Welcome to The Summer Book Club! First up, The Queen's Gambit. I have a few thoughts to share as we get going.
The first three Books of Imirillia consist of The Queen's Gambit, The Ruby Prince, & The Wanderer's Mark. I had known the story was there for years, waiting, but the bulk of writing the trilogy took place while I was the head gardener at a private mountain estate called Rivendell. (Yes, named after that Rivendell.) I worked on the books every chance I had. As soon as I was home from work, no matter how tired. On lunch breaks. At red lights. In the slivers of consciousness between sleep and dreams. I was so deep into the books that some nights I would force my husband go on rambling walks, so as to put my feet firmly back on the soil of this world, despite how much I loved the cool hills of Aemogen or the shifting sands of Imirillia.
I don't think of The Books of Imirillia as a traditional trilogy. Rather, more of a three act play. They were written at the same time, their arcs build into one another. The pace and sway of Gambit, act one, follows the lines of Aemogen itself; the green hills, the cliffs, the sea, the traditions of the people, the legends, how they perceive the world. Gambit's momentum is a reflection of this. And accordingly, book two is it's own unique reflection of of the settings in which we find ourselves, but continuing in its role as act two.
My goal in all the books I write is to capture the subtitles of character. The inner landscape must be understood, for all motivation and action lead back to it.
All right. Let's get going! There will be Gambit posts all week. And remember, if you have questions you want me to answer for Friday's post, leave them on the blog, or facebook, or e-mail them directly to write@bethbrower.com (if they're spoilerish.)
Let's get reading!
- Beth
A few reviews below:
“The book, story line and characters kept me reading even when I knew I had other things to do. The characters became friends that I wanted to know better and find out what was happening to them. I have read the entire series already because I just couldn't leave them alone. I had to know what was happening, but when I finished it I hadn't had enough. I am now reading them slowly so I can savor them and see all the things I missed from reading so quickly. These are characters that stay true to themselves and the author was able to make them come to life for me. A true love story of honor and sacrifice, sadness and despair. All the feelings that happen in my life. The book brought me to tears many times as the characters worked through their challenges and I felt somewhat as they were feeling. The second read is fun and also more interesting as you can see with perspective. I just love this author's writing. She writes with honesty and feeling for her characters. Thank you Beth Brower.”
-Gladys (Amazon Customer)
“It's not very often anymore that I am entranced by a fantasy with a new type of plot line, this is different, this is entertainment!”
-Chris (Amazon Customer)
“A lovely book! Very captivating.”
-Amazon Customer
