Farworld: Book Giveaway, Review, and Author Interview
This new book (Farworld: Water Keep) is published by Shadow Mountain (also the publisher for Freshman for President). The author, J. Scott Savage, is doing a blog book tour and I was lucky enough to take part. What does this mean for you? Well, you can win your own copy of this fabulous fantasy novel. Just leave a comment in the comments section of this post and I will draw from those at the end of July. You'll receive an advanced reader copy of the book, which basically means that you will get to have the book before almost anyone else, and before it's "officially" in print.
Keep reading for my review of the book and for an interview with the author. J. Scott Savage was very funny and fun in the interview, and his book is going to be a big hit. Enjoy!
Review:
As a writer, I sometimes fall into the trap of reading other books with the habit of noticing what other writers do well. This can seriously hinder my enjoyment of reading--when I read as a writer, not as a reader.
I was only a few pages into J. Scott Savage's new book Farworld: Water Keep when the reader took over. There was plenty to admire--elegant description, quick pacing, clever humor, and example after example of a creative and original brain at work. But the most important element--the story--captured me, and I didn't, couldn't dissect the book because I simply wanted to read.
Farworld: Water Keep, the first in the series, centers on two protagonists, Marcus and Kyja, who are absolutely endearing, entertaining, lovable, and real. Together, they have to save Farworld (a mythical world with parallels and connections to ours). Marcus, who is from Earth, and Kyja, who is from Farworld, spend the book jumping back and forth between the two worlds, a plot device that I found extremely effective. I loved watching the characters show each other around their respective worlds.
Neither Marcus nor Kyja really knows how they are supposed to save Farworld, but they are unafraid to try. They have allies in their quest--most notably, a skyte named Riph Raph and a wizard/magician named Master Therapass--but they are on their own for the most part. The cast of characters, including the villains, is rich, varied, and interesting. There are talking trees, mist steeds, giant beetles, and creatures called Elementals. Savage starts the pace quickly and moves from event to event without letting up. Savage knows his audience and his targeted age group--they are going to eat this book up the way Kyja enjoyed her first taste of fast food at the Burger Barn.
Speaking of Kyja, I love a strong female protagonist and Kyja is definitely in that category. I love that her strength comes, in part, from her ability to love and care for others. I also loved the character of Marcus, who is clever, innovative, and willing to put his fears aside. I truly enjoyed reading about the friendship between them and the way they were able to play to each other's strengths and help compensate for each other's weaknesses.
And how can you not love a book with fabulous insights like this one:
"Sometimes riddles are the only answers we have," Master Therapass said. "By the time you're my age, you'll learn the clearest answers are often the most misleading, and the best answers are almost always the most difficult to understand at first."
I think the writer took over for a minute because--dang. I wish I'd written that.
Click here for the author interview with J. Scott Savage, which took place in a Burger Barn in Salt Lake City last month. I (Ally Condie) consumed seven chocolate shakes during the course of the interview. J. Scott (sounds like J. Lo, doesn't it?) was slightly more restrained.
posted by Ally Condie at
5:51 PM
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