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To everyone who recommended Cassandra Clare
You were right! I'd been putting off reading CITY OF BONE for months because it's a thick book, and I can't read contemporary anything while I'm writing, so I tend to read contemporary non-fiction books at night while I'm working on a book. So the first draft of BLOODHOUND is done, I'm about to start the rewrite, and I thought I'd give the book a try yesterday.
You heard me. Yesterday. I picked it up at 11 AM or so.
I finished around 10:30 PM, and that's only because we watched "The Illusionist" last night. I would have finished much sooner otherwise.
What a wild ride! Some parts I suspected in advance, but others came as complete surprises. A couple of things were a bit derivative, but I really liked what she did with them. I loved Clary and Simon, perhaps because I understood them best (and they had senses of humor). The Nephilim were very sexy, but they were also dramababies--though to be fair, raised as they are, with the lives they have, how can they be otherwise? In other words, I found them believable. I'm sorry we didn't get to know Jocelyn's mother better, and I hope we get to do that more in the second book (no, don't tell me! I'm picking it up at Wiscon this coming weekend!). And I really liked Magnus Bane. Hodge, of course, broke my heart.
I also love the way she makes New York City such a major character in the book. She catches beautifully the mystery, magic, and promise of all those tucked-away corners and tumbledown buildings, the hidden cemeteries and the questions they pose. I love her descriptions of everyone and everything, which are beautifully vivid, but I love her descriptions of the city the best.
So, Cassandra, if somebody tells you about this, thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful read! I look forward to CITY OF ASHES!
ecstaticYou heard me. Yesterday. I picked it up at 11 AM or so.
I finished around 10:30 PM, and that's only because we watched "The Illusionist" last night. I would have finished much sooner otherwise.
What a wild ride! Some parts I suspected in advance, but others came as complete surprises. A couple of things were a bit derivative, but I really liked what she did with them. I loved Clary and Simon, perhaps because I understood them best (and they had senses of humor). The Nephilim were very sexy, but they were also dramababies--though to be fair, raised as they are, with the lives they have, how can they be otherwise? In other words, I found them believable. I'm sorry we didn't get to know Jocelyn's mother better, and I hope we get to do that more in the second book (no, don't tell me! I'm picking it up at Wiscon this coming weekend!). And I really liked Magnus Bane. Hodge, of course, broke my heart.
I also love the way she makes New York City such a major character in the book. She catches beautifully the mystery, magic, and promise of all those tucked-away corners and tumbledown buildings, the hidden cemeteries and the questions they pose. I love her descriptions of everyone and everything, which are beautifully vivid, but I love her descriptions of the city the best.
So, Cassandra, if somebody tells you about this, thank you, thank you, thank you for a wonderful read! I look forward to CITY OF ASHES!
One of the elements I didn't like was how stupid the characters were. I'm specifically talking about when the two of them go to the vampire nest. Two agains a whole nest. And the deus ex machina way they were rescued.
And why would two people who really have the hots for each other only indulge in *one* passionate kiss? I kept wondering that until the ending. So that was totally fake.
And then the plan to get the cup to use it to ransom the mother. There was NO plan! How could they possibly use it as a bargaining chip against someone all powerful?
And the ending was just a contrived setup for another book.
I had many other objections to the plotting, but its been months since I read it, so those are the only ones I remember.
The writer shows promise, but again, she seriously needs to tighten up her plotting.
I wrote that off to them being A) teenagers and B) newbies to this entire scene. It's not as if any of the Nephilim have gone out of their way to explain just how bad the bad guys can get, either. All of Clary's questions get answered with "You don't need to know. Just stay out of it." Given how very little information they have, I could write off their determination to go as pure teenage idiocy.
And why would two people who really have the hots for each other only indulge in *one* passionate kiss? I kept wondering that until the ending. So that was totally fake.
They kept getting interrupted, and at least one of those interruptions led to a major misunderstanding between Jace, Clary, and Simon.
And the deus ex machina way they were rescued. ... And then the plan to get the cup to use it to ransom the mother. There was NO plan! How could they possibly use it as a bargaining chip against someone all powerful? ...
And the ending was just a contrived setup for another book.
Having made a couple of bad decisions in my first books, I'm not about to shake my finger and recite "nanny nanny boo boo" at another beginning writer. It's her first published novel. I'm happy to cut her some slack, because flaws and all, I found it to be a great read.
I spotted the flaws, too. The fact is that I will endure some plot holes if the adventure keeps yanking me along, to the point I will ignore mealtimes and work that I'm supposed to be doing. Clare can write adventure, which is a rare gift. I'll bet anything that CITY OF ASH shows a quantum leap in control over her story, and the third book shows even more mastery over her craft. She's good to start with, flaws and all. She's going to get better.
But that's totally just my read on it. Like I said, it was hard for me to be objective, so take it all with a grain of salt.
