Losing Steam: Do Book Series Need Mayhem to Survive?

Yah gotta admire Kevin Hearne. The Druid Chronicles, featuring Atticus O'Sullivan, are now in their eighth book, Staked, and still haven't lost steam. Hearne still manages to surprise even though the actual structure of his books is rather simple -- mayhem and more mayhem, with dollops of humor along the way. Though, sorry to say, Oberon, O'Sullivain's wolfhound, only adds a few weak comments on the human condition in this book.

O'Sullivan's foes are legion: vampires, gods, and magic workers of all kinds. The ever-approaching end of the world or the Norse Ragnarok is approaching, fast or slow. Of course, Ranganook has been approaching for centuries. In this book, you can sort of see a possible ending of the series, if not the world. [Hearne published an excerpt from a new series in this book.]

Am wondering how many fantasy thrillers are laugh-out-loud funny. Kevin Hearne's Iron Druid series is one the few I've encountered. I can't remember any others. Hearne's most recent book, Staked, is no exception. Where else would a character be harder to find than "a snake's nuts". Still, I miss philosophizing Oberon. In this book, he's shunted off from the action and makes few comments on the human condition, though he gets regular doses of gravy. Owen, the recently found druid, takes over the comedic bleachers.

[Confession: I laughed out loud when my favorite grumpy secondary character, Owen, complained and many other times as I read. Even got my old man interested in Sullivan's troubles with the various human Pantheons.]

All in all, this is one of the weaker books. While entertaining, it mostly went over the same old territority. No new introductions to complicate O'Sullivan's life. No new insights into his character. His side-kicks showed more growth than the main hero did. Worse, the story lacked the tension coming from imminent defeat. It's a problem when you write a stellar series and the latest episode in only good normal.

Hearne wrapped up lots of loose ends in this book. I cringed every time I read one, especially since Hearne is introducing a new series, the sample of which seemed rather pronderous and cliched. I thought through most of the book that this was the last of the Lost Druid Chonicles. Then, I learned there's a ninth one. So, I'm again waiting for the mass paperback.

Take a look at the sample and read the other reviews:

Amazon         Nook        kobo

[Incidentally, I thought I'd complain about the lack of a search function on the iBooks ap. I've got the link to my shortstories and book, but I can't search for the url of other books in their store.]

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Other Interesting Reading

With a book like Killing the Sacred Cows of Publishing, can you guess that Dean Wesley Smith is a rabble-rouser? His recent blog on writer earnings just cements that reputation. Love the way he keeps exposing how the accepted writing paradigms are off kilter and biased by the data collected. It was a lesson for me. I've been bamboozled by putting too much em-PHA-sis on Amazon being the only book seller.

The New York Times [28 January 18] had an important article on bots and fake followers for anyone concerned about keeping their accounts relatively clean. Buying followers, especially among those trying to make a splash or become an influencer on social media is a common practice. A front page article in the New York Times Sunday edition exposes under-the-rock where the media predators play. First, by stealing identities. Second, by selling them. You can read the full article here.

Are you concerned about social media manipulation? One way I often spot fake followers is by their profiles and what they post. 1) the lack of a picture is often a leading indicator.  2) a skimpy profile. 3) an great imbalance between  between followers and who they follow. 4) and probably most important, what do they post. Does it fit your profile and what you want to accomplish with your account?

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My Wrting Rut

The light bulb went off in my head. Wasn't even thinking about writing as I sneaked a look at the most recent Lee Child Reacher novel. The organization of his storytelling as he switched viewpoints in the first 10% [?] of the novel hit me over the head. Duh. I think it's given me the push I need to stop spinning my wheels on Rendezvous with Demons. Other than that, I'm mostly spinning my wheels, doing all sorts of stuff except writing.

I also got a chuckle from having traveled through "Moose Crossing" [I'm not going downstairs to see if I remember the name Child gave Tie Siding] many times. Of course, the map calls it something different. But the location is right there on the two-lane road...provided you don't blink.