by Jason Joyner | Aug 24, 2010 | Andrew Peterson, Blog, CSFF, pirates, speculative fiction, top books
Greetings, wayward travelers. You have come upon the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Tour for August. This month you are treated to a “free-for-all”, as we had no specific book or website to promote. Instead, you will find a wide variety of books discussed, from all-time favorites such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, to newer books by contemporary authors.
Here at Spoiled for the Ordinary, I am focusing on books from the 4 years I’ve been doing the tour (o_O). My how time flies…
Coming in at number
I can’t think of a better series (other than Narnia) to recommend for kids other than the Wingfeather Saga. Andrew Peterson has created a fun fantasy series with peril, adventures, and toothy cows. Who can ask for more than that?
Peterson is an accomplished singer/songwriter, so his prose, as I’ve mentioned before, has a lyrical quality to it. He keeps a great pace, leaving my kids dying whenever we hit a cliffhanger as I read to them (which is pretty much every chapter!) It is probably most reminscent of
The Princess Bride, with whimsy and suspense. I mean, how great is it to have a bad guy who is a Nameless Evil, (named Gnag the Nameless, natch). This leader of the Fangs of Dang (dang Fangs!) is after the Lost Jewels of Anniera. He thinks the Igiby children have them in the first book, only to find out (spoilers) that the three kids ARE the lost jewels.
The world Peterson has created is a magical place, with a great literary history (Peterson often quotes from these imaginary works, the footnotes are worth reading in this book). There is a thoughfulness about this work, and the deep themes within it, that continue to resonate in me after several readings.
I have to also give a personal story. For a homeschool English assignment, I thought it would be a good exercise for my two older boys to write a letter to Peterson. They asked their own questions and offered their favorite parts of the book, as well as offering their artistic interpretations of key scenes (they each drew him a picture). My boys called me a couple weeks later at work so excited, because Andrew had written them each a personal handwritten letter, refering to their letters specifically, and commenting on their art. What a class act!
So for number 2 in CSFF Tours, I have to give a shout out to a good man, a great musician, and a thoughtful writer, Andrew Peterson! If you have missed these books, you have missed a treat. And bomnubbles. Don’t forget the bomnubbles.
See what else is going on for the CSFF Tour this month with the latest at Becky’s blog (the mother ship as we like to say…)
Oh, and a note from Becky: “Before I forget, we have just a little over a week left in the voting for the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction – Readers’ Choice. I hope you’re planning to vote.”
I voted for North! Or Be Eaten. What’s your vote?
—
by Jason Joyner | Aug 24, 2010 | Andrew Peterson, Blog, CSFF, pirates, speculative fiction, top books
Greetings, wayward travelers. You have come upon the Christian Science Fiction and Fantasy Tour for August. This month you are treated to a “free-for-all”, as we had no specific book or website to promote. Instead, you will find a wide variety of books discussed, from all-time favorites such as C.S. Lewis and J.R.R. Tolkien, to newer books by contemporary authors.
Here at Spoiled for the Ordinary, I am focusing on books from the 4 years I’ve been doing the tour (o_O). My how time flies…
Coming in at number
I can’t think of a better series (other than Narnia) to recommend for kids other than the Wingfeather Saga. Andrew Peterson has created a fun fantasy series with peril, adventures, and toothy cows. Who can ask for more than that?
Peterson is an accomplished singer/songwriter, so his prose, as I’ve mentioned before, has a lyrical quality to it. He keeps a great pace, leaving my kids dying whenever we hit a cliffhanger as I read to them (which is pretty much every chapter!) It is probably most reminscent of
The Princess Bride, with whimsy and suspense. I mean, how great is it to have a bad guy who is a Nameless Evil, (named Gnag the Nameless, natch). This leader of the Fangs of Dang (dang Fangs!) is after the Lost Jewels of Anniera. He thinks the Igiby children have them in the first book, only to find out (spoilers) that the three kids ARE the lost jewels.
