If, like me, you are impatiently waiting for the release of the final book in Steve Feasey's brilliant Changeling series, then you could do a little better than pop over to Paul Kane's Shadow Writer website where you can read the Prologue and first chapter of Zombie Dawn. Less than two months to go until its release, and this short teaser has got me wishing my life away again. Just click on this link to go there http://www.shadow-writer.co.uk/zombiedawn.htm
Showing posts with label wereling. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wereling. Show all posts
Wednesday, 9 March 2011
News: Changeling: Zombie Dawn by Steve Feasey Sneak Preview
If, like me, you are impatiently waiting for the release of the final book in Steve Feasey's brilliant Changeling series, then you could do a little better than pop over to Paul Kane's Shadow Writer website where you can read the Prologue and first chapter of Zombie Dawn. Less than two months to go until its release, and this short teaser has got me wishing my life away again. Just click on this link to go there http://www.shadow-writer.co.uk/zombiedawn.htm
Thursday, 23 September 2010
Review: Demon Games (Changeling) by Steve Feasey
Teenage werewolf Trey is facing the most important and dangerous mission of his life. He must journey into the dark Netherworld and rescue Alexa, daughter of his vampire guardian Lucien, who is being held hostage by a powerful demon lord. But strength and courage alone are not enough to succeed – instead Trey must ‘win’ both their freedoms by participating in a death-match against his deadliest nemesis yet. The forces of evil are stacked against him and Trey can only be certain of one thing . . . one of them WILL die.
Even though it has only been five months since I read the first three books in the Changeling series (pretty much back-to-back as I was playing catch up), it feels like much longer. I wrote a review at the time in which I stated that I was really looking forward to seeing what happened to Trey, Alexa et al next, and this sense of anticipation was heightened even further by the interview that Steve very kindly did for The Book Zone. It was with no small amount of excitement then that I came home from work recently to find a package from Macmillan waiting for me - Demon Games had finally arrived.
The thing I like most about Steve Feasey's writing is that he manages to make every book seem fresh - even though each one is a continuation of a story, he skilfully alters the tone for each new episode. The first book was very much about Trey discovering that he is not a normal boy; Dark Moon saw him gradually coming to terms with his powers, and developing them to the point where he was able to use them in combat, albeit still somewhat reluctantly. And then along came Blood Wolf, a book that was far more about Trey's feelings and his character than the previous two episodes had been; yes, there were other events happening involving Alexa, Philippa and Lucien, but exciting though they were, as a reader I fraced through these scenes to get back to the story of Trey in Canada. With Demon Games Steve Feasey yet again allows his writing to take a different direction - this book is all about bringