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Abigail Stevens: Writer & Editor
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Literature
Interview with Amal El-Mohtar, The River Has Roots
Yeah of course! So, the story is a retelling of a 17th century-ish ballad type, that gets called “The Cruel Sister,” but you hear a lot of different names of it, it’s like “The Bonny Swans” as Loreena McKennitt did it, “Two Sisters” and so on. The general gist is that there are two sisters in the ballad, who are being courted by the same man who is never the villain of the song, mysteriously, but he prefers the younger sister, this older sister gets jealous, kills the younger sister, and then in being murdered the younger sister goes through this series of transformations, that usually ends up in her being an instrument at the end that sings the song of her murder.
I love ballads, I love this particular ballad, I have for a long time, but it’s always sort of itched at me as an elder sister, as the eldest of four, to be like, “But what if sisters loved each other the way my sister and I love each other?” and “What if the villainy was located in the correct person in this scenario?” So, the story in question is about two sisters who love each other very much, and whose sort of job is to sing to these willows that stand at the borders of faerie land and their mundane English village.
I love ballads, I love this particular ballad, I have for a long time, but it’s always sort of itched at me as an elder sister, as the eldest of four, to be like, “But what if sisters loved each other the way my sister and I love each other?” and “What if the villainy was located in the correct person in this scenario?” So, the story in question is about two sisters who love each other very much, and whose sort of job is to sing to these willows that stand at the borders of faerie land and their mundane English village.
Sword Stone Table Anthology Review
Arthuriana tends to hold its characters up as the be-all, end-all narrative: the greatest king and knights that ever lived, the most powerful sorcerers to exist, the civilization that we will never achieve again. Of course, there are a lot of fundamental issues with this viewpoint. Namely, the Arthurian myth is by no means universal when it marginalizes a lot of people. However, Sword Stone Table: Old Legends, New Voices achieves the feeling of Arthuriana being much more widespread in influence through a selection of short stories reinterpreting the legend through a LGBTQIA+ and/or BIPOC lens.
A kind of universality by allowing a legend to permeate all human experiences while stressing that life is fundamentally varied is something an anthology can achieve well. The creators of this book also made the brilliant decision to break it up into three sections — once, present, and future — to contribute to the sense of a mythos that can apply to all people throughout time, all poetically slotting into place with the obvious reference to the Once and Future King.
A kind of universality by allowing a legend to permeate all human experiences while stressing that life is fundamentally varied is something an anthology can achieve well. The creators of this book also made the brilliant decision to break it up into three sections — once, present, and future — to contribute to the sense of a mythos that can apply to all people throughout time, all poetically slotting into place with the obvious reference to the Once and Future King.
Being Ace: An Anthology Review
As partially noted by other reviewers upon the book’s release in 2023, Being Ace: An Anthology […] makes a key argument for many marginalized identities that aces have existed throughout history in every corner of the universe, an effect that is truly best accomplished through an anthology that can show more of those people and places than a single narrative. Ace rep in sci-fi-fantasy is thankfully moving out of robots and aliens intrinsically devoid of humanity, but as with much LGBTQIA+ rep, there is still a way to go. And Being Ace is the type of collection playing a crucial role in this movement, gathering a variety of sci-fi, fantasy, and contemporary stories that muse on the truths of being ace.
The ACOTAR, Throne Of Glass & Crescent City Timeline Explained
Cover image by Yailin Chacon. | Sarah J. Maas' unofficial fantasy saga spans all three of her book series to date, showcasing an occasionally interconnected timeline between A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, and Crescent City. Maas kicked off her career with the young adult Throne of Glass series, depicting the epic tale of Aelin and her allies reclaiming their kingdoms from evil forces. Midway through this series' publication, Maas started on A Court of Thorns and Roses, taking place in a distinct environment and following a new iteration of the Fae, and the intrepid human huntress who is pulled into their world.
A riveting moment in one of the best Throne of Glass books established that Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses take place in the same setting, inhabiting different realms of a multiverse-like structure. When Maas debuted Crescent City, her first entirely adult book series, it was safe to assume that the same logic held. The proposed adaptations of her works, including the A Court of Thorns and Roses TV show, are a long way off from becoming some kind of television entertainment universe. Moreover, the timeline between all three series is more complicated than other franchises of its kind.
