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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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Filed Under: Book Reviews, New Release

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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 215: A Chat with Henry O. Arnold
byChautona Havig

I had a chat with actor and author Henry O. Arnold a while back, and boy did we have a lot of fun. His Song of Prophets and Kings series features the advent of Israel’s kings from Samuel’s birth through David hiding from Saul (so far) and onward. Listen in as we chat about his most recent release, The Singer of Israel.

 

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

What Made David Such a Man after God’s Heart?

I think this series will show us. I love that Henry O. Arnold started back at Samuel’s story to prepare us for the story of arguably the most influential king of Israel. Yes, Solomon was the wisest and richest, but David offered something that Solomon didn’t have. He was an average guy—a shepherd, no less—chosen by God to lead his country.

In a sense, it’s kind of the ancient Jewish version of a poor, everyday guy growing up to become President of the United States. If you know what I mean.

This five-book series is available as an eBook, in print, and as an audiobook, too! Henry read a snippet of it to us, and boy you get a feel for his love of Scripture and God’s people as he reads.

And if that wasn’t enough, he even gave us a hint of his upcoming Christian suspense/thriller “series. He says he has two books planned for sure, so… at least a duology, but maybe we can talk him into a trilogy at least? Get those odd numbers and everything?

The Singer of Israel by Henry O. Arnold

A singer’s voice inspires a troubled nation…A shepherd’s courage vanquishes a giant

The last official act of the prophet of Yahweh was to secretly anoint a replacement for the king of Israel who has been brought low by an unbalanced mind. The great prophet of Israel lives in fear of the wrath of the king. Then out of the hills of Bethlehem emerges the last-born son of a family of shepherds to become the unforeseen hero of Israel.

When David sings of the glory of Yahweh, this shepherd wins the hearts of the royal family and restores King Saul’s troubled mind. But when the singer/shepherd defeats the champion of the Philistines in single combat, David becomes forever known as “the giant slayer.” Saul quickly sees that David is now a threat to his kingdom and secretly plots to have him killed.

David may be the champion of the people of Israel, but he must live under the constant threat of Saul’s wrath until he is finally forced to flee for his life.

The Singer of Israel is a tale of triumph and tribulation, deepest love, and burning rivalries; the new epoch is given a voice…and it is The Song of Prophets and Kings.

You can learn more about Henry on this WEBSITE.

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

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Episode 215: A Chat with Henry O. Arnold
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Episode 213: A Chat about Daughter of Eden with Jill Eileen Smith
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Episode 211: A Chat with Lynn H. Blackburn about Under Fire
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