Hype No More
Back in August, someone in the industry was good enough to talk up SPELLWRIGHT to Pat of his mighty Fantasy Hotlist. Pat remained cautious but reported that his source thought the book would “be in contention for best first fantasy novel ever.” This sparked more than a few understandably skeptical comments. For a few weeks after, some casual internet snooping revealed a spreading sentiment that SPELLWRIGHT is being hyped.
Hype is a frightening four letter word. I don’t think there’s anything more dangerous to a newborn author than hype. To be hyped feels both slightly nauseating and slightly exhilarating—a bit like having three cups of coffee too many. I’m deeply grateful for the wonderful blurbs from other authors; however, I write for readers and their opinion is the definitive metric of success. For that reason, I was (and still am) anxiously awaiting reviews from readers. The first one came back before World Fantasy and I didn’t have time to write about it here.
Robert Thompson gave SPELLWRIGHT a very thoughtful review, sometimes lending great praise sometimes taking it to the cleaners. His overall assessment “one of the most entertaining and satisfying fantasy debuts I have ever read” is deeply gratifying, and I believe that the tough criticism should satisfy those skeptical about the ‘hype.’
As every author must, I’m promoting the book as well worth your cash and time, if not The Best Thing Ever. To that end, I’ll post the most positive excerpts of the review below, but I encourage anyone curious to check out the full review.
The magic system in SPELLWRIGHT is simply brilliant [and] SPELLWRIGHT is incredibly charming. So charming in fact, that it sometimes felt like I was reading a Harry Potter novel, although comparisons can also be drawn to Patrick Rothfuss, Tad Williams, and Raymond E. Feist…SPELLWRIGHT is infused with Blake’s passion for the novel and his enthusiasm for the genre … a passion and enthusiasm that will rub off on the reader…[Blake takes] the book in several unexpected directions, which included some nice surprises and at least one shocking turn of events. [In conclusion SPELLWRIGHT is] one of the most entertaining and satisfying fantasy debuts I have ever read…I enjoyed reading SPELLWRIGHT so much, I worry about the sequel living up to the high standards set by Blake Charlton’s remarkable debut…
-FantasyLiterature.com
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