Just when I need encouragement...

[dancinghorse]

From Ye Ed this morning, amid a slew of reviews for Rite of Conquest, which is officially due out in October:

"How does Tarr do it? She writes scrupulously researched historical fiction
that blends myth, mystery, historical fact, and page-turning-good action. .
. . . her work's fascination derives as much from the solidly grounded,
multifaceted backdrop she weaves as from the magical elements, inspired by a
masterful storyteller's imagination, that she injects into her scenarios. .
. . Oh, this is irresistible!" --Booklist (starred review)


And I thought the book would be a bust. Tells you what I know.

Also got another rave for The Mountain's Call, which seems to be making romance as well as fantasy readers very happy.

Almost done with sequel to Rite of Conquest--I'm in the final couple of days, brain is fried, energy levels rock-bottom low, Must. Finish. Book. before all gears grind to a halt.

Comments

[wintersweet.livejournal.com]

Well, I got kind of tired of it around the same time I quit reading high fantasy and fantasy in general. I started feeling like I'd read everything already. Only unusual fantasy interests me anymore--things that don't duplicate either Tolkien or medieval Europe, for starters. (Like your Avaryan books--and I didn't realize there's a second trilogy, so I'm all over those!) Also, as I got older, and got a history degree, I started getting grumpy about sloppy research. (Obviously, one of the reasons I still read your books is for your research standards.)

So I guess part of the problem for me is that it seemed like a lot of historical fiction authors were mining the same territory over and over, because (perhaps?) for a while it seemed like you could slap a Celtic/Irish/Scottish label on anything and sell it.

I've spent hours talking about my long-dead love for high fantasy with other readers, because when the burnout set in I figured it was temporary. I wish I could put my finger on it better

The only other quasi-historical fantasy I've enjoyed recently is Kij Johnson (kijjohnson)'s books that are more or less set in Heian Japan: _Fox Woman_ and _Fudoki_. But they're very unusual, both in setting and storytelling method.

That reminds me--I need to find the Hound & the Falcon trilogy and _Ars Magica_ for a friend, as he's running a 7th Sea RPG. It's more of a 17th-18th century analogue, but the 7th Sea version of the Catholic church plays a huge role, so I think those would be great for him to read. :)