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Unsheathed #27 - Book reviews, with special guests Rikoshi and Not Tube!
With K.M. Hirosaki unavailable, Kyell chats about "The Seventh Chakra" with author Rikoshi, who returns the favor by talking about "Shadow of the Father." Not Tube provides valuable support for both interviews.
Unsheathed #27 - Book reviews, with special guests Rikoshi and Not Tube!
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 82 - February... Oh No!
This week on KnotCast, it's February... oh no!
It's an open topic week, and when we say open we mean OPEN. We cover topics like FC2010, low self esteem, share a tale of creepy stalkers from both Fuzz and a writer, and get to clarify some things regarding our statements about the Masons.
All this and more on episode 82 of KnotCast!
This weeks music break is "I feel fantastic!" by Jonathan Coulton
http://www.jonathancoulton.com/
Use our coupon code "knot" at checkout and get a great deal from Adam&Eve!
AdamEve.com
Episode 82 - February... Oh No!
Categories: Podcasts
Shadow of the Father Review
Well, it's later than I really hoped, but it's still the first review up on 
furrybookreview.
Kyell's new book, Shadow of the Father, released this January at Further Confusion. Fans of Kyell have been following production for quite some time, starting with daily updated word counts on
kyellgold's livejournal during initial writing phases, and some bonus content in the form of journal entries written from the perspective of yilon, the main character. There's also been a pre-release review posted on Weasel Wordsmith by jakebe.
At this point, there's quite a bit of back story established in modern Argaea, to say nothing of the historical events alluded to in the various novels and short stories. Jakabe felt in his review that Shadow is still a good entry point even if you aren't familiar with the history of Argaea, told in the novels Volle, Pendant of Fortune, Prisoner's Release and Other Stories as well as a few other short stories scattered here and there. I somewhat disagree. While you wouldn't by any means be lost in the book if you haven't read any previous work, the characters would make less sense. At minimum, I would recommend at least reading Pendant of Fortune and Yilon's journal before picking up this book.
Shadow starts up right away with Yilon, second son of Volle being named as successor to lordship of the country of Dewanne, and establishing Yilon's intimate relationship with Sinchon, a mouse, which sets up a wide range of conflict over the course of the book. As an aside, although the two characters are technically 'of age', that equates to roughly 16, which makes the few sex scenes ever so slightly uncomfortable to this aging reader. I hope no one calls the pedobear on me. In all fairness, the sex scenes are not written for the titillation of the reader, but to illustrate the relationship between the two characters.
The various tensions caused by Yilon's relationship with Sinch are mostly underplayed, subservient to the main plot of the book, something which could be described as a rip-roaring adventure yarn--At least those would be the word's you'd use to write a cliche back cover blurb for young-adult novels. While a tad too explicit to truly qualify for the young-adult stamp, in plot and structure, this really is a classic bildungsroman, a coming of age story wrapped around an adventure in a foreign land. The basic outline is that Yilon makes a few mistakes in the beginning due to inexperience, rashness, and impetuousness, i.e. youth, and spends the rest of the book learning why what he did was a mistake and trying to fix it.
The book is quite a departure from Kyell's other novels in that it has a much more active plot, and between Yilon's story arc and Sinch's story arc there is much less room for the characters to examine their motivations, to develop and grow organically over the course of the book as in previous books. The time frame of the narrative is so compressed that this sort of slow build and change is just not possible. I think that's part of why having the background from the previous Argaea novels and short stories is that much more vital to this book. Yilon is very much his father's son, and it holds up better if the reader knows it.
Overall, it's a very excellent book. The return to Argaea with a new generation revitalizes the setting for me, even as Volle's brief appearance cements in my mind that his narrative arc is coming to a close. I've read the book twice already, and I'll likely read it again in the coming months.
That said however, as a reviewer, I do feel I need to bring up a few points I had issue with. While this book has action and adventure, it feels a little bit like the rough edges have been trimmed up, the points filed off, the sharp corners sanded down. It's a bit like a roller coaster, which may have a thrilling design, but never puts you in genuine peril. The language of danger in this book is somewhat toned down. For those familiar with film terminology, the Foley effects are missing. Missing is the dull twock of an arrow hitting a body, the almost inaudible drip of blood from a wound falling into a puddle. It's almost PG-13. This comes from a couple different places, partially from the tropes of the coming of age novel, partially from the balance Kyell struck between plot advancement and character development, but it is also put into sharp relief by the contrast between Shadow of the Father and Seventh Chakra, which I reviewed earlier.
Both books are good in their own way, but they have a number of similar plot points, which invite rather direct comparison. Reading the two back to back (literally, as I sat on airplanes and in airports on the way home from FC) one can't help but make comparisons between the two. It was after I started re-reading Shadow that I was able to articulate why Chakra resonated with me more. This part has little to do with the quality of the book itself, but rather my own reactions as a reader. I pointed out a couple times already that Shadow is very much about young characters, as well as using some tropes common in fiction for young-adults, and I have premature old-man syndrome--I'm crotchety, cynical, and want you to get off my lawn. That makes it only natural that I wind up gravitating more toward the gritty and hard-boiled adventure.