The world Peterson has created is a magical place, with a great literary history (Peterson often quotes from these imaginary works, the footnotes are worth reading in this book). There is a thoughfulness about this work, and the deep themes within it, that continue to resonate in me after several readings.
I have to also give a personal story. For a homeschool English assignment, I thought it would be a good exercise for my two older boys to write a letter to Peterson. They asked their own questions and offered their favorite parts of the book, as well as offering their artistic interpretations of key scenes (they each drew him a picture). My boys called me a couple weeks later at work so excited, because Andrew had written them each a personal handwritten letter, refering to their letters specifically, and commenting on their art. What a class act!
So for number 2 in CSFF Tours, I have to give a shout out to a good man, a great musician, and a thoughtful writer, Andrew Peterson! If you have missed these books, you have missed a treat. And bomnubbles. Don’t forget the bomnubbles.
See what else is going on for the CSFF Tour this month with the latest at Becky’s blog (the mother ship as we like to say…)
Oh, and a note from Becky: “Before I forget, we have just a little over a week left in the voting for the Clive Staples Award for Christian Speculative Fiction – Readers’ Choice. I hope you’re planning to vote.”
I voted for North! Or Be Eaten. What’s your vote?
—
by Jason Joyner | Sep 20, 2009 | Blog, pirates, Talk Like a Pirate Day
This year on Talk Like a Pirate Day we were overrun with pirates!
First to report is the sneaky Mad Dog Matt, comin’ over the wall and climbing the fort!
When we can repel the boarders, there’ll be more pirate-y news for ye…
by Jason Joyner | Sep 20, 2009 | Blog, pirates, Talk Like a Pirate Day
This year on Talk Like a Pirate Day we were overrun with pirates!
First to report is the sneaky Mad Dog Matt, comin’ over the wall and climbing the fort!
When we can repel the boarders, there’ll be more pirate-y news for ye…
by Jason Joyner | Aug 27, 2009 | Blog, fiction, pirates, reviews, Tom Morrisey
If I weren’t a chicken in many ways, I’d love to be Tom Morrisey. Look at his biography: mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section. Plus he is a great writer. He has won awards for his adventure-travel writing in magazines, and now he has become an accomplished novelist.
His first few books were a little more standard suspense fare, mixing his experiences into the stories. However, starting with
In High Places two years ago and
Wind River last year, he moved into more heartfelt dramatic stories, and the impact of this change is remarkable.
A few weeks ago the CFBA featured his latest book,
Pirate Hunter, but I didn’t get it in time to review it. It was worth the wait though.
ABOUT THE BOOK
High Seas Adventure Meets a High-Tech Quest for Pirate Gold
West Indies, 18th century Young Ted Bascombe is rescued by notorious pirate Captain Henry Thatch, finding himself caught up in a world of crime, adventure, and a daily fight for freedom….
Key West, 21st century Marine archaeologist Greg Rhode embarks on a treasure-hunting expedition in the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, but he’s as beguiled by a beautiful diver with different-colored eyes as by the lure of pirate gold…
The Hunt Is On!
Interweaving these two stories, pro deep-sea diver Tom Morrisey spins a multilayered tale of two young men’s quests to escape their past by losing themselves to adventure on the high seas. Romantic and thrilling, this unique novel explores the timeless truth that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Tom Morrisey has become very good at combining complex, wounded characters with exotic locations and enough gritty detail of the setting that you feel you are living the adventure. Here, his experience in diving on shipwrecks gives deep authenticity to the settings in modern times. He’s done enough research, and his knowledge carries over enough, that his 1700s pirate sections ring true as well.
He has done a masterful job of weaving the two threads together. Most times that he switches from past to modern, he uses the phrasing or imagery from the section he’s just leaving to start the new segment. Maybe a regular reader wouldn’t pick up on this, but it is such a clever touch and shows his thoroughness in his writing. He builds suspense throughout the book, and whenever something is crescendoing in one time period, you can bet there will be a flip to the other!
