1KBE - DAUGHTER OF THE SUN (WISHLIST)

#1KBE – A Thousand Beginnings and Endings – Author Interview with Shveta Thakrar

Shveta Thakrar is a writer of South Asian–flavored fantasy, part-time nagini, and full-time believer in magic. I already knew her style from "Lavanya and Deepika," an epic rendition of Tatterhood set at lavish Asian royal courts! Her work has appeared or is forthcoming in Flash Fiction Online, Interfictions Online, Mythic Delirium, Uncanny, Faerie, Strange Horizons, Mothership Zeta, Kaleidoscope: Diverse YA Science Fiction and Fantasy Stories, Clockwork Phoenix 5, Beyond the Woods: Fairy Tales Retold, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, and Toil & Trouble. When not spinning stories about spider silk and shadows, magic and marauders, and courageous girls illuminated by dancing rainbow flames, Shveta crafts, devours books, daydreams, travels, bakes, and occasionally even plays her harp.

What sparked the inspiration for your retelling of two tales from the Mahabharata for this anthology? 

I’ve always loved “Savitri and Satyavan” and wanted to retell it someday . . . but I’d never found the right way. Then Ellen and Elsie approached me to write for this anthology and needed an idea right away for the proposal. I immediately picked “Savitri and Satyavan,” but in the actual drafting process, I realized I needed an anchor for Satyavan’s particular situation, and blending in the conditions from “Ganga and Shantanu” worked perfectly.

What do you love most about reading and/or writing fantasy and speculative fiction? What is the most challenging part?

What do I love most? Magic! Always magic, and the sense that there is more to this universe than what we can see–and the possibility I might one day stumble onto it.

The challenging part: writing to evoke that same sense of wonder and magic in readers. Hopefully I’m succeeding, but you never know.

Why is retelling parts of mythology important to you?

Myth sings in all our bones all over the world–it speaks truths we can’t really otherwise give voice to–but thanks to colonialism, we tend to focus almost exclusively on Western mythology, and I want to see that change. I can help by sharing bits from the mythology of my heritage in my work, so I do that.

Which character (can be from your imaginary worlds or a myth you know) would you take with you if you had to face a monster?

Princess Uloopi (the nagini) from the Mahabharata. She’s got a venomous bite, but also, if I died, she could bring me back to life with the gem of the nagas.

Are there any South Asian SFF or poetry writers you’d love to share?

Oh, wow, so many! But I’ll share three you might not be that familiar with: Mimi Mondal, Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Krishna Udayasankar. Definitely check them out!

What are you working on now – or – what should readers look out for in the future?

Novels! Young adult and middle grade both.  Hopefully I’ll be able to share them down the line. I’m also going to be contributing to a forthcoming middle grade anthology of “Snow Queen” retellings which I’m really excited about.

Let’s start this roundtable with short introductions. Please tell us a little about yourself, how you see yourself as an individual and a member (representative?) of a cultural group or a nation, and how you reconcile these multiple identities, if at all. How aware would you say you are of your position as a Woman of Colour in Speculative Fiction (SF)?

Shveta: Hi, I’m Shveta Thakrar, and here’s what I say in my bio, but condensed: a writer of South Asian–flavored fantasy, social justice activist, and part-time nagini. I’m a Gujarati and a Hindu, and I’m very aware of being a woman of color in spec fic. How could I not be? I’ve been fighting for inclusivity since I started writing seriously back in 2006. As Mary Anne said, things have improved a bit, but we still have a long way to go.

There are a lot of communities & sub-communities in the SF world, perceived or otherwise, and Mithila Review has hosted features on Asian SF, Latin SF and Czech SF. Do you feel there is a distinct South Asian SF community or identity? How familiar are you with South Asian SF writers, homegrown or diasporic, historical or contemporary?

Shveta: I’m not quite sure how to answer this. I’ve just tried to promote and encourage where I can, particularly in young adult (as that’s where my personal focus lies). I actually feel on the outside of the desi community in general, though I only write desi characters and am glad to see stories starring people who look like me start to have more of a presence in the Anglophone market. I also do try to follow work by writers in South Asia, like Sukanya Venkatraghavan, Indrapramit Das, and Krishna Udayasankar.

Many in the literary world often equate South Asian SF with retellings of mythical epics like Ramayana and Mahabharata (also equating the whole of South Asia with Hinduism and one origin story!). Some of your works overtly touch on mythical creatures, folktales, legends, though not necessarily South Asian in origin. Have you felt that the idea of South Asian speculative fiction is homogenized? Are tales from your childhood, culture, religion, pop culture, South Asian or otherwise, a source of inspiration for you? Tell us what your lasting influences are.

Shveta: “Are tales from your childhood, culture, religion, pop culture, South Asian or otherwise, a source of inspiration for you?” Without a doubt! In fact, even though some of my stories aren’t based on them, many are, and I’m not sure how I would write without referring back to them in some way, even obliquely. For example, I have a story coming out in an anthology that’s a retelling of “Savitri and Satyavan” from the Mahabharata. I’ve mentioned Uloopi and Arjun in another piece. And so on and so forth.

The theme of ‘outsider’ and ‘difference’ features in all of your works in some form or another. What motivates you to write about or from the perspective of the outsider?

Shveta: I could write entire dissertations about this. Instead, I’ll just say that I’ve felt like a changeling most of my life and still do in some ways, and so of course that bleeds into my work. It’s what I know.

We encounter a varied range of settings in your works –in the West, in South Asia, in whole other worlds, deserts, freezing tundras, rugged mountainscapes, ocean kingdoms, fairy tale kingdoms… How important is a sense of place for you? Is there a particular place – geographical or imagined – or a particular topography that arrests your imagination?

Shveta: I am naturally drawn to the fantastical, so I love the mythic version of any landscape, whether real or just imagined. And place definitely shapes my stories; they’re very lush and descriptive for a reason. I want to be able to share what I envision with my readers and take them along on the journey.

You all write pretty badass female characters who make difficult decisions to shape their own lives. Do you think the idea of the strong female character has become a meaningless trope? How to constitute what ‘strong’ is?

Shveta: “Strong” to me means someone who finds a way to address her situation, whatever that is. She need not be physically muscular or loud and brash. She just needs to want to act in some way (and yes, that does involve sometimes being passive in response to a situation, like dealing with parents/elders).

So basically, what Mary Anne said. 

In ‘literary’ circles, South Asian authors are often tasked with the ‘burden of representation’ – their stories and narratives must be about their homelands, must speak to the entirety of South Asian experiences, must be representative of all the food and flavour and myths and religion of the whole region. Do you ever feel this burden of responsibility or choose in some way to engage with it?

Shveta: Years ago, when I was just starting out, I got shaken up by the idea that diaspora like me don’t have the “right” to our stories, but a kind friend talked me out of that. Ever since, I’ve chosen to ignore that kind of territorial thinking–if my grandmother and my parents thought those stories were mine, that’s all I need to know–or the flip side of that, which is the notion that one of us represents all of us (as if any white person or European could do that!). I can only write what I know, which is really different in some ways even from other South Asians' experiences. And of course even more different from that of nondiaspora. I’m just interested in adding to a much larger conversation rather than standing in for anything.

Give us a peek into your SF reading wishlist. People often say you should write what you’d like to read – how different is your wishlist from what you write?

Shveta: Lots more fantasy using Hindu and Buddhist mythology and folklore! Which isn’t different than what I write, ha.  (I’d also like for these books to be called what they are instead of just “Indian fiction.”) I’d love to see retellings and completely original stories that work in bits from these old tales.

Tell us what you are working on or what we can expect to see from you.

Shveta: I have short stories coming out in various anthologies, including the retelling of “Savitri and Satyavan” I mentioned above in A Thousand Beginnings and Endings (East and South Asian fairy tale and mythic young adult retellings) and Toil & Trouble (a feminist, inclusive young adult collection about witches), along with a poem I co-wrote with Sara Cleto that will appear in Uncanny, and that collection of Snow Queen retellings. I’m also aiming to get my YA novel about stars back to my agent later this summer, so hopefully it can go out on submission soon after.

[Review] A Thousand Beginnings and Endings - Edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Star-crossed lovers, meddling immortals, feigned identities, battles of wits, and dire warnings. These are the stuff of fairy tale, myth, and folklore that have drawn us in for centuries.

Fifteen bestselling and acclaimed authors reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate.

What a wonderful anthology! I normally struggle with more pieces in a collection than enjoy, but here it was the opposite. I loved how each short story honed in on different cultures and myths. The Filipino ones especially made me wish that I was more connected and aware of my own background.


Breakdown for each -

13. Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar
5 stars
Again, another favorite. I loved Savitri's cleverness in winning back Satyavan. It reminded me of Orpheus and Eurydice, but this story ended on a happy note!

DAUGHTER OF THE SUN BY SHVETA THAKRAR – SOUTH ASIAN

Savitri Mehta’s parents had named her for light.

Absolutely enthralling! Thakrar weaves two stories in this one retelling, a romantic tale where the girl ends up saving the boy. I love how empowering this one for women and how Savitri took charge of her own life. #girlpower forever!

Before I discuss the anthology itself, let’s acknowledge two things. This is an anthology based around South and East Asian folklore: I expect this anthology will speak more strongly at an emotional level to people who have a more personal connection to the myths that form the basis for some of these stories.

A number of other stories are entertaining, including Shveta Thakrar’s “Daughter of the Sun,” about a young woman who falls in love and needs to make a bargain with divine entities in order to keep spending time with her lover.

Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar – 

This short story combined two stories from the epic poem Mahabharata called “Savitri and Satyavan” and “Ganga and Shantanu”. I liked seeing how Thakrar weaved the two tales into one and her writing was very pretty.

Overall I highly recommend checking out “A Thousand Beginnings and Endings” it’s very much worth the read especially if you’re looking for a diverse #OwnVoices book or just an anthology full of East and South Asian myths and folk tales!

→ Daughter of the Sun — Shveta Thakrar ★★★★★ ←
Savitri Mehta’s parents had named her for light.

I enjoyed this story so much, as it portrays a young woman—born with the light of the sun in her chest—who seeks a companion, finding it in a boy full of moonglow—a boy who’s been doomed to die in one year. This is such a gorgeous story, but more than anything, I loved the fact that, despite having been inspired by a mix of two stories instead of one, I could absolutely feel the resemblance to the Mahabharata. My favorite stories in this collection have mostly been the ones that felt like folklore to me, and this one is a shining example of that.

Origin: South Asian

Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar  – ★★★★★

Daughter of the Sun is a modern retelling of the story Princess Savitri and  Prince Satyavan from the Mahabharata. I’ve never heard of this tale, but I actually loved reading this modern version. It’s a story about love and sacrifice. It was a wonderful tale that kept me hooked till the end. It really deserves a perfect five stars.

Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar: ★★★★★

"She sang for her parents, for the hue-switching heavens, for herself. She read fairy tales, epics, and legends and imagined performing them on a stage draped in velvet. But it wasn't enough. She longed for a friend."

Thakrar’s tale, as sorrowful as it is beautiful, retells the epic of Princess Savitri and Prince Satyavan. Similar to her story, the legend tells of Savitri choosing to be with Satyavan, despite his death coming in a year. A tragic story of love with a destiny already sealed.

Savitri carries a light within her and as she works for a museum on an estate, she finds herself longing for freedom. She even gets told that one day she will find someone who reflects her light back to her.

So, she takes a trip through a nearby forest + lake and sees a boy, Satyavan, and its clear that he is her mirror (who is symbolized to be of darkness and her of light). The moon to her sun.

She doesn’t want to see him go, so she takes him from the lake that was going to allow him to reach home.

Despite an apsara’s warnings, she wants to get know him and he wants to know her. So, she gets told that she has one year to be with him!

The lyrical writing brought so much vibrancy to the setting, characters,folklore, and story! I adored reading about Savitri & Satyavan’s beautiful relationship, the connection they share!!

This story is about love, selflessness, and taking chances!

I loved everything about Daughter of the Sun and I wish this was a full-length novel ♥

Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar (South Asian)

This story had me going through a roller coaster of emotions. It is based on the Mahabharata, which is the longest epic poem in recorded history. One of the tales is that of Princess Savitri and Prince Satyavan, and this is where the author's retelling comes from. The retelling is slightly different from the original story. In the retelling Savitri saves Satyavan, a cursed son of Chandra, the lunar lord - or the Moon personified as male. But even though she saved him from death, Satyavan is on borrowed time. Still, Savitri brings him back and they get to know each other. But Satyavan remembers nothing of his near-death, or even his being a son of the lunar lord. He knows nothing but Savitri. What happens when his borrowed time is up? You'll have to read the story to find out. This was a heartbreaking and also very lovely story. And surprisingly, the ending was very positive. I love the themes that the author wove into the story. I also loved the romance. With short stories, oftentimes the romance is tragic or nonexistent. The romance in this story was lovely. 

 Daughter of the Sun – Shveta Thakrar | 

Origin: South Asian

Hers, they promised, was a heart meant to be shared with one who could not only bear her light but would even reflect it back at her.

Daughter of the Sun was inspired by two South Asian stories from the Mahabharata – Savitri and Satyavan, and Ganga and Shantanu. I loved this story’s female MC. She knows her own mind and sticks to her guns. She cleverly tricks Rambha, the nymph tasked with delivering Satyavan to his father Chandra, the lunar lord (the moon personified as male, ie Man in the Moon), making her extend the boy’s stay with Savitri and, ultimately, restoring his life at the end of the story.

Conclusion:

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings is an important book. It takes a big step, bringing Asian stories to the fore. More so, getting Asian authors to tell their own stories. This book meant a lot to me as an Asian reader who has longed for her own stories to be told and to be represented properly in literature, TV shows, and the silver screen. I cannot urge all of you enough to pick up this book.

Final rating: 5/5

DAUGHTER OF THE SUN BY SHVETA THAKRAR

What a strange and beautiful story! I really enjoyed this one as well. It felt almost like magical realism in a way, but it wasn’t absurd like magical realism is. I found the premise of the story very intriguing – Satyavan is fated to die in a year’s time, but Savitri is clever and tricks death (or in this case, a nymph) and gets to keep him for herself

Very interesting indeed!