A riveting moment in one of the best Throne of Glass books established that Throne of Glass and A Court of Thorns and Roses take place in the same setting, inhabiting different realms of a multiverse-like structure. When Maas debuted Crescent City, her first entirely adult book series, it was safe to assume that the same logic held. The proposed adaptations of her works, including the A Court of Thorns and Roses TV show, are a long way off from becoming some kind of television entertainment universe. Moreover, the timeline between all three series is more complicated than other franchises of its kind.
Blood of the Old Kings Review
Evil empires are hardly new in fantasy and cultivating original stories based on this premise with something substantial to say is a challenging feat. Blood of the Old Kings didn’t inspire me with its characters or its fantasy, but it showcases a thought-provoking discourse on what it means to exist in this setting.
The book opens with an impressive in media res, skipping over any standard overland adventure to reach the dragon’s abode, going straight to Loran bargaining with the entity. The description of the dragon is awesome, a terrifying blood-red, multi-eyed beast that only treats with humans and would-be kings on its own terms.
The book opens with an impressive in media res, skipping over any standard overland adventure to reach the dragon’s abode, going straight to Loran bargaining with the entity. The description of the dragon is awesome, a terrifying blood-red, multi-eyed beast that only treats with humans and would-be kings on its own terms.
All 4 Casey McQuiston Books, Ranked
Cover image by Yeider Chacon. | With the release of The Pairing, bestselling author Casey McQuiston's career now comprises four novels, each as good as the last. However, one or two of these books demonstrate slightly better writing. McQuiston first rose to fame for their BookTok hit Red, White & Royal Blue, a life-changing political rom-com following the romance between the fictional son of the President of the United States and the Prince of Wales. Despite the subsequent Red, White & Royal Blue movie's biggest changes from the book, it was still successful enough to initiate development for Red, White & Royal Blue 2.
Interview with Jules Arbeaux, Author of Lord of the Empty Isles
A longlistee for the 2022 Bath Novel Award and 2020 Pitch Wars mentee, Jules Arbeaux graduated summa cum laude from a no-name college with a major in English, minors in creative writing and studio art, and the full knowledge that those areas of study would likely lead to starvation. As a writer and reader, Jules enjoys visceral, wrenching poetry and prose, multi-faceted characters, and powerful relationships of every sort. When not writing, Jules sells water-colour paintings and strange handmade jewellery at a local open-air market. Lord of the Empty Isles, forthcoming from Hodderscape in 2024, is the author’s debut novel.
In Conversation with Chloe Gong
Cover image by JON STUDIO. | Chloe Gong became a New York Times bestselling author while still a student at the University of Pennsylvania, where she double majored in English and International Relations. Fans of her Secret Shanghai series—comprised of two connected young adult duologies retelling Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet and As You Like It, set against the backdrop of 1920s-1930s Shanghai—were clamouring for Immortal Longings, her adult fiction debut and the first book in her Antony and Cleopatra-inspired Flesh and False Gods trilogy. I was as excited as anyone to attend the discussion at The Glee Club in Birmingham, part of Gong’s UK Immortal Longings tour. She was interviewed by Kate Dylan, author of the dystopian sci-fi novel Mindwalker.
London Bookshop Crawl: Walking, Reading, and Relaxing
Every so often, I return to London to get lost in the myriad of shows, museums, and stores, and I never go to the same restaurant twice, as I am always missing out on another. This time, I dedicated an entire weekend to one of my favourite pastimes: book shopping. I’d been planning this short trip for months, and it happened to fall at the end of a stressful week in the middle of a stressful term. I was ready for a holiday where it was totally acceptable to have a night-in with some fantastic London cuisine, and finally read Red, White & Royal Blue after a long day of walking through bookshops.
