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WORK TITLE: Molten Dusk
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.karissalaurel.com/
CITY:
STATE: NC
COUNTRY: United States
NATIONALITY:
http://www.karissalaurel.com/news/formatrss/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
LC control no.: no2015145144
LCCN Permalink: https://lccn.loc.gov/no2015145144
HEADING: Laurel, Karissa
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100 1_ |a Laurel, Karissa
370 __ |e North Carolina |2 naf
375 __ |a female
377 __ |a eng
670 __ |a Midnight burning, 2015: |b title page (Karissa Laurel) page 4 of cover (lives in North Carolina)
PERSONAL
Married; children.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and novelist.
AVOCATIONS:Crafts, painting, and drawing.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Karissa Laurel is a novelist and the author of two fantasy series that draw from the legends of the Norse gods. She lives in North Carolina with her husband and a child and is fond of motorcycles and flea markets. She is also a fan of sci-fi and fantasy and claims to be able to repeat the dialogue from the movie The Princess Bride verbatim.
Midnight Burning, Arctic Dawn, and Molten Dusk
“The Norse Chronicles” series begins with Midnight Burning, which introduces readers to Solina Munday, who runs her family’s bakery in a small North Carolina town. When she has a nightmare about her twin brother in Alaska being killed by a beast, she wakes the next day to find out that he has died. Shocked and disturbed by the dream, Karissa decides to go to Alaska to find out more. Before long, Solina discovers that she she has paranormal powers and may also hold the key to the fate of the world. However, first she must be able to control her powers and protect her friends. “This story closely follows traditional themes of Norse mythology which the author then takes in a fresh and new directions” wrote a Whispering Stories website contributor, adding: “The respect shown to the original mythology is touching and makes it a lot easier for a mythology buff such as myself to follow without snorting ‘well THAT never happened!'”
The next book in the series, Arctic Dawn, finds Solina returning to California after spending a month as a shooting star, part of her fiery powers associated with a Norse sun god. Her friend Skyla, however, is missing. A mysterious stranger and a weapon of mass destruction requires Solina to take action. First, she knows she needs Skyla’s help and sets out to find him. “There were big surprises that kept the story fresh and moving,” wrote an I Smell Sheep website contributor. Molten Dusk finds Solina working with Baldur Odinson, the current Allfather. Also helping are Valkyries and the thunder god Magni Thorin. Their enemies are led by Hela, goddess of the Underworld and controller of an army of stone golems. A Publishers Weekly contributor pointed out the “the character growth, the mystical elements, and the many battles of epic powers.”
Heir of Thunder and Quest of Thunder
Laurel starts a new series, “The Stormbourne Chronicles,” with Heir of Thunder. Eveyln (Evie) Stormbourne, who holds dominion over the sky, is faced with the task of defeating her kingdom’s enemies following the death of her father, the Lord of Thunder. Evie is to ascend to the throne of Inxelgrau when her home is destroyed by revolutionaries. She escapes in disguise with the help of Gideon Faust, who was her father’s horse master. Evie and Gideon are separated at sea when Evie is washed overboard and ends up with a band of nomads. As Evie tries to find her way back home, she has several adventures involving dark Magicians and a family who has laid claim to Evie’s birthright. Laurel “creates a very in-depth story world and a cast of compelling characters,” wrote a Steampunk Cavaliers website contributor.
The next book in the series, Quest of Thunder, finds Evie having claimed her birthright. However, she soon loses her powers and must be protected y her companion, Gideon Faust. Evie goes into hiding as she seeks to reclaim her power over the sky and lay rightful claim to the throne. A Steampunk Cavaliers website contributor ” highly recommend both Heir of Thunder and Quest of Thunder for anyone who loves steampunk, fantasy, and adventure.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Publishers Weekly, November 6, 2017, review of Molten Dusk, p. 66.
ONLINE
Bull Spec, http://bullspec.com/ (September 16, 2015), “The Hardest Part: Karissa Laurel on Midnight Burning.”
I Smell Sheep, http://www.ismellsheep.com/ (May 24, 2017), review of Arctic Dawn; (August 26, 2017), review of Molten Dusk.