City of Bones is Cassie's first novel. Go show me a perfect first novel.
I'm so tired of this snobbery (because I'm sorry that's what I see it as) against Cassie. So I'll say what I say to everyone who does it, where's YOUR published novel?
I'm pretty sure Tamora did't post about how much she enjoyed the book just to start people flaming against the writer.
Conversely, some things I've read about Nora Roberts turned me onto reading her books, both under her name and her pseudonym. She's made some great comments regarding plagiarism, among other things, and I found her funny. I think it can cut both ways.
I enjoyed City of Ashes as well. Then she had to tease by putting Chapter 1 of City of Glass on her website! Oh well. Patience is a virtue.
I met her only briefly at World Fantasy, so I didn't get to know her well. Your assessment is good enough for me, though!
And I'm really looking forward to seeing you at WisCon!
Thanks--I really appreciate that!
And I'm really looking forward to seeing you at WisCon!
I look forward to seeing you, too!
fave
It affects me differently than historical fantasy. It lends an air of magical possibility to everything, which is wonderful, but when I was younger it used to drive me crazy because I'd return to RL and I couldn't actually find it for myself (and I really needed it).
Hm. New convert, you say? Have you read Holly Black's teen books--TITHE, VALIANT, IRONSIDE? There's also China Miéville's UN LUN DUN, and Charlie Fletcher's STONEHEART (set in what the author openly admits is an "unLondon"). All these are incredible books. And if you read adult books, there's Neil Gaiman's AMERICAN GODS.
Not sure if anyone's recommended Libba Bray to you, but she has a very awesome trilogy that's out beginning with A Great and Terrible Beauty. She quickly jumped into my list of favorites with a nice mixture of historical fiction (they're set in Victorian England) and magic. They're a lot of fun, and from what I've read in Libba's LJ it sounds like she's good buddies with Cassie!
(Anonymous)
Book publishing
Re: Book publishing
Mostly you just get work in children's publishing, by applying for work in the children's or teen division of the publishing house. The only major publisher that does kids' books is Scholastic. You could look for work with them first.
Also how does one get a job in book publishing?
First, you need a Bachelor's Degree. They like people who are good with language.
Next, your best bet, in the U.S., is to live in or near (as in commuting distance) New York City. 95% of the major publishers are based there. Boston has a few, but New York is the hub. Go to the publisher's human resources department and fill out an application, or go to a job agency that specializes in jobs in publishing, or both. I signed on with an agency that had both temp and permanent jobs in publishing, and worked as a temporary secretary for two publishers before I got a job in a literary agency. You can specify you're only interested in publishing company work.
You need good word processing skills, because when you start you'll be doing a lot of secretarial work. And then you move up, watching for openings in the department you want and learning how the business works.
THE WRITERS MARKET, a reference book that comes out every November, will give you the addresses for the publishing houses if you go to them direct. It will also tell you who publishes teen/YA.
Does that help?
Also, have you read Holly Black's Tithe, Valiant, and Ironside yet? If not I recommend them.
Can't wait for Bloodhound!
This is true of every writer as they grow older--they also grow better. The good ones do it in large chunks, because they learn volumes from each thing they finish.
don't read her fan fics
I don't read fan fics as a rule. I don't want to risk inadvertently copying someone else's work.
Of course I read Holly, the minute she publishes everything! I adore her work!
Can't wait for Bloodhound!
Me neither!
Now I just need to get City of Ashes... *Contemplates route to bookstore*
Well, more like I disliked Clary's characterization. It seemed pretty inconsistant at times, and while she is a teenager (like me), some of her behavior was mind-boggling. While I understand why she called Isabelle a bitch and behaved the way she did, I wish the author hadn't thrown in that line about Clary being supposedly 'shy'. She doesn't display that quality at all during the book, and it's a little annoying. A word like 'reclusive' or something might've been better.
It was pretty funny in some places, and I really loved Magnus and really wish that he had gotten a bigger part in the book: he was the best character, in my opinion, even if he did remind me a bit of my manga. I probably will read the sequel, and hope that Clary's characterization makes more sense later on.
I don't know about her fan fiction or what happened, but plagerism isn't easy to apply to any kind of fan fiction case, and it's all in the past any way. I also write fan fiction, and I hope to write novels when I really learn how to write well.
Really, as a first novel, it isn't horrible. But she has a way to go.
(Anonymous)
Holly Black
(Anonymous)
Cassandra Clare and her forerunners
The issue with Clare's work and her "mistakes" is this: she typed in beautiful turns of phrase, witty dialogue, and creative descriptions that had been written by other creative, talented authors word-for-word. I can't reconcile my admiration for authors like Tamora Pierce, Pamela Dean, Douglas Adams, and Tanith Lee with acceptance of an author whose merit has been determined by her use of someone else's words.