For the past eight years, the curious minds at Ninja Book Box have invited fellow bookworms to gather and explore London together. Bex, one of the directors of Ninja Book Box, says this event started with a simple post on Twitter asking people if they wanted to go book shopping. The event has expanded over the years- it now includes guided tours through specific neighbourhoods, a quiz night, and discounts at participating locations.
For the past eight years, the curious minds at Ninja Book Box have invited fellow bookworms to gather and explore London together. Bex, one of the directors of Ninja Book Box, says this event started with a simple post on Twitter asking people if they wanted to go book shopping. The event has expanded over the years- it now includes guided tours through specific neighbourhoods, a quiz night, and discounts at participating locations.
"Creativity is overrated, but we do it anyway": Creativity in Cosplay
Fandom communities are harshly judged for their supposed disregard of the fabled concept of “originality.” Some people argue that fanfiction authors are inferior writers because they use other people’s characters and stories rather than devising anything of their own. Cosplay, while not as inherently controversial as fanfiction, raises a similar question: is replicating another’s creation as good as coming up with a “new” idea? Setting aside the argument that all forms of media are ultimately derived and reconstructed from the media the creator has seen, what exactly is the artistic process behind cosplay?
Like fanfiction writers, cosplayers are unbound. There is something freeing in making art which has no commercial value; you don’t have to worry about what will please an editor, producer, corporation, or potential customer, and its only purpose is to bring you joy. Cosplay is also a way to hone your skills; artists often start out by copying other works to practise their technique before trying to break new ground. But don’t underestimate the creative process of recreation, especially in the case of cosplay. Even the ones that are exact replicas from a film, television show, video game, theatrical performance, or another medium, require creative thinking.
Like fanfiction writers, cosplayers are unbound. There is something freeing in making art which has no commercial value; you don’t have to worry about what will please an editor, producer, corporation, or potential customer, and its only purpose is to bring you joy. Cosplay is also a way to hone your skills; artists often start out by copying other works to practise their technique before trying to break new ground. But don’t underestimate the creative process of recreation, especially in the case of cosplay. Even the ones that are exact replicas from a film, television show, video game, theatrical performance, or another medium, require creative thinking.
The Best Literary Friendships and What We Can Learn from Them
Cover illustration by Anna Wu. | Your best friend is the person you enjoy being around more than anyone else in the world. You have spectacular adventures together and tell each other everything. You probably also know exactly how to get on each other’s nerves. All relationships are complicated, but these heart-warming literary friendships can teach us so much about what we value in our friends.
1. Rosalind and Celia, As You Like It
Rosalind and Celia are cousins whose love is ‘dearer than the natural bond of sisters’. As such, they decide to flee to the Forest of Arden together rather than be separated. They are two of Shakespeare’s cleverest heroines, who challenge each other intellectually and pass their time in verbal sparring matches, such as when they debate the cruel apathy of Lady Fortune. They are a perfectly matched pair who are delightful to watch. Their friendship reminds us how rare yet amazing it is to meet someone and instantly click with them.
1. Rosalind and Celia, As You Like It
Rosalind and Celia are cousins whose love is ‘dearer than the natural bond of sisters’. As such, they decide to flee to the Forest of Arden together rather than be separated. They are two of Shakespeare’s cleverest heroines, who challenge each other intellectually and pass their time in verbal sparring matches, such as when they debate the cruel apathy of Lady Fortune. They are a perfectly matched pair who are delightful to watch. Their friendship reminds us how rare yet amazing it is to meet someone and instantly click with them.
Review of Chloe Gong's Foul Lady Fortune
Chloe Gong draws on her own Chinese heritage and her English degree in Foul Lady Fortune: a retelling of Shakespeare’s As You Like It, set in 1930s Shanghai. When her life is saved by an experimental drug, Rosalind Lang (who takes her name directly from Shakespeare’s protagonist) becomes immortal, possessing a supernatural healing ability. Four years later, Rosalind is putting her new abilities to use as an assassin. Her code name: Fortune. Her latest mission: to investigate a series of murders while posing as a married couple with her new mission partner, Orion Hong (the Orlando-equivelant character).
