 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
© 2006-2009 by Sarah Beach. All Rights Reserved. No part of this article may be reproduced without permission. ScribblerWorks and the ScribblerWorks logo are trademarks (TM) of Sarah L. Beach 2007
TRUE
BLUE, THE TOPS 
RECOMMENDED 
NOT RECOMMENDED
A
BOMB, BUT YOU MIGHT ENJOY IT 
ABSOLUTELY DEADLY, FORGET IT
FICTION REVIEWS PAGES - 1 - 2
HERE, THERE BE
DRAGONS, by
James A. Owen
THE SEARCH FOR THE RED DRAGON, by James A. Owen
THE INDIGO KING, by James A. Owen
When a trio of young men come together in London on a dark and stormy night, to find themselves in the middle of a murder investigation of a noted scholar - and all this in the opening pages of the first volume of The Imaginarium Geographica - any reader is going to be curious about what happens next. It's the nature of storytelling, after all. And when the reader learns that strange creatures are hunting this trio of men, he knows he is in for an unusual adventure.
Owen launches his characters and readers into an adventure that crosses the boundaries between the "real world" and literary creations. But his romping tale is more than just a cruise through story references. In the course of telling a good tale with engaging characters (I dare you to dislike a talking badger whose skills run to baking weaponized blueberry muffins), he insightfully shows you links (in tone or meaning) between a variety of literary creations.
At the heart of the novels lies the responsibility of protecting the atlas called The Imaginarium Geographica, which contains maps of all the lands ever to appear in stories. The guardians of this important book can use it to navigate the islands of the fantasy realm. But there are dark forces that want control of the Geographica, the Archipelago and indeed even the "real world" (for what affects one realm can affect the other). Along the way, the reader begins to realize the real power of storytelling, not just in this wonderful confabulation that Owen has created, but in any story.
THE
WRITING CLASS, by Jincy Willett
Writers find writers endlessly fascinating. Is it because we want to compare ourselves to others? Even though, if the writer is at all honest, we know that no two writers are exactly alike, that our work will be different and that our skills differ. We still are fascinated. I've included myself in that, because I am a writer, and I too respond this way. And I've gone into this because The Writing Class plays on this a bit.
What would happen if a pathological menace were hidden under the sufrace of one of the students in a writing class? Especially since writing classes that include open critiquing can be bruising to one's ego?
Willett takes this emotionally charged situation and tells an engaging mystery story. It starts out with acts of petty malice, the sort people usually brush off or don't talk about. But just as Willett builds on her observations about writing in general (making the book a bit of a study course for a writer-reader, but in the most entertaining way), she also builds up the underlying resentment of the perpetrator. The bitter resentment of thwarted ambition drives the story's villain, on of those "Why can't I get published?" angry ones.
I thoroughly enjoyed The Writing Class. I liked the discussions the characters have regarding each others' works. But I especially liked the main character of the teacher, a published novelist who has lost her inspiration and so lives by teaching and editing.
Will non-writers enjoy this story? I think so, as it is a nicely crafted mystery wrapped up in a genuine picture of the different ways that writers come to their work. Get comfortable, curl up, and join the Writing Class of Amy Gallup.