I think Tom Morrisey is the best writer I’m reading currently for getting into the hearts of men and showing the internal conflict and dealing with past hurts in such a realistic way. The protagonists may be heroic, but they are not bombastic. You can see yourself knowing them in your day to day life. My only complaint is that his pirate, Henry Thatch, seems a little too genteel for his time, but he is an engaging character and I liked him too much to really complain.
As this blog has a quirky affinity for things of a pirate nature, it probably isn’t a surpise that I heartily enjoy this book. Still, Morrisey is one of the best writers out there, even though I don’t think his name is well-known. Pirate Hunter is his best book yet in my opinion, and if you want modern drama, swashbuckling suspense, and deep characters, then this is a great book to dive into.
—
If you would like to read the first chapter of Pirate Hunter, go HERE
—
by Jason Joyner | Aug 27, 2009 | Blog, fiction, pirates, reviews, Tom Morrisey
If I weren’t a chicken in many ways, I’d love to be Tom Morrisey. Look at his biography: mountaineer, aviator, shipwreck diver, and explorer, who holds a Full Cave certification from the National Speleological Society – Cave Diving Section. Plus he is a great writer. He has won awards for his adventure-travel writing in magazines, and now he has become an accomplished novelist.
His first few books were a little more standard suspense fare, mixing his experiences into the stories. However, starting with
In High Places two years ago and
Wind River last year, he moved into more heartfelt dramatic stories, and the impact of this change is remarkable.
A few weeks ago the CFBA featured his latest book,
Pirate Hunter, but I didn’t get it in time to review it. It was worth the wait though.
ABOUT THE BOOK
High Seas Adventure Meets a High-Tech Quest for Pirate Gold
West Indies, 18th century Young Ted Bascombe is rescued by notorious pirate Captain Henry Thatch, finding himself caught up in a world of crime, adventure, and a daily fight for freedom….
Key West, 21st century Marine archaeologist Greg Rhode embarks on a treasure-hunting expedition in the turquoise waters of the Florida Keys, but he’s as beguiled by a beautiful diver with different-colored eyes as by the lure of pirate gold…
The Hunt Is On!
Interweaving these two stories, pro deep-sea diver Tom Morrisey spins a multilayered tale of two young men’s quests to escape their past by losing themselves to adventure on the high seas. Romantic and thrilling, this unique novel explores the timeless truth that “where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”
Tom Morrisey has become very good at combining complex, wounded characters with exotic locations and enough gritty detail of the setting that you feel you are living the adventure. Here, his experience in diving on shipwrecks gives deep authenticity to the settings in modern times. He’s done enough research, and his knowledge carries over enough, that his 1700s pirate sections ring true as well.
He has done a masterful job of weaving the two threads together. Most times that he switches from past to modern, he uses the phrasing or imagery from the section he’s just leaving to start the new segment. Maybe a regular reader wouldn’t pick up on this, but it is such a clever touch and shows his thoroughness in his writing. He builds suspense throughout the book, and whenever something is crescendoing in one time period, you can bet there will be a flip to the other!
I think Tom Morrisey is the best writer I’m reading currently for getting into the hearts of men and showing the internal conflict and dealing with past hurts in such a realistic way. The protagonists may be heroic, but they are not bombastic. You can see yourself knowing them in your day to day life. My only complaint is that his pirate, Henry Thatch, seems a little too genteel for his time, but he is an engaging character and I liked him too much to really complain.
As this blog has a quirky affinity for things of a pirate nature, it probably isn’t a surpise that I heartily enjoy this book. Still, Morrisey is one of the best writers out there, even though I don’t think his name is well-known. Pirate Hunter is his best book yet in my opinion, and if you want modern drama, swashbuckling suspense, and deep characters, then this is a great book to dive into.
—
If you would like to read the first chapter of Pirate Hunter, go HERE
—