Karissa Laurel Website, http://www.karissalaurel.com (March 20, 2018).
Steampunk Cavaliers, http://www.steampunkcavaliers.com/ (November 14, 2017), review of Heir of Thunder; (January 9, 2018), review of Quest of Thunder.
Whispering Stories, https://whisperingstories.com/ (April 18, 2016), “Midnight Burning by Karissa Laurel–Book Review & Interview.”
Karissa Laurel
Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, dark chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between.
On the weekends, you'll find her at flea-markets looking for rusty things to reuse and repurpose. In the summer she's camping and kayaking at the lake, and in the winter, she's hopefully somewhere on a snowy ski slope.
The Hardest Part: Karissa Laurel on Midnight Burning
Posted on 2015-09-16 by montsamu
Triangle author Karissa Laurel rides motorcycles and reads slush for Strange Horizons; clearly, she is not risk-averse. However, there’s a difference between, on the one hand, putting body and mind on the line either on a quiet road or in the privacy of one’s own office, and on the other hand, in her work as a the debut author of Midnight Burning from Garner-based Red Adept Publishing, putting her words forward for all to see, along with the other marketing and publicity that the “public persona” side of the modern author’s duties require. (Such as, oh, I don’t know, appearing on Carolina Book Beat this July for a radio interview, about which she wrote that “I would much rather hide in my writing cave.”) Writing can be a solitary act, but publication isn’t. The characters, stories, and words you’ve painstakingly wrought from mind through body and fingers to keyboard and onto the page now exist, unchanging, on the printed page. Absolutely anyone could be reading it: your friend, your sister, your parents, your future grandkids, a stranger in Alaska with detailed geographic knowledge and many nits to pick, an expert on Norse mythology with several shelves of translations and plenty of time to cross-reference where you’ve fudged things up, a book blogger who was looking for something else from your book. As it turns out, even if writing the book is a joy, and you find your publisher through a chance meeting at a local convention, and! your relationship with your editor is great, too! there’s still the final hard part of letting go.
Midnight Burning - Large.jpg
By Karissa Laurel:
In thinking about the hardest part of writing Midnight Burning, I couldn’t pick out one specific anecdote. And it wasn’t because of an overabundance of choices. In truth, it was the opposite.
Creating Midnight Burning took a lot of work, and it was tedious at times, but I loved every step. From dreaming up the idea (Why are all the stories about Odin and Thor? Weren’t they supposed to have died in some apocalyptic battle eons ago? Why not create a story about the gods who survived that battle? What would they be like in the modern world?) to the research, the daily grind of putting words on the page, the submission process, and the final editing and finishing stages— I had a blast.
I’m pretty sure the hardest part is the phase I’m entering now, which is putting my first book, my brain-child, out on a public platform and inviting everyone to love it, leave it, or take a pot shot at it. I’ve taken something that has primarily lived in my head for the past three or four years, a story I’ve incubated and fed and petted and groomed, and shoved it out the door and made it stand on its own in the real world. That was a lot harder to do than I thought it would be. If this is anything similar to how I’ll feel when it comes time for my son to leave home for college, I might lock him up and never let him go.
But maybe not. My manuscripts don’t steal all my Thin Mints, choose complicated science fair projects (hovercraft, anyone?), and leave wet towels balled up on the floor until they smell like soured milk.
The hardest part wasn’t taking the seeds of a little idea – reviving a pantheon of gods from somewhat obscure Norse legends (how many people know who Sol and Mani are, anyway?) – and giving life to them. The hardest part was believing those ideas were good enough and well written enough to share with others. Believing it’s possible that others could enjoy this world and these characters as much as I do. And most of all, believing that if they don’t, it will be okay. The world won’t stop spinning, and I can keep on writing, regardless.
And I’ve got to keep writing. Midnight Burning is the first in a four book series, which means there are plenty more hard parts to come. But I’m looking forward to each of them.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Karissa
Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between.
Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin. When it snows, you’ll find her on the slopes.
