detailed with colored pencil and metallic pens.  It’s 20×30, so we’ve included a book for scale in the picture.

 

(Click to Embiggen.)

I really can’t begin to describe how cool all of this is. To say that it’s “one of a kind” is really understating things. This is a profoundly unique effort of love and geeky craft. I’m honestly amazed that Sherwood was willing to put in all the time and effort that it took for this.

So. First and foremost. I want to say: thanks so much Sherwood Smith. You are awesome. You made my day by donating this.

Secondly, we want to make sure this ends up in the hands of a true fan, so we’re auctioning it off.

To place a bid, or if you just want to see more pictures of Sherwood’s art, head on over here to the auction.

  • A hardcover copy of Year Zero: A Novel.  Signed by Rob Reid.

Pat’s Note: I caught Rob’s presentation this year at Wootstock, and it made me laugh so hard milk came out my nose. And this is the odd thing: I hadn’t even been drinking milk at the time….

Seriously though. He’s a brilliantly funny guy, as you can see for yourself on the video of him at Wootstock…

“Reid’s extreme imagination never wanes as he builds an entire universe solely on how alien societies would react to our music and culture. Nothing is typical or obvious. Reid uses the lens of an outsider to unleash a sarcastic—and hilarious—rant on how obsessed we are with technology and greed.” – Associated Press

  • Auction: A hardcover copy of Year Zero: A Novel.  Signed by Rob Reid.

“Fans of Douglas Adams will rave about this smart, funny satire. Debut novelist Reid, founder of Listen.com, has crafted a masterly plot that deftly skewers the American obsession with music, money, and power. Fast paced and original, this is highly recommended.” – Library Journal (starred review)

If you’d like to bid on this auction, head over here.

“Patterson’s story about vampires and slayers is unlike any other you have read before. His characters have depth & personality. Their histories are fascinating and leave you eager to turn the page to learn more about them.” – Books and Beyond

  • A hardcover copy of Nightspell.  Signed by Leah Cypess.

“Transcendent and triumphant.” –Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

“A magical and entertaining waltz across the fairy forests and dark moors a just sideways step or two from Haworth Parsonage.” – Ian R. MacLeod, World Fantasy Award winner and author of The Light Ages

  • 2 sets of Syncopation: A Memoir of Adele Hugo and The Stolen Goldin Violin.  Syncopation signed by Elizabeth Caulfield Felt, Stolen Golden Violin signed by Elizabeth Caulfield Felt, Andy Felt, Craig Felt, and Tom Felt.

“The author does an excellent job of presenting Adèle to the world as a woman ahead of her time yet held back by the social conventions of the era. A very enjoyable read.” – Historical Novel Society

Pat’s Note: I met Blake at World Fantasy Convention this year, and I have to say, not only is he a hell of a nice guy, but he’s got one of the most heart-stoppingly beautiful books I’ve ever seen. If you’re a book geek, then this is a book to geek-out over. It has serious solidity to it, genuine heft. A lovely cover and gorgeous paper.

These might seem like small things if you’re not one of us, but like I said, if you’re a geek for books, you notice this stuff. I wish half my editions were as nice as this…

“Hausladen weaves a story that is as believable as it is complicated, and as compelling as it is entertaining.” – Windy City Reviews

“Cooper puts a science fiction spin on the life of Eva Peron in this fast-paced, teen-friendly series starter. –Publishers Weekly

  • Auction: A set of The Creative Fire and an ARC of The Silver Ship and the Sea. Signed by Brenda Cooper.

“This is an adventure story, because life on this planet can be treacherous, but it is also a story about the relationships between insiders and outsiders, between adults and the teens who are about to surpass them, and between people who need each other in order to survive.” – Sarah Flowers.

The signed ARC makes this pretty collectable. So we’re putting this set into an auction over here.

“The plot twists, the casual wit and the enjoyable characters will satisfy fans. The shocking occurrence 100 pages from the end is a good indication of Willis’s power as a writer. “- Publishers Weekly

  • A set of Passage and Doomsday Book.  Signed by Connie Willis.

