Category Archives: fantasy
Opal and Her Strange Ancestors
Warwick Goble’s 1913 illustration of Snow White.
Kristina Wojtaszek, author of Opal a novella that retwists the classic Snow White tale, writes:
Snow White is one of the most stunning fairy tales. It is at once highly visual and suspiciously cryptic. One can easily describe the drops of blood on snow in the ebony window frame; the poisoned apple that is half red, half white; the disguised stepmother with her dyed face and stooped walk as she feigns old age… but so much is left out as well. It’s a beautiful mystery. The original queen tells us in her own words what she wishes for in a child, but her dream is purely physical, based on the colors she sees before her. We know nothing of this queen, whether she is a beauty herself or if she is kind or careless. She doesn’t even give us a name for her child before dying in birth, and so we are left with an unusually pale, squalling babe in the hands of what would appear to be an unstable or perhaps apathetic father.
She is simply called Snow White in the Grimm version of the classic tale we know so well, an odd name for a beloved daughter, I would think. Among other versions of the story, we can find some actual names; Maria, Margarita, Lisa, Anna and Ermalina are a few. Like the names, this cross cultural tale is quite diverse in the telling. Our maiden can be cast in roles from someone akin to Mother Mary all the way down to a supposed harlot. And her assisting characters vary as well.
It may be the biological mother who wishes her death, not a stepmother. Or there may be a loving mother who does accidental harm instead, as happens in Italy’s The Young Slave. She may have brothers or sisters. The “seven dwarfs” may be seven robbers or seven fairies (not even males).
There are even greater variations on the matter of her deathly sleep and the way she is roused from it. I have read everything from bouncing caskets to loosened stays as she was being undressed by her future mother in law, whose maids accidentally spilled water on “the corpse’s dress,” to a jealous wife yanking her out of the casket by her hair, to the poor woman, no longer a maiden, waking to the suckling of her newborn twins! Her tale often entwines itself with various versions of Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, even Hansel and Gretel. Go ahead. Open the door to the old peddler and see which of these treasures she has to offer, at the mere risk confusion and madness.
Jennie Harbour, 1921 illustration.
Though reality eludes us in fairy tales, we can easily find common motifs; those standards of what should happen in a given type of tale:
Snow White is the story of maternal sin; vanity, jealousy, attempted murder, as well as the innocent child who miraculously, and sometimes undeservedly, escapes. From the male standpoint, we see an eclectic set of characters; the compassionate huntsman, the doting (although demanding) seven who take her in, the unusual (and often whiny) prince who borders on necrophilia. Not to mention the father, who is usually far too remote to characterize. Another motif is the poison or strangulation-induced coma, which is often translated as the loss of childhood. And finally, there is marriage for the innocent and punishment for the wicked. Though the details vary according to each version told, the motifs remain true, making Snow White a recognized order of fairy tale.
In modern retellings, it is all too often a matter of altering little more than the details. But the finest of details are often overlooked, and they beg to be studied.
On Being a Son of Odin
Amalia Dillin, author of the new novel Forged by Fate and first in the Fate of the Gods Trilogy, shares what it means to be a Son of Odin:
Above all, Odin prizes wisdom. We know this because of the lengths he goes to in attaining it: sacrificing an eye at the well of Mimir, hanging himself from the world tree to learn the runes, deceiving and sleeping with a giantess in order to steal the mead of poetry…
All right, so maybe that last one was less of a hardship, but the fact is, Odin gave up his own life for knowledge, for the wisdom of the runes. He was resurrected, maybe by that same power, but he didn’t shy away from the risk, seeing it as a worthy price. Wisdom is that important.
But Odin’s first son, Thor — he isn’t the brightest crayon in the box. Thor is much better known as a simple enforcer, half-giant, all muscle, and no brains. He’s known for smashing heads and sure, in the process he protects Asgard (though all those expeditions to kill giants probably won them more enemies), but not for his quick wit. In fact, it seems that when the wisdom was passed around, Thor missed out on taking his sip from the cup — but his younger brother, Baldur? Baldur got a nice big draught. Read the rest of this entry
Announcing: Shards of History in Paperback, and The King of Ash and Bones
New York, NY (March 18, 2013) – World Weaver Press (Eileen Wiedbrauk, Editor-in-Chief) is pleased to announce the trade paperback edition of Shards of History by Rebecca Roland, will be released due to popular demand on Tuesday, May 21, 2013.