In truth, none of the issues I had with the book can honestly be called faults of the book so much as a difference between myself and the intended audience. It certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story as the pages flew beneath my fingers. This is definitely another solid piece from Kyell, the superhero. I seriously don't know how he manages to get all of this done and still have time for half the stuff he does in the fandom, much less having an actual job, too. If you weren't able to be at FC to pick it up in person, I highly recommend ordering it, or picking it up at first available opportunity.
furrybookreview.Kyell's new book, Shadow of the Father, released this January at Further Confusion. Fans of Kyell have been following production for quite some time, starting with daily updated word counts on
kyellgold's livejournal during initial writing phases, and some bonus content in the form of journal entries written from the perspective of yilon, the main character. There's also been a pre-release review posted on Weasel Wordsmith by jakebe. At this point, there's quite a bit of back story established in modern Argaea, to say nothing of the historical events alluded to in the various novels and short stories. Jakabe felt in his review that Shadow is still a good entry point even if you aren't familiar with the history of Argaea, told in the novels Volle, Pendant of Fortune, Prisoner's Release and Other Stories as well as a few other short stories scattered here and there. I somewhat disagree. While you wouldn't by any means be lost in the book if you haven't read any previous work, the characters would make less sense. At minimum, I would recommend at least reading Pendant of Fortune and Yilon's journal before picking up this book.
Shadow starts up right away with Yilon, second son of Volle being named as successor to lordship of the country of Dewanne, and establishing Yilon's intimate relationship with Sinchon, a mouse, which sets up a wide range of conflict over the course of the book. As an aside, although the two characters are technically 'of age', that equates to roughly 16, which makes the few sex scenes ever so slightly uncomfortable to this aging reader. I hope no one calls the pedobear on me. In all fairness, the sex scenes are not written for the titillation of the reader, but to illustrate the relationship between the two characters.
The various tensions caused by Yilon's relationship with Sinch are mostly underplayed, subservient to the main plot of the book, something which could be described as a rip-roaring adventure yarn--At least those would be the word's you'd use to write a cliche back cover blurb for young-adult novels. While a tad too explicit to truly qualify for the young-adult stamp, in plot and structure, this really is a classic bildungsroman, a coming of age story wrapped around an adventure in a foreign land. The basic outline is that Yilon makes a few mistakes in the beginning due to inexperience, rashness, and impetuousness, i.e. youth, and spends the rest of the book learning why what he did was a mistake and trying to fix it.
The book is quite a departure from Kyell's other novels in that it has a much more active plot, and between Yilon's story arc and Sinch's story arc there is much less room for the characters to examine their motivations, to develop and grow organically over the course of the book as in previous books. The time frame of the narrative is so compressed that this sort of slow build and change is just not possible. I think that's part of why having the background from the previous Argaea novels and short stories is that much more vital to this book. Yilon is very much his father's son, and it holds up better if the reader knows it.
Overall, it's a very excellent book. The return to Argaea with a new generation revitalizes the setting for me, even as Volle's brief appearance cements in my mind that his narrative arc is coming to a close. I've read the book twice already, and I'll likely read it again in the coming months.
That said however, as a reviewer, I do feel I need to bring up a few points I had issue with. While this book has action and adventure, it feels a little bit like the rough edges have been trimmed up, the points filed off, the sharp corners sanded down. It's a bit like a roller coaster, which may have a thrilling design, but never puts you in genuine peril. The language of danger in this book is somewhat toned down. For those familiar with film terminology, the Foley effects are missing. Missing is the dull twock of an arrow hitting a body, the almost inaudible drip of blood from a wound falling into a puddle. It's almost PG-13. This comes from a couple different places, partially from the tropes of the coming of age novel, partially from the balance Kyell struck between plot advancement and character development, but it is also put into sharp relief by the contrast between Shadow of the Father and Seventh Chakra, which I reviewed earlier.
Both books are good in their own way, but they have a number of similar plot points, which invite rather direct comparison. Reading the two back to back (literally, as I sat on airplanes and in airports on the way home from FC) one can't help but make comparisons between the two. It was after I started re-reading Shadow that I was able to articulate why Chakra resonated with me more. This part has little to do with the quality of the book itself, but rather my own reactions as a reader. I pointed out a couple times already that Shadow is very much about young characters, as well as using some tropes common in fiction for young-adults, and I have premature old-man syndrome--I'm crotchety, cynical, and want you to get off my lawn. That makes it only natural that I wind up gravitating more toward the gritty and hard-boiled adventure.
In truth, none of the issues I had with the book can honestly be called faults of the book so much as a difference between myself and the intended audience. It certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story as the pages flew beneath my fingers. This is definitely another solid piece from Kyell, the superhero. I seriously don't know how he manages to get all of this done and still have time for half the stuff he does in the fandom, much less having an actual job, too. If you weren't able to be at FC to pick it up in person, I highly recommend ordering it, or picking it up at first available opportunity.
Shadow of the Father Review
Well, it's later than I really hoped, but it's still the first review up on 
furrybookreview.
Kyell's new book, Shadow of the Father, released this January at Further Confusion. Fans of Kyell have been following production for quite some time, starting with daily updated word counts on
kyellgold's livejournal during initial writing phases, and some bonus content in the form of journal entries written from the perspective of yilon, the main character. There's also been a pre-release review posted on Weasel Wordsmith by jakebe.
At this point, there's quite a bit of back story established in modern Argaea, to say nothing of the historical events alluded to in the various novels and short stories. Jakabe felt in his review that Shadow is still a good entry point even if you aren't familiar with the history of Argaea, told in the novels Volle, Pendant of Fortune, Prisoner's Release and Other Stories as well as a few other short stories scattered here and there. I somewhat disagree. While you wouldn't by any means be lost in the book if you haven't read any previous work, the characters would make less sense. At minimum, I would recommend at least reading Pendant of Fortune and Yilon's journal before picking up this book.
Shadow starts up right away with Yilon, second son of Volle being named as successor to lordship of the country of Dewanne, and establishing Yilon's intimate relationship with Sinchon, a mouse, which sets up a wide range of conflict over the course of the book. As an aside, although the two characters are technically 'of age', that equates to roughly 16, which makes the few sex scenes ever so slightly uncomfortable to this aging reader. I hope no one calls the pedobear on me. In all fairness, the sex scenes are not written for the titillation of the reader, but to illustrate the relationship between the two characters.
