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Chautona Havig

Chautona Havig

Using story to connect YOU to the Master Storyteller

When a Unique Premise Really Is Enough

by Chautona Havig · 15 Comments

A sign greeted us as we entered, but not just any sign. This four-foot silver-framed blackboard hinted at the amazingness within.  It makes sense, actually, because it was the launch party for the Kingdom of Ruins, and we were about to enter “the lands within.”

Kingdom of Ruins Launch Party

Author D.C. Marino knows how to throw a party!  I knew this because I’d been to her house for meetings that felt more like intimate parties that made anything I’d ever seen on Pinterest look like a cheap imitation.

So, knowing all she’d been doing for weeks, I had high expectations and hopes.  I wasn’t disappointed.

At the door, we were greeted by Deb’s team of amazing helpers who gave us game cards, drinks, and led us to the viewing room for the book trailer.  That trailer wasn’t just an awesome introduction into the world of Marino’s imagination, it also held clues that we’d need to find all the objects hidden in the house.

And then it began. 

Her living room became the Palace at Anaphora. The dining room at “The Dashlades”—the baker’s house. And then we reached what has always been a lovely family room with a pool table.  No more! They built a structure to create the Mapmaker’s Cabin!  Maps, quotes, clusters of objects, soil samples in delightful little bottles—it all came together in one beautiful little nook with herbs hanging from the roof!

Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino launch party Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino launch party

Upstairs…

By this point I’d become separated from the other two co-hosts of the Alive & Writing podcast, Clark and April, and had begun to search for my clues myself.  Deborah’s writing nook… oh, if you don’t follow her on Instagram, you should.  The pictures of it are just utterly delightful.

Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino launch party

Lori’s flat—where I have spent many meetings now made me really believe it’s where Lori from the book lived!  And, I found the square and lance rather easily.  That always feels good.

But the room at Wrythe…

Creepy, beautiful, horrible.  Just as it should be.  I stepped in it and got a shiver down my spine.  Just as I should have.

Not everyone can recreate places in their books in their own home for a launch party.  And even those with the house to do it… shouldn’t necessarily try.  You see, I’ve seen it done perfectly, now.  Anything else could easily be a cheap imitation.

And we just had a lot of fun–random pictures because I can…

Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino launch party

Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino launch party

Kingdom of Ruins by D.C. Marino launch party

So with all that, was the book worth reading?

When a Unique Premise Really Is Enough

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission but there’s no extra expense for you.  I also requested a review copy of this book, and my opinions were not influenced by that.

When a Unique Premise Really Is Enough

An archaeologist who is afraid of ruins—of dead things. What a phobia to develop!  When D.C. Marino said that her book was like Indiana Jones meets Lord of the Rings, I didn’t quite know what to make of it. Could she pull that off?

Could anyone?

The idea of a world where everything is sentient—would it be beautiful and magical or overworked? So, with a bit of excitement and more than a little unease, I cracked open that book and began reading.

Look, it’s Marino’s first book. Just how good could it be?  Would she have the writing skills to pull it off?

Could she make us see and feel the world without drowning in description?  Epic fantasy requires a lot of description!  They take you out of the known world into the unknown. It needs some incredible world building to do that without being heavy.

Did she do it?

Oh, yeah!  And she didn’t just do it, she did it well. I’m not a very emotional person, especially about things like someone writing something well. I mean, really?  But seriously, I almost cried when I saw how fabulously she’d drawn us into her world and set us loose among trees that communicate with soil that communicates with sky and water…

And if you don’t believe that’s important, perhaps you should start with the introductory novelette, Points Worth.

Kingdom of Ruins Launch Party

Seriously, that was one of the most wonderful short stories I’ve ever read.  It left me wanting more… and more… which is what I learned we’ll get. A novelette about this sea town between each of the five Kingdom of Ruins novels.  Squee!

I digress.

But a fabulous and wonderful world isn’t all Marino gives us. She knows how to craft a character that you love, want to shake, who can trick you and make you believe one thing until he or she proves another to be true.  In Kingdom of Ruins, I found people I wanted to root for, fight with, protect, weep over.

And she did it all without once slipping into the frustrating habit of under-delivering.

Here’s the thing. Kingdom of Ruins manages to be both a slow journey and a fast-paced epic novel that keeps your senses and allegiances engaged from the first page until the last.  You walk away from it wanting more—so much more—and not because she didn’t deliver a solid and complete story in this book.

It’s because when it comes to Kingdom of Ruins, the premise alone really is enough, but D.C. Marino gives more than enough… And then keeps on delivering with fabulous world building, excellent storytelling, wonderful characterization, and solid, delightful writing.

Counting down the minutes to the next.

No pressure.

(that’s a total lie—lots of pressure. Hurry up.)

When a Unique Premise Really Is Enough The Kingdom of Ruins by DC Marino YA fantasyAbout the Book

Title: Kingdom of Ruins

Author: D.C. Marino

Genre: Fantasy

Release Date: July 27, 2018

In the Lands Within, history does not rest. Each archaeological layer communicates with the living generation, choosing its friends and enemies—and its kings. But an alliance has been struck no one could have anticipated, and an ancient evil is soaking into the soil. History is being erased, purchased and re-written at a terrible price. And a kingdom that shouldn’t have been forgotten is fading from memory.

In the Lands Without, archaeologist Lori Brickland has found a pottery shard with a heartbeat. The pulse might be a trick of the mind, or it might be the first sign of life in a world of ruin. An exiled traveler will say she shouldn’t search for the truth, a calculating ruler will say she’s the one he’s looking for. And the kingdom? The kingdom will need her before the end. It’s time to accept what she’s always known…

This isn’t archaeology.

