Book Review: Hutra by Aud Supplee

Happy National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! In honor of the day, I want to celebrate Hutra by Aud Supplee.

“One lefthanded world. Two missing little boys. Three teens must make it right.”

Hutra isn’t a fairy tale or retelling per se, but it is a fine, fun portal fantasy, part of a series with many fairy tale elements: queens and kings, enchantments, wizards, and knights in shining, er, pink armor with magic swords! Check out Frama-12 (available now) and Aylen Isle (when it’s released) for more about those excellent things.

But you don’t need to have read Frama-12 to enjoy Hutra. Just jump right in, and soon you’ll be plunging through a time tear into another world. You’ll get to know some of my favorite young people: Winnie, avid runner and former reluctant general; her friend Kip, aspiring magician; and her adorable little stepbrother, Mikey, who knows something about generals and magic.

The world they jump into seems like Earth, but something is definitely—off. Make that a lot of somethings. Good thing they have young Nor to help guide them in this new world, though he’s more astonished than they are at their arrival. Nor is an animal communicator, and one of my favorite people in the whole series. As Kirkus Review says, he shines: he’s “privileged but principled, rebellious but deeply affectionate.” Nor may be privileged, but he’s not at all spoiled; in fact, he’s a pretty humble young man, driven by curiosity and a passion for helping animals. Which turns out to be helpful when looking for a lost little boy!

You can meet Nor early in Hutra, and also on Aud’s blog, where she’s posted a deleted scene in honor of Hutra’s “birthday.” I like this scene a lot, and I like the rest of the book even better!

Happy belated birthday, Hutra! And happy reading to all.

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A Quintet of Good Book-Related News

This isn’t all strictly new, as some of these things happened a bit ago, but it’s good news nonetheless and I’m quite happy to share it. In the approximate order I learned about these, here goes.

First, the adventures of “Winnie and the Wizard” continue! My friend and critique partner Aud Supplee has gotten the green light for the third book in the series, with the working title “Aylen Isle.” I read a recent draft of the book last summer, and it’s such a fun adventure. I’m eager to see how it’s evolved since then. You can read more about this announcement on Aud’s blog.

Stan Gale, another writing friend and critique partner, has recently published “A Living Faith.” I’ve had the pleasure to read much of Stan’s writing over the years; it is always thoughtful, thought-provoking, and warmed with his personal voice. I recommend his works for anyone looking for inspiring devotional reading.

My writer friend Kilmeny MacMichael has had two poems recently published, one in an Off Topic Publishing Poetry Box. This subscription sends you an original poem, organic tea and artisanal chocolate to “savour while you read.” (If I lived in Canada, I’d surely indulge!) She has another poem about a merman in Worlds of Possibility, an anthology of uplifting science fiction and fantasy. And she has a story in an upcoming anthology called Red Eyes & Tired Lungs, collected to bring some good things out of a summer of wildfires. I’m looking forward to Kilmeny’s new writing.

Jason Zeitler, my Running Wild Press colleague, released his novel Half-Caste in December, published by Polyphony Press. I enjoyed Jason’s short story, “Inglorious Carnage,” in the third volume of Running Wild Anthology of Stories. His new novel, described as a “thrilling tale of political intrigue, love and loss, and the soul-stirring value of friendship,” sounds fascinating. You can find out more about Jason and his work here.

And last (though not chronologically), in 2023 I finished the medieval-esque fantasy novel I’ve been working on for lo, several years now. It is the story of a girl who swears she will not be helpless in the face of prophecy, but will face her fate and protect her people. This is still a draft, but not a first draft, as I’ve been editing it as I go with the help of my excellent critique partners. Partway through, I realized this story will take two books to tell, so I have launched myself into Book Two now. I’m enjoying adventuring with my heroine!

Congratulations to Aud, Stan, Kilmeny, and Jason. Much success to you and your new works!

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Book Review: Fireflies and Chocolate by Ailish Sinclair

Fireflies and Chocolate is the story of young Elizabeth Mantieth, told in her own distinctive voice. Elizabeth has a lilting Scottish accent, so rich and natural I can hear it easily in my head. She speaks to us directly, and she’s a charming storyteller, though she goes through some troubled times. She lives in the time of the Jacobite rebellion, and a period when children and adolescents were kidnapped and sold into indentured servitude.