The various tensions caused by Yilon's relationship with Sinch are mostly underplayed, subservient to the main plot of the book, something which could be described as a rip-roaring adventure yarn--At least those would be the word's you'd use to write a cliche back cover blurb for young-adult novels. While a tad too explicit to truly qualify for the young-adult stamp, in plot and structure, this really is a classic bildungsroman, a coming of age story wrapped around an adventure in a foreign land. The basic outline is that Yilon makes a few mistakes in the beginning due to inexperience, rashness, and impetuousness, i.e. youth, and spends the rest of the book learning why what he did was a mistake and trying to fix it.
The book is quite a departure from Kyell's other novels in that it has a much more active plot, and between Yilon's story arc and Sinch's story arc there is much less room for the characters to examine their motivations, to develop and grow organically over the course of the book as in previous books. The time frame of the narrative is so compressed that this sort of slow build and change is just not possible. I think that's part of why having the background from the previous Argaea novels and short stories is that much more vital to this book. Yilon is very much his father's son, and it holds up better if the reader knows it.
Overall, it's a very excellent book. The return to Argaea with a new generation revitalizes the setting for me, even as Volle's brief appearance cements in my mind that his narrative arc is coming to a close. I've read the book twice already, and I'll likely read it again in the coming months.
That said however, as a reviewer, I do feel I need to bring up a few points I had issue with. While this book has action and adventure, it feels a little bit like the rough edges have been trimmed up, the points filed off, the sharp corners sanded down. It's a bit like a roller coaster, which may have a thrilling design, but never puts you in genuine peril. The language of danger in this book is somewhat toned down. For those familiar with film terminology, the Foley effects are missing. Missing is the dull twock of an arrow hitting a body, the almost inaudible drip of blood from a wound falling into a puddle. It's almost PG-13. This comes from a couple different places, partially from the tropes of the coming of age novel, partially from the balance Kyell struck between plot advancement and character development, but it is also put into sharp relief by the contrast between Shadow of the Father and Seventh Chakra, which I reviewed earlier.
Both books are good in their own way, but they have a number of similar plot points, which invite rather direct comparison. Reading the two back to back (literally, as I sat on airplanes and in airports on the way home from FC) one can't help but make comparisons between the two. It was after I started re-reading Shadow that I was able to articulate why Chakra resonated with me more. This part has little to do with the quality of the book itself, but rather my own reactions as a reader. I pointed out a couple times already that Shadow is very much about young characters, as well as using some tropes common in fiction for young-adults, and I have premature old-man syndrome--I'm crotchety, cynical, and want you to get off my lawn. That makes it only natural that I wind up gravitating more toward the gritty and hard-boiled adventure.
In truth, none of the issues I had with the book can honestly be called faults of the book so much as a difference between myself and the intended audience. It certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story as the pages flew beneath my fingers. This is definitely another solid piece from Kyell, the superhero. I seriously don't know how he manages to get all of this done and still have time for half the stuff he does in the fandom, much less having an actual job, too. If you weren't able to be at FC to pick it up in person, I highly recommend ordering it, or picking it up at first available opportunity.
furrybookreview.Kyell's new book, Shadow of the Father, released this January at Further Confusion. Fans of Kyell have been following production for quite some time, starting with daily updated word counts on
kyellgold's livejournal during initial writing phases, and some bonus content in the form of journal entries written from the perspective of yilon, the main character. There's also been a pre-release review posted on Weasel Wordsmith by jakebe. At this point, there's quite a bit of back story established in modern Argaea, to say nothing of the historical events alluded to in the various novels and short stories. Jakabe felt in his review that Shadow is still a good entry point even if you aren't familiar with the history of Argaea, told in the novels Volle, Pendant of Fortune, Prisoner's Release and Other Stories as well as a few other short stories scattered here and there. I somewhat disagree. While you wouldn't by any means be lost in the book if you haven't read any previous work, the characters would make less sense. At minimum, I would recommend at least reading Pendant of Fortune and Yilon's journal before picking up this book.
Shadow starts up right away with Yilon, second son of Volle being named as successor to lordship of the country of Dewanne, and establishing Yilon's intimate relationship with Sinchon, a mouse, which sets up a wide range of conflict over the course of the book. As an aside, although the two characters are technically 'of age', that equates to roughly 16, which makes the few sex scenes ever so slightly uncomfortable to this aging reader. I hope no one calls the pedobear on me. In all fairness, the sex scenes are not written for the titillation of the reader, but to illustrate the relationship between the two characters.
The various tensions caused by Yilon's relationship with Sinch are mostly underplayed, subservient to the main plot of the book, something which could be described as a rip-roaring adventure yarn--At least those would be the word's you'd use to write a cliche back cover blurb for young-adult novels. While a tad too explicit to truly qualify for the young-adult stamp, in plot and structure, this really is a classic bildungsroman, a coming of age story wrapped around an adventure in a foreign land. The basic outline is that Yilon makes a few mistakes in the beginning due to inexperience, rashness, and impetuousness, i.e. youth, and spends the rest of the book learning why what he did was a mistake and trying to fix it.
The book is quite a departure from Kyell's other novels in that it has a much more active plot, and between Yilon's story arc and Sinch's story arc there is much less room for the characters to examine their motivations, to develop and grow organically over the course of the book as in previous books. The time frame of the narrative is so compressed that this sort of slow build and change is just not possible. I think that's part of why having the background from the previous Argaea novels and short stories is that much more vital to this book. Yilon is very much his father's son, and it holds up better if the reader knows it.
