Action Epics Depend on Character

Kay Kenyon is interviewed on the website Infinity Plus about her new novel, Bright of the Sky, the first book in The Entire and the Rose quartet. In the interview, conducted by Karen D. Fishler, Kay talks about the challenges of writing big epic fiction, as well as the connective tissue that holds it all together:

“Reviewers have been calling the world-building in this book things like ‘unique,’ and ‘groundbreaking.’ I’m glad it’s making an impact, but the story’s heart is really Titus Quinn and his odyssey to reclaim his family. Family is a complicated thing for Quinn. His is shaped not only by love and loyalty but betrayal and transience. So the internal through line is whether he finds love and whether, amid the large scale forces, it still matters. The external one is which world will dominate and at what cost.”

Infinity Plus has also put up a text extract from the novel, online here.

Meanwhile, Pat’s Fantasy Hotlist celebrates their 100th review with a stellar report on Joel Shepherd’s Breakaway: A Cassandra Kresnov Novel. As Patrick says:

“As was the case with its predecessor, Breakaway is a character-driven book. Shepherd deserves kudos for the manner with which he continues to portray her [Cassandra’s] moral awakening. The supporting cast is also a lot stronger in this sequel, promising a lot of things to come in the last volume of the trilogy. At times a political thriller and at times an action-packed scifi yarn, Breakaway makes for a very satisfying read…. The Pyr logo continues to be associated with quality reads.”