Karissa also crafts, paints, draws, and harbors a grand delusion that she might create a graphic novel someday.
ABOUT THE BOOK
Solina Mundy lives a quiet life, running the family bakery in the foothills of North Carolina.But a nightmare of a vicious wolf devouring her twin brother changes everything. When Solina learns her dream was real, she journeys to her brother’s home in the Land of the Midnight Sun to search for answers.
Solina soon suspects her brother’s friends are more than they seem, and they know more than they’re willing to admit. As she delves into the secrets surrounding her brother’s death, she learns her own fate is tied to his friends, his murder, and a dark history of forgotten myths and legends.
Solina also discovers a powerful new ability. She must learn to control it she’s to keep everyone safe. If she fails, a long-lost dominion will rise, and everything she knows will fall into darkness.
This book was a little bit of a slow starter for me, taking its time to introduce us to the main character and the situation in which she now finds herself. After reaching the middle of this book, it becomes clear why this was necessary as the action starts coming thick and fast and we have to understand Solina and her role in things.
Following the brutal death of her brother, Solina travels to Alaska to pack up his remaining possessions and meet his friends to gather more information regarding his death and figure out what happened to him. Despite warnings to go back home from the flirtatious Val and the stormy Thorin, she stays in the area and finds that perhaps she has bitten off more than she can chew.
This story closely follows traditional themes of Norse mythology which the author then takes in a fresh and new directions. The respect shown to the original mythology is touching and makes it a lot easier for a mythology buff such as myself to follow without snorting ‘well THAT never happened!’.
Solina is an introverted wallflower who grows and develops as a personality throughout the story. At the beginning of the narrative, she finds herself being pushed around and intimidated by Val and Thorin, the strong willed colleagues of her late brother. As the story progresses and she finds herself meeting strong women along the way, she starts to push back and shrugs off the persona of ‘damsel in distress’ which she has acknowledged and been frustrated by since the beginning.
My favourite characters in this novel were the grumpy and respectful(ish) Thorin (if he continues to behave himself in the next book of this series, I may admit to having a bit of a literary crush on him) and the Valkyries. The Valkyries are a sisterhood of military trained women who have a forthright approach to life in a world full of secrets and betrayal, which was refreshing to say the least!
The pacing of this book sped up considerably nearer the end, leaving me a little anxious that I would be short changed with the ending, however, it ends neatly with a measure of closure and a tantalising cliffhanger which has left me desperate for more!
If you’re a fan of Norse mythology or paranormal action nobles – this is most certainly the book for you!
1) How did you research the characters and their personalities for this book to tie in with traditional mythology?
Years before Midnight Burning came to be, I had bought a copy of The Children of Odin: Nordic Gods and Heroes by Padraic Colum. It’s pretty much the quintessential collection of Norse myths and legends. I read the collection all the way through, both out of curiosity and with a notion of writing a story based on some of those legendary characters.
Early on I had an idea to write about a woman who had lost her sibling, and wanted to investigate that sibling’s death, but I had no specific legend in mind until I found Sol and Mani’s story. It was such a perfect fit and gave my vague idea a firm shape and direction. Also, Sol was a sun goddess and using her as a basis for a character appealed to me. I mean, a sun goddess would have a fiery personality and some cool super powers, right?
After that I wanted a few alpha immortals to add conflict. I found a brief reference to a few sons of Odin and Thor who had survived Ragnarok (the Norse apocalypse), and they were the perfect fit for my alpha male needs. I used descriptions of Odin and Thor as the basis for these characters. Since they were the gods’ offspring, I thought their personalities could be similar.
I also read a lot of translations of the Prose Edda, which is one of the original ancient recordings of the Norse myths. The legends are chock full of characters, conflicts, and magic. But when the legends themselves weren’t enough, I claimed writer’s prerogative and filled in with my own imagination.
2) Which character did you enjoy giving voice to the most?
