Book Review Left Horse Black by S. J. Reisner

Left Horse Black by S.J. Reisner
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Left Horse Black by S. J. Reisner is an epic sword and sorcery fantasy that interweaves the story lines of various characters from different kingdoms in the West Ocean Mainlands. The tale begins when a sheltered young prince escapes with his cousin to get reinforcements from Danaria to help counter a sinister threat from of a foreign prince who is betrothed to the king’s daughter. Meanwhile, a rebellious Fifth-Gens warrior-sorceress from Danaria is drawn into battle against the nomadic Kersian foes who have kidnapped one of their warlord’s daughters as a sacrifice to the “no name” god. Unbeknownst to them all, zealot Kersian sorcerers are plotting behind the scenes to usurp the thrones of human-ruled kingdoms so they can build a massive army to destroy the Danaria sorcerer bloodline in an attempt to save their own. The destinies of the troubled prince and the inept Danaria sorceress finally join in the labyrinthine plot. Hold on to your seats to the climax. Armed with nothing more than meager weapons and with the help of their friends and instinct, these unlikely heroes are the last hope to stop the Kersian sorcerers.

S. J. Reisner has masterfully weaved together a complex epic fantasy with engaging characters and unique world-building. This fast-paced tale challenges the reader to keep track of the various characters and plot lines. However, in the end, the various subplots tie together for a satisfying and heart-wrenching climax. Author Reisner masterfully brings the myriad of characters to life on the page. These are flawed, three-dimensional characters with distinct attributes and motivations, including the villains. My favorite character is Tnasha fen Schoitt, the rebellious Danaria sorceress who must learn to use her powers which she originally rejects. It is fun seeing her fumble as she learns how to use these powers as a weapon against the Kersian sorceresses.

I highly recommend Left Horse Black for readers who enjoy a complex, fast-paced fantasy with a myriad of engaging characters, including strong female protagonists.

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Author Interview Ryanne Glenn

Introduction

It is my pleasure to introduce Ryanne Glenn—an exciting debut Colorado YA fantasy author.  I met Ryanne through the Northern Colorado Writers Organization and have had the opportunity to learn more about her as an author. I’m quite impressed with her ability to balance a heavy workload in Chemical and Biological Engineering at the Colorado State University and being an author. Imagine my excitement when she told me her YA fantasy trilogy had been accepted by Atthis Arts, LLC for publication. Her first book, Descent of Shadows, in the trilogy was just released on December 11, 2018.

Ryanne graciously accepted my invitation to interview her. Below are her biography, interview, and contact information. I encourage you to follow her and check out her website. She in an inspiration to all aspiring young writers whose dream is to publish.

Biography

R‌yanne Glenn is a member of the Northern Colorado Writers in Fort Collins, CO, where she attends Colorado State University. She is pursuing a degree in Chemical and Biological Engineering with a minor in Biomedical Engineering. After struggling with depression in her first year at college, she turned back to writing as a healthy outlet for her emotions. She wants to write strong female role models and is excited to share her stories with the world.

Author Interview Ryanne Glenn

Would you provide an overview of the debut book, Descent of Shadows, that was released on December 11, 2018?

Humans have always called the land of Istamba home, yet Roland, King of the Wraiths, is intent on claiming it for himself. When Fort Lieay is attacked, thirteen-year-old Anna Lieay is the only survivor. Distraught from the death of her parents, she makes the dangerous journey to the Sanctuary, the last free human settlement. There, she vows to join the army, despite her age, to help save her home from the wraiths and restore peace to humanity.

What inspired you to write the YA Fantasy, Descent of Shadows, about a young girl who decides to fight back in her family’s war against the Wraith King?

I had a dream that I was walking through a great stone structure with a gold veil around it. As I looked out past the veil, I saw an army charging for the structure before I woke up. I couldn’t get that visual out of my head, so I named it the Sanctuary, and crafted a world around it.

The wraiths actually came out of my struggle with depression. I would have terrible nightmares about shadowy figures coming for me, and dark thoughts permeated my everyday life. The wraiths were sort-of born from those thoughts and by giving them distinct weaknesses, I was able to combat my own demons in my life and give my characters a great adversary.

With your busy college schedule at the Colorado State University, what inspired you to write Descent of Shadows? How do you balance between your classes and writing?

Again, a lot of my progress writing Descent of Shadows came from my struggle with depression. So, to keep myself from spiraling back into darker thoughts, I would write instead. It ended up being a great coping mechanism and something I found out I really enjoyed.

As far as balancing class and writing, it hasn’t been too hard. I’m studying Chemical and Biological Engineering, so obviously I deal with a lot of math and science in my everyday life. So having writing to fall back on is great. Sometimes, my head will be swimming with so many numbers and equations, that I just can’t keep them straight. So I write to try and calm my mind down a bit and relax. It’s been such a great escape for me.

