Nottingham - Tor/Forge Blog

Forge Your Own Halloween Party!

October 27, 2020May 1, 2024admin

Planning on staying home for Halloween and searching for that perfect bookish costume? Look no further! Your friends at Forge have put together a handy costume guide for every kind of reader!

Karen Kilgariff & Georgia Hardstark, hosts of the My Favorite Murder podcast

Halloween is a great time for Murderinos. And dressing up like Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, the authors of Stay Sexy and Don’t Get Murdered and hosts of the wildly popular podcast My Favorite Murder is a great way to join in on Halloween fun while keeping it super stylish. Grab your favorite mid-century vintage dress and tights to achieve Georgia’s look. Don’t forget your can of wine and trusty sidekick, Elvis the cat. If you’re more of a Karen, we suggest a black dress (with pockets, of course) and a guitar for a prop. Top either costume off with a microphone to show you’re a podcast queen… and you might as well add that 20-foot tall skeleton with light-up eyes from Home Depot.

Jennifer, Marketing Manager

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Flashback to Emerald City Comic Con last year where we saw these really great Karen and Georgia cosplays!

Bailey and Ethan from A Dog’s Purpose

Have you waited until the last minute to pull a costume together, and just need something to tell your family or socially-distanced friends that you’re dressed up as? If you’re a dog owner, I have the perfect no-effort costume idea for you! Since Bailey from A Dog’s Purpose by W. Bruce Cameron has lived many lives as many different dogs, any dog no matter the shape or size can be Bailey for the night! Now for your costume as Bailey’s owner: theoretically, you could wear whatever you want, since Bailey has had many names and many owners. If you want your costume to be Ethan, Bailey’s first owner in A Dog’s Purpose, you could don a flannel shirt, jeans, and some boots to make it look like you live on a farm, just like Ethan. Here’s me and my Bailey!

Poster Placeholder of - 51 — A Christmas-themed picture, since we’re celebrating the release of A Dog’s Perfect Christmas!

Sarah, Digital Marketing Coordinator

Marion from Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk

There’s nothing quite as good as the thrill of DIY’ing your own Halloween costume! I mean, store-bought ones are cool and all, but putting together your own means you’ll stand out from the crowd! And while Halloween might be spent socially-distanced this year, that doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice the fun of putting together your costume. If you’re looking every which way for a bookish character to dress up as but you’re having a hard time narrowing down an idea, I highly suggest drawing your inspiration from Nottingham and dressing up as Marion! If you love the Renaissance era and happen to have costumes lying around that you adorn when you visit local Ren Faires, then look no further; you’re all set! But if corsets and billowy, long dresses aren’t your thing, then you can easily DIY your costume with what you already have in your closet. If you’re riding in style as Marion, one thing to have on hand is a dress–preferably something with long, flowy sleeves. A long sleeved white shirt under a short sleeved/tank-style tunic would also work! Tall brown boots, a circlet crown or flower crown, a long skirt underneath, and a hooded cloak are the perfect accessories to help complete your look. Now you’re ready to go forth and be the finest Marion in all of the land!

Ariana, Assistant to VP. Marketing & Publicity

Lady Dunbridge from A Resolution at Midnight by Shelley Noble

A gilded age costume may seem intimidating, but you don’t have to wear a ball gown to dress as the countess/detective from Shelley Noble’s historical mystery novels. After all, Lady Dunbridge spends a lot of time searching New York for clues, so she has plenty of day dresses. To put together a costume from what you likely have at home, start with a neutral-colored maxi skirt, then pair it with one of those blazers from the back of your closet that you haven’t worn in months. Under the blazer, wear a high necked shirt, or if you have a shirt with lace on the front that works too. And of course, a Lady Dunbridge costume is not complete without a cocktail in hand, so you’ll need one of those. For the costume.

