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WORK TITLE: Cold Counsel
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S): Sharp, C.
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://www.dreamingdoor.com/
CITY: Concord
STATE: MA
COUNTRY:
NATIONALITY:
https://us.macmillan.com/author/chrissharp/ * https://mylifemybooksmyescape.wordpress.com/2017/02/23/author-interview-chris-sharp/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Married; children: daughter.
EDUCATION:Attended Brown University.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer and former filmmaker.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Chris Sharp began his career as a filmmaker and then became a writer. He is the author of the 2014 young adult novel The Elementalists and the 2017 novel Cold Counsel. The latter title follows a troll named Slud, a protagonist who is one of the last of his kind. The only other surviving troll is a woman named Aunt Agnes, and it is Agnes who raises the young Slud in secret. Before his death, Slud’s father was chief of the Blood Claw Clan of trolls, and he united all of the mystical races until the elves and goblins betrayed them and killed their kind. Slud impatiently waits to become an adult so he can avenge his father’s death, and he sets his sights on Khan Arok, the goblins’ leader. In support of his endeavor, Aunt Agnes leaves supplies hidden throughout the region for Slud. Along the way, Slud also befriends Dingle, Neither-Nor, and Luther the wolf king.
Sharing his inspiration for Cold Counsel in the online Civilian Reader, Sharp remarked: “In some ways this was an accidental book. I was disheartened by the underwhelming sales of my first book, depressed by the direction some of my life choices had taken me, and penned inside by the brutal New England winter of 2014. It was started as an exercise in speed and brevity, but metastasized into the book it is today.” The author added that Slud is “based on a RPG character that I rolled up in the seventh grade when I was a much more carefree me. I suppose that much of the inspiration for this was born in those RPG years of youth–though I also suppose that I, like everyone, borrow and steal bits of inspiration from everything I do, see, and read.”
While most critics praised Cold Counsel, a Publishers Weekly reviewer felt that Slud “rarely seems to be more than an especially hardy troll who’s well trained in logistics.” James Tivendale, writing in the online Fantasy Book Review, was far more positive, and he advised: “This is a pretty great standalone story that doesn’t try to pretend it is trying to create something groundbreaking, grand and epic. At 288 pages it is a quick read.” Tivendale went on to conclude that “Sharp’s well-written tale following a Troll’s destiny is highly recommended, firstly for the plot and action, secondly to say you have read a book where the Troll was the hero.” Indeed, an online Book Lover’s Life columnist declared: “I’m finding it hard to express how much I loved this book!! I’m trying to put my feelings into words and all that comes to mind is ‘an epic adventure that’s unlike anything I was expecting’, but that doesn’t sufficiently express what I think! This book was superbly written and absolutely captivating.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2015, review of The Elementalists.
Publishers Weekly, November 14, 2016, review of Cold Counsel.
ONLINE
Book Lover’s Life, http://bookloverslife.blogspot.com/ (October 25, 2014), review of The Elementalists; (January 26, 2017), review of Cold Counsel.
Civilian Reader, https://civilianreader.com/ (August 21, 2017), author interview.
Fantasy Book Review, http://www.fantasybookreview.co.uk/ (August 12, 2017), James Tivendale, review of Cold Counsel.*
AUTHOR INTERVIEW: CHRIS SHARP
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Today I am interviewing Chris Sharp, author of the new fantasy novel, Cold Counsel.
◊ ◊ ◊
DJ: Hey Chris! Thanks for agreeing to do this interview!
For readers who aren’t familiar with you, could you tell us a little about yourself?
Chris Sharp: I don’t think there are too many readers who are familiar with me yet. I’m a middle-aged dreamer with a propensity for long-winded storytelling, a fierce resistance to adulthood, and an optimist’s belief in magic.
Grew up in Alexandria, VA making home movies and playing RPGs with my friends. Went to college, moved to Brooklyn, and worked in film and commercial production for 16 years—often with those same friends—while writing books at night.
Now I’m in MA, with a wife and kid; writing as much as I can and trying to get as many of these stories out of my craw in some form or another.
The first book I wrote was a 270,000-word dark fantasy epic about schizophrenia, a mythological world next door, and Jungian Archetypes of dream. It lives in a dark box. My first published book was a contemporary fantasy YA crossover that has a sequel coming soon.
Right now I’m writing a screenplay.
DJ: What is Cold Counsel about?
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Chris: My editor, the brilliant Jen Gunnels, described it as “Conan the Barbarian as written by Tolkien while on a cocaine and petroleum bender,” which may give a keener insight into the tone than what you’ll get on the cover.
At heart, it’s a simple coming of age tale about a boy, his aunt, and his ax.