Overall, it's a very excellent book. The return to Argaea with a new generation revitalizes the setting for me, even as Volle's brief appearance cements in my mind that his narrative arc is coming to a close. I've read the book twice already, and I'll likely read it again in the coming months.
That said however, as a reviewer, I do feel I need to bring up a few points I had issue with. While this book has action and adventure, it feels a little bit like the rough edges have been trimmed up, the points filed off, the sharp corners sanded down. It's a bit like a roller coaster, which may have a thrilling design, but never puts you in genuine peril. The language of danger in this book is somewhat toned down. For those familiar with film terminology, the Foley effects are missing. Missing is the dull twock of an arrow hitting a body, the almost inaudible drip of blood from a wound falling into a puddle. It's almost PG-13. This comes from a couple different places, partially from the tropes of the coming of age novel, partially from the balance Kyell struck between plot advancement and character development, but it is also put into sharp relief by the contrast between Shadow of the Father and Seventh Chakra, which I reviewed earlier.
Both books are good in their own way, but they have a number of similar plot points, which invite rather direct comparison. Reading the two back to back (literally, as I sat on airplanes and in airports on the way home from FC) one can't help but make comparisons between the two. It was after I started re-reading Shadow that I was able to articulate why Chakra resonated with me more. This part has little to do with the quality of the book itself, but rather my own reactions as a reader. I pointed out a couple times already that Shadow is very much about young characters, as well as using some tropes common in fiction for young-adults, and I have premature old-man syndrome--I'm crotchety, cynical, and want you to get off my lawn. That makes it only natural that I wind up gravitating more toward the gritty and hard-boiled adventure.
In truth, none of the issues I had with the book can honestly be called faults of the book so much as a difference between myself and the intended audience. It certainly didn't detract from my enjoyment of the story as the pages flew beneath my fingers. This is definitely another solid piece from Kyell, the superhero. I seriously don't know how he manages to get all of this done and still have time for half the stuff he does in the fandom, much less having an actual job, too. If you weren't able to be at FC to pick it up in person, I highly recommend ordering it, or picking it up at first available opportunity.
Talking Film - The Princess and the Frog
Talking Film reviews the latest Disney animated feature The Princess and the Frog©2010 Tanuke Media Talking Film - The Princess and the Frog
Categories: Podcasts
Unsheathed #26 - We review FurCon, preview Furry Fiesta, talk about hybrids, motivation, and foxspeak!
We look back on a fun Further Confusion, including new books coming out, look forward to Furry Fiesta, including new books coming out, and answer questions on hybrids, keeping your motivation (and other things) up, and how to talk about blow jobs in front of your parents.
Unsheathed #26 - We review FurCon, preview Furry Fiesta, talk about hybrids, motivation, and foxspeak!
Categories: Podcasts
Tales of the Fur Side
Yes, I went to the fur side… and I liked it.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I highly suggest you check out Vixyy Fox's latest book, Tales of the Fur Side.
www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/tales-of-the-fur-side/5484498
It is a wonderful collection of short stories and poems by Vixyy, with beautiful artwork from one of the fandom’s most popular artists, Dark Natasha. I was extremely excited to hear that ANTHRO made this collection available once again, and I made sure to snatch it up as soon as I could. And after reading it, I can’t wait for Vixyy’s next book to come out.
Before I start off this review, I must say that I consider Vixyy a friend and a colleague, but I also really enjoy her writing. Her stories have so much variety to them, and she has a remarkable ability to create lovable characters that make it easy for the reader to loss themselves in the vivid worlds she crafts. Part of what makes Tales of the Fur Side such a delight is Vixyy’s unique style of storytelling, which has all the ingredients needed to make reading a joy. It has a bit of comedy, a hint of tenderness, a pinch of suspense, and just the right amount of sensuality as only Vixyy can do.
My personal favorite from this collection is Puppy Love, the charming tale about a dog who thinks he’s a cat in a canine body. Everything about this story is fantastic, but there were so many other wonderful pieces in this book, including Toth(a story about Anubis’ son, the god of language), The Quiet One(a piece that deals with a touching reunion set in the backdrop of American Indian culture), Anuee of the Plains(the tale of a huntress who must bear enormous responsibility when tragedy befalls her tribe), and the beautiful poems Inter-Species and(my absolute favorite) Vixyy.
Plus, Vixyy manages to come up with one of the coolest ideas for a prologue I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It really sets up the entire premise of the book in a brilliant way, and it makes the stories easily accessible to people both inside and outside the fandom. I don’t want to spoil it though, so make sure you head on over to lulu.com, and be sure to pick up your copy of Tales of the Fur Side. You won’t be disappointed.
Tales of the Fur Side
Yes, I went to the fur side… and I liked it.
If you don’t know what I’m talking about, I highly suggest you check out Vixyy Fox's latest book, Tales of the Fur Side.
www.lulu.com/content/paperback-book/tales-of-the-fur-side/5484498
It is a wonderful collection of short stories and poems by Vixyy, with beautiful artwork from one of the fandom’s most popular artists, Dark Natasha. I was extremely excited to hear that ANTHRO made this collection available once again, and I made sure to snatch it up as soon as I could. And after reading it, I can’t wait for Vixyy’s next book to come out.
Before I start off this review, I must say that I consider Vixyy a friend and a colleague, but I also really enjoy her writing. Her stories have so much variety to them, and she has a remarkable ability to create lovable characters that make it easy for the reader to loss themselves in the vivid worlds she crafts. Part of what makes Tales of the Fur Side such a delight is Vixyy’s unique style of storytelling, which has all the ingredients needed to make reading a joy. It has a bit of comedy, a hint of tenderness, a pinch of suspense, and just the right amount of sensuality as only Vixyy can do.