Julia, Associate Marketing Manager

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Evan Ryder from The Nemesis Manifesto by Eric Van Lustbader

If your Halloween plans are looking like they might be lowkey this year, then a lowkey costume to match is the move. Evan Ryder from The Nemesis Manifesto has to wear comfortable but functional clothes – so you could wear this costume all Halloween day! In order to tap into this character created by Eric Van Lustbader, you will first need to step into some black pants (I wore black jeans, but whatever works), throw on a cashmere sweater and then a black leather jacket over it, and end with ankle boots. If you want to truly nail the look, Evan wears her up out of her face, so grab a ponytail holder to finish the look.

Elizabeth, Marketing Intern

Extras / What's New

10 Ways to Forge your own Renaissance Faire at Home

September 14, 2020April 8, 2024admin

By Ariana Carpentieri

One of the best parts about summertime is being able to take trips to the Renaissance Faire! As an avid Ren Faire attender, I look forward to it all year long and patiently (aka: not-so-patiently) count down until opening day. But this is the first year since birth that I’m not roaming the Faire with wonderment in my eyes and a turkey leg in hand. To say I’m sad is an understatement, but I understand and support the decision to keep the faire closed for the safety of all! So, while we won’t physically be at the faire where fantasy rules and the magic is as thick as the summer heat, the next best thing is to forge our own Renaissance Faires from the comfort and safety of our homes! To celebrate the upcoming release of Lionhearts by Nathan Makaryk, a Robin Hood inspired tale fit for Ren Faire royalty, here’s a list of ways you can create the illusion of stepping back in time and bring some of that Ren Faire enchantment into your space.

If you need an easy way to Forge your own Ren Faire, enter our sweepstakes for a chance to win some fun Renaissance-themed goodies!

Read books set during the Renaissance

One of the best alternatives would be to fully immerse yourself in a book set during the Renaissance era. You can get lost in Nottingham and it’s sequel Lionhearts by Nathan Makaryk, which are stories that mix history and myth into a complex study of power–one that twists and turns far beyond the traditional tale of Sherwood Forest’s iconic thief. The next best thing aside from being at the Renaissance Faire would be entangling yourself in a tale of the Sherwood Forest!

Watch shows set during the Renaissance

To further add to the ambiance, we suggest that you watch some shows that have a Renaissance or Medieval feel. If you’re a lover of fantasy, then The Witcher would be a good fit for you. If you like humor, something like Disenchantment is a great choice! If anime-esque animation style is your thing, then grab some popcorn and watch Castlevania. Or if classic is your thing, then buckle up for four seasons-worth of Tudors. There are a plethora of movies on Netflix and Hulu that can keep you almost as entertained as the actors at the faire do!

Make yourself a feast fit for the queen herself!

When we think of the Ren Faire, we think about the delicious food. So why not bring the good eats to your own home! Something fun you could do is have a Renaissance themed dinner night, wherein you prep your favorite usual dishes from the Faire, which could include turkey legs, falafels, blooming onions, baked potatoes, or dragon wing chips! And if you’re looking to make it into a full feast, you could plan to add desserts like chocolate dipped cheesecake, apple cider donuts, or funnel cake. The queen would be green with envy!

Support your favorite Faire vendors from afar

Since we aren’t walking around and visiting our favorite vendors at the Faire, it’s difficult being unable to make the purchases we often look forward to. But you can still support vendors from afar by checking to see if they have online shops! If that’s the case, you can still get your fill all while supporting their craft. It’s a win-win situation!

Host a socially-distanced Renaissance themed party

If you’re someone who loves to dress up for the Faire, fear not–you can still do so! Get some friends together for a socially-distanced gathering that requires everyone in attendance to dress up. It may not beat walking around in costume at the Faire, but the good company and creative garb will bring a smile to your face.

Follow your local Ren Faire on social media

If this is something you aren’t already doing, then we highly recommend! It’s nice to see Ren Faire photos pop up on your feed, plus it’s good to follow along in case they make any important announcements about reopening in 2021.

