Paladins Faith : Bookish Thoughts

I had been looking forward to T. Kingfisher’s Paladins Faith and I’m happy to say it did not disappoint. Rousing plot, great characters, a sprinkle of romance and some comic relief… But this one hit me differently than the others.

It reminded me of why I love the genre.

Speculative Fiction. Fantasy in particular.

Possible spoiler alerts. Not sure where I’m going but I’m going to talk about big ideas. Ideas that sometimes need to be worked out in a setting not of our own.

Big.ideas like… Religion. The paladins in this series are berzerker warriors for the Saint of Steel who, apparently, died. Leaving them without control during berzerker episodes. But if a god can die… How is one born? And if a demon is old and wily, but actually doing good and protecting their people– is it an evil thing? Can something inherently evil do good? How, and who, makes those decisions?

And then there is the problem of people using the weapons they have. Berzerker uses sword, or axe or some other similar weapon. But what if you are not a warrior? And you need to use your own body to win the war? Oh, and add in that you are female. Does that change how you feel about it? Why?

Just some really good questions that reading this book brought up. Ideas to gnaw on for a while, ideas that are important.

Also important to note that none of this is bashed over the readers head. It is fairly natural in the course of the book.

Which makes it all the more impressive.

First Rejection & Snow

Of the year. And it’s fine, it’s part of the process. It’s fine. I read somewhere once that being rejected just means your story has not found a home yet.

What hurts is that in the midst of the s**t show of the last few years, I lost both my physical log and the computer log of where I had submitted which stories.

In the rejection letter they were absolutely both extremely professional and kind. Especially since I had apparently submitted that story to them in 2021.

Sigh.

So many emotions are swirling in me right now. A morass. Not because of the rejection of the story. It will find its home.

And it hit hard because I’m trying to find my footing in my new home. Most of that is working through the mental state that I arrived in. My home is still in disarray, and when I lay in bed and close my eyes I see my old room. My old life.

Friday night & Saturday morning we experienced our first snowfall that stuck. My son still calls California home. Sunday we went to lunch with my niece & her family, and I borrowed a shirt for a wedding next weekend. Wednesday I put my kid on a plane to our old home to visit– and I’m hoping he gets on the plane back 12 days later. I’m hoping he doesn’t get into trouble.

I’m also looking forward to time without him. Time to make a freaking mess of the house so I can put it together the way I want to.

My words are messy, but they are coming out. I’ve got 2 stories I’m working on because well, messy. I wrote a poem.

I talk to my bestie on the phone everyday. She’s still in Cali, and is my backup with the almost adult boy I’m sending out there. I miss her. I have family here but haven’t made friends yet. I also don’t really go anywhere– haven’t even been to the library yet. I do recognize the cashier at the Dollar General, but I’m sure I’m just another face in the day to her.

Well. This has gotten a lot more personal than I thought it would. Hope you don’t mind. My brain doesn’t feel as messy.

Until next time, my lovelies!

New Year- New Intentions

Happy New Year, my lovelies! I hope you had a fun, safe New Year’s Eve and are having a great start to 2024.

Last year, I went whole hog. I set goals for reading and a trifecta of types of writing: fiction, letters and this here blog. I wrote them down, had a “Word of the Year” and shared my goals.

Then my year went to Hell in a hand basket. I didn’t know where to turn, and I pretty much had a break down. The good news is I listened to the right people and ended up exactly where I needed to be. I’m starting to remember who I am.

I’m starting to want to write again.

I’m also kinda gun shy about those goals now. So instead of quantifying my resolutions, I’m setting intentions.

I normally run 2 planners, and I use them mostly as. Creative outlet. In addition to keeping track of things, I also throw quotes in there, poems, stuff about the books I was reading. I still have 2, but I created a third out of a notebook. A reading & writing planner. Just for me.

I had made a 2 page book review document for Fantasy books– and it worked really well! I did Bookshops & Bonedust by Travis Baldree on it, and I have enough to do a review (forthcoming, I promise!). I also made my own book bingo page and ways to keep track of what I’ve read for the year.

For my wiring, I have a section where I work on what I like to write, what makes me love a story I’m telling. Added to that a stat tracker (word count beginning and end of month ), blog posts (this one is my first to go in! Whee!), and also submission tracking. I had started doing that, but lost the book in the move. I am crossing my fingers tightly that I don’t resub to same markets).

So. I have intentions. Not resolutions. I think doing these things with intention, paying attention to how it goes and what works and what doesn’t, I think that will make all the difference!

At least I hope so!

Here’s to a New Year! May 2024 be kind to all of us.