My personal favorite from this collection is Puppy Love, the charming tale about a dog who thinks he’s a cat in a canine body. Everything about this story is fantastic, but there were so many other wonderful pieces in this book, including Toth(a story about Anubis’ son, the god of language), The Quiet One(a piece that deals with a touching reunion set in the backdrop of American Indian culture), Anuee of the Plains(the tale of a huntress who must bear enormous responsibility when tragedy befalls her tribe), and the beautiful poems Inter-Species and(my absolute favorite) Vixyy.
Plus, Vixyy manages to come up with one of the coolest ideas for a prologue I’ve ever had the pleasure of reading. It really sets up the entire premise of the book in a brilliant way, and it makes the stories easily accessible to people both inside and outside the fandom. I don’t want to spoil it though, so make sure you head on over to lulu.com, and be sure to pick up your copy of Tales of the Fur Side. You won’t be disappointed.
Seventh Chakra Book Review
Well, having come back from Fur Con with several hot new properties in my paws, it's time to start the cavalcade of reviews. I'm starting with Kevin Frane's new book The Seventh Chakra.
Simply put, if you read nothing else of the review: Is this book good? Yes. Were this not a text only medium, I could put the proper inflection on that simple 'yes.' As it is, I will have to dig into my bag of allusions to describe it. Try as I might, I can't get the phrase 'yes like a panting otter-slut would say it' out of my head. While that might be slightly misleading, as there's not any actual sex in this book, does have a wicked seductiveness, pulling you into this well thought out melange of intrigue, violence, and uncertainty. This is a book which will grab you by the lapels, and it is not subtle in interacting with the reader.
Set in the same universe as Frane's first novel, Thousand Leaves, The Seventh Chakra is very much an intense thriller. It's quite a sharp contrast in plot to Frane's debut novel, with a story very contained narrative of the main character, a weasel named Arkady Ryswife. I suspect that many of the readers of my review have been following along much of the pre-release publicity and teases directly fromrikoshi and perhaps even the pre-release review from Weasel Wordsmith, which lets me talk a bit more about the story without delving into spoiler territory.
Even before getting into the book itself, the presentation and production itself is amazing. The cover, by Kamui, is beautiful as always, and the text is as (if not moreso) gorgeous and readable as anything I've ever held from a furry publisher. This is lovely, and rather necessary as the story really compels the reader to continue on, always just one more page to find out what happens. It's a very difficult book to put down.
The story itself, as I already alluded to, is very linear. It is an action story in the vein of James Bond or Jason Bourne, full of intrigue, secrets, gunfire. The one cliche of the genre that is missing is the love interest. While that may run counter to the prevailing tropes of furry fiction, the story is compressed into such a brief time period that shoehorning a relationship, or even a dalliance into this plot would have been thoroughly out of place. Without going into deep spoilers, the plot of the book follows a spy team for a religious organization, the Iolite league. The missions, as predictable in any thriller, go various levels of awry.
As mentioned, the plot follows Arkady's experience exclusively, though it is heavily intertwined with his team mates, Il-Hyeong Quinn, the swift fox on the cover, and Ming-Jun Devra, a rabbit. I'm not putting in a cut tag for spoilers, as I really don't want to go too far into the story itself. Everything builds on itself to such a great degree that most of the interesting bits, even from the middle, reveal a lot of the early surprises and twists. There are a few general things to share though, such as the stakes are always extremely high. Once you get past the first third of the book, there are really no breaks in the rising tension. Even in the parts that are not ostensibly action scenes, there are other concerns, shifting and somewhat nebulous, that don't really allow for a break for the reader. The climax of the book is a suitably epic payoff, though honestly by that point in the story it really doesn't actually surprise.
Honestly, if there is any criticism I have for the story, and I suppose I must, it's that once you get to a certain point in the story, it loses it's real surprise factor and becomes a inexorable march toward the final showdown. The showdown itself is tense and well written, but really contains little in the way of surprise. Another point of minor issue is the plot points dealing with language. It takes a bit of mental gymnastics to reach a state where you can believe that these characters have no knowledge of that which is second nature to a current day reader. Save for the furry characters, and a bit of fancy bio-engineering, there is little to set this setting apart from contemporary life. Thus, what to me is an obvious failure of even the most basic etymology may make sense in the context of a future in which the need for such a study has seemingly abated. (I hope this sentence makes sense to those who have read it, but not those who have yet to have the pleasure.)
One thing that I criticized in Frane's first book that is improved here is the denouement. The closing chapters of the book very neatly package the character of Arkady. It's a very satisfying ultimate conclusion, and while it doesn't lead directly into Thousand Leaves, it does set up the character for his role in the later book.
I did want to recommend reading this book twice. I read it twice, and spend the first half of the book making connections and asking myself questions, generally going 'oh shit' as my mind put two and two together. Furthermore, I'd recommend picking up Roar volume 1 so you can read A Song for Pandora, though I don't recommend reading (or re-reading) it until you've made your way through this book.
Also, I've apparently been scooped by Lovejoy the Liquor Fairy, who just earlier today broke the news that Frane's next novel will be detailing the Butterfly Island War, an event which significantly shaped the geo-political scene that underlies The Seventh Chakra and, to a lesser extent, Thousand Leaves. Although I didn't have any inside scoop or information, going by extrapolation, that was a very obvious choice for a next novel. From the references in this book, that's a very rich storytelling vein to mine.
I'd be more than happy to have a much more in depth conversation about the book privately, but for an initial review this soon after release, I've felt rather obligated to keep as much plot as possible out of the review to keep the sense of discovery fresh. It's a very good book, and I highly recommend picking it up first chance you get if you like anthropomorphic literature on any level.