In addition, Roland’s new short story collection, The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories, including a tie-in to Shards of History, will be released in digital edition on Tuesday, June 4, 2013.
We are thrilled to add the trade paperback edition of Shards of History to the World Weaver Press catalog Roland’s dark and beautiful new collection, The King of Ash and Bones, is a must-read for anyone who can’t get enough of her rich fantasy worlds.
Praise for Shards of History:
“One of the most beautifully written novels I have ever read. Suspenseful, entrapping, and simply … well, let’s just say that Shards of History reminds us of why we love books in the first place. 5 out of 5 stars!” — Good Choice Reading
“Fast-paced, high-stakes drama in a fresh fantasy world. Rebecca Roland is a newcomer to watch!” — James Maxey, author of the Dragon Age trilogy and Greatshadow: The Dragon Apocalypse.
“Roland’s beautifully woven, suspenseful debut novel draws readers into a groundbreaking fantasy panorama and resonates in the heart with its genuine, personal portrayal of loyalty, relationships, and sacrifice. I eagerly await more stories about the Jegudun and Taakwa!” — David J. Corwell y Chávez, author of “Encounter at Boca del Diablo” (Tales of the New Mexico Mythos)
Only she knows the truth that can save her people. Like all Taakwa, Malia fears the fierce winged creatures known as Jeguduns who live in the cliffs surrounding her valley. When the river dries up and Malia is forced to scavenge farther from the village than normal, she discovers a Jegudun, injured and in need of help. Malia’s existence — her status as clan mother in training, her marriage, her very life in the village — is threatened by her choice to befriend the Jegudun. But she’s the only Taakwa who knows the truth: that the threat to her people is much bigger and much more malicious than the Jeguduns who’ve lived alongside them for decades. Lurking on the edge of the valley is an Outsider army seeking to plunder and destroy the Taakwa, and it’s only a matter of time before the Outsiders find a way through the magic that protects the valley–a magic that can only be created by Taakwa and Jeguduns working together.
Shards of History is currently available in ebook via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and OmniLit. You can also find Shards of History on Goodreads.
The King of Ash and Bones, and Other Stories:
An exiled man returns to his family and the life he left behind. A king is determined to avenge his people. A man doomed to die gives his wife her greatest wish. A suspected affair leads to a shocking and wondrous surprise. Roland works her magic again in this four-story collection of eerie and enchanting works, including Rasmus’s story from after Shards of History.
This four-story collection also by Rebecca Roland will be available in ebook via Amazon, Nook, Kobo, and other online retailers.
Rebecca Roland lives in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where she writes primarily fantasy and horror. Her short fiction has appeared in Everyday Fiction, Uncle John’s Flush Fiction and in Stupefying Stories, and she is a graduate of the Odyssey Writing Workshop. When she’s not writing, she’s usually spending time with her family, torturing patients as a physical therapist, or eating way too much chocolate. You can find her online at Spice of Life, her blog, or follow her on Twitter @rebecca_roland.
Review: “You won’t be able to deny that Miss Dillin is a genius”
Parajunkee gives Forged by Fate a four star review that gushes praise and excitement! The review site touts Forged by Fate, the first novel of the new trilogy, as “absolutely amazing. It’s like nothing I’ve read before and I’m happy about that.”
Further stating that “What really made this story brilliant was Amalia Dillin’s ability to seamlessly combine the different stories, mythology, and religions into one…you won’t be able to deny that Miss Dillin is a genius.”
Read the full review at Parajunkee.com.
Out Now! New Release: Forged by Fate
New York, NY (March 5, 2013) — World Weaver Press is excited to announce the trade paperback and digital release of Forged by Fate, book one of the Fate of the Gods, by Amalia Dillin, today, Tuesday, March 5, 2013.
Forged by Fate is available in trade paperback from Amazon and other retailers, as well as in ebook via Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo, and other online retailers. You can also find Forged by Fate on Goodreads.
We’re not the only ones proud of this release — from author Amalia Dillin:
Release Day, with Feeling
My book is published.
I’m an author. With a book. A published book with a beautiful, amazing cover. I am the real thing.