The boy is the last troll to survive the genocide of his race, his aunt is the masked reincarnation of an ancient goddess consumed by anger, and the ax is a possessed relic from the storied age of giants.
There are no humans or easy heroes to hold to, but I hope you’ll find yourself rooting for a loveable band of bloodthirsty killers, and wishing for more at the story’s close.
It’s fast, furious fun for the whole family, if the family isn’t afraid of harsh language, brutal violence, and reveling in the fodder of nightmares.
DJ: What were some of your influences for Cold Counsel?
Chris: A youth spent playing RPGs and making movies with my friends probably influences everything I write.
In terms of literary influences, I had in mind Richard Stark’s Parker series, with the intention of emulating that unstoppable criminal anti-hero style, but through the lens of a sort of gonzo, grimdark Tolkien.
I borrow and steal from everything I read, watch, and experience. I love movies and television, and enjoy trying to write for screen as well. My book writing can sometimes get a little light on the description because of it, and my screenplays tend to be a little too wordy.
DJ: Could you briefly tell us a little about your main characters? Do they have any cool quirks or habits, or any reason why readers with sympathize with them?
Chris: I really love these characters, and at least partially believe that they may be real, and that I am merely acting as conduit to tell their tale. SLUD, the protagonist, was first summoned through the rolling of dice for an RPG campaign in the seventh grade. I used to doodle his picture in my notebooks and write epic verse in his honor. In a sense, he was the childhood imaginary friend I was never able to shake.
He was, in some ways, the hardest character to write. I wanted him to be somewhat unknowable as he slowly builds toward a self-discovery that doesn’t fully materialize in this novel. He’s the last of his race, and has led an entirely sheltered existence—equally innocent and calculating—but there is a sense of self and a twisted moral code that even Aunt Agnes’s torments could never tame or break. Most of the insights into his character come from outside perspectives, but I still wanted to make him likeable, and someone that the reader wants to travel along with.
Aunt Agnes is a lot of fun, as she is actually more like four characters in one. Though she starts as an old, shriveled trollhag, Agnes becomes someone new part way through the story. And both incarnations of Agnes are only shells of far older and more powerful spirits from a lost age of Norse Mythology.
Perhaps my favorite character to write was Neither-Nor – a very hard to kill, misanthropic goblin from a wiped out clan, whose only reason to keep on living is to take-out as many others as possible before his days are done. He’s covered head to toe in scarred runic letters that enable his body to regenerate from physical harm. He uses his signature cap to sop up the blood of the dead—and though he doesn’t know it yet in this story, Neither-Nor will become the founding goblin of the Redcap Clan. His ceaselessly negative, vitriolic spew was cathartic to write, and I loved trying to make him oddly lovable despite it.
We also have a talking wolf, goblin warlocks, an alcoholic king, an obsessive runt with a speech impediment, a mute cannibal, an ancient water faerie, and more. It was a fun world to put together.
DJ: What is the world or setting of Cold Council like?
Chris: It’s intentionally left a little ambiguous. It’s a slowly dying Dream world that is loosely connected to our own—filled with the remnants of old myths—primarily Norse mythology around the mountain, where this story takes place. But there are hints of Greek, Roman, and other traditions if you look closely, and I hope/plan to expand from there.
The Mountain is cold, harsh, and brutal—governed by warring goblin clans and packs of wolves. Faeries and animals of various types dot the woods, and all are aware of the far off Elven Courts whose power, and at times brutality, eclipses and governs events across the world.
The workings of magic still hold sway over technology, but like with the old legends of gods and giants, that too is slowly fading from memory.
DJ: I’ve heard that Aunt Agnes’ raising of Slud is pretty brutal and there is a ton of challenges and tests that he must go through.
Can you give a teaser as to what some of these challenges are and why it is the Aunt Agnes is so brutal with it?
Chris: SLUD had a pretty rough childhood. He is the last known representative of the troll race, raised in a hidden cleft of forest on the side of a mountain by his Aunt Agnes, the only person he’d ever known. He doesn’t really know how bad he has it—trained since his first year to withstand pain, defy the elements, and develop both physical and mental strength in the face of ever-increasingly extreme circumstances.
Things like being dosed with powerful hallucinogens before being buried alive for a few days; having his head held down in a barrel of water until he learns how not to drown; being blinded and cut without warning before getting kicked outside in the middle of a blizzard.
Twenty years later, when the story starts, he has been drowned, burned, frozen, charmed, drugged and tortured to such degree that his body and mind are densely woven scar tapestries – cultivated and molded for revenge.
DJ: What was your favorite part about writing Cold Council?