Simply put, if you read nothing else of the review: Is this book good? Yes. Were this not a text only medium, I could put the proper inflection on that simple 'yes.' As it is, I will have to dig into my bag of allusions to describe it. Try as I might, I can't get the phrase 'yes like a panting otter-slut would say it' out of my head. While that might be slightly misleading, as there's not any actual sex in this book, does have a wicked seductiveness, pulling you into this well thought out melange of intrigue, violence, and uncertainty. This is a book which will grab you by the lapels, and it is not subtle in interacting with the reader.
Set in the same universe as Frane's first novel, Thousand Leaves, The Seventh Chakra is very much an intense thriller. It's quite a sharp contrast in plot to Frane's debut novel, with a story very contained narrative of the main character, a weasel named Arkady Ryswife. I suspect that many of the readers of my review have been following along much of the pre-release publicity and teases directly from
rikoshi and perhaps even the pre-release review from Weasel Wordsmith, which lets me talk a bit more about the story without delving into spoiler territory. Even before getting into the book itself, the presentation and production itself is amazing. The cover, by Kamui, is beautiful as always, and the text is as (if not moreso) gorgeous and readable as anything I've ever held from a furry publisher. This is lovely, and rather necessary as the story really compels the reader to continue on, always just one more page to find out what happens. It's a very difficult book to put down.
The story itself, as I already alluded to, is very linear. It is an action story in the vein of James Bond or Jason Bourne, full of intrigue, secrets, gunfire. The one cliche of the genre that is missing is the love interest. While that may run counter to the prevailing tropes of furry fiction, the story is compressed into such a brief time period that shoehorning a relationship, or even a dalliance into this plot would have been thoroughly out of place. Without going into deep spoilers, the plot of the book follows a spy team for a religious organization, the Iolite league. The missions, as predictable in any thriller, go various levels of awry.
As mentioned, the plot follows Arkady's experience exclusively, though it is heavily intertwined with his team mates, Il-Hyeong Quinn, the swift fox on the cover, and Ming-Jun Devra, a rabbit. I'm not putting in a cut tag for spoilers, as I really don't want to go too far into the story itself. Everything builds on itself to such a great degree that most of the interesting bits, even from the middle, reveal a lot of the early surprises and twists. There are a few general things to share though, such as the stakes are always extremely high. Once you get past the first third of the book, there are really no breaks in the rising tension. Even in the parts that are not ostensibly action scenes, there are other concerns, shifting and somewhat nebulous, that don't really allow for a break for the reader. The climax of the book is a suitably epic payoff, though honestly by that point in the story it really doesn't actually surprise.
Honestly, if there is any criticism I have for the story, and I suppose I must, it's that once you get to a certain point in the story, it loses it's real surprise factor and becomes a inexorable march toward the final showdown. The showdown itself is tense and well written, but really contains little in the way of surprise. Another point of minor issue is the plot points dealing with language. It takes a bit of mental gymnastics to reach a state where you can believe that these characters have no knowledge of that which is second nature to a current day reader. Save for the furry characters, and a bit of fancy bio-engineering, there is little to set this setting apart from contemporary life. Thus, what to me is an obvious failure of even the most basic etymology may make sense in the context of a future in which the need for such a study has seemingly abated. (I hope this sentence makes sense to those who have read it, but not those who have yet to have the pleasure.)
One thing that I criticized in Frane's first book that is improved here is the denouement. The closing chapters of the book very neatly package the character of Arkady. It's a very satisfying ultimate conclusion, and while it doesn't lead directly into Thousand Leaves, it does set up the character for his role in the later book.
I did want to recommend reading this book twice. I read it twice, and spend the first half of the book making connections and asking myself questions, generally going 'oh shit' as my mind put two and two together. Furthermore, I'd recommend picking up Roar volume 1 so you can read A Song for Pandora, though I don't recommend reading (or re-reading) it until you've made your way through this book.
Also, I've apparently been scooped by Lovejoy the Liquor Fairy, who just earlier today broke the news that Frane's next novel will be detailing the Butterfly Island War, an event which significantly shaped the geo-political scene that underlies The Seventh Chakra and, to a lesser extent, Thousand Leaves. Although I didn't have any inside scoop or information, going by extrapolation, that was a very obvious choice for a next novel. From the references in this book, that's a very rich storytelling vein to mine.
I'd be more than happy to have a much more in depth conversation about the book privately, but for an initial review this soon after release, I've felt rather obligated to keep as much plot as possible out of the review to keep the sense of discovery fresh. It's a very good book, and I highly recommend picking it up first chance you get if you like anthropomorphic literature on any level.
Seventh Chakra Book Review
Well, having come back from Fur Con with several hot new properties in my paws, it's time to start the cavalcade of reviews. I'm starting with Kevin Frane's new book The Seventh Chakra.
Simply put, if you read nothing else of the review: Is this book good? Yes. Were this not a text only medium, I could put the proper inflection on that simple 'yes.' As it is, I will have to dig into my bag of allusions to describe it. Try as I might, I can't get the phrase 'yes like a panting otter-slut would say it' out of my head. While that might be slightly misleading, as there's not any actual sex in this book, does have a wicked seductiveness, pulling you into this well thought out melange of intrigue, violence, and uncertainty. This is a book which will grab you by the lapels, and it is not subtle in interacting with the reader.
Set in the same universe as Frane's first novel, Thousand Leaves, The Seventh Chakra is very much an intense thriller. It's quite a sharp contrast in plot to Frane's debut novel, with a story very contained narrative of the main character, a weasel named Arkady Ryswife. I suspect that many of the readers of my review have been following along much of the pre-release publicity and teases directly fromrikoshi and perhaps even the pre-release review from Weasel Wordsmith, which lets me talk a bit more about the story without delving into spoiler territory.