Get your cards read online

One of the most alluring parts of the Renaissance Faire is partaking in psychic readings. But since that’s not really in the cards this year (pun fully intended), you can still receive readings online! There’s a large Alternative & Holistic Health Service community on Instagram that offers distant readings and spiritual healing/guidance sessions. But if that’s not really your thing, then there are plenty of card-reading apps out there that’ll give you daily readings to hold you over until you can have it done in-person at the Faire next year!

Burn some incense

Aside from the smell of good food at the Faire, some of the other most distinct scents you catch whiffs of while you’re walking around are oils and incense that many of the vendors burn in their shops. Bring that same positive energy into your home by burning your favorite scents while reading a Renaissance book, watching a Renaissance show, or eating your big Renaissance feast fit for the queen. So. Much. Renaissance!

Build a DIY fairy house

Fairies are such a large part of the Faire, so channel that magic at home by making a fairy house! There are DIY kits you can purchase online that include all the materials you need, or if you’re looking for a more eco-friendly option, then you could also fashion one with materials from your yard. There are plenty of Youtube videos out there that can help you build one of your own!

Hold a family joust

The joust is one of the most iconic parts of the Ren Faire and always marks the perfect end to an exciting day! Get your partner or family involved in a joust tournament with foam swords. And if you don’t have any actual foam swords, then pool noodles will also suffice! Split the participants up into different color teams and for an extra boost, include a fun prize for the winner.

And that concludes our list! We hope you enjoy trying these out at home, and that this helps you feel just a little closer to being at the Faire. Until next year…Huzzah!

Order your copy of Lionhearts—available on September 15th!

Excerpts / What's New

Live Reading of Lionhearts with Nathan Makaryk!

September 3, 2020May 17, 2024admin

In addition to writing Nottingham and its upcoming sequel Lionhearts, author Nathan Makaryk is a theater owner, playwright, director, and actor. Back in June, he put his acting chops to the test and performed a live reading of Lionhearts as a part of his TorCon 2020 Books & Brunch event (also featuring Tor author Jenn Lyons)!

This is not your average live book reading. Featuring spot-on character voices and multiple camera angles, Nathan sets the stage for your return to medieval England on September 15th when Lionhearts is released to the world.

Read more about this exciting historical epic and watch the live reading below!

About Lionhearts:

All will be well when King Richard returns . . . but King Richard has been captured.

To raise the money for his ransom, every lord in England is raising taxes, the French are eyeing the empty throne, and the man they called, “Robin Hood,” the man the Sherriff claims is dead, is everywhere and nowhere at once.

He’s with a band of outlaws in Sherwood Forest, raiding guard outposts. He’s with Nottingham’s largest gang, committing crimes to protest the taxes. He’s in the lowest slums of the city, conducting a reign of terror against the city’s most vulnerable. A hero to some, a monster to others, and an idea that can’t simply be killed.

But who’s really under the hood?

Order your copy of Lionhearts—available on September 15th!

Author Features / On Writing

Nathan Makaryk on Why Reading Can Make You a Better Human

August 15, 2020August 12, 2020admin

This just in: reading makes you a better person! Wondering why? Nathan Makaryk, author of Nottingham and its upcoming sequel Lionhearts (coming September 15th), joins us on blog today to talk about how reading stories from points of view that differ from your own help make you a more open-minded and inclusive person.

By Nathan Makaryk

Pick a book.

(Any book will do, I can almost guarantee it.)

Hunt down its one-star reviews, and you’ll find someone who “couldn’t connect to the characters.” “Unrelatable” and “unlikeable” are codewords that a reader just can’t bridge the gap between their own worldview and that of the book’s protagonist. Especially in stories written from a single character’s point of view (POV), a reader’s disagreement with the hero’s choices is the leading cause of books being thrown violently into improbably nearby woodchippers.

Reading is inherently an act of empathy, in that you put yourself in the headspace of someone else—fictional or not—to experience life through their eyes and thoughts. Unless you’ve written an autobiography and read it exclusively (you psychopath), then we all take this leap of faith when we pick up a book. Numerous studies have been published showing a positive correlation between people who read fiction and their social and empathetic competence. In short: yes, reading makes you a better person.