Chris: My heart has always been drawn to dark fantasy, but I spent a few years writing contemporary stories with half a mind for younger readers and the librarians that guide them. I love those too, but I revel in fully embracing mythic struggles and fantastical beings. I’ve found it very cathartic and even rejuvenating in some ways to let these demons out and in to the world.
DJ: What do you think readers will be talking about most once they finish it?
Chris: I think they’ll be wondering what the hell they’d just read, but in a good way. It’s a pretty gonzo vantage on some old tropes, but strives for some kind of mythological verisimilitude at the same time. It’s definitely more of a word of mouth book, so I hope that readers find it and talk loud!
DJ: What was your goal when you began writing Cold Counsel? Is there a particular message or meaning you are hoping to get across when readers finish it? Or is there perhaps a certain theme to the story?
Chris: At first Cold Counsel was to be an experiment in brevity. The first book I wrote took seven years, was 272,000 words, and still haunts me. My second book was supposed to be short, but grew into a 144,000-word epic with three sequels. I wanted to write something more immediate, and figured I could write my long pondered troll tale as a serialized novella—patterned after the Parker books by Richard Stark.
I tried to write around 10,000 good words every two weeks, and submitted it after the first two chunks were polished. No response from the powers that be. But I was angry at the time, and writing SLUD’s story made me feel better, so I kept going at that pace. The novella turned into a short novel, and it was the most fun I’d ever had writing.
Yes, there is a particular message, meaning, and theme to the book for me, but maybe that’s just for me? Anyone who reads the book—I’d love to discuss further.
DJ: When I read, I love to collect quotes – whether it be because they’re funny, foodie, or have a personal meaning to me. Do you have any favorite quotes from Cold Council that you can share with us?
Chris: Greatness, legends, and the stories of a lost age were bullshit. Life was about will and luck, and the rare moments when the two coincided—the rest was just suffering, and the fleeting illusion that the suffering abated for a few stolen minutes here and there.
DJ: Now that Cold Counsel is released, what is next for you?
Chris: I’ve completed an early draft of the sequel to my first published thing, and am very excited to get that cleaned up and moving forward. I also hope to be lucky enough to explore more of SLUD’s journey, and I’ve got plenty more stories in me besides those.
Right now I’m writing a screenplay for a horror movie.
DJ: Where can readers find out more about you?
Amazon Author Page:
https://www.amazon.com/Chris-Sharp/e/B01M1NRO7W/ref=dp_byline_cont_book_1
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/csharpwriter/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8421671.C_Sharp
Twitter: (Chris Sharp) @TheFiveClaws & (SLUD has his own account with cameos from Neither-Nor and Agnes) @ColdCounsel
Website: www.DreamingDoor.com
DJ: Before we go, what is that one thing you’d like readers to know about Cold Counsel that we haven’t talked about yet?
Chris: I feel like it’s important to acknowledge the Trolls themselves. That word, ‘troll’, has recently been highjacked by a bunch of petty extremists online, but the roots of the word, and the beings it referred to, are older than Christianity. Like with the ancient Egyptian goddess of love, motherhood, magick, and peace—Isis—I think it’s important to take the roots of these words back from the dangerous zealots who have poisoned them.
The Trolls like the giants were believed to be primeval beings of nature and magic, physical embodiments of elemental forces. There is much debate as to their characteristics and qualities, but even today, there are people about the world who believe in their unseen presence and influence.
Agnes, SLUD, Luther, and Neither-Nor have taken on a life of their own, or maybe they always had it, waiting and watching from a world next door.
With the excellent efforts of some greats like Guillermo del Toro, Neil Gaiman, Disney, and the Internet, TROLLS seem to be having their day—I ask you to keep the old trolls in mind next time you encounter that word, or cross a bridge, or hear the wind howl, or hike into the mountains. I recommend respect. The real trolls have long memories, and their anger burns hot.
But their counsel is cold.
DJ: Is there anything else you would like add? (Or add your own question).
Chris: Because of all that I’ve spouted above, I think it disingenuous to hold too tightly to the gospel of these characters. I invite you to draw, paint, and get to know them for yourself. Share further exploits of their struggles, help them to live and roar again. In SLUD we trust!
DJ: Thank you so much for taking time out of your day to answer my questions!
Chris: Thank you, greatly, for giving me this chance to wax on about fun topics.
FEB 23 2017
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INTERVIEW
CHRIS SHARP
Chris Sharp
Susannah Bothe
CHRIS SHARP grew up in the suburban wonderland of Alexandria, VA, where he cut his nerd teeth playing role-playing games and making gore movies with his friends. He studied English Literature and Anthropology at Brown University, and Mayan Archaeology at the Harvard Field School in Honduras. He then spent sixteen years in Brooklyn, NY, where he worked in film and commercial production by day, and was yet another wannabe novelist by night. Some of the films he made with his childhood friends have gained international distribution and won numerous awards at festivals around the world. His first novel, The Elementalists, is the first in a dark YA series and was called one of the “Overlooked Books of 2014”, by Slate Magazine. Chris now lives in Concord, MA, with his wife, daughter and an insufferable cat named Goblin.