Dark days and nights lie ahead for Elizabeth, but there is light in the darkness: her own strong spirit, and good people around her (along with some thoroughly despicable characters, sadly quite believable).

I was impressed throughout with the excellence of the writing. This story covers several years, but the pace never drags nor seems rushed. And I’m familiar with some of the locations Elizabeth ends up in (which I won’t reveal), and Ailish Sinclair captured them so deftly I can’t help but wonder if she’s visited them herself.

I highly recommend this book to lovers of historical fiction with strong, engaging heroines; I’d say it’s for readers young adult and older.

Fireflies and Chocolate makes me eager to read Ailish Sinclairs other historical novels. And for those who like contemporary romance, check out her Dancer’s Journey series, which Ailish describes as “much, much naughtier.”

Ailish’s website is a pleasure in its own right, with her own beautiful photography of Scotland, and she often recounts local history and lore. I encourage you to explore it and her books —especially with a cup of hot chocolate in hand.

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Publication New from a Writing Colleague

Some time ago, I had the pleasure of reading Hilary Hauck’s poignant and elegant love story, From Ashes to Song. So I’m very pleased to relate that Hilary has released a new novel, The Things We’ll Never Have.

About the book (from Bookshop.org):

Winner of the Historical Fiction Company’s “Highly Recommended” award of excellence, The Things We’ll Never Have is part mystery, part psychological drama set in 1960s Italy, about family, friendship, and the lies that bind us.

The brightest things in Everleigh’s otherwise dull days in 1964 London are colors, fashion she’s not brave enough to wear, and the idea of the enchanted life she’ll inherit when she marries Gualtiero. But her dreams are crushed when her beloved mysteriously vanishes before the wedding. Everleigh travels to Italy, convinced he’s returned to his hometown, but when she tracks down the man everyone knows as Gualtiero, she has never seen him before. The question is no longer where her fiancé is, but who he is.

Determined to uncover the truth, Everleigh teams up with two unlikely friends. Soon, she unlocks a shocking truth about Gualtiero that propels the three women on a collision course that will shatter everything they thought they knew about family—and themselves.

Kirkus Reviews calls the novel  “An arresting and unpredictable tale of family.”

I met Everleigh during an excellent online writing course on character development, taught by Alex Lidell. Alex coaxed, encouraged, and prodded us to explore our characters’ inner and outer lives. I was impressed by what I learned about Everleigh and her journey. Now I have a deeper glimpse of how Everleigh and her story have evolved, and wow, am I intrigued!

If you’re intrigued as well, you can find “The Things We’ll Never Have” on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.

For those who haven’t had a chance to read “From Ashes to Song,” I recommend it, especially for readers who enjoy literary fiction and for musicians and other lovers of music. It’s a gentle, yearning love story about a young composer, Pietro, who loses what he loves most in Italy, and comes to America for a new start. On the voyage over, he meets Assunta, whose warm heart and beautiful voice touch him.

Find out more about “From Ashes to Song” (and Hilary’s other books) on her site, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Bookshop.org.

You can also read my full review here.

Congratulations on your new novel, Hilary!

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Tell a Fairy Tale Day, 2023

Happy National Tell a Fairy Tale Day! I’ve enjoyed blogging in honor of this day for a number of years now, and today I’ll continue that tradition with three notes.

First, a reminder of some Steampunk fairy tales and (at least) one dieselpunk folk tale. Gaslight and Grimm is available now. Grimm Machinations and Greasemonkeys will be available around April 1st and can be pre-ordered now (scroll down past new releases on that page). I’ve read samples of each of the latter two and I’m eagerly awaiting the full anthologies. You can read more about them in my interview with Bernie Mojzes, one of the authors.

Next, Hutra by Aud Supplee is available now: not a fairy tale exactly, but a fine fantasy with animal communication and portals to other worlds – and let’s not forget the “wizard!” I read this book in its infancy, and I’m excited that it’s making its debut. You can read about it on Aud’s blog.

And VT Dorchester’s short story, “Ain’t No Cat” also just came out this month. Though it takes place in the American West, it’s haunted by a creature of Celtic fairy tales: the banshee. I’ve been hearing a bit about this tale for awhile now, and I’m very happy it’s out in print (and pdf). You can read a bit about it on VT’s blog.

Congratulations, Bernie, Aud, and VT!

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