Even before getting into the book itself, the presentation and production itself is amazing. The cover, by Kamui, is beautiful as always, and the text is as (if not moreso) gorgeous and readable as anything I've ever held from a furry publisher. This is lovely, and rather necessary as the story really compels the reader to continue on, always just one more page to find out what happens. It's a very difficult book to put down.
The story itself, as I already alluded to, is very linear. It is an action story in the vein of James Bond or Jason Bourne, full of intrigue, secrets, gunfire. The one cliche of the genre that is missing is the love interest. While that may run counter to the prevailing tropes of furry fiction, the story is compressed into such a brief time period that shoehorning a relationship, or even a dalliance into this plot would have been thoroughly out of place. Without going into deep spoilers, the plot of the book follows a spy team for a religious organization, the Iolite league. The missions, as predictable in any thriller, go various levels of awry.
As mentioned, the plot follows Arkady's experience exclusively, though it is heavily intertwined with his team mates, Il-Hyeong Quinn, the swift fox on the cover, and Ming-Jun Devra, a rabbit. I'm not putting in a cut tag for spoilers, as I really don't want to go too far into the story itself. Everything builds on itself to such a great degree that most of the interesting bits, even from the middle, reveal a lot of the early surprises and twists. There are a few general things to share though, such as the stakes are always extremely high. Once you get past the first third of the book, there are really no breaks in the rising tension. Even in the parts that are not ostensibly action scenes, there are other concerns, shifting and somewhat nebulous, that don't really allow for a break for the reader. The climax of the book is a suitably epic payoff, though honestly by that point in the story it really doesn't actually surprise.
Honestly, if there is any criticism I have for the story, and I suppose I must, it's that once you get to a certain point in the story, it loses it's real surprise factor and becomes a inexorable march toward the final showdown. The showdown itself is tense and well written, but really contains little in the way of surprise. Another point of minor issue is the plot points dealing with language. It takes a bit of mental gymnastics to reach a state where you can believe that these characters have no knowledge of that which is second nature to a current day reader. Save for the furry characters, and a bit of fancy bio-engineering, there is little to set this setting apart from contemporary life. Thus, what to me is an obvious failure of even the most basic etymology may make sense in the context of a future in which the need for such a study has seemingly abated. (I hope this sentence makes sense to those who have read it, but not those who have yet to have the pleasure.)
One thing that I criticized in Frane's first book that is improved here is the denouement. The closing chapters of the book very neatly package the character of Arkady. It's a very satisfying ultimate conclusion, and while it doesn't lead directly into Thousand Leaves, it does set up the character for his role in the later book.
I did want to recommend reading this book twice. I read it twice, and spend the first half of the book making connections and asking myself questions, generally going 'oh shit' as my mind put two and two together. Furthermore, I'd recommend picking up Roar volume 1 so you can read A Song for Pandora, though I don't recommend reading (or re-reading) it until you've made your way through this book.
Also, I've apparently been scooped by Lovejoy the Liquor Fairy, who just earlier today broke the news that Frane's next novel will be detailing the Butterfly Island War, an event which significantly shaped the geo-political scene that underlies The Seventh Chakra and, to a lesser extent, Thousand Leaves. Although I didn't have any inside scoop or information, going by extrapolation, that was a very obvious choice for a next novel. From the references in this book, that's a very rich storytelling vein to mine.
I'd be more than happy to have a much more in depth conversation about the book privately, but for an initial review this soon after release, I've felt rather obligated to keep as much plot as possible out of the review to keep the sense of discovery fresh. It's a very good book, and I highly recommend picking it up first chance you get if you like anthropomorphic literature on any level.
Simply put, if you read nothing else of the review: Is this book good? Yes. Were this not a text only medium, I could put the proper inflection on that simple 'yes.' As it is, I will have to dig into my bag of allusions to describe it. Try as I might, I can't get the phrase 'yes like a panting otter-slut would say it' out of my head. While that might be slightly misleading, as there's not any actual sex in this book, does have a wicked seductiveness, pulling you into this well thought out melange of intrigue, violence, and uncertainty. This is a book which will grab you by the lapels, and it is not subtle in interacting with the reader.
Set in the same universe as Frane's first novel, Thousand Leaves, The Seventh Chakra is very much an intense thriller. It's quite a sharp contrast in plot to Frane's debut novel, with a story very contained narrative of the main character, a weasel named Arkady Ryswife. I suspect that many of the readers of my review have been following along much of the pre-release publicity and teases directly from
rikoshi and perhaps even the pre-release review from Weasel Wordsmith, which lets me talk a bit more about the story without delving into spoiler territory. Even before getting into the book itself, the presentation and production itself is amazing. The cover, by Kamui, is beautiful as always, and the text is as (if not moreso) gorgeous and readable as anything I've ever held from a furry publisher. This is lovely, and rather necessary as the story really compels the reader to continue on, always just one more page to find out what happens. It's a very difficult book to put down.
The story itself, as I already alluded to, is very linear. It is an action story in the vein of James Bond or Jason Bourne, full of intrigue, secrets, gunfire. The one cliche of the genre that is missing is the love interest. While that may run counter to the prevailing tropes of furry fiction, the story is compressed into such a brief time period that shoehorning a relationship, or even a dalliance into this plot would have been thoroughly out of place. Without going into deep spoilers, the plot of the book follows a spy team for a religious organization, the Iolite league. The missions, as predictable in any thriller, go various levels of awry.