ABOUT CHRIS
Author PhotoChris Sharp grew up in the suburban wonderland of Alexandria, VA, where he cut his nerd teeth playing role-playing games and making gore movies with his friends.
He studied English Literature and Anthropology at Brown University, and Mayan Archaeology at the Harvard Field School in Honduras. He then spent sixteen years in Brooklyn, NY, where he worked in film and commercial production by day, and was yet another wannabe novelist by night.
His first book was a 900 page epic fantasy novel that waits in the depths of a dark box. The Elementalists is his second novel, and he really hopes you like it. His third novel, Cold Counsel, is a dark fantasy/crime fiction hybrid coming soon from Tor.com!!!
Some of the films he made with his childhood friends have gained international distribution and won numerous awards at festivals around the world. Chris now lives in Concord, MA, with his wife, daughter, and an insufferable cat named Goblin.
Interview with CHRIS SHARP
December 14, 2016 Civilian Reader InterviewChris Sharp, Cold Counsel, Fantasy, Most Anticipated 2017, Tor.com
sharpc-authorpicLet’s start with an introduction: Who is Chris Sharp?
A middle-aged dreamer with a propensity for long-winded storytelling, a fierce resistance to adulthood, and an optimist’s belief in magic — within the hardened shell of a pragmatic pessimist.
Your new novel, Cold Counsel, will be published by Tor.com in February. It looks rather awesome: How would you introduce it to a potential reader? Is it part of a series?
Looks are not deceiving; it is rather awesome. It’s a reimagining of Norse mythology in a post-Ragnarok world from the vantage of the angry losers of the ancient Vanir/Aesir war. It’s also a ferocious coming-of-age/revenge yarn about a boy, his aunt, and his ax against the backdrop of a dying dreamland. There are no humans or easy heroes to hold to, but you’ll find yourself rooting for a loveable band of bloodthirsty killers, and wishing for more at the story’s close.
Pretty sure that dark troll based fiction is about to have a moment, so I hope/plan on it being part of an ongoing series — if I am so lucky. I have two more sequels mapped out already, and another trilogy in my craw for later down the road. Fast, furious fun for the whole family if the family isn’t afraid of harsh language, brutal violence, and reveling in the fodder of nightmares.
What inspired you to write the novel and series? And where do you draw your inspiration from in general?
In some ways this was an accidental book. I was disheartened by the underwhelming sales of my first book, depressed by the direction some of my life choices had taken me, and penned inside by the brutal New England winter of 2014. It was started as an exercise in speed and brevity, but metastasized into the book it is today.
I call it my angry book, though in truth, the protagonist, a troll, was based on a RPG character that I rolled up in the seventh grade when I was a much more carefree me. I suppose that much of the inspiration for this was born in those RPG years of youth – though I also suppose that I, like everyone, borrow and steal bits of inspiration from everything I do, see, and read.
sharpc-coldcounsel
How were you introduced to genre fiction?
I’ve always been strongly drawn to myth and fantasy. I loved the books of Greek, Norse, Egyptian mythology as a kid and became pretty obsessive about RPG’s and movies throughout the 80’s and 90’s.
In preschool I used to carry a picture of Bilbo Baggins around in my pocket that I’d cut out of the TV guide from the Rankin Bass cartoon movie. The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings were perhaps my truest gateway drug to all things fantasy. Original, I know.
How do you like being a writer and working within the publishing industry?
I love being a writer, as I can’t seem to stop myself from doing it. Getting to participate in the publishing industry is something I’ve always dreamt of, and hope to do much more of moving forward. It’s a tough road, requiring luck and good timing, and filled with disappointments and setbacks, but then again, isn’t everything.
Do you have any specific working, writing, researching practices?
I started to really get my writing chops while living in Brooklyn and holding down a full time job. Got a wife and then a kid, and only ever had time to write at night. I’d come home from work, make dinner, put the kid to bed, and then leave the house at 9 or 9:30 to go work at a writer’s space a few blocks away from where I lived until midnight or so. Come home, sleep five or six hours and then wake up and do it again. Not the best, but I kept strict word count in a journal, didn’t beat myself up too much when I fell short, and after a few years I had a book.
I’m still balancing the day job, family life, and writing goals precariously, but nights and weekends remain fairly reliable for getting words out.
When did you realize you wanted to be an author, and what was your first foray into writing? Do you still look back on it fondly?