Without a doubt, I most enjoyed writing Skyla, the main character’s bad-ass, ex-marine sidekick. Skyla came almost fully formed and her voice poured out with little effort. When I finished writing the book, I worried that Skyla should have been the main character. However, Skyla might have been too good at everything. As readers, I think we relate more to the underdog and characters who have flaws and failings. There’s a reason Hermione wasn’t the main character in the Harry Potter series, and I often think of Skyla as the Hermione of Midnight Burning.
3) How many books do you have planned for this series? Any hints on when we can expect to read the next instalment?
I have three books completed and an idea for a fourth. Book 2 is called Arctic Dawn and it’s in the final stages of editing. I saw a first draft of the cover for it today, and it’s going to be excellent! As of now, I’m being told by the publisher that it will have a late summer release. I hope to make review copies available as soon as I can, hopefully several weeks in advance of it’s release date.
4) How does it feel to see your first book out in the world?
It was surreal and validating. For a long time I worked on faith and hope, never knowing if anything would ever come of this novel or my goal to be published. Holding Midnight Burning in my hands was vindication. It justified all the years of work I had put into chasing my dreams.
5) What do you do to motivate yourself on those days when you don’t feel like writing?
I got some advice years ago from another, very prolific author. She said: “My dad was a truck driver. He never got up in the morning and said, ‘I don’t feel like driving my truck today.’ It was his job, and he did it regardless of whether or not he was in the mood. Writing has to be like that. It has to be your job. You get up everyday and do it, regardless of whether you want to or not.” In reality, I’m not quite that drastic. If writing feels like a chore, that can show up in the final product. I allow myself to take breaks. Ultimately though, I get a guilty feeling if I go more than a day or two without working on some project, and that’s when I give myself the truck driver speech.
About the author of a witch
Karissa Laurel
Some of Karissa Laurel’s favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between.
Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin or go hunting for rusty old relics at flea-markets. Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky named Bonnie.
Author Links
www.KarissaLaurel.com
@KarissaLaurel
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3/2/2018 General OneFile - Saved Articles
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Print Marked Items
Molten Dusk
Publishers Weekly.
264.45 (Nov. 6, 2017): p66.
COPYRIGHT 2017 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
Full Text:
Molten Dusk
Karissa Laurel. Red Adept, $14.99 trade paper
(270p) ISBN 978-0-615-81432-2
Laurel (Arctic Dawn) presents her heroine, Solina Mundy, with a myriad of difficult choices in this
satisfying, mythology-tinged third volume of her Norse Chronicles. Solina, although human, wields the
fiery power of the Norse sun goddess and is allied with Baldur Odinson, the present Allfather; thunder god
Magni Thorin; and a host of Valkyries. Arrayed against them are Helen Locke, better known as Hela,
goddess of the Underworld; the wolf Skoll; trickster Vali Lokison; and Helen's army of stone golems. Solina
has to balance her desire to avenge her brother's murder with the need to proceed cautiously to avoid
Helen's traps. She must also decide whether to give in to her growing attraction to Thorin and learn to
harness her visions. New readers will be lost, but series fans will enjoy the character growth, the mystical
elements, and the many battles of epic powers. (Dec.)
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Molten Dusk." Publishers Weekly, 6 Nov. 2017, p. 66. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A514056617/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=1521d71a.
Accessed 2 Mar. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A514056617
Saturday, August 26, 2017
Book Review: Molten Dusk (The Norse Chronicles Book 3) by Karissa Laurel
Molten Dusk (The Norse Chronicles Book 3)
by Karissa Laurel
August 23, 2017
While recovering from a devastating betrayal, Solina becomes increasingly drawn to Thorin as he helps her hunt down Skoll, the mythical wolf who vowed to kill her. If she can find and destroy the beast, she’ll bring a swift and brutal end to her enemies’ schemes. But nothing ever goes as planned in Solina’s strange new world.
During her search for Skoll, Solina uncovers a plot to unleash a battalion of legendary soldiers and launch an apocalyptic war. Before she and her allies can locate the fabled army, several ghosts from her past return to haunt her. Solina must fight for life and the fate of the world or her hopes for love and a peaceful future will go up in flames.
