Links of Import

And part of her thinks, why should I write something again, when so many other people can do it for me, and I can just link?

Clash of the Geeks now available to benefit the Lupus Alliance of America.

Jim Hines write a letter to Elizabeth Moon regarding her post on citizenship. I want you to go read Jim’s post. Mostly because these dangerous Muslims are students in my classrooms, and I’d prefer we talk about them civilly. Also, the melting pot is discarded by most sociologists these days.

Finally, Nate Bransford, keeping it real and in perspective. Yes, Virginia, I am for the most part a happy writer. Because angst just isn’t sexy.

Now I have to do some…math. Not very often we do math in English land, but there you go. It does happen sometimes.

Catherine

Jim Hines Answers RHR Questions

As a companion article to yesterday’s review, here’s Jim’s answers to a few questions. *

Tamago: In what ways do the characters of Roudette and Talia compliment or echo each other, if you think they do at all?

Jim: Roudette is definitely a foil to Talia. In many ways, Roudette is who Talia could have become under different circumstances, and vice versa. Both lost their families as children. Both had to flee their homes. But Roudette was alone. To me, that’s the biggest difference between them. Talia has Beatrice, Snow, Danielle, not to mention the other characters we meet in Red Hood’s Revenge. Roudette has only her mission.

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Red Hood’s Revenge

It’s no secret that I’ve sung Jim C. Hines’ praises before on this site. Last year when we were lucky enough to have Jim as our author GOH at Icon, I went so far in a book group discussion to call Jim’s Goblin series an every man novel. No, I’m not going to ‘splain that (unless there’s popular demand), but it’s true. Believe the English professor, okay?

Jim took a great risk as a writer. He changed brands. About the time I learned of Jim’s existence (Fantasy Matters, 2007), Jim was done with the goblin phase of his life, and was moving into his princess series.

I’ll admit, the first book of the princess series did not excite me. It was okay, and it was limited by being a first book, which meant a great deal of time was spent in establishing the characters and the situation, and the plot seemed a bit secondary.

By the time I read the provocative reinterpretation of Hans Christian Anderson’s The Little Mermaid, the very grim Mermaid’s Madness, Jim had a solid grasp on where this series was going. Unlike Ariel and Flounder, Jim’s version echoes the grim undertones of Anderson. Well done. Golfer’s clap, Mr. Hines.

So, are you wondering what I thought about Red Hood’s Revenge? Wonder no longer. I’m going to post some of Jim’s answers to a few questions I had about the book next entry, but I wanted to write a review of the latest book in the princess series.

I might disagree with the critiques who think Red Hood’s Revenge is the best of the series. For sheer mood and similarity to the tone of the original, I would probably give that honor to Mermaid’s Madness.

BUT technically, Red Hood’s Revenge stretches the author, and it is arguably Jim’s best crafted book in the series so far.

Here’s a little cut to save your friend’s pages. The short version in case you’re working on a schedule: Read the book, especially if you like faerie tale and myth-based fantasy.

The longer version?

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