I always thought I wanted to be a writer, but never really wrote enough to prove it. But I’d always had one big story welling in me since I’d been a kid and, finally, in my late twenties, it burst out in a big messy splatter of words.
The first thing I wrote took seven years to complete, and was a 270,000 word epic fantasy about schizophrenia, the occult, and the Jungian archetypes of dream. Some of the characters in Cold Counsel appeared there first. That one never found the love I thought it deserved, but I plan to dust it off and give it another shot one day. It was my own deep dive, self-taught MFA program – learned about story creation, failed expectations, ego management, and industry structure all in one. The best and worst thing I’ve ever done to myself.
What’s your opinion of the genre today, and where do you see your work fitting into it?
I think the genre is pretty robust and going strong. I love that there are a lot more voices and perspectives represented today than have been traditionally acknowledged, and I’m very excited about a lot of work I’ve read in the past few years in fantasy, sci-fi, and horror.
I think I can contribute to the greater discourse in an array of different ways. I feel like I have stories to tell, and hope I can remain lucky enough to have an audience for them. I’ve always been most drawn to spec-fic that has one foot rooted in the real world, and I tend to focus my efforts on the magics, other worlds, and fantastic stories that are linked by myth or perception to the here-and-now. I think that I might be approaching that topic a little differently from most others, and believe I might have a tale or two that really says something and hopefully even means something to someone other than me.
Do you have any other projects in the pipeline, and what are you working on at the moment?
I am putting the finishing touches on the sequel to my first published effort – a dark, upper YA crossover series about climate change, the capacity for humanity to work in accord with the elements, and dragons.
I’m also writing a horror screenplay for an excellent TV/film producer/director who is looking to go into production with it later in 2017. I have a background in film production and like to sprinkle some script work between book projects when I can.
Then I hope for more in the Cold Counsel saga, more dragons, and a few more things I have in the works as well.
What are you reading at the moment (fiction, non-fiction)?
I mostly read fiction. Just finished Mongrels by Stephen Graham Jones, which was darn swell, and am now reading Winter Tide by Ruthanna Emrys, which is also really good. Before that was Hammers on Bone by Cassandra Khaw, The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin, and the first two in Max Gladstone’s Craft Sequence. It’s been a pretty damn good run for a while.
sharpc-reading
If you could recommend only one novel to someone, what would it be?
Watership Down by Richard Adams… or American Tabloid by James Ellroy. Or maybe Boy Wonder by James Robert Baker? Or the Hyperion quartet by Dan Simmons? Hell, it depends on the person and my mood.
sharpc-recommends
What’s something readers might be surprised to learn about you?
I was the star/producer of a super low budget movie, Murder Party, which came out from Magnet Films in 2007. (Pretty sure that I have like eight or ten fans in Finland.)
Also, I met George R.R. Martin at a convention in 2004 and pitched him on turning the Song of Ice and Fire into an HBO series. He said, “Yeah, it’ll be like Deadwood with armor!” (true story)
Also, also, my fake sword fighting skills and dance moves are the stuff of legend.
What are you most looking forward to in the next twelve months?
I’m pretty excited for Cold Counsel to come out, pretty excited to help to get this unwritten movie made, and pretty excited about the book I’m finishing right now. I have one line and get beat-up in an awesome movie that’s premiering at Sundance that’s directed by an old friend, and hope that I can find a way to leave my day job behind and give writing a full-time chance. (I hope my boss doesn’t read this.)
*
Chris Sharp‘s Cold Counsel is published by Tor.com on February 21st, 2017. It will also be available in the UK. For more on Sharp’s writing and fiction, be sure to check out his website, and follow him on Goodreads and Twitter.
Here’s the synopsis…
In Chris Sharp’s new epic fantasy Cold Counsel, Slud of the Blood Claw Clan, Bringer of Troubles, was born at the heart of the worst storm the mountain had ever seen. Slud’s father, chief of the clan, was changed by his son’s presence. For the first time since the age of the giants, he rallied the remaining trolls under one banner and marched to war taking back the mountain from the goblin clans.
However, the long-lived elves remembered the brutal wars of the last age, and did not welcome the return of these lesser-giants to martial power. Twenty thousand elves marched on the mountain intent on genocide. They eradicated the entire troll species — save two.
Aunt Agnes, an old witch from the Iron Wood, carried Slud away before the elves could find them. Their existence remained hidden for decades, and in that time, Agnes molded Slud to become her instrument of revenge.
For cold is the counsel of women.
Cold Counsel
Publishers Weekly. 263.46 (Nov. 14, 2016): p36.