This is the dream. Right here. This moment. No matter what comes after, or what came before, or how successful or unsuccessful I am beyond today, this moment, right now, is the moment I waltz through the gates into Dreamsville — where my own little picket-fenced manor is waiting, complete with waggily-tailed dog, some goats meh-eh-ehing while they nibble on the grass as my personal lawnmowers, and that amazing library from Beauty and the Beast tucked inside via some kind of Timelord Tech Magic — and take up residence in Dream Land.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the rest — the agonizing over getting bookmarks printed in time, and getting Thor’s face colored for his trading card, and setting everything up on the blog so it’s ready to take off, and will people actually buy my book because bad reviews I can live with, and hate mail, but what if no one ever even reads it at all!? — but none of that matters, really, in the big picture. Because the only big picture that idealistic kid-me had in her head was what I’ve accomplished today with this release: Read the rest of this entry
A Map to the Heart of the Matter
In an NPR essay, Saladin Ahmed wrote of the lynch pin of epic fantasy world building: the map. For works of second world fantasy, the inclusion of the map once was a splendid means of entry into a new world. Then it became so ubiquitous that yet another tired old map that looked vaguely like Europe with a few extra lumps and bumps neared the status of a joke.
I can recall conversations from the past decade when my fantasy-reading friends would hear a certain speculative novel was bland, and they’d immediately ask: “Did it have a map?” A derisive snort followed. Of course, in the decade preceding that, I would buy only books that had maps between their end papers and opening chapters. No map, no deal. How quickly our tastes change. Read the rest of this entry
Naming Names
Kristina Wojtaszek, author of Opal writes:
I love language; it is the most basic element of our souls. We wouldn’t be human without some form of it. We even impart our humanity on nonhumans by speculating about the songs of whales and the calls of birds, and by talking to our dogs, cats and other animal companions. Then we take it a step further by naming them. Names, I think, are the most creative of all words. Names make others a part of our personal world, sentient or otherwise…
Read more about the secret meaning of names and how she creates them for her characters at Twice Upon A Time.
2012 Recommended Reading from WWP Authors & Staff
The close of any year begs for retrospectives and best-of-the-year lists, for reflecting and recommending. World Weaver Press’s authors, editors, and staff have put together their recommendations for some great books that you might not have heard of but are sure to enjoy.
Kristina Wojtaszek, author of Opal:
Susan Abel Sullivan, author of The Haunted Housewives of Alister, Alabama, and Cursed: Wickedly Fun Stories:
Art & Animals in the Snow
Do you pin? You don’t have to be a Pinterest user to appreciate the gorgeous “Opal’s Winter & Animals” image collage World Weaver Press has put together. Gorgeous snow photography, winter woods, and — most importantly of all — fabulous animal photographs. Cedar Waxwings and reindeer, hawks, owls and snowshoe hares, deer, dogs, doves, foxes and more, all frolicking in the snow.
It’s an insanely cool natural wonderland of photography from varied sources. Some of which we’re showcasing in this post.
The creatures of Opal are either human or Fae. While the Fae often take human forms, they are shape-shifters who might take the form of a woodland animal for a few minutes or a few years. Most of the creatures in our “Opal’s Winter & Animals” Pinterest board are Fae-forms of the assorted characters in the novella.
When World Weaver Press designed the cover art for Opal we wanted to convey that sense of winter, and the unending forest. While the front cover features the main character in human form, the back cover pays tribute to her first form: the snowy owl.
Opal’s author, Kristina Wojtaszek, not only grew up with a deep appreciation of the woods and their animals, she earned a degree in Wildlife Management. Yesterday she described her experiences working with owls in the Sarett Nature Center – a must read for owl-lovers.
The journey of the owl-daughter features prominently in Opal – and so does the story of the White Hare.
Below, Kristina Wojtaszek digs up some juicy tidbits on the snowshoe hare, and after having read it, all we can say is, “Whoa… who knew?”
The snowshoe hare is also called the varying hare, because its coat changes from brown in summer to white in winter, but “the varying hare” varies in other ways as well.
Have you ever heard of a carnivorous rabbit? Did that just give you a mental image of Monty Python’s Killer Rabbit of Caerbannog? But we’re talking fact here, not odd British humor. And snowshoe hares are not the only lagomorphs that occasionally eat meat. In fact, they often resort to cannibalism. They don’t hunt, mind you. They eat carrion, meat from dead animals.
But why, you may wonder, do these snuggly-looking salad eaters dine on the occasional bloody banquet?
It’s probably partly due to where they live. You might be a vegetarian yourself, but try living hand to mouth through a harsh northern winter and tell me what green things you find to live off of! Bark and brittle twigs only go so far, especially when you’re expending a lot of energy just to stay warm.
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Read Opal as a digital edition for $3.49 from these ebook retailers:
Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Kobo | OmniLit
Read the trade paperback edition for $6.99 from these and other online retailers:
Amazon