Is there any sub-character in Descent of Shadows who is your favorite? Explain why.

Can I choose all of them? I actually really liked Colonel Wells. He opposes Anna in the story, but he provides a great obstacle for her to overcome. Without him, I don’t think she’d become as strong of a person. Plus, I really like writing villains.

How often do your characters surprise you when they do or say something totally unexpected?

Almost all the time, at least while I was drafting and revising Descent of Shadows. I wrote the entire novel without an outline and without any idea what was going to happen. I had 3 characters in my head, the villain, and the Sanctuary to begin with, and I just sort of wrote. Sometimes I’d write a short little scene and that would spark another character and then a whole new plot line would come about and on it went.

Now that I have more experience, I wouldn’t recommend writing like this. It’s confusing and give you a lot of trouble when you’re trying to revise and edit, but since I was using writing to improve my mental health, it worked pretty well to have something to build on.

What advice would you give young writers whose goals are to publish their short stories or novels?

Keep writing is the obvious advice, but I like to encourage a different level of that advice. If you want to write a novel and you’re really excited about the ending, write that first. There’s no rule that says you have to write in order.

Are there any other books on the horizon that you anticipate to publish?

When I submitted Descent of Shadows to my publisher, I did pitch it as a trilogy, and I’m so happy that they want to publish all of them. So Descent of Shadows, books 2 and 3 will be coming out in the next couple years!

If you could have one skill that you don’t currently have, what would it be?

I would love to be able to play an instrument like the guitar or piano. I tried to learn when I was younger, but I started playing basketball and volleyball instead. Then as I got older I realized I was tone deaf, but I think it would be so cool to know how to play.

What might we be surprised to learn about you?

I used to make and sell duct tape wallets. I’d make a bunch and go to various craft fairs to sell them, as well as selling to my family and people we knew. It was fun to be creative since I’m not a great artist. But I did go a little crazy with the tape and I still have a very large collection of printed rolls.

What makes you laugh?

My family. We all have generally the same sense of humor so even just eating dinner is fun and hilarious. Plus we all love quoting movies and we have such a good time trying to guess where one quote came from.

What simple pleasure makes you smile?

There are a lot of things that I just can’t help but smile at, but I’d say the biggest thing is a dog. My sister has a French Bulldog named Carl and no matter what, just looking at him makes me grin. But really, if I see any dog, I’m automatically in a better mood.

You can contact Ryanne Glenn as follows:

Website

Twitter

Facebook

Amazon Author Page

Books by Ryanne Glenn:

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Book Review Descent of Shadows by Ryanne Glenn

Descent of Shadows by Ryanne Glenn
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Descent of Shadows by Ryanne Glenn is a coming-of-age, YA fantasy about a young teenage girl, Anna, who must leave her childhood behind and accept the overreaching legacy of her parents. The tale begins with a heart-wrenching scene where Anna witnesses the murder of her parents at a festival by human-like shadows, the wraiths. Wounded, she barely escapes with her life and seeks refuge at a sanctuary where an ancient, magical barrier prevents wraiths from entering. On her sojourn there, she meets Alex, another orphan escaping mayhem. Anna deals with her grief with the singular purpose of avenging the deaths of her parents. Despite her youth, she is determined to join the army when she reaches the sanctuary and fight in the war against the wraiths. She catches the eye of General Collins who recognizes her leadership abilities are similar to her legendary parents. He takes her under his wing and mentors her like a father. Anna overcomes the doubts of the regime’s Council that considers her too young to join the army, and she quickly rises through the military ranks. Despite her successes in missions, Anna’s confidence is shaken as she faces the harsh realities of war, the awakening of her latent powers, and the internal strife that is as great as the threat from the wraiths. The climatic ending offers unexpected twists and dramatic changes to Anna, setting the stage for the second book in the trilogy.

Debut author, Ryanne Glenn, has woven deeper themes into a tale which, on the surface, seems straight-forward. The first couple of chapters are rich in sensory details, but then relaxes into a narrative driven by dialogue, magical world-building, and vivid descriptions of training and fighting scenes. However, the harsh realities of war are not glorified and profoundly affect the heroine. Make no mistake, Anna is a strong, female protagonist with whom teenager readers can identify. Beneath her risk-taking bravado, she harbors self-doubt that she must overcome to become an effective leader. Her different approach to leadership and training comes across as rebellious and brash to members on the Council. Her impulses to lash out must be reined-in by General Collins, who nonetheless gives her leeway to lead her regiment consisting of teens about her age. Although this is an action-driven fantasy, there are some subtle pauses when Anna reflects on how she fits into her world and the legacy of her family.

Descent of Shadows should appeal to YA fantasy readers who enjoy reading about strong, female characters and unique world-building. Highly recommended.

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