As mentioned, the plot follows Arkady's experience exclusively, though it is heavily intertwined with his team mates, Il-Hyeong Quinn, the swift fox on the cover, and Ming-Jun Devra, a rabbit. I'm not putting in a cut tag for spoilers, as I really don't want to go too far into the story itself. Everything builds on itself to such a great degree that most of the interesting bits, even from the middle, reveal a lot of the early surprises and twists. There are a few general things to share though, such as the stakes are always extremely high. Once you get past the first third of the book, there are really no breaks in the rising tension. Even in the parts that are not ostensibly action scenes, there are other concerns, shifting and somewhat nebulous, that don't really allow for a break for the reader. The climax of the book is a suitably epic payoff, though honestly by that point in the story it really doesn't actually surprise.
Honestly, if there is any criticism I have for the story, and I suppose I must, it's that once you get to a certain point in the story, it loses it's real surprise factor and becomes a inexorable march toward the final showdown. The showdown itself is tense and well written, but really contains little in the way of surprise. Another point of minor issue is the plot points dealing with language. It takes a bit of mental gymnastics to reach a state where you can believe that these characters have no knowledge of that which is second nature to a current day reader. Save for the furry characters, and a bit of fancy bio-engineering, there is little to set this setting apart from contemporary life. Thus, what to me is an obvious failure of even the most basic etymology may make sense in the context of a future in which the need for such a study has seemingly abated. (I hope this sentence makes sense to those who have read it, but not those who have yet to have the pleasure.)
One thing that I criticized in Frane's first book that is improved here is the denouement. The closing chapters of the book very neatly package the character of Arkady. It's a very satisfying ultimate conclusion, and while it doesn't lead directly into Thousand Leaves, it does set up the character for his role in the later book.
I did want to recommend reading this book twice. I read it twice, and spend the first half of the book making connections and asking myself questions, generally going 'oh shit' as my mind put two and two together. Furthermore, I'd recommend picking up Roar volume 1 so you can read A Song for Pandora, though I don't recommend reading (or re-reading) it until you've made your way through this book.
Also, I've apparently been scooped by Lovejoy the Liquor Fairy, who just earlier today broke the news that Frane's next novel will be detailing the Butterfly Island War, an event which significantly shaped the geo-political scene that underlies The Seventh Chakra and, to a lesser extent, Thousand Leaves. Although I didn't have any inside scoop or information, going by extrapolation, that was a very obvious choice for a next novel. From the references in this book, that's a very rich storytelling vein to mine.
I'd be more than happy to have a much more in depth conversation about the book privately, but for an initial review this soon after release, I've felt rather obligated to keep as much plot as possible out of the review to keep the sense of discovery fresh. It's a very good book, and I highly recommend picking it up first chance you get if you like anthropomorphic literature on any level.
Episode 81 - Obsessively Creepy
This week on KnotCast, its creepy time! Savrin, Isty, and Shiva get creepy and creeped out by emails this week.
Creepy stalkers, creepy exes, and creepy fetishes round out the topics this week, alongside long distance cheating, glass joe furries, and general strangeness. This is a silly week.
Episode 81 - Obsessively Creepy
Categories: Podcasts
AD Flash 011 - Sons of Air and Fire - It’s a hard life for a lone griffin, trying to feed and care for her remaining chick after her mate was killed in a raid. When Sophaaru discovers abandoned dragon hatchlings will she leave them to the wilderness or ta
It’s a hard life for a lone griffin, trying to feed and care for her remaining chick after her mate was killed in a raid. When Sophaaru discovers abandoned dragon hatchlings will she leave them to the wilderness or take them in care for them as one of her own?
"The Sons of Air and Fire" by Xeans
Read by Kemmy
AD Flash 011 - Sons of Air and Fire - It’s a hard life for a lone griffin, trying to feed and care for her remaining chick after her mate was killed in a raid. When Sophaaru discovers abandoned dragon hatchlings will she leave them to the wilderness or take them in care for them as...
Categories: Podcasts
Unsheathed #25 - Live at FC! - A jam-packed show from Further Confusion! Sofawolf Press, contest winners, surprise news about Kyell's book!
Live from the fabulous Empire Room at Further Confusion, our hosts talk to Jeff Eddy of Sofawolf Press, reveal the winner of the OOP2 contest, answer questions, and give away a surprise!
Unsheathed #25 - Live at FC! - A jam-packed show from Further Confusion! Sofawolf Press, contest winners, surprise news about Kyell's book!
Categories: Podcasts
KnotCast Presents - Furry Fiesta
This week on KnotCast, its all about Furry Fiesta 2010!
We have Savrin, Isty, Shiva, Guardian, and Celyddon all discussing our roles and events for this years con, discuss what there is to do around the con hotel, and give some good first-con advice.
KnotCast Presents - Furry Fiesta
Categories: Podcasts
Unsheathed #24 - Marathon question-addressing session, and Further Confusion preview!
Kyell and K.M. answer letters on relationship, talk about what's on at FC, and look forward to Furry Fiesta! We were having so much fun, Kit let us run long.
Unsheathed #24 - Marathon question-addressing session, and Further Confusion preview!
Categories: Podcasts
Episode 101---Ups and Downs of 2009: So Long Papa Skunk - Woyro wraps up 2009 with the story of the high and the low of the past year.
Woyro wraps up 2009 with the story of the high and the low of the past year.
Episode 101---Ups and Downs of 2009: So Long Papa Skunk - Woyro wraps up 2009 with the story of the high and the low of the past year.
Categories: Podcasts
Unsheathed #23 - Overwhelmed by Sin City, our intrepid authors babble on about sin. And cities.
Kyell and Hirosaki-san find themselves at 2 am in Las Vegas, which is the perfect place to discuss setting, detail, and hookers.
Unsheathed #23 - Overwhelmed by Sin City, our intrepid authors babble on about sin. And cities.
Categories: Podcasts