“An intelligent and satisfying blend of classic science fiction and historical reconstruction.” – Publishers Weekly

  • Auction: An Australian edition of Doomsday Book.  Signed by Connie Willis.

Pat’s Note: This is a bit of a oddity. One of Willis’ most acclaimed novels… the Australian edition. When I read the back cover, the voice I heard in my head belonged to Crocodile Dundee.

Since we’ve already got one Doomsday book in the lottery, let’s auction this one off.

  • Auction: A copy of Miracle and Other Christmas Stories.  Signed by Connie Willis.

“This is a collection that will entertain readers both in and out of season; and as a stocking-stuffer for SF fans, it’s a merry delight.” – Publishers Weekly

Need a Christmas gift for the Connie Willis fan in your life? Look no further. You can bid on the auction over here.

  • A set of Best Short Novels 2006 and War of the Worlds: Global Dispatches.  Signed by Connie Willis.

“Martians! Percival Lowell may have been responsible for bringing them to Earth; Teddy Roosevelt evidently bagged one in Cuba; H.P. Lovecraft may have been one; and both Albert Einstein and Emily Dickinson seem to have played a role in defeating them. In this collection of stories that complement H.G. Wells’s classic novel, these and other speculations are entertained by such well-known SF writers as Mike Resnick, Walter Jon Williams, Robert Silverberg, Connie Willis, Barbara Hambly, Gregory Benford and David Brin.” – Publishers Weekly

  • Auctions: 2 copies of Even the Queen & Other Short Stories on cassette tapes. Signed by Connie Willis.

Upside: These several of Connie’s Hugo and Nebula Award winning stories read by the author herself.

Potential downside: They’re cassette tapes. So we’re auctioning them off to make sure they can get into the hand of people who can actually listen to them.

Side note:  New copies of these are selling for 90 bucks and up on Amazon. So they’re fairly collectable too.

To bid on these go here for the first auction and here for the second.

  • A set of first editions of Fire Watch, Inside Job, D.A., and Remake.  All signed by Connie Willis. 

(Click to Embiggen)

Pat’s Note: All of these editions are signed, and they’re all out of print. What’s more, Fire Watch and Inside Job are both numbered, limited edition copies.

We could easily put these up in the auction and make a couple hundred bucks off them maybe much more. But instead I think I’d rather leave them in the lottery instead, so anyone can get lucky and win them, even if they only kick in ten bucks….

“Willis turns cherished SF themes completely inside out.” – Publishers Weekly

*     *     *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on our Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and many, many more.

If you want to see the other items that have been donated to Worldbuilders, or learn more about the fundraiser itself, you can head over to the main page.

If you’d like to see all the auctions Worldbuilders is currently running, you can find them over here.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2012 | By Pat9 Responses
Published: December 30, 2011

Still More Books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

So while I was away at my extended family Christmas, we managed to hit $100,000.

We did more than hit it, in fact. We knocked it down and then kicked it rudely while it was on the ground.

I’ll be getting the 100K bonus blog up early next week. I didn’t expect to need it this soon….

This is our third blog full of books from DAW, my lovely US publisher.

In addition to these books, and the one’s they’ve already sent, when DAW heard we needed Mercedes Lackey’s Unnatural Issue and The Gates of Sleep to have a complete set of the Elemental Masters series (we posted up a partial set in a previous blog) they sent us two lovely hardcover copies.  Likewise for Kristen Britain’s Blackveil from her Green Rider series.

Pat’s Note: As I mentioned in the last blog, Nnedi won the World Fantasy Award for this book just a couple months back. She wasn’t at the ceremony, but I was.

I felt like a proud grampa when the book won. Or maybe some sort of benevolent fairy god-uncle or something. Not only have I known Nnedi since back when we were both newbie writers. Not just because Who Fears Death is one of the few books I’ve actually blurbed. But I kinda helped this book get published, because I introduced Nnedi to Betsy, my editor at DAW.

So yeah. Good book. Enough said.

