Susan Griffith is co-author of The Geomancer: Vampire Empire. A Gareth and Adele Novel.Recently I asked the author about what she was reading. Her reply:
Dragonvein by Brian Anderson -- One of my favorite stories growing up was Brian Daley’s The Starfollowers of Cormorande. Dragonvein reminds me of that breathtaking, fun ride. It is a cross-world tale where a WWII soldier is plucked off the battlefield and transported to a magical realm. Like John Carter of Mars and Gil MacDonald of Cormorande, we traverse a new land along with the main character, Ethan Martin, learning its secrets and marveling at its wonders. Brian Anderson gives a reader plenty of amazing things to explore along the way. From lost friends, forbidden magic, ancient races, and uneasy alliances. DragonveinLearn more about the book and authors at Clay Griffith and Susan Griffith's website.brought back all those wonderful reasons that made me fall in love with fantasy in the first place.
Five Ghosts by Frank J. Barbiere and Chris Mooneyham – I’m a sucker for pulp. I’m a sucker for a cool hero (or heroine). And I’m a sucker for literary ghosts. Okay, that last one is a bit of a new addition, but the Five Ghosts graphic novel series traverses all three of those and makes me discover new things to obsess over. Fabian Gray is an adventurer possessed by five ghosts who grant him their powers in tight spots. The Wizard: Merlin. The Archer: Robin Hood. The Vampire: Dracula. The Detective: Sherlock Holmes. And the Samurai: Miyamoto Musashi. Like a good pulp hero, he’s trying to save his sister and find a way to rid himself of the spirits that possess him. The stories are epic and the characters intriguing. The art by Mooneyham is retro, harkening back to the days of Frank Miller’s Daredevil run and Joe Kubert on every good day. Each volume the stakes get bigger and the stories bolder. I’m definitely enjoying this homage to everything I love, and then some.
House of the Rising Sun by Kristen Painter – I devoured this book in one sitting. With tons of inner conflict for the characters and an intriguing plot, the story moves along at a quickpace as fae and vampires collide for control of New Orleans. We are introduced to Augustine and Harlow, a couple fated to be together but fighting it all the way. Well, Harlow is fighting it. She is mistrustful of all fae even though she carries it in her blood. She struggles to hide those aspects of herself, until the murder of Harlow’s mother brings the two occult races, as well as our protagonists, into conflict. However, this is totally Augustine’s story, from his troubled beginning with a mother deathly afraid of his fae abilities, to his brash wild days bucking authority, to his rise as one of New Orleans’s powerful Guardians. I loved him immediately, strong yet sensitive, and marred with flaws. I can’t wait to read more about them both as they grow into their new roles. A great start to an addictive and compelling series.
The Page 69 Test: The Geomancer.
--Marshal Zeringue
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