But what kind of characters are you choosing to jump into? If you’re only reading protagonists who align with your own moral, religious, or political stances, are you really growing and expanding your worldview? Probably not.

Welcome to 2020, where our country is divided by increasingly polarized stances over every imaginable subject. Social media provides us each with an echo chamber of like-minded opinions that vilify the opposition. If you’ve ever used the terms “us” or “them” in regard to human beings, then you’ve already started the work of delegitimizing (and sometimes dehumanizing) those you disagree with in order to strengthen your own position.

Don’t worry: we all instinctively do this. It’s natural. But recognizing when you do it and how to counteract it is probably the most important thing for all of us to learn right now. Because if you toss aside a book when you “can’t connect” with the main character . . . congratulations, you’re back in your echo chamber.

One method to overcome this is to read books with multiple POVs. The author is specifically asking you to find something sympathetic in each character, despite their conflicting opinions. Sometimes multiple POVs are used to follow necessary plot points in geographically distant places, as in Sarah Kozloff’s Nine Realms series or George R.R. Martin’s A Song of Ice and Fire series. When those characters are also on opposite sides of a greater conflict, we get to understand (and agree with, or not) the otherwise nefarious motivations of antagonists like a Queen Cersei. Seeing a conflict from your opponent’s point of view is the number one way to turn the tide on those internet arguments you’re never winning.

Reading these stories actually strengthens our brain’s ability to self-interrogate the things we see and hear, because we intuitively start thinking about them in two ways: both in the manner we experience them, and in how the other POV characters might interpret them differently. Flexing our natural skepticism is a critical skill when your information comes from a single source. It may seem like “just reading”, but you’re training your brain to raise a proper eyebrow when your uncle Darren shares his “Coronavirus is a hoax” memes.

From there, search out stories whose POV characters are in direct conflict, allowing the reader to experience two (or more!) sides of the same story. In Shrouded Loyalties, author Reese Hogan expertly juggles multiple wildly-opposing viewpoints, forcing the reader to constantly re-evaluate whose side they’re actually on. And the ultimate answer is that a properly empathetic reader should be on everyone’s side.

Because this goes so much further than the idiom that “every villain is the hero of their own story.” In real life, there are (mostly) no actual villains. Like it or not—and trust me, I don’t—every person you disagree with is an actual living, breathing human who has their own fears and motivations. They very likely believe their viewpoint is the “right” one. Theoretically, if you lived their life, you might even come to their same conclusions—as despicable as you might find that to be from the luxury of your own obviously-better life.

(Okay, there are admittedly a few exceptions when a narrator is intended to be horrifying rather than relatable. I’m thinking of the deliciously sociopathic corporate auditor in Alex White’s The Cold Forge who joyfully sacrifices people to be murdered by aliens.)

In the real world, differences in opinion are almost always simply differences in priorities, and understanding someone’s decisions is difficult when those priorities are completely different from your own. If someone is primarily motivated by money, for instance, then arguing about human rights won’t work on them until you put a dollar sign on it.

The moral of the story here is something that empathetic people already know: anything that forces you out of your own headspace—whether that’s traveling, trying something new, or reading books with characters unlike yourself—will help you become more open-minded and inclusive. Because when someone states they “couldn’t connect with the characters” of a book, this might not be a critique of the book, but of . . . [sips tea] . . . themselves.

Full disclosure, Nathan Makaryk is the author of NOTTINGHAM (2019) and LIONHEARTS (available September 15^th, 2020), which very coincidentally portrays multiple POVs on both sides of the conflict in the legend of Robin Hood.

Order Your Copy of Lionhearts:

Lists

5 Audiobooks to Add to your Reading Life

April 3, 2020January 23, 2024admin

By Sarah Pannenberg

Audiobooks are a great way of getting more reading time out of your day! Whether you’re cooking, taking a walk, crafting, or just relaxing on your couch, you can have an audiobook on in the background to keep you company. Here are some Forge audiobooks that we love, as well as an audio excerpt of each for your listening enjoyment!

Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark, read by the authors

Karen

Georgia

You’ve listened to the podcast, fell in love with the book, now it’s time to listen again! The audiobook is narrated by Karen and Georgia themselves, and it brings all the familiar personality and humor that you’re used to hearing in the My Favorite Murder podcast. The audiobook also has special features that you won’t get from the book, including guest appearances from Paul Giamatti and sections recorded in front of a live audience.

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk, read by Raphael Corkhill and Marisa Calin

If you’re looking for a long, immersive audiobook to keep you busy at home, look no further than Nottingham! This historical epic is 25 hours long, and it will keep you entertained for every second. It’s a spin on the myth of Robin Hood, and narrators Raphael Corkhill and Marisa Calin give life to all the merry men and other characters in Nottingham Castle. If you want a Game of Thrones type of saga with less magic and dragons, you’ll love this story.

A Dog’s Promise by W. Bruce Cameron, read by William Dufris

For all the dog lovers out there who need a heart-warming listen, dive into another adventure with Bailey the dog! Ever wondered what your dog was thinking? Narrator William Dufris gives voice to Bailey and makes you feel like you’re in the head of your furry friend. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll definitely want to keep your tissues nearby!

Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe by Heather Webber, read by Stephanie Willis, Bethany Lind & Nicholas Techosky

The multicast performance of Midnight at the Blackbird Cafe brings this mystical Southern novel to life. The group paints a beautiful audio picture that you will feel like you’re transported to the small town of Wicklow. There are a lot of mentions of delicious food, so this would be the perfect audiobook to listen to while baking or cooking!

The Murder List by Hank Phillippi Ryan, read by Angela Dawe

For those who need something more thrilling to keep them busy, listen to an audiobook from the master of the legal thriller, Hank Phillippi Ryan! The Murder List is a standalone novel that follows law student Rachel North, who is committed to justice and doing the right thing but is faced with lies, manipulation, and a harrowing legal triangle. This book has twists and turns that will keep you guessing, and Angela Dawe’s narration adds the perfect element of suspense to the story!

eBook Deals

$2.99 eBook Sale: Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk

December 20, 2019admin

The ebook edition of Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk is on sale now for only $2.99! Get your copy today!

About Nottingham:

No king. No rules.

England, 1191. King Richard is half a world away, fighting for God and his own ambition. Back home, his country languishes, bankrupt and on the verge of anarchy. People with power are running unchecked. People without are growing angry. And in Nottingham, one of the largest shires in England, the sheriff seems intent on doing nothing about it.

As the leaves turn gold in the Sherwood Forest, the lives of six people—Arable, a servant girl with a secret, Robin and William, soldiers running from their pasts, Marion, a noblewoman working for change, Guy of Gisbourne, Nottingham’s beleaguered guard captain, and Elena Gamwell, a brash, ambitious thief—become intertwined.

And a strange story begins to spread . . .

Order Your Copy

This sale ends 12/31/2019.

Lists

Holiday Gifts for Every Reader

December 9, 2019May 3, 2024admin

Happy New Release Day! Here’s what went on sale today.

By His Own Hand by Neal Griffin

The body of a young man has been found in the woods outside Newberg, dead from a close-range shotgun blast. The gun—his own—lies beside the body.

Certain things don’t add up for Detective Tia Suarez. Where did the fat envelope of cash in his pocket come from? Who called the police to report the body, then disappeared before the cops arrived?

Head On by John Scalzi

Hilketa is a frenetic and violent pastime where players attack each other with swords and hammers. The main goal of the game: obtain your opponent’s head and carry it through the goalposts. With flesh and bone bodies, a sport like this would be impossible. But all the players are “threeps,” robot-like bodies controlled by people with Haden’s Syndrome, so anything goes. No one gets hurt, but the brutality is real and the crowds love it.