“Nnedi Okorafor continues her epic journey into literary greatness. She manages to create worlds within worlds, stories that feel timeless, in language and settings we have not seen before.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

  • A first edition hardcover set of: Joust, Alta, and Aerie by Mercedes Lackey.

“It’s fun to see a different spin on dragons…and as usual Lackey makes it all compelling.” – Locus

  • A hardcover set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb, and Blackveil by Kristen Britain.

“Kristen Britain’s Blackveil has everything that Green Rider fans could hope for including romance, adventure, humor, time travel, dark magic, entertaining drama, ghosts, prophetic visions, and much more.” – Fantasy Book Critic

  • A set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, and The High King’s Tomb by Kristen Britain.

“Britain has written, what I think is, a series which not only compels you to keep reading, but leaves you thinking about it once you’ve finished.” – Fantasy Book Review

  • A first edition hardcover copy of The Diviner by Melanie Rawn. Includes a bookplate signed by the author.

“Melanie Rawn is an amazingly talented writer who is capable of some of the most direct and clearest fantasy writing I’ve had the pleasure of reading in quite some time.” – Book Critics

  • A trade paperback set of: Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll, and Sunrunner’s Fire by Melanie Rawn

“Rawn’s lush world of princes of dragons, sun-born magic, and tangled politics comes to life in this romantic fantasy saga.” – Library Journal

Pat’s Note: Because we’ve got so many books this year, we’re going to start grouping some of them into collections. For example, we’re bundling the next several sets of books together because they’re all first books of series. It’s like a Whitman’s sampler of starter books.

“Easily one of my favorite books of the year.” – Charles de Lint about The Enchantment Emporium

This set has everything: princesses, magic, trolls and aliens. Really, what else could you ever ask for?

Pat’s Note: I really want to read “White Trash Zombie.” You should really click the picture up there to embiggen it so you can get a better look at the cover.

  • A first edition hardcover set of Foreigner series: Foreigner, Invader, Inheritor, Precursor, Defender, Explorer by C.J. Cherryh.

“A seriously probing, thoughtful, intelligent piece of work, with more insight in half a dozen pages than most authors manage in half a hundred.” – Kirkus Reviews

  • An out of print, non-mass market edition of The Silver Metal Lover by Tanith Lee.

Pat’s Note: This is an older, out of print edition of the book.

“This is quite simply the best sci-fi romance I’ve read in ages.” – New York Daily News

Pat’s Note: This is a beautiful copy of one of Dick’s classic stories. Better yet, it’s one of the old, yellow-spine, vintage DAW paperbacks.  It’s a lovely book….

“… a masterpiece of sorts, full of demonic intensity.” – Robert Silverberg

  • A numbered, two-volume hardcover edition of 30th Anniversary DAW Fantasy and 30th Anniversary DAW Science Fiction Edited by Elizabeth R. Wollheim and Sheila E. Gilbert. This set is numbered 52 out of 350.

To celebrate the 30th anniversary of DAW Books, editors Betsy Wollheim and Sheila Gilbert asked each and every author published by DAW thoughout its history if they would like to contribute a new story for a special commemorative anthology.

This is the special edition printing of that collection.

These are gorgeous books that I seriously covet. They’re slipcased, leatherbound, and numbered. Gold leaf and everything. I was thinking of auctioning this off. But I like to keep cool things in the general lottery so anyone can win them, not just folks with the most money….

Thanks for all the lovely books, DAW.

*   *   *

Remember, for every 10 dollars you donate on the Worldbuilders Team Page, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice, too.

And don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations until January 31st. So there’s several good reasons why you’d want to head over to our Team Heifer page and chip in.

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

Share and enjoy….

Posted in Worldbuilders 2011 | By Pat13 Responses
Published: December 14, 2010

Books from DAW, Penguin, and The Book Scouts.

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got dozens and dozens of books. Signed books, sets of books, and Advance Reading Copies of books that won’t be published for months.

Let’s start with the ones donated by DAW. They’ve sent so many books that we’re going to start grouping a lot of them together, because listing them separately will take too long.

