Obsidian Butterfly - Review

Another great installment in Laurell K. Hamilton's Anita Blake Vampire Executioner series. This one was a bit different than the others: there was only one tiny scene with Jean-Claude and NO scene with Richard. Although she did think about them from time to time! Anita's taking a break from the werewolf and vampire boy-toys. This time, she's in New Mexico helping out assassin Edward on a gruesome paranormal case.

Obsidian Butterfly is particularly gory with lots of magic, murder and mayhem. However, if you have any squeamishness in reading about killing or hurting children, you may be put off by this book. Children are hurt and babies are killed. I'm putting it out there whether it's a spoiler or not. This book fell a notch or two on my "likability" scale because of that. However, the scenes weren't so horrible that it would have stopped me from reading the book. If it wasn't part of a series, yes, maybe I wouldn't have read it. But the scenes will be off-putting to a lot of readers. And they weren't necessary.

What I liked best about this book: the dynamics between Anita and Edward; getting to know Edward and his alter-ego Ted Forrester and seeing him in his home environment. The characterization was fantastic, although sometimes redundant. There's no romance between the two, and they've never really liked each other, but there's a respect they each hold for the other, even knowing one wouldn't bat an eye killing the other. Rating: 3.75 out of 5

The Writer's Journey - Review

The Writer’s Journey by Christopher Vogler (2nd Edition)

(A new edition is available this month)

Back Book Blurb:

Writers are storytellers. The best of them have utilized the principles of myth to create masterful stories that are dramatic, entertaining, and psychologically true.

Based on the work of Joseph Campbell, this new and revised edition of The Writer’s Journey provides an insider’s look at how writers (both fiction and non-fiction) can utilize mythic structure to create powerful narrative.

Writers will discover step-by-step guidelines for structuring plots and creating realistic characters. Innovative exercises help writers troubleshoot and improve their own work. These ideas—which have been tested and refined by professional screenwriters, playwrights and novelists—will empower the writer’s command of storytelling with the ancient wisdom of myth.

My Review:

Mr. Vogler bases his reference book on the mythic studies of Joseph Campbell and the archetypes of psychologist Carl Jung and it is used extensively by screen-writers. But it’s a wonderful resource for any story-teller in creating dynamic, true-to-life characters. “All stories consist of a few common structural elements found universally in myths, fairy tales, dreams, and movies. They are known collectively as ‘The Hero’s Journey.’” In fact, this book is a great resource for psychologists or anyone who wants to learn about the life’s journey of man or woman. But as a fiction writer’s reference book, it is invaluable if you want your characters and your writing to stand out from the cookie-cutter norm.

The Writer’s Journey provides an in-depth look at the twelve stages of the hero’s journey. He uses well-known movies as examples to show the stages in practice. And he describes the most common and useful character archetypes.

The Stages of the Hero’s Journey:

1. Ordinary World

2. Call to Adventure.

3. Refusal of the Call.

4. Meeting with the Mentor.

5. Cross the First Threshold.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies.

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave.

8. Ordeal.

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword).

10. The Road Back.

11. Resurrection.

12. Return with the Elixir.