Until a star athlete drops dead on the playing field.

NEW IN PAPERBACK

Avengers of the Moon by Allen Steele

Curt Newton has spent most of his life hidden from the rest of humankind, being raised by a robot, an android, and the disembodied brain of a renowned scientist. Curt’s innate curiosity and nose for trouble inadvertently lead him into a plot to destabilize the Solar Coalition and assassinate the president. There’s only one way to uncover the evil mastermind—Curt must become Captain Future.

The Guns Above by Robyn Bennis

They say it’s not the fall that kills you.

For Josette Dupre, the Corps’ first female airship captain, it might just be a bullet in the back.

On top of patrolling the front lines, she must also contend with a crew who doubts her expertise, a new airship that is an untested deathtrap, and the foppish aristocrat Lord Bernat, a gambler and shameless flirt with the military know-how of a thimble.

Night Magic by Jenna Black

Philadelphia is locked in the grip of an evil magic that transforms its streets into a nightmare landscape the minute the sun sets each night. While most of the city hunkers down and hopes to survive the long winter nights, Becket Walker is roaming the darkened streets having the time of her life.

Once, the guilt of having inadvertently let the night magic into the city—and of having killed her onetime best friend—had threatened to destroy her. But now she’s been Nightstruck, and all her grief and guilt and terror have been swept away—along with her conscience. So what if she’s lost her friends, her family, and her home? And so what if her hot new boyfriend is super-controlling and downright malevolent?

NEW FROM TOR.COM

The Atrocities by Jeremy C. Shipp

When Isabella died, her parents were determined to ensure her education wouldn’t suffer.

But Isabella’s parents had not informed her new governess of Isabella’s… condition, and when Ms Valdez arrives at the estate, having forced herself through a surreal nightmare maze of twisted human-like statues, she discovers that there is no girl to tutor.

Or is there…?

NEW IN MANGA

Monster Girl Doctor Vol. 2 Story by Yoshino Origuchi; Art by z-ton

Spirit Circle Vol. 3 Story and art by Satoshi Mizukami

By Jennifer McClelland-Smith

When you were a kid, the holidays were simple. You got a gift for you family members, and maybe a gift for you bestie. Now you’ve got to get gifts for you family, bestie(s), close friends, and do those acquaintances deserve a gift, too? Probably. If there’s a significant other in the picture, well, they definitely need a gift, plus their family and friends, and don’t even get me started on coworkers…Figuring out who you need to get gifts for is a headache. But add in the pressure of figuring out what to get for everyone? Ugh, forget about it.

Fear not! Forge is here to help. Not with figuring out who in your life you need to give a gift to, you’re still on your own there. But when it comes to deciding what to buy for everyone, we’ve got your back. Our handy list of holiday gifts for every reader will definitely save you some shopping time!

Midnight at the Blackbird Café by Heather Webber

For that friend who owns the comfiest robes, softest cookies and heartiest teas, invite them into this cozy read. Anna Kate returns to small-town Alabama to settle her grandma’s estate and finds herself drawn to quirky townspeople and the magic that abounds. Have snacks close by as you read… the descriptions of the scrumptious offerings of the Blackbird Cafe will be enough to keep every reader’s mouth watering.

48 Hours by William Forstchen

Got a survivalist on your list? Look no further than 48 Hours, the latest from William R. Forstchen, the master of apocalyptic potboilers. A huge solar storm shuts down the electrical grid and threatens humanity itself. A group of ordinary Americans band together to save humanity. It’s an unputdownable page-turner that will set your mind reeling.

Darkness at Chancellorsville by Ralph Peters

For your resident Civil War enthusiast…Take a front-row seat for one of the war’s most surprising battles. Ralph Peters is one of the top historical fiction writers out there, and this extensively researched and enthralling epic shows why. Get a fresh perspective on the battle that almost ended the Civil War and trace the steps that led Confederate general Robert E. Lee to embark on the Gettsyburg Campaign.

Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered by Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

Sure, this is the obvious choice for your Murderino friend, but Stay Sexy & Don’t Get Murdered is a great read for anyone looking for a fun, funny read full of advice only your older sister could give you. It’s a memoir disguised as a life manual. It’ll have you laughing until you cry. And crying while you laugh. And every combination of laughing and crying you can imagine.

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk

Fill that Game of Thrones-sized hole in your favorite reader’s life with this fresh spin on the myth of Robin Hood. You’ll get to know his merry men and all of the characters that haunt Nottingham Castle in a whole new light. You think you know what to expect, but the twists and thrills in this study of power will keep those pages turning all the way through the thrilling conclusion.

A Dog’s Promise by W. Bruce Cameron

If you’ve got a dog-lover on your list, you’re no doubt familiar with the heartwarming works of W. Bruce Cameron. A Dog’s Promise is the follow-up to the wildly popular A Dog’s Purpose and A Dog’s Journey, both major motion pictures! It’s a new tale of Bailey, a very good dog who is joined by Lacey, another very special dog. Together, they show the love and loyalty only our canine friends can offer.

Empire of Lies by Raymond Khoury

It’s a time travel book. It’s an alternate history. It’s a sweeping thriller like you’ve never read before. If you’ve got a reader on your list who loves a book that will keep them thinking, this is the one. Set in a world where the Ottoman Empire conquered Europe in 1683, it’s a race through time for a member of the Sultan’s secret police force and the mysterious tattooed stranger he encounters. It’s a race through time to save the world, or destroy it.

Lists / What's New

Classic Tales, Modern Tellers: 5 Retellings to Check Out

December 7, 2019January 23, 2024admin

By Alison Bunis

Everybody’s got their favorite classic novel. And these days, everybody’s got their favorite retelling of a classic novel, too. Personally, if we’re talking movies, I stand by Clueless until the end of time. If we’re talking books, though, there are so many incredible options that it’s pretty much impossible to choose just one. To help you out, here are five of my favorites! I tried to pick a wide range, but I’m not gonna lie, you guys, I like what I like. So let’s kick things off with my current favorite…

Lady Hotspur by Tessa Gratton

Gather ye round, my fellow Shakespeare nerds: Tessa Gratton has given us an incredible gift. She’s already reimagined King Lear as an entrancing fantasy novel with The Queens of Innis Lear.

Now she’s turned Henry IV Part I into a heart-stopping novel of betrayal, battlefields, and destiny, Lady Hotspur. Here’s a glimpse at the characters to give you a quick taste of what it’s about:

Hal Bolinbroke: A lady knight known for playing tricks and causing scandals, Hal is suddenly made heir to the kingdom when the mother she has not seen since childhood wins the crown. She loathes being a Prince but yearns to live up to the wishes of everyone she loves best—even if that means sacrificing her own heart.

Banna Mora: Heir to the overthrown king, Banna Mora is faced with an agonizing choice: give up everything she’s been raised to love and allow a king-killer to be rewarded—or retake the throne and take up arms against Prince Hal, her childhood best friend.

Lady Hotspur: The fiery and bold knight who stands between these two fierce Princes, and whose support may turn the tides of the coming war and decide everyone’s fates.

Tessa Gratton’s lush, lyrical fantasy world is the perfect setting for this gender-swapped retelling. Mark your calendars, Shakespeare-loving friends: Lady Hotspur hits shelves in January!

Black Leviathan by Bernd Perplies

Buckle up, everybody, because Black Leviathan is the Herman Melville classic Moby Dick—but with dragons. You heard me. Moby Dick. Except instead of whales, it’s dragons, instead of “Call me Ishmael,” dragons, and instead of chapters on whaling technique, more dragons. And don’t worry, the revenge stuff is still in there. Seriously, what more do you need?

In the coastal city Skargakar, dragon-hunting powers the economy. Dragons are used in everything from clothing to food, while airborne ships hunt them in the white expanse of a cloud sea, the Cloudmere. Lian does his part carving the kyrillian crystals that power the ships through the Cloudmere, but when he makes an enemy of a dangerous man, Lian ships out on the next vessel available. But he chooses the wrong ship. The fanatic captain, Adaron, hunts the Firstborn Gargantuan—and he is prepared to sacrifice everything for revenge.

You know what they say… revenge is a dish best served with dragons. (This particular dish comes out February 25th, 2020.)

Nottingham by Nathan Makaryk

Most authors retelling a classic start with their favorite book, story, legend, myth…Not Nathan Makaryk. He saw all the things he hated about the Robin Hood legend, and he just had to rewrite the whole thing into an epic novel that examines who’s really the hero or villain of a story. Think less Men-In-Tights and more historically-accurate Game of Thrones.

The setup is a political nightmare: King Richard is half a world away, fighting for God and his own ambition. Back home, his country languishes, bankrupt and on the verge of anarchy. People with power are running unchecked. People without are growing angry. And in Nottingham, one of the largest shires in England, the sheriff seems intent on doing nothing about it. But don’t worry, Robin Hood and his Merry Men are here to save the day! Steal from the greedy rich and give to the poor! …Not really. Nothing is that simple in this world. Instead, the lives of six people—Arable, a servant girl with a secret, Robin and William, soldiers running from their pasts, Marion, a noblewoman working for change, Guy of Gisbourne, Nottingham’s beleaguered guard captain, and Elena Gamwell, a brash, ambitious thief—become intertwined. And a strange story begins to spread…

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

No list about retellings is complete without including a fairy tale reimagining. It’s kind of a rule. And Jane Yolen’s Briar Rose, a historically sensitive retelling of Sleeping Beauty set amid forests patrolled by the German army during World War II, is a terrifically moving, graceful entry into the fairy tale retelling genre.

It starts off with a tale being passed down through the generations: Since childhood, Rebecca has been enchanted by her grandmother Gemma’s stories of Briar Rose, a young girl who arrived at a castle controlled by an evil army in the Polish forest during the summer of 1942. As Gemma tells it, Briar Rose was corrupted by dark deeds and choked by poisonous mist, and plunged into a deep sleep in the castle that soon came to be known as Chełmno extermination camp. Becca would have sworn the stories were made up, but on her deathbed Gemma extracts from Becca a promise to fulfill three impossible requests: find the castle, find the prince, and find the spell-maker. Her vow sends Becca on a remarkable journey to uncover the truth of Gemma’s astonishing claim: She is Briar Rose.

Miranda and Caliban by Jacqueline Carey

Another Shakespeare retelling? Yes. Let’s go there with Jacqueline Carey’s gorgeous retelling of The Tempest. We all know the tale of Prospero’s quest for revenge, but what about Miranda? Or Caliban, the so-called savage? In Miranda and Caliban, Jacqueline Carey gives us their side of the story: the dutiful and tenderhearted Miranda, who loves her father but is terribly lonely. And Caliban, the strange and feral boy Prospero has bewitched to serve him. The two find solace and companionship in each other as Prospero weaves his magic and dreams of revenge. Always under Prospero’s jealous eye, Miranda and Caliban battle the dark, unknowable forces that bind them to the island even as the pangs of adolescence create a new awareness of each other and their doomed relationship.

Extras

Discover the Oldest Inn in England With Nottingham Author Nathan Makaryk

August 20, 2019May 17, 2024torforge

Take a trip to the oldest inn in England with Nottingham author Nathan Makaryk and learn more about his debut novel, a retelling of the classic tale of Robin Hood.

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Extras

There’s More to Robin Hood Than Just Robin Hood

August 13, 2019May 17, 2024torforge

Travel with Nottingham author Nathan Makaryk as he visits St. Mary’s Church and introduces Elena Gamwell, one of the main characters in his debut novel about Robin Hood.

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Classic Tales, Modern Tellers: 5 Retellings to Check Out

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