Some of these are obviously grouped together as books in a series. Others are grouped together by theme.

  • A hardcover set of Shadowmarch: Shadowmarch, Shadowplay, Shadowrise, and Shadowheart by Tad Williams.

“Impressive… packed with intriguing plot twists, this surreal fantasy takes the reader on a thrill ride… The author’s richly detailed world will enchant established fans and win new converts.” – Publishers Weekly (starred review)

“Epic fantasy you can get lost in for days, not just hours” – Locus

“With this volume, bestseller Hickman creates memorable characters and realms of immense richness, while holding the reader enthralled with exhilarating action.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A set of Green Rider, First Rider’s Call, The High King’s Tomb and an ARC of the latest book Blackveil by Kristen Britain. Set includes a signed bookplate.

The ARC of blackveil in this set is really cool, as that book won’t be hitting the shelves until Februar, 2011.

“A fresh fantasy.” – Kirkus Reviews

“This outstanding speculative novel is action-packed and fast-moving, and Duane’s lavish, expansive world building already seems eerily prescient.” –  Publisher’s Weekly (starred review)

“…one of the finest current writers of speculative fiction.” – Kirkus Reviews

Nnedi was one of the authors I interviewed last year. And Who Fears Death is one of the few books I’ve actually blurbed.

“Nnedi Okorafor continues her epic journey into literary greatness. She manages to create worlds within worlds, stories that feel timeless, in language and settings we have not seen before…. She is in the passing lane now, and she is starting to pull away. Catch her now.” — Luis Alberto Urrea, bestselling author of The Hummingbird’s Daughter and Pulitzer Prize finalist.

“Both wondrously magical and terribly realistic.” – The Washington Post

“History aficionado and champion fencer Aurelia Kim Murray investigates her taciturn grandmother’s European roots and her own identity in Smith’s sweeping, feminist Ruritanian romance. […] a lively heroine, mysterious ghosts, and a complex and intricate plot always get the action going.” – Publishers Weekly

“Brilliantly detailed worldbuilding and complicated characters makes this an engrossing read.” – Laura Anne Gilman

Here’s a group of three flavors of fantasy novel ranging from demons to Norse sword fighters to ghosts and haunts.

  • An urban-modern fantasy paperback set: The Enchanted Emporium by Tanya Huff and Trolls in the Hamptons by Celia Jerome.

Two modern fantasy books of actual fantasies: running a curiosity shop in a local community which includes the odd witch or dragon, and having one’s character come to life (pretty cool even if your character happens to be a giant red troll…)

Here we’ve got Sci-Fi that runs the gamut from genetically altered humans battling to control their planet, aliens visiting earth, or explorations into the furthest reaches of space.

Yeah. I said ‘gamut.’ You want to make something of it?

Personally, I love the title “Touched by an Alien.”

  • A copy of The Stepsister Scheme and an ARC of Red Hood’s Revenge by Jim C. Hines.

Jim Hines already donated a signed book earlier in the fundraiser. But this set is another chance to be reintroduced to fairy tale characters: warrior princess Talia (Sleeping Beauty), fellow princess-adventurers Danielle (Cinderella) and Snow (Snow White) and the shape-shifting assassin Roudette (Red Riding Hood).


A threesome of detective/gangster novels with more magic, demons and faeries than you can shake a stick at. *

*(Given certain pre-set standards for stick-size and shaking frequency.)

  • A set of sci-fi ARCs:  Conspirator by  C. J. Cherryh and The Wilding by C. S. Friedman. Set includes signed bookplates by C. J. Cherryh and C. S. Friedman.

A winning combination: C. J. and C. S. with two stories of war and diplomacy between races in a grand setting of powerful civilizations spanning worlds.

  • A Valdemar ARCs: Intrigues and Finding the Way by Mercedes Lackey. Set includes signed bookplate by Mercedes Lackey.

“Lackey is a spellbinding storyteller who keeps your heart in your mouth as she spins her intricate webs of magical adventure.”–Rave Reviews

*     *     *

Next we have some lovely books and ARC’s donated by Penguin books.