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2016 PWxyz, LLC
http://www.publishersweekly.com/
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Cold Counsel
Chris Sharp. Tor.com, $4.99 e-book (302p) ISBN 978-0-7653-9328-9
The fantastical stories of the birth and childhood of Slud ("Bringer of Troubles"), son of the chief of the Blood Claw Clan of trolls, were legendary. The child himself drove his father to unite the trolls against the other races--before the elves and goblins obliterated all of the trolls save Slud and another calling herself Aunt Agnes, who raised Slud in secret. Now that Slud is an adult and on his own, he plans revenge, moving first against the goblins and their leader, Khan Arok. Along the way Slud gets help from caches Aunt Agnes left behind, a worshipful goblin scout named Dingle, a nearly immortal goblin named Neither-Nor, and various others. There are fun moments in this human-free, Norse-inspired fantasy, primarily those involving Dingle, Neither-Nor, and the canine Wolf King, Luther. Slud himself, though, despite Aunt Agnes thinking that he's "truly special," doesn't quite live up to the prologue's legends and rarely seems to be more than an especially hardy troll who's well trained in logistics. Readers who enjoy new versions of old tales may find this novel satisfactory. (Feb.)
Sharp, C: THE ELEMENTALISTS
Kirkus Reviews. (Apr. 1, 2015):
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
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Sharp, C THE ELEMENTALISTS Diversion Books (Indie) $16.99 10, 28 ISBN: 978-1-62681-425-7
This teen fantasy debut begins the Tipping Point Prophecy, a new series about awakened dragons and the end of humanity's dominion on Earth.In Charlottesville, Virginia, 15-year-old Chloe McClellan is a passionate nature lover who enjoys time alone at her favorite pond watching animals and contemplating life. Tenth grade at Charlottesville High proves gloomy since she's not interested in flashy clothes or chasing boys. Life does get brighter when, during lunch, Chloe meets solemn new student Kirin Liou and proves herself an amazing runner in gym class. While Chloe is swimming at the pond one night, a freak lightning storm arrives, followed by an upheaval from beneath the water. A massive creature rises, and its chilling blue gaze pierces Chloe. After lightning strikes her, she wakes in the hospital, having been dropped off by a mysterious stranger. Unbelievably, the news of her accident boosts her popularity at school, and she's befriended by Ezra (the handsome superjock) and Stan (the stoner). Driving home from a party, Stan and Chloe are assaulted by another storm and careen off a cliff--until something with wings and claws saves them. As Chloe's memories of her recent traumas sharpen, she decides to research dragons. Kirin's father, Dr. Edward Liou, helps by mentioning the Tipping Point Prophecy, which says that "when...the world begins its decline at the hands of human arrogance and neglect, the elemental powers of the earth will rise." Debut author Sharp masterfully blends fantasy, teen drama, and a strong message of environmentalism into a white-hot narrative. Chloe, as the sarcasm-fueled outsider, wins readers' hearts in nearly every scene; for the homecoming dance, she tries on a dress that makes her "look like a flower girl from an eighties-themed wedding." Romance blossoms wonderfully because, once together, Chloe and Kirin "felt more like the individuals they'd always wanted to be." Sharp also paints his fantasy elements (including the shady Daedalus Group, which researches alternative energy sources) in tantalizing brush strokes that gear up the audience for Volume 2. Sharp's high school drama is just as searing as his fantasy action.
Cold Counsel by Chris Sharp
Cold Counsel book cover
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Rating
7.0/10
Highly recommended, firstly for the plot and action, secondly to say you have read a book where the Troll was the hero
I received an ARC of Cold Counsel in exchange for an honest review. I would like to thank Chris Sharp and Tor.
The Troll, Slud of the Blood Claw Clan was born amidst the most intense storm that the world had ever witnessed. The narrative of Cold Counsel is about his bitter revenge following on from the eradication of the Troll race in a brutal genocide manufactured by the Elves. Luckily, newborn Slud, son of the clan's leader was whisked away from destruction by the witch Agnes in secret. The tale unfolds in the Iron Wood where Agnes had been raising and moulding Slud into a tool of vengeance. "For cold is the counsel of women."
I have to admit that even from the beginning, this seemed like an unusual but intriguing concept with a Troll being the hero. Slud's tusk-bearing, axe-wielding, and hulking presence reminded me of the warrior Orcs from Lord of the Rings. It is very much a coming of age tale as Slud looks to reclaim the mountain from the Goblin hordes. I was interested to see if a Troll on his own could carry the weight of a fantasy tale as I couldn't imagine such a character meeting or befriending anyone on his travels. Fortunately, I was incorrect and some of the colourful companions he meets are just as bizarre and unusual at Slud. I enjoyed reading the point of view chapters from the mind of legendary demon wolf, Luthar, and my favourite was the perspective of Neither-Nor, a tattooed rogue twin-blade flaunting Goblin. Sharp works this strange angle of presenting a fantasy story admirably well. Troll's are still brutes, Goblin's are still mischievous and often untrustworthy but these races, normally the villains of fantasy, are given human qualities but without trying to manipulate our already formed views of them too much.