After Val betrays Solina she is devastated and needs time to recover. As she is recovering she can’t stop thinking about Thorin. Her one goal is to hunt down Skoll and kill him. At every turn, Helen is three steps ahead with a trap to try to distract or destroy Solina and her friends.
Laurel has done a magnificent job of creating characters that represent Norse mythology. Many authors write characters based on Greek or Roman mythology and I do not come across many based-on Norse and it is a welcome change. She paints a very vivid image of each of her characters and who they represent as a god and as a person. When I read her books, it doesn’t remind me of other stories or authors which allow my imagination to run wild.
Solina and Thorin’s relationship has always been complicated. Thorin can’t keep her out of his head and has almost become unbearable in his protectiveness. Solina is drawn to him but is unsure of herself. The chemistry between these two characters is fantastic and I look forward to seeing where things will go from here.
Double Sheep Review: Midnight Burning: (The Norse Chronicles – Book 1)
Bianca's Review: Arctic Dawn (The Norse Chronicles #2)
Review: Arctic Dawn (The Norse Chronicles #2)
Five sheep
Denise B
About the Author:
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Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin. When it snows, you'll find her on the slopes.
Find out more about Karissa and keep up to date with new releases, including the sequel to Midnight Burning, coming in 2016.
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Posted by Sharon Stogner at 12:30 AM
Labels: Book 3, Book Reviews, Karissa Laurel, Molten Dusk, Norse mythology, series, The Norse Chronicles, Urban Fantasy
Heir of Thunder
Author: Karissa Laurel
Release: 2016
Genre: Steampunk | Fantasy
Series: Stormbourne Chronicles
Edition: Kindle
Publisher: Evolved Publishing, LLC
Blurb
The Lord of Thunder has passed, leaving daughter Evelyn Stormbourne to overcome her kingdom’s greatest enemies, but first she must embrace her dominion over the sky.
The Lord of Thunder’s sudden death leaves his daughter, Evelyn Stormbourne, unprepared to rule Inselgrau in his place. Weeks before Evie’s ascension to the throne, revolutionaries attack and destroy her home. She conceals her identity and escapes under the protection of her father’s young horse master, Gideon Faust. Together they flee Inselgrau and set sail for the Continent, but they’re separated when a brutal storm washes Evie overboard.
In her efforts to reunite with her protector and reach allies on the Continent, Evie befriends a band of nomads who roam the world in airships fueled by lightning. She also confronts a cabal of dark Magicians plotting to use her powers to create a new divine being, and she clashes with an ancient family who insists her birthright belongs to them.
If she’s to prevail and defeat her enemies, Evie must claim her heritage, embrace her dominion over the sky, and define what it means to be Heir of Thunder.
REVIEW: SPOILERS AHEAD
Evie Stormbourne is the last in a long line of rulers who can control the weather, especially thunder and lightning, to a devastating effect. Throughout the generations the power has weakened, though, and when the story begins Evie’s powers are only a pale shadow of her ancestor’s abilities.
When her father is killed Evie manages to escape with the help of her father’s master of the horse, a young man named Gideon. Although Evie travels incognito, she is in constant danger of discovery because she is being hunted. There are multiple forces at play, and there are those who want to steal her birthright.
Complications arise and Evie is separated from her protector. She is forced to face certain truths about her situation. Why was her father overthrown? Will she avoid the fate others have plotted for her? Does she want to conquer the land her family ruled for centuries? Will she take control of her own destiny?
Evie is an easy character to like. She starts as a very pampered, innocent young woman who has never ventured far beyond the bounds of her father’s estate. She has no idea why her father has been killed and her family home is under siege. She has limited basic survival skills. But she cannot remain in the role of “damsel in distress” and hope to survive. She learns about life iduring her travels, she experiences the world, and she becomes a force to be reckoned with by the end of the novel. (Although, as Laurel hints in the narrative, Evie has a long way to go before developing her full Stormbourne potential.)
The world contains a mixture of historically accurate devices and steampunk inventions. The amount of technology available seems to depend upon a character’s station in life. For instance, most of the characters travel by horse or sailing ships, but more fortunate others travel in dirigibles. It is a distinctive way to divide the classes.
