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Monday, June 13, 2016

The Facefaker's Game by Chandler Birch

Chandler Birch has written a book to fall in love with on his first outing.  In 2014, Simon & Schuster held a contest for emerging speculative fiction writers;  The Facefaker's Game was the winner.  Chandler Birch was 22.  He will be 24 when the book is published in November.  And folks, what a book!  

Just briefly:  a young protagonist, a world so well done that you adapt immediately, terrific characters, and a plot that kept me happily engrossed.  

I'll do another mention closer to time for publication, but you can pre-order now.   

The cover may change.  I notice on Amazon, there is no cover image, but I would not have chosen this one based on the cover.  The description is what caught my attention, and I was not disappointed.  In fact, it was so much more than what I could have expected.

“It’s Les Miserables meets Harry Potter in Atlantis with the protagonist as the Tenth Doctor, but as a teenager,” mused Birch in a Skype interview. “Ashes is the main character and gets in way over his head.”  (source)

Highly recommended!

NetGalley/Simon & Schuster

Fantasy.  Nov. 1, 2016.  Print length:  464 pages.  

8 comments:

  1. Already a winner at 22. That's awesome. Good for him. I just wonder how long it will take my library to buy this book. :)

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    1. Try to get it on NetGalley first. I thought of you when I was reading it; I think you would really enjoy it!

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  2. I'm so glad you liked this one, Jenclair! I was just approved for it this weekend, so it was pleasant surprise to see your post today. :-)

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    1. I hope you like it, too! I believe there will be more of Ashes and Candlestick Jack to come, but there is no cliffhanger, just the feeling that these characters have more adventures ahead. :)

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  3. This definitely sounds like a winner but truth be told, that cover didn't catch my attention at first glance. ;-p Still, I'm glad I read your post so I know what kind of a story this is and will check it out when it is released.

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    1. The cover did not grab my attention at all, so I'm glad I decided to read the description. When I was posting the link to Amazon, I noticed that there was no image, so maybe a more appealing cover will follow. And there you go--the importance of a good cover makes a huge difference!

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  4. I read the blurb and then the news article you linked to about this author, and I'm psyched to read this when it releases. I love that a young author is getting a chance to shine. I liked his quote about not "aping Tolkien" as so many others do in fantasy. I love LOTR but love originality.

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    1. He really is a talented author, Rita! I, too, like to see that a young author can create a fascinating fantasy world and be recognized for his talent. :)

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