I hadn’t heard of this book before, but now that I’ve read a little about it, I’m going to have to check it out. I like it when someone takes tired fantasy cliches and puts a clever, thoughtful spin on them…

“Turner’s debut is a massively entertaining and seriously revisionist zombie novel. How revisionist? Well, her characters communicate with each other eloquently (although, to humans, it sounds like a lot of grunts). They remember their past lives. They have thoughts and emotions, and when a new kind of creature, a sort of human-zombie hybrid, appears out of nowhere, they feel fear. The author has taken the familiar zombie clichés and given them a good shake. ” – David Pitt from Booklist (starred review)

This is an ARC for a book that won’t be hitting the shelves until the end of the year. Since the book isn’t out yet, there aren’t many reviews available. But I’m willing to go out on a limb and guess that there’s a griffin in the book….

  • A set of Destroyermen: Into the Storm, Maelstrom, and Distant Thunders by Taylor Anderson.

‘”Taylor Anderson and his patched-up four-stackers have steamed to the forefront of alternative history. All aboard for a cracking great read!” – E. E. Knight, Author of Fall with Honor

“I dipped my toe into Destroyerman: Into the Storm and when I looked up, it was two in the morning.” – S. M. Stirling

*     *     *

This year a few bookstores were cool enough to help out by donating to Worldbuilders too. Here we have a bunch of lovely signed books from The Book Scouts.

  • A hardcover first edition of Worldbinder by David Farland. Signed by the author.

“The Runelords is a first rate tale, an epic fantasy that more than delivers on its promise. Read it soon and treat yourself to an adventure you won’t forget.”–Terry Brooks

  • A hardcover first edition of The Lair of Bones by David Farland. Signed by the author.

“David Farland’s Runelords books are among the best fantasies on the market today. Great characters, a fascinating concept, and some really nasty monsters make each novel a pleasure to read.” – Kevin J. Anderson

  • A hardcover first edition of Five Odd Honors: Breaking the Wall by Jane Lindskold. Signed by the author.

I like this one because it has a golden monkey on the cover. I have simple tastes. That’s all it takes to win me over: golden monkey.

“Fans of Charles de Lint and Jim Butcher will enjoy this intricate, beautifully written urban fantasy and will wait impatiently for the next installment.” – VOYA

  • A set of hardcover copies of Harbingers and Ground Zero, Repairman Jack Novels by Paul Wilson. Both signed by the author.

“Part hard-boiled detective novel, part “Matrix”and all fun, Wilson’s latest and, perhaps, greatest kept me up all night.  A pulse-pounding novel that grips you by the throat and doesn’t let go even when it’s over.” – Eric Van Lustbader, author of The Testament

  • A hardcover copy of The Dark-Eyes’ War by David B. Coe. Signed by the author.

“Coe manages to take several serious, weighty issues, approach them from distinctly different points of view and make you sympathetic toward characters who sometimes act selfishly or viciously.  He absolutely nails the plot and sequencing.” – Romantic Times 

  • A hardcover copy of Rules of Ascension by David B. Coe. Signed by the author.

“This sword and sorcery epic gathers momentum like a runaway moving van.” –  Publishers Weekly

“The consistent excellence of L.E. Modesitt makes him by far the most entertaining of today’s fantasy writers.” – Romantic Times

  • A hardcover copy of To Ride Hell’s Chasm by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

“Janny Wurts writes with astonishing energy… it ought to be illegal for one person to have so much talent.” – Stephen R. Donaldson

  • A copy of Traitor’s Knot by Janny Wurts. Signed by the author.

“Wurts is in fine form here, providing endless twists and turns of plot and an artful complexity that is marvelous to behold.”  – Booklist

  • A hardcover copy of Off Armageddon Reef by David Weber. Signed by the author.

“Altogether, there is enough conflict to allow a natural storyteller like Weber to make a large, splendid novel that opens another saga. The saga being Weber’s form of choice and high achievement, hopes for the rest of it are definitely elevated.” – Roland Green from Booklist (starred review)

*     *     *

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them.