This is war.

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Comments

  1. carylkane says

    August 12, 2018 at 5:38 pm

    Sounds fascinating!

    Reply
  2. Patti P says

    August 9, 2018 at 6:19 am

    What an amazing time. Definitely sounds like a book worth reading.

    Reply
  3. Jackie H says

    August 8, 2018 at 4:17 am

    This book sounds intriguing except I’m not a fan of fantasy but because of Chautona’s review of it, I just might have to invest in it…

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 8, 2018 at 2:10 pm

      I’m not usually, either. However you might want to play with Points Worth first. It’s just .99 and it gives you a feel for the writing and the amount of fantasy. It’s all about real people instead of creatures and such.

      Reply
  4. NZ Filbruns says

    August 7, 2018 at 1:04 pm

    That was quite an amazing party! And a unique premise, for sure.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 7, 2018 at 2:35 pm

      It truly was. There are videos in the blogging group if you want to get a better feel.

      Reply
  5. maema says

    August 7, 2018 at 1:03 pm

    Sounds like a really exciting book to dive into!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 7, 2018 at 2:36 pm

      I was so afraid it wouldn’t be good. First book. Epic fantasy. It had all the elements of a train wreck, but she shot us through a wonderful story on literary equivalent of the Orient Express!

      Reply
  6. Melanie Kurz says

    August 7, 2018 at 11:00 am

    So cool!! You make me want to read all these books.

    Reply
  7. Ava Gunn Kinsey says

    August 7, 2018 at 9:08 am

    I picked up Points Worth so I can get a feel for this story. Fantasy is not my favorite genre, but you put enough in the review to make me want to at least try it out. I love the creativity of the party!! And that trailer was pretty amazing!!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 7, 2018 at 2:44 pm

      Fantasy isn’t always my schtick. When she said “Lord of the Rings” I about cried. I thought, “NOOOOOOOOOOOOO” I mean, sure. It sounds EPIC. But Epic isn’t me.

      Loved it. The humanity of the characters helped a lot (no odd creatures to try to get to know etc.)

      Reply
  8. Deborah G says

    August 7, 2018 at 6:45 am

    You know, a well written review will sell a book. You did that here.

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 7, 2018 at 2:56 pm

      Aw! I hope you love it as much as I do

      Reply
  9. ArynTheLibraryan says

    August 7, 2018 at 6:14 am

    I’m a bit jealous! The Kingdom of Ruins launch party sounds fantastic I really enjoyed both books as well and add my “no pressure extra pressure” vote!

    Reply
    • Chautona Havig says

      August 7, 2018 at 3:02 pm

      RIGHT??? See that, Deb???

      Reply

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The Because Fiction Podcast

The Because Fiction Podcast
The Because Fiction Podcast

Taking the pulse of Christian fiction

Episode 264: A Chat with Romance Author, Sarah Monzon
byChautona Havig

Finally getting a chance to chat with Sarah Monzon was a total delight, and learning all about her latest release, All’s Fair in Love and Christmas was equally awesome.  My copy is here and waiting for me to dive into the battle of the celebrations!  EEEP! Listen in to see what that even means!

Note: I sound like I’m underwater. We heard it during our interview, but I couldn’t make it behave and couldn’t fix it. Sorry!

Note: links may be affiliate links that provide me with a small commission at no extra expense to you.

How Does an Intense Christmas Competition Lead to Love?

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas has so much going for it that I don’t know where to start! Fun mom who made our heroine’s childhood Christmases an international delight without ever leaving home?  Check!  Social anxiety adding to the stress of competing for a promotion?  Check?  Romcom hilarity?  Check, check?  And add to all that Sarah’s wonderful writing and delightful characterization?  I’m all in.

We also chatted about why she chose to write about a woman with social anxiety, her preferred reading methods, and some of my favorite books by her. For a refresher, those are The Isaac Project, 12 Days of Snowmen, and Book Nerds & Boyfriends (a collection of three novellas).

All’s Fair in Love and Christmas by Sarah Monzon

Two workplace rivals. One festive competition. And a romance that upends it all.

Every December two things are guaranteed for graphic designer Mackenzie Graham–Christmas celebrations and the annual promotion at her workplace. Those two things are by no means mutually exclusive. In fact, the better an employee is at harnessing the Christmas spirit, the more likely they’ll win the new job. With her social anxiety, Mackenzie never thought she’d be a contender in her company’s holiday competition, so how exactly has she found herself dueling her workplace crush with wrapping paper tubes and using tinsel as her weapon of choice for a much-needed raise?

Jeremy Fletcher’s life is meticulously planned out, including how to win this year’s promotion at work. Not only will the new position fulfill some of his career goals, but as a single guardian to his twin niece and nephew, he needs the salary increase to support his family. Jeremy has barely noticed Mackenzie Graham around the office, but now that she’s his rival, he can’t stop thinking about her. Her quirkiness intrigues him, and he’s afraid that if he can’t get his head on straight, the promotion isn’t the only thing he’ll end up losing to Mackenzie.

“Inspirational rom-com readers are going to love this one.”–BETHANY TURNER, bestselling author of The Do-Over

You can learn more about Sarah on her WEBSITE.  Also follow her on BookBub and GoodReads.

Like to listen on the go? You can find Because Fiction Podcast at:

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Episode 264: A Chat with Romance Author, Sarah Monzon
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Episode 261: Chatting with Christian Youth Fiction Author, Candice Yamnitz
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