When Fallstaff, the traditional seat of power for the Stormbourne rulers, is under attack, the steam-driven machines are protected by regular army troops:
One of my father’s war manuals showed illustrations of that vicious machine, but I had never seen one in reality. Someone with a brain for engineering had rigged this one with a system of levers, pulleys, and gears. A steam engine automated its processes, and every few seconds a conveyer belt fed another iron missile into a waiting bucket attached to a long wooden arm. From this distance, the trebuchet looked like an assemblage of toothpicks and hungry metal teeth, yet its ammunition tore holes through Fallstaff’s stone and mortar like a moth devours a wool sweater. A group of men stood around its base, guarding the machine with rifles and crossbows.
This genre mixture can be seen throughout the novel and adds just the right touch of reality. Infantry soldiers protect the high-tech steam mechanism that is needed to tear down the fortress. The machine is costly; the men are cheaply armed and more easily replaceable.
Another divide occurs with magic. Very few have access to the forces and knowledge to work spells and only the Stormbourne line can control lightning and thunder. That level of magical ability is priceless and guarantees Evie will have a price on her head unless she overcomes her enemies.
This is a wonderful steampunk/fantasy series. It creates a very in-depth story world and a cast of compelling characters. I highly recommend the novel.
Breaking News: The second novel in the series, Quest of Thunder, has just been released!
Evie must restore her divine abilities, or be enslaved by her enemy’s dark Magic.
Evelyn Stormbourne has overcome revolutionaries, pirates, devious relatives, and powerful Magicians to claim her birthright as Lady of Thunder, but before she can embrace her dominion over the skies, her powers falter, leaving her impotent and adrift. Under the protection of her stalwart companion, Gideon Faust, Evie hides in anonymity and searches for news of the Fantazikes who had once promised to help her master her divine abilities.
Without her capacity to control the storms, Evie wonders how she’ll ever reclaim her throne—a legacy she’s not convinced she deserves. But when a fearsome nemesis from her past reemerges, she embarks on desperate quest to find the Fantazikes and restore her powers. If she fails, her enemy’s dark Magic will enslave her, forcing her to destroy everything and everyone she loves.
Wednesday, May 24, 2017
Book Review: Arctic Dawn (The Norse Chronicles #2) by Karissa Laurel
Arctic Dawn (The Norse Chronicles #2)
by Karissa Laurel
July 5th 2016
Paperback, 276 pages
Alone and exhausted after her month-long sojourn as a shooting star, Solina Mundy flees to southern California to lie low, recuperate, and plot a survival strategy. The one person she trusts to watch her back is her best friend, Skyla Ramirez. But Skyla has been missing for weeks.
The arrival of a dangerous stranger and the discovery of a legendary weapon of mass destruction forces Solina out of hiding and back into the fight for her life. Solina knows she won’t last long on her own. She must find out what happened to Skyla and unite her contentious allies if she hopes to track down this devastating weapon before her enemies use it to burn the world to ash.
Solina runs to southern California to hide out and heal while searching for her missing friend, Skyla. Solina needs to plot a plan to survive and needs backup or she won’t survive. As Solina tries to track down a devastating weapon that will destroy the world she must figure out who she can trust and who has their own interests at heart.
This was a great continuation of the series. The story line didn’t duplicate and did a good job of taking us forward. There were big surprises that kept the story fresh and moving. If you haven’t read the first book in the series, it is worth the time to invest in The Norse Chronicles with Midnight Burning. I look forward to what comes next.
Double Sheep Review: Midnight Burning: (The Norse Chronicles – Book 1)
Bianca's Review: Arctic Dawn (The Norse Chronicles #2)
Five sheep
Denise B
About the Author:
website-FB-twitter
goodreads-Pin
Newsletter
Karissa lives in North Carolina with her kid, her husband, the occasional in-law, and a very hairy husky. Some of her favorite things are coffee, chocolate, and super heroes. She can quote Princess Bride verbatim. She loves to read and has a sweet tooth for fantasy, sci-fi, and anything in between. Sometimes her husband convinces her to put down the books and take the motorcycles out for a spin. When it snows, you'll find her on the slopes.