In addition to that, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations made on our Team Heifer page.

For more details, or to see the other books you can win, you can head over to the main page HERE.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat13 Responses
Published: November 27, 2010

Books from DAW

This is a Worldbuilders blog.

Today we’ve got a ton of books donated by my lovely publisher, DAW.

Well… Okay. Not a ton. That’s just not true. But we do have dozens of lovely books from DAW.

Let’s take a look at them:

  • A hardcover copy of The War of the Flowers by Tad Williams.

I read War of the Flowers a couple years back, just before my own book came out. I enjoyed it, as I do with all of Tad’s work. I especially liked his take on Faeries. I really enjoy it when someone puts a fresh twist on that particular piece of folklore.

“Travel into another dimension is a popular fantasy ploy, but rarely accomplished with such humor, terror and even logic as in this stand-alone by bestseller Williams.” – Publishers Weekly

  • A hardcover set of Inda: Inda, The Fox, King’s Shield and Treason’s Shore by Sherwood Smith.

“The world creation and characterization within Inda have the complexity and depth and inventiveness that mark a first-rate fantasy novel… This is the mark of a major work of fiction…you owe it to yourself to read Inda.” — Orson Scott Card

  • A hardcover set of the Smoke series: Smoke and Shadows, Smoke and Mirrors, and Smoke and Ashes by Tanya Huff.

“A wild romp, full of dark humor, a delightfully twisted version of the usual haunted house story.” – Locus

“A master of urban fantasy.” – Library Journal.

“Sword-Dancer is an admirable introduction to the six-volume adventures of Tiger and Del, one of fantasy’s more popular and appealing odd couples…. Roberson comes out swinging and delivers some dramatically powerful sequences… There’s no denying that by the end of Sword-Dancer, Roberson will have fantasy fans dancing in the streets.” – SF Reviews.net

“With every book, the magic of Jennifer Roberson waxes stronger and stronger. Wrought with an epic mysticism and power, the continuing strands of the Cheysuli saga glimmer with the sheen of excellence as they weave their way into a landmark collection of fantasy literature.” – Rave Reviews.

  • A set of the Coldfire trilogy: Black Sun Rising, When True Night Falls and Crown of Shadows by C. S. Friedman.


I really liked these when I read them about five years back. Friedman does some cool worldbuilding. And best of all, it’s a complete series, so you can read the whole thing beginning to end.

“Friedman has produced a splendid hybrid of sf and fantasy in this first volume of a trilogy. Hauntingly memorable protagonists, high drama, and vivid world-building mark the beginning of what promises to be a magnum opus of the imagination. A priority purchase for fantasy or sf collections.” –Library Journal

“One of the things I like best about MZB’s Darkover novels is the sheer humanity of the characters. It’s rare to find a dislikable character in her books, for even the villains are driven by ordinary, understandable, human emotions. Unlike many science fiction novels, love is central to most of her stories. She understands the motivational power of the love of parents and children, the love between siblings, and, of course, romantic love.” – SF Site Featured Review by Cindy Lynn Speer

  • A copy of The Transformer Trilogy omnibus edition by M. A. Foster.

“Solid, well-written, thoughtful.” – Locus

“Strikingly original.” – Science Fiction and Fantasy Book Review

  • A copy of The Book of the Ler omnibus edition by M. A. Foster.

“Sensitive yet full of action, rich in emotional textures and highly intelligent.” – Library Journal

“A scary and sexy modern-day vampire thriller.” – Judith and Garfield Reeves-Stevens.

  • A set of the Dragon Prince series: Dragon Prince, The Star Scroll and Sunrunner’s Fire by Melanie Rawn.

“Rawn’s lush world of princes and dragons, sun-born magic, and tangled politics comes to life in this romantic fantasy saga.” – Library Journal

” …an exquisitely crafted novel that appeals not just to sci-fi/fantasy readers, but also to anyone who enjoys a deep study of human nature.” – Midwest Bookreview

  • A set of Esther Diamond novels: Doppelgangster and Unsympathetic Magic by Laura Resnick.