I noticed another reviewer’s status update stating that they didn't like the way Slud's vocals were written. It is in broken, almost slang English and at first, I thought it a was childlike presentation. On reflection and as I got further into the story, I decided I liked what Sharp had done with Slud's and some of the other characters speech. Instead of child-like, I naturally started reading these parts in harsh, guttural Scottish or Jamaican accents depending on the person in question and this was actually really fun in painting the overall picture of the world and its players in my mind. In addition, who expects a Troll to have a posh British accent anyway?
The fabricated fantasy world isn't too grandiose. The majority of what happens takes place in the Iron Wood, at the Goblin's mountain capital and other places traversed on the journeys in-between. Where this book exceeds is in its Troll-lead pummelling high speed and brutal action scenes. I had a lot of fun reading this book. The created world seems a nice mix of typical fantasy and Norse mythology (with mentions of the Gods Odin and Hel etc...) This is a pretty great standalone story that doesn't try to pretend it is trying to create something groundbreaking, grand and epic. At 288 pages it is a quick read and that is a reason that the characters aren't too complex. They all have a primary motive and that is about it but as mentioned, Cold Counsel is all about the blood and guts action and the Goblin's political turbulence. At the finale, it is ambiguously presented that a sequel could follow but perhaps the author is as unsure as I am to know if this is the end of Slud's adventures. Sharp's well-written tale following a Troll's destiny is highly recommended, firstly for the plot and action, secondly to say you have read a book where the Troll was the hero.
This Cold Counsel book review was written by James Tivendale
Thursday, 26 January 2017
Cold Counsel by Chris Sharp Review!
31843386Title: Cold Counsel
Author: Chris Sharp
Pages: 368 pages
Published: February 21st 2017 by Tor.com
Source: For Review
In Chris Sharp's new epic fantasy Cold Counsel, Slud of the Blood Claw Clan, Bringer of Troubles, was born at the heart of the worst storm the mountain had ever seen. Slud’s father, chief of the clan, was changed by his son’s presence. For the first time since the age of the giants, he rallied the remaining trolls under one banner and marched to war taking back the mountain from the goblin clans.
However, the long-lived elves remembered the brutal wars of the last age, and did not welcome the return of these lesser-giants to martial power. Twenty thousand elves marched on the mountain intent on genocide. They eradicated the entire troll species—save two.
Aunt Agnes, an old witch from the Iron Wood, carried Slud away before the elves could find them. Their existence remained hidden for decades, and in that time, Agnes molded Slud to become her instrument of revenge.
For cold is the counsel of women.
My Thoughts:
Having loved this author's previous book, I jumped at the chance to review this one. This tells the story of Slud, who was the sole reminder of the Blood Claw Clan. As a babe, he was found by an old witch named Aunt Agnes and she proceeded to mould him into the perfect weapon to get revenge.
Slud was absolutely terrifying!! A big brute of a troll, with no morals, whom has been raised by Aunt Agnes by completing challenge after challenge, all designed to make him nearly unbeatable and impervious to pain. Fueled with a little bit of Magic too. He was brought up listening to Agnes telling tales of the old Gods and what life should be like. Eventually Agnes realises that Slud is ready to take back his mountain and what follows is a dark and brutal tale of revenge!
Right from the start, the author brings you into this fantastical world, filled with myth and legend, that he has created. This is a dark fantasy, yet you can't help but kind of root for Slud in all his brutality! The world building and character development was amazing and it's what I loved best about this book. I also loved how, despite the dark tone of the story, the author throws in a little levity here and there!
Character wise, each was well written and developed. Slud, as I said was terrifying, Aunt Agnes was truly terrifying!!! Neither Nor was intriguing and the rest were all easy to like. I loved reading about the wolves as well!!
This is a dark, brutal, bloody, great book ;) Brilliantly written and executed and one that I devoured once starting. I pretty much loved everything about it. It's a fast paced, engrossing and darkly delicious read. From the well written and thought out story, to the brutal and savage characters, this is a must read!!
5 stars
Saturday, 25 October 2014
The Elementalists by C. Sharp Blog Tour, Review and Giveaway!
Welcome to my stop on The Elementalists Blog Tour. I loved this book so much!!! Read my review below then enter the giveaway. Let me know in the comments if this is something you would read.