Find out more about Karissa and keep up to date with new releases, including the sequel to Midnight Burning, coming in 2016.
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Posted by Sharon Stogner at 10:04 AM
Labels: Arctic Dawn, Book Reviews, Karissa Laurel, Norse mythology, Paranormal, Romance, The Norse Chronicles, Urban Fantasy
1 comment:
Quest of Thunder
Author: Karissa Laurel
Release: 2016
Genre: Steampunk | Fantasy
Series: Stormbourne Chronicles
Edition: Kindle
Publisher: Evolved Publishing, LLC
Recently I reviewed Heir of Thunder by Karissa Laurel, the first book in the Stormbourne Chronicles. You can read that review here. The second novel in the series, Quest of Thunder, has just been released and I am excited to share the next part of Evelyn Stormbourne’s journey with you.
Blurb
Evie must restore her divine abilities, or be enslaved by her enemy’s dark Magic
Evelyn Stormbourne has overcome revolutionaries, pirates, devious relatives, and powerful Magicians to claim her birthright as Lady of Thunder, but before she can embrace her dominion over the skies, her powers falter, leaving her impotent and adrift. Under the protection of her stalwart companion, Gideon Faust, Evie hides in anonymity and searches for news of the Fantazikes who had once promised to help her master her divine abilities.
Without her capacity to control the storms, Evie wonders how she’ll ever reclaim her throne—a legacy she’s not convinced she deserves. But when a fearsome nemesis from her past reemerges, she embarks on desperate quest to find the Fantazikes and restore her powers. If she fails, her enemy’s dark Magic will enslave her, forcing her to destroy everything and everyone she loves.
Review (Spoilers Ahead)
Evie, heir to the Throne of Thunder, is still on the run from a group of dark magicians who want to rob her of her birthright. To complicate matters, she has lost control over her own magic. Without her magic at full strength, she cannot hope to protect herself and reclaim her kingdom. Evie describes her situation in the following manner:
“My powers are unreliable, my allies are few, and I have good reason to believe I’m being chased by a group of powerful and malevolent Magicians. It’s not safe for me to go home yet.”
Still, Evie is adjusting to life outside of the palace with the help of Gideon and his sister, Marlis. She doesn’t want to live in exile forever, though, and works to reestablish her magical abilities. But this practice inevitably draws attention to her whereabouts from both friendly and unfriendly forces.
Evie feels that reconnecting with the Fantazikes (her allies in Book One) is the best chance for her to regain control over her powers. Not willing to put her friends in danger any longer, she joins a traveling circus that just happens to be en route to the last known location of the Fantazikes.
And what a circus it is! This is a steampunk world after all, and the circus animals, wagons, and some of the acts reflect this:
“Light reflected from the beasts’ metallic surfaces, exposing skins of brass, iron, and copper. Subtle gear-works clicked and purred as the animals shifted, mimicking the movements of their live counterparts. Dull bladed feathers, like rows of butter knives, fluttered as birds flapped their wings. The unicorn’s horn glowed a warm gold as she pawed the ground. The elephant’s trunk curled upon itself with a tink-tink-tink of metal joints compressing. He flapped his great ears, raising a breeze that stirred loose hairs around my face.”
This is the type of detailed world building that I love to see in a steampunk novel. Laurel takes the exotic setting of a circus one step further by adding mechanical animals and transports. She also doesn’t over-describe the steampunk elements. It is very easy for a reader to picture the bird feathers that look like butter knives, for example. It reminds me of Stephen King’s advice in On Writing: Add just enough description so that a reader can share the writer’s vision. Be clear and succinct.
Will Evie find the Fantazikes? Will they help her regain her powers? Will she develop enough of her powers to re-take her kingdom? Is this the destiny she wants for herself, or will she choose another path?
I cannot wait to read the next book in the series. I highly recommend both Heir of Thunder and Quest of Thunder for anyone who loves steampunk, fantasy, and adventure.
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