Okay. I know I’m not supposed to judge a book by its cover. But I have to admit that I’m curious to read these books after just looking at them. And no, it’s not because they have a pretty woman on the front. Well, yeah. That’s part of it. But it’s not all of it. These look like a fun read to me.

Plus you have to love the title of the second one….

“Esther Diamond is the Stephanie Plum of urban fantasy! …Unplug the phone and settle down for a fast and funny read. ” — New York Times bestselling novelist, Mary Jo Putney

  • A set of the Heralds of Valdemar trilogy: Arrows of the Queen, Arrow’s Flight and Arrow’s Fall by Mercedes Lackey.

Valerie says:

Arrows of the Queen was the first fantasy novel I ever read, after the Lord of the Rings of course. I must admit that as a nine year old girl, I initially picked up the book because of the cover with the pretty horse but then continued on to devour every single one of her books written in this world. Years later, Arrows of the Queen was the first book I read after arriving in Stevens Point. Pat had a copy in his library and I snitched it one afternoon for some quality comfort-fantasy reading while settling down in a new job and new town.

“The kind of novel that belongs on every fantasy lover’s bookshelf…carefully wrought, entertaining reading by a brilliant and dedicated author.” — The Midwest Book Review

  • A set of The Last Herald Mage trilogy: Magic’s Pawn, Magic’s Promise and Magic’s Price by Mercedes Lackey.

This is another series I read growing up. Then I re-read it again back around 2003. I was surprised how much I still enjoyed it. Unfortunately, that’s not always the case with books you read as a child.

“Lackey’s talent for characterization lends depth to this coming-of-age adventure.” – Library Journal

  • A set of Vows and Honor: The Oathbound, Oathbreakers and Oathblood by Mercedes Lackey.

Valerie says: Lackey uses standard fantasy elements such as the sword and sorcery team to create episodic adventures where bravery and justice triumph and the bad guys get what they deserve, often in humorous and awkward ways.

“…a new series involving a pair of likable, savvy heroines. Sword and sorcery with warmth and humor make this a story that will appeal to most fantasy fans.” – Library Journal

Valerie comment: This is a fun read for any Lackey fan; it takes some of her best elements and characters from the Valdemar series and focuses on the adventures of one particularly awesome female hero.

“Spellbinding storyteller” – Rave Reviews on Mercedes Lackey continuing her epic Valdemar series.

  • A set of Moontide and Magic Rise: World Without End and Sea Without a Shore by Sean Russell.

“Russell has the rare ability to immerse his readers so completely in his tale that reaching the end feels like waking from a particularly vivid dream.” – Nona Vero

“A strange and beautiful book with an unusual depth and nuance of character set forth in lustrous dialogue and prose the texture of honeyed silk.” – Kirkus Reviews

That’s a great blurb. I hope someone uses the words “lustrous” and “nuance” when reviewing my next book.

“Fantasy at its best.” – Quantum

Cherryh is one of those authors I read all the time growing up. She’s got such a great grip on story. What’s more she’s one of the few authors I can think of that walks very lightly back and forth between Fantasy and Science Fiction and does a smashing good job in both genres.

“Cherryh has created her strongest character and her best novel in a story of space exploration, colonization, and war.” —Questar

Remember folks, for every 10 dollars you donate to Heifer International, you get a chance to win these books and hundreds of others like them. Plus there’s the whole helping make the world a better place thing. That’s nice, too.

Don’t forget, Worldbuilders is matching 50% of all donations. So why not head over to the Team Heifer page and chip in. C’mon. All the cool kids are doing it…

Or, if you want to go back to the main page for Worldbuilders, you can click HERE.

Posted in Worldbuilders 2010 | By Pat19 Responses

  • RSS info

  • Visit Worldbuilders!

  • Our Store

    The Store

  • Previous Posts

  • Archives



  • Bookmark this Blog!

    (IE and Firefox users only - Safari users, click Command-D)