Title : The Elementalists
Series : The Tipping Point Prophecy (Book One)
Author : C. Sharp
Pages : 374
Published : October 28th 2014
Publisher : Diversion books
Source : Netgalley
22838892
Rising sea levels, droughts, earthquakes, tornadoes. Far below the earth’s crust, imprisoned in ancient slumber, the elemental powers of the land grow restless…
Meanwhile, in small town Virginia, Chloe McClellan’s first day of sophomore year was an epic fail. After she becomes the target of the fiery queen of the It-Girls in gym, she gains instant notoriety when she’s struck by lightning. That’s when things start to get weird.
There are disconcerting gaps in her memory, and freaky weather seems to follow her everywhere. She comes to believe that either she’s going insane, or her accident has awoken a terrifying creature from mythology, triggering the final countdown to the extinction of humankind.
Chloe finds unlikely help from a trio of male classmates: the grounded captain of the football team, the flighty stoner with a secret, and the enigmatic transfer student who longs for the sea. All the while, she struggles with the growing realization that dragons exist, and she, and her friends, may be the only ones who can stop them.
In the first book in the epic new Tipping Point Prophecy series, global dragon mythology is reimagined against a backdrop of ecological disaster, high school angst, and the power of the human spirit when working in accord with the elements.
Goodreads link:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/22838892-the-elementalists
Amazon link:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MI9004C/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B00MI9004C&linkCode=as2&tag=boolovlif0d-20&linkId=WR5FOFI5H53P7HRF
My Thoughts :
I love Dragon stories and will pretty much read anything with them in it. A lot of them have been hit an miss but The Elementalists was a home run! I absolutely flew through this, and that's saying something because it's nearly 400 pages!!
The Elementalists isn't your typical Dragon book. It's set in modern times and the Dragons aren't the main theme, they play a big part of the plot but it's so much more than a Dragon book. I must admit that I didn't read the blurb before starting this so I was expecting magic users and tons of dragons and what I got was a modern tale of cataclysmic events heralding the coming of something unbelievable. It was fan-freaking-tastic!!
It was fascinating reading the lore of The Tipping Prophecy and I loved that the author had researched Chinese Dragon myths so well. It really showed during the story.
The best thing about this book, for me, was the characters. I loved Chloe. She is strong, determined, smart and nice. She starts High School with the intention of keeping a low profile but a series of events make her the center of attention. She joins the track team and is soon seen as one of the best the school has ever had. She then gets struck by lightening and survives, which leads to the nickname Lightening girl (both for track and after getting hit). She hasn't a hope of flying below the radar after that. I loved her attitude and spirit.
We also have Kirin, the transfer student from China, who Chloe has a crush on. Stan, the enigmatic stoner and Ezra, the captain of the football team and all round womaniser. Each of these boys play a big part in Chloes life and each brings something special to the story. I loved seeing Chloe deal with each of the boys and cant wait to see more from them.
While reading about the cataclysmic events happening all over the world was so frightening, it added an extra something to the story. The fact that crazy things are happening everywhere really gets you thinking! In The Elementalists, all the events that are happening are a portent to the Tipping Point Prophecy. Chloe doesn't believe in Dragons nor had she much interest in things like that but when she sees what's happening all over the world and when she sees the piercing blue eyes everywhere, she knows she will have to dig deep and get the answers. What she finds will change her life and the lives of those she loves forever. I loved finding out about the lore along with Chloe, it was scary but fascinating reading.
I'm finding it hard to express how much I loved this book!! I'm trying to put my feelings into words and all that comes to mind is "an epic adventure that's unlike anything I was expecting", but that doesn't sufficiently express what I think! This book was superbly written and absolutely captivating and I still find it hard to think that this is a debut author. While this isn't the most action packed book, it's got so much happening and such depth to it that you will fly through the pages. It's a mash up of contemporary YA, fantasy, mythology and Dragons all rolled into one phenomenal story. It's the first book in the series and if this is anything to go by then this series is going to be EPIC.
All in all an absolutely amazing debut and I can't wait till book 2 comes out because that ending sure left me with my jaw open ;)
About the Author
Chris Sharp grew up in the suburban wonderland of Alexandria, VA, where he cut his nerd teeth playing role-playing games and making gore movies with his friends.
He studied English Literature and Anthropology at Brown University, and Mayan Archaeology at the Harvard Field School in Honduras. He then spent sixteen years in Brooklyn, NY, where he worked in film and commercial production by day, and was yet another wannabe novelist by night.
His first book was a 900 page epic fantasy novel that waits in the depths of a dark box. The Elementalists is his second novel, and he really hopes you like it. His third novel is a pulp fantasy/crime fiction hybrid and is coming soon one way or another…
Some of the films he made with his childhood friends have gained international distribution and won numerous awards at festivals around the world. Chris now lives in Concord, MA, with his wife, daughter, and an insufferable cat named Goblin.