Gong interlaces her Shakespearean-fantasy plot with the events of China’s civil war and the start of the Japanese invasion, while also addressing the lasting damage of European colonialism in 20th century Asia. Amidst the conflict, Rosalind and Orion are working for the Nationalist government while their respective siblings, Celia and Oliver, are Communist spies.
Gong interlaces her Shakespearean-fantasy plot with the events of China’s civil war and the start of the Japanese invasion, while also addressing the lasting damage of European colonialism in 20th century Asia. Amidst the conflict, Rosalind and Orion are working for the Nationalist government while their respective siblings, Celia and Oliver, are Communist spies.
Way Out Yonder: Understanding "Where the Crawdads Sing" before You See the Movie
“Way out yonder, where the crawdads sing, the marsh knows one thing above all else: every creature will do what it must to survive.”
The quote above from the first trailer for the movie adaptation of Delia Owens’s bestselling debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing (2018), already shows that the filmmakers understand the foundation upon which the story is built. After years of saying I was going to read Crawdads, the release of the trailer finally spurred me into action, and I finished the book in two days. With the film’s premiere in July approaching fast, I would like to take this chance to share my thoughts on some of the book’s major themes and motifs.
Crawdads tells the story of Catherine “Kya” Clark, a young girl who raises herself in the marshes of North Carolina. Kya lives alone in the marsh after being abandoned by her family; her mother and older siblings fled to escape her abusive father, who himself later disappears without a trace. Kya gets by selling mussels, fishing, and gardening, and becomes a local legend in the nearby town, known as “the marsh girl” – the wild child who lives alone in the swamp, avoiding social workers, officers, and anyone else who would take her away from everything she has ever known.
The quote above from the first trailer for the movie adaptation of Delia Owens’s bestselling debut novel, Where the Crawdads Sing (2018), already shows that the filmmakers understand the foundation upon which the story is built. After years of saying I was going to read Crawdads, the release of the trailer finally spurred me into action, and I finished the book in two days. With the film’s premiere in July approaching fast, I would like to take this chance to share my thoughts on some of the book’s major themes and motifs.
Crawdads tells the story of Catherine “Kya” Clark, a young girl who raises herself in the marshes of North Carolina. Kya lives alone in the marsh after being abandoned by her family; her mother and older siblings fled to escape her abusive father, who himself later disappears without a trace. Kya gets by selling mussels, fishing, and gardening, and becomes a local legend in the nearby town, known as “the marsh girl” – the wild child who lives alone in the swamp, avoiding social workers, officers, and anyone else who would take her away from everything she has ever known.
The Tale of Despereaux and the Power of Storytelling
“Stories are light. Light is precious in a world so dark. Begin at the beginning. Tell Gregory a story. Make some light.” – Gregory the Jailer
What makes a book “children’s literature?” Are there singing animals and fairy princesses? Is it completely censored of anything overprotective parents might find inappropriate? Or can it reawaken a sense of childlike wonder in its reader? Children’s literature is a highly disputed genre; there are many literary works that despite being written for a younger audience, feature profound themes that capture the minds of adults. Personally, I associate The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo with my childhood because it is one of the books my mother read to my siblings and me as children, and because it makes me feel a sense of wonder.
There is nothing quite like The Tale of Despereaux; it is a unique book that deals with themes of love, grief, forgiveness, and hope. It is ideal to read to children because of its straightforward plot but is also enjoyable for adults because of DiCamillo’s elegant writing.
What makes a book “children’s literature?” Are there singing animals and fairy princesses? Is it completely censored of anything overprotective parents might find inappropriate? Or can it reawaken a sense of childlike wonder in its reader? Children’s literature is a highly disputed genre; there are many literary works that despite being written for a younger audience, feature profound themes that capture the minds of adults. Personally, I associate The Tale of Despereaux by Kate DiCamillo with my childhood because it is one of the books my mother read to my siblings and me as children, and because it makes me feel a sense of wonder.
There is nothing quite like The Tale of Despereaux; it is a unique book that deals with themes of love, grief, forgiveness, and hope. It is ideal to read to children because of its straightforward plot but is also enjoyable for adults because of DiCamillo’s elegant writing.
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