Overall Assessment

Premise: 5/5
Writing Style: 3.5/5
Characters: 3.5/5
Pace: 4.5/5
Feels: 2/5

Another story derived from Mahābhārata was Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar, a lovely retelling about Savitri and Satyavan and tells about sacrifice, fighting fate, and following one’s heart. 

MY CONCLUSION: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

To be able to read A Thousand Beginnings and Endings – an anthology rich with culture, folklore, brilliant narratives, wonderful writing, and is unapologetically Asian – is a dream come true for me. I wish I could say that this anthology was something I wanted as a child, but the truth is that I never thought it was possible so I never dared dream of it. It wasn’t until I started reading diverse books that I began to decolonise my imagination, that I dared to dream of books and stories that could be about me and the unique experiences I have lived because of my identity. And so, with the existence of this anthology and all of its incredible stories within, A Thousand Beginnings and Endings gives me hope – that Asian children, teenagers, and adults will read this and hear loud and clear: yes, we are here, we matter, we have always mattered, and our stories matter. I am forever thankful for this anthology, thankful to its editors and writers for making this happen, and for daring Asian youth to dream, to be inspired, and to inspire in turn.

Is this book for you?

Perfect for: Readers who love anthologies; who love retellings; enjoy reading science-fiction, fantasy, and fantasy short stories; and enjoy learning about other cultures and history.

Think twice if: if you don’t like the above (listed in Perfect for).

Genre: anthology; science-fiction, fantasy, contemporary

Daughter of the Sun by Shveta Thakrar (A South Asian Epic – the Mahabharata): 

This one is actually inspired by two stories belonging to the Mahabharata – the tale of Princess Savitri and Prince Satyavan, and the tale of Goddess Ganga and King Shantanu. I loved getting to know these two tales and especially the retelling that is beautiful! It has a feminist vision to it and it talks about destiny and love. It’s the story of a girl that manages to trick an apsara. It was both inspiring and beautiful!

Overall: 4 stars

I am not sure if Daughter of the Sun (Savitri with Kaguya elements - IE a lunar prince to our solar princess, he is destined to return to the Moon - and Snow Queen elements - IE the lunar nymph as envoy, who whisks Satyavan away - squeeee!), and the other stories in this collection, will be out in any Russian pirate site - but the good news is that 1KBE is available at the Science Fiction Bokhandeln shops in Sweden! Including the one in Gothenburg (SQUEEEEE!) https://www.sfbok.se/produkt/a-thousand-beginnings-and-endings-183997 

So I am now thinking of this Genesis song:

A fall of rain? 
That must have been another of your dreams, 
A dream of mad man moon.

Along with Othello and some others, this story of Savitri and Satyavan -which predates both Portia and the princess in the Fourth Story of the Snow Queen!- is complete catnip for me (speaking of which - I have a Lieutenant Duckling bunny and a Mariusette bunny retelling the story! The former also has the Snow Queen in the role of Hades and a subplot about Liam being wounded with a thorn in the left arm, developing blood poison that, as time goes by, rises up to his heart... while the latter has the Norse goddess Hela, and focuses at first on the countdown as the seasons change and Cosette learns of the Pontmercy-Gillenormand rift - her quest ends reconciling the colonel and the old eccentric, both of them finding common ground. Outside Western media, I also have a Takari bunny - set in an early modern fantasy world, where Kari's friends and family generally have their original names while TK's family all have their Western names - well, his mum got name-changed from Nancy to Annecy! - and hail from counterpart France, where there was a revolution...)

AQUELLOS BALONES DE NIVEA

BALONES DE NIVEA

Otro de los resortes que disparan en nuestro cerebro la evocación de aquellas décadas son los balones playeros. Pelotas inflables que iban desde lo grande a lo gigantesco. Con infinidad de diseños, muchos de ellos a gajos de colores vivos. Pero el rey absoluto en esta categoría era azul oscuro con letras blancas. Una pelota de playa que todavía sigue presente en las playas, cuando multitud de sus iguales y competidores se esfumaron hace décadas del paisaje costero.
Estamos hablando de los legendarios balones o pelotas de Nivea. No exagero al decir legendarios. El balón de Nivea es todo un veterano, anterior no solo al boom playero sino incluso al orden económico, político y social que se impuso en Europa occidental tras la II Guerra Mundial. Porque estos balones aparecieron en los años 30 en Alemania como objetos promocionales para las cremas solares de Nivea.

ONYX, BY ALICIA MICHAELS

#OthElokuu

 

Perchance to Dream: Classic Tales from the Bard's World in New Skins (anthology book)

"Onyx," an adaptation of Othello, by Alicia Michaels, bestselling author of The Bionics series and The Lost Kingdom of Fallada series
A millennium into the future, the world as we know it no longer exists. The Earth has been destroyed, and the humans that remain have expanded into the galaxy, living on space stations and colonies on new worlds—including some that already hosted life when humans arrived. From one of these species of humanoid aliens comes Onyx, who was captured by Earth’s military after a war with his people, the Ethelene, left his planet decimated. Against all odds, the teenage Onyx makes a life for himself, gaining honor and prestige in the military, and falls in love with Dia Tian, the daughter of an Earth colonel. But not everyone is happy about Onyx's success. Isaias Royce, Onyx's ensign, begins whispering secrets of Dia’s infidelity with his first lieutenant, Cronius March, into his ear. But is Isaias truly looking out for Onyx’s best interest? Or is he acting out of jealousy because Onyx chose another man to be promoted instead of him? When the web of lies, truths, and half-truths begin to engulf Onyx, he finds himself unable to discern who his real friends and enemies are... which could lead to him making one of the biggest mistakes of his life...

The year is 3015, and the planet Earth is no more. Existing on space stations strewn about the galaxy, humans are searching for a new planet to call home. Their explorations have led to war with many alien races, leaving their numbers decimated and their position in the universe unstable. 
A humanoid alien captured during one of Earth’s many wars, Onyx is given his freedom in return for joining the planet’s army. He is placed in an elite unit, where he quickly proves himself a good soldier and climbs the ranks. Many shun him because even though he looks like a human, they know he isn’t one. However, there is one person who does not fear him. Onyx cannot help but love Dia Tian, the daughter of his commanding officer, and marries her against her colonel father’s will. Yet, their happy union is threatened when Isaias, Onyx’s ensign begins whispering secrets of Dia’s infidelity with his first lieutenant, Cronius March, into his ear. 
When the web of lies, truths, and half-truths begin to engulf Onyx, he finds himself unable to discern who his real friends and enemies are … which will lead to him making one of the biggest mistakes of his life.


MY HIGHEST HOPES:
For Isaias Royce to be queer, of course! I would like to see how the story unfurls in a space opera setting, especially when it comes to Iago's schemes; the drunken fight, the handkerchief... and of course the homoerotic innuendo, am I right?
The first chapter already gets to a promising start with Isa having a chat with Dia's friendzoned sweetheart Reid Blackford ;) and "shoving Reid back into his seat..."
I would love to read the kegger scene and what kind of poison Isa plies Cronius with... (Yay Iassio ;) ) 

THE SUMMER OF THE SISTERS (TGWDM)

Planeta
releases in Spain in summer



The book won the 2017 Newbery Medal in the US, which may have (given the unchanging iron law of supply and demand) something to do with its rights being given to European publishing companies.
A chase, a quest, an arranged murder: The story is so well plotted the pages fly by.
Barnhill’s language is lyrical and reminiscent of traditional fairy tales, but ­never childish or stereotypical. Magic abounds, both beautiful and dangerous. Enchanted but enigmatic images appear on rocks, and there are seven-league boots so “black . . . they seemed to bend the light.” Almost every female character turns out to have some supernatural ability when needed, but maybe that is another hidden truth: We have the power to make things happen. Speak up. Ask questions. Trust your instincts. Valuable instructions for any reader.

“The Girl Who Drank the Moon” is as exciting and layered as classics like “Peter Pan” or “The Wizard of Oz.” It too is about what it means to grow up and find where we belong. The young reader who devours it now just for fun will remember its lessons for years to come.

But the Lemony narration style is not the only quirk that drew me to The Girl who Drank the Moon: the mention in the review of "a ruthless all-female ­military force," which plays a major role in the plot, as also kept me on tenterhooks. Given that the style and setting, the Ruritanian/quaint Protectorate, place this novel on the map as a retraux flintlock/gaslamp fantasy, I am already wondering what the uniform of this force and its ranks are like -and the ideas of brightly-coloured coats paired with breeches and spats, and the classic Western military ranks we got from the French, are not only catnip for Yours Truly, but also the most likely scenario!-. No, the pet dragon or the origami cranes that fly and give real nasty paper cuts matter nothing to me, but the all-female military -ranks, uniforms, characters within the institution- keeps me on impatient tenterhooks. And, furthermore, there's the fact that at least one high-ranking officer in this all-female military force, like a general or colonel, has such supernatural powers. ****Lesbian Othello AU anyone?****
But now I see that maybe they turn out to be warrior nuns. I WANT NO NUNS. GUNS BEFORE NUNS. GUNS B4 NUNS.
The Sisters of the Star live in a tower that includes a working dungeon and torture chamber. They have expansive libraries and are skilled in many areas of arts, crafts, and combat. They don’t allow others to benefit from their knowledge.
We get to know that they are skilled in the art of poisons (and healing potions; the dose makes the poison after all), martial arts, and the finer points of assassinry... so, something like Xiaolin/ninjutsu?
The Sisters kept their pantries and auxiliary libraries and armories in the seemingly endless floors below ground. Rooms were set aside for bookbinding and herb mixing and broadsword training and hand-to-hand combat practice. The Sisters were skilled in all known languages, astronomy, the art of poisons, dance, metallurgy, martial arts, découpage, and the finer points of assassinry. Above ground were the Sisters’ simple quarters (three to a room), spaces for meeting and reflection, impenetrable prison cells, a torture chamber, and a celestial observatory. 
During his years in the Tower, Antain could hear the Sisters’ grunts in the practice rooms, and he could hear the occasional weeping from the prison rooms and torture chamber, and he could hear the Sisters engaged in heated discussions about the science of stars and the alchemical makeup of Zirin bulbs or the meaning of a particularly controversial poem. He could hear the Sisters singing as they pounded flour or boiled down herbs or sharpened their knives. 
We'll see if these Sisters of the Star lean more towards the Catholic (Inquisition-style) or the Xiaolin (with a dash of ninjutsu), or if they are a syncretic Eurasian mixture of both: if they wear breeches and/or spats beneath robes; if they use firearms, blades, and/or hand-to-hand combat, if they are led by a prioress(/popess?) or a general/commander...
The members of this all-female order form the intelligentsia and artistic class of the Protectorate and hoard all their knowledge the arts and sciences for themselves in their tower, refusing to share it with the common people of the country-esque land. The leader, the Head Sister, appears to be one Sister Ignatia -a female Loyola? The name already makes the bells in my head tingle with that innuendo!-.

RS: Even with Sister Ignatia — we get a revelation at the end. It doesn’t change how we feel about her. She’s evil. She’s scary. But we understand her in a profound way, once we find out why she is the way she is.

KB: Yeah, totally. Sister Ignatia is so far away from her own story. As is Xan, actually. As are a lot of people.

RS: What do you mean by “far away from her own story”? That’s interesting.

KB: Sorrow is dangerous and memory is dangerous too, so there’s only right now, there’s only what’s in front of me. I think a lot of people live that way, and they do so at their peril. Sister Ignatia walled off her sorrow. And yet there it is, still impacting her life, even if she’s not thinking about it.

So there is a Freudian excuse...

Nevermoor

Written by Australian female Lemony narrator Jessica Townsend, and upon its Spanish release due to the fact that it has what The Guardian calls a storm of foreign editions, (once more, supply and demand), this is another novel that keeps me on tenterhooks.
For starters, the genre -gaslamp and/or flintlock fantasy- is definitely one of my favourites, combining all I adore about both period pieces and the supernatural.
This is a gaslamp fantasy set against the backdrop of the Wintersea Republic, an alternate federal republican UK, with various provinces and frontier towns/forts at the borders with enemy country, aside from a resort community (Deepdown Falls Resort and Spa, a popular holiday destination for the upper class) and a Jackalfax Preparatory School, aside from the Harmon Military Academy (headmastered by one Colonel van Leeuwenhoek). The story begins in a provincial town called Jackalfax, which is about Castellón-sized and with the same hinterland mentality and comforts of Castellón, and there is word of frontier towns and forts being stormed by the enemies, since war is coming.
One point about this novel that instantly caught my eye was the use of onomastics here. In sooth, this Aussie has the same knack for coming up with meaningful names as easily as J.K. Rowling and Lemony Snicket.
For instance, the aides to the heroine's father, the ruling chancellor of the largest province in Wintersea, Great Wolfacre, based in a Gothic mansion on the outskirts of Jackalfax (and the usual too-busy widower), are designated by the sobriquets of "Left" and "Right," (which reminds me of Dextra and Nistro in Yu-Gi-Oh Zexal, and their genderflipped Gangler counterparts Destro and Gauche in Lupinranger vs. Patranger! Not to mention Derecho and Esquerdo, the twin governors of Centro in Shoukoku no Altair; or Lefto and Raito, the adorable bunny twins of the Crescent Moon Shop, in Kyoukai no Rin-ne!), regardless of their places as secretaries being filled in by other people, which makes "Left" and "Right" secretary titles, designations for the assistants based on which side of the Chancellor they sit on. "Corvus was always firing his old assistants and hiring new ones, so he'd given up learning their real names."
The blue-eyed, ginger bearded hipster of an eccentric and cheerful, Zeus-y mentor replies to the name of Jupiter North; the dashing Captain Jupiter North (military? sailor/aviator?), is a delightful combination of the best characteristics of Willy Wonka, Professor Remus Lupin, and Newt Scamander. Flamboyantly dapper, with a great flash of red hair. No better name could ever have been chosen for a Zeus-y bearded version of Monsieur Gustave of The Grand Budapest Hotel fame.
The alpha b*tch or queen bee of the Wundrous Society (la Sociedad Fabulánica) is named Cadence Blackburn. Just like "Draco Malfoy," "Cadence Blackburn" sounds equally velvety and aristocratic, and crisp like ice breaking beneath one's feet, with this mix of positive and negative qualities common to this rival type of character. If "Blackburn" alone has this Gothic sound, not unlike the surnames of noble pureblood families or Snicket characters, her given name is musical and elegant, not only semantically, but also phonetically: I think myself it's one of the loveliest words in the English language. (Cadence in MLP:FiM, Cadence as a name in my works).
Her beta b*tch  is Noëlle Devereaux -I love both the lyrical, Christmassy French given name and the French surname, which reminds me of both the assassin who killed Albrecht von Wallenstein, and the traitor Earl of Essex who lost his head during Shakespearean times (both were Devereaux; not to mention, moving from reality to fiction, "Mouth" of The Goonies fame). "Noëlle" and "Devereaux," IMOHO, go together like a horse and carriage, like peaches and cream, like berries and white chocolate.
Among the candidates, there is also the male lead, a mischievous trickster (Mercutio, or Weasley twins rolled into one) and comic relief, and also a dragon rider, known as Hawthorne Swift. I think it's a lovely first name, what with all the connotations of the hawthorn bush and its white blossoms with hope and faerie powers (for instance, the superstition a maiden who washes herself with hawthorn dew at sunrise on the 1st of May -May Day/Beltane- will never lose her beauty in her life). Swift, in the meantime, does not only connote eighteenth-century vitriolic satire, but also the speed and agility he displays as a dragon rider -exactly like Mercutio is named after both the liquid and the god associated with those same qualities!-.
Francis Fitzwilliam -Mr. Darcy and his colonel relative, some works of mine, Fitzwilliam as surname and as given name
Charlie McAlister -Alistair Brower in Candy Candy (a brilliant, nerdy amateur inventor turned aviation lieutenant, killed in action in the sky during the Great War), Alistair Payne, Alistair Wonderland (the descendant of Alice in Ever After High). My virtual husband Alistair, in Farmville 2, is named after all of these characters.
The Javert character, the lawful neutral persecutor of the protagonists, is surnamed Inspector Flintlock. I think it's a pretty excellent surname for a Javert. Furthermore, I think Flintlock(e), even more with an archaic final E, is a pretty radass surname, conjuring an age of the pride, pomp, and circumstance of glorious war, when men were men and gentlemen.
The antagonist overlord, the Wundersmith (and President of Wintersea), is named Ezra Squall.
The mega-neko feline versions of direwolves in this universe wear the clever bilingual name of Magnifi-cats (a bilingual pun based upon a Latin Catholic hymn; Spanished as "Magnifigatos"). And, furthermore, they are sapient and capable of human speech!! SQUEEE!!! The member of the species we get to know the most, the housekeeper (Head of Housekeeping) of the Hotel Deucalion where the kids live and the trials are set, answers to the name of Fenestra. She's a magnifi-cat, a giant talking feline, of  breed. At my mum's, we live two women and a dozen housecats with various personalities, so I consider it a purrfect species (imagine if we had magnifi-cats instead of our regular cats: Ginger would not even fit indoors, while Czarevna would occupy my whole bed!)... I know Czarevna, my favourite (a mackerel tabby kitten), will never become a magnifi-cat, and we are pretty glad that we don't have those at home, but I would prefer to rid a magnifi-cat than a direwolf -never been the doggy kind of person, nor my mum either-.
As for the name Fenestra, it means "window" in Latin (on my own Finestra; while the Fenestra in Nevermoor is named after windows in Latin, my character's name, with an I, is the cognate of the same word from the Italian and Valencian/Catalan - in my story, the one with Haru and Winfried/"Winifred", I am planning on making Cadence and Finestra sisters or blood-related otherwise, and their culture using Eastern name order with an initial D surname -Devereaux, Delacroix, Dermark, Dimarco... storming and adding even my own surname to the mix-; making them D. Cadence and D. Finestra!).
Elder Alioth Saga-Bullman: character type, personality. In my works: Alioth Black and "Aliöth," AKA Laurent-Pascal Enjolras. The star Alioth and Andreu Ciscar. // Saga: meaning in Swedish, in Icelandic. Goddess Saga. Meaning and appearance in my works.
Dame Chandra Kali, the chanteuse
Jack/John Arjuna Korrapati
The witches of Coven Thirteen include an Amity, a Rosario, and a Stella (and, with a Romance mother tongue like Spanish, these names, meaning literally Friendship, Rosary, and Star respectively, cannot conjure up more heartwarming fluff).
There are also lots of Snow Queen elements in this work, as there were in Tone Almhjell's novels, that make it definitely catnip for my taste. Not only the nineteenth-century fantasy world, but also the setting in winter, around Yule, and

Morrigan has her own hurdles to overcome and tasks to endure. In order to join the Wundrous Society, she must compete in four trials, pitting herself against hundreds of other children. Move aside Triwizard Tournament; with so many competitors desperate for a chance at recognition, glory and an education, this is seriously cutthroat. This is a Battle Royale in the very same spirit of the original Japanese novel. If that weren’t bad enough, each child boasts an extraordinary talent that sets them apart — an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have.

Morrigan’s gift of observation is her true skill, she has a wonderful habit of noticing things even the all seeing Jupiter has overlooked. She’s a whip smart protagonist with a kind heart and a shrewd intellect.

Townsend gives Morrigan a fine cast of friends whose personas are all equally engaging. Her mischievous best friend and fellow troublemaker, Hawthorne, the dragon rider. Their steadfast friendship as two oddballs is where you can really feel the sense of family, friendship, and belonging that Morrigan so craves. They thoroughly enjoy each others company, as we do theirs.

Alongside Hawthorne are the inhabitants of the Hotel Deaucalion, including fearsomely loyal Fenestra, the giant cat and housekeeper. Townsend’s writing style is playful and engaging, full of brilliantly whacky flights of fancy such as
transforming buildings that slowly reinvent themselves to fit the personality of their inhabitant, a transport system that would make Mary Poppins proud, and a landscape peppered with startlingly contrasting ideas that make Nevermoor all the more magical.

Morrigan discovers that she must compete in a series of trials for a place in the prestigious Wundrous Society, pitted against hundreds of children with exceptional talents. Morrigan, however, has yet to discover her own.
Don’t be fooled by the gothic opening chapters. Once the mist rises over Nevermoor’s silver gates, a Wizard of Oz-style technicolor transformation takes place. And what a world it is: from the surreal Hotel Deucalion to giant Magnifi-cats and the London-Tube-inspired Wunderground transport system, Townsend’s vibrant world-building is what really sets Nevermoor apart. Spectacular set pieces like the Fright Trial and the Battle of Christmas Eve lend a deliciously cinematic feel to her writing. Add to this clever plotting, irresistibly quirky humour, a truly treacherous villain, and real heart in Morrigan’s quest for courage, hope and identity. It’s very firmly the first in a series – readers finish the book with as many questions as they started – but few will be disappointed: there’s still a whole Wundrous world to discover in future books.

INTERVIEW WITH JESSICA TOWNSEND
1. What are some of your favorite words?
My favorite word of all (and incidentally my favorite smell) is petrichor. I also like mellifluous, egalitarian, mournful, slumgullion, malevolent, benevolent, diaphanous, and resplendent.

7. We create a spelling list for each book we choose, and we had so much fun choosing words from Nevermoor particularly because so many of the character names are really great words you can find in the dictionary. Can you tell us a bit about how you choose character names and what your favorite character name from Nevermoor is?
I’ve always been obsessed with names. When I was little I would write endless lists of the names I loved, so I knew I’d either need to write books or have fifty children. There are some names in Nevermoor that I chose simply because they sound nice together, or they look good on the page, or they just feel right for their character—Noelle Devereaux, for example, and Kedgeree Burns. Others were chosen for their meaning, like Hawthorne Swift (a talented dragonrider of exceptional speed and agility), or Cadence Blackburn (…that one’s a bit of a spoiler).
But my favorite character name is probably Jupiter North. He was named for the Roman god Jupiter, who was the king or father of the gods. Although he is a vaguely rubbish adult, Jupiter does function as Morrigan’s sort-of father figure, and he is also the moral compass of the story—Morrigan’s True North.


UN GIRO INESPERADO 2 (POST-AS OLD AS TIME)

It should have been simple: slay that dragon, cut through that hedge of thorns, pass by all those slumbering guards and courtiers, then up the spiral staircase into the Rose Tower... However, when Prince Philip himself falls unconscious as his lips touch those of his sleeping fiancée... it is clear that the fairytale is far from over.

Aurora and Philip find themselves in their shared dreamland, trying to escape a completely different fortress and completely different thorns; those created by the inner landscape of their subconscious, by identity crises, by their own hopes and anxieties, putting them to the test. With Maleficent's agents following their every move, but also with the three godmothers' assistance, will these two young royals ever awaken from their dream?

With the impending release of a second title in Spain, the canonical title of Braswell's novel series Twisted Tales is now finally revealed to be Un giro inesperado. Hope we get the Jasmine and Mulan books as well, knowing the demand for girl-power fantasies in this title...
Did I mention how much I adored the previous Beauty and the Beast installment, As Old as Time, with its vivid eighteenth-century, surprise villain, and Final Solution parallels? I was instantly hooked to the story told in a fleshed-out setting that emphasizes the period piece nature of the classic fairytale film: Belle eagerly reads Voltaire and listens to Mozart... I am sure as hell that the Sleeping Beauty version will also accurately portray the Gothic Middle Ages in the same lyrism and vivid detail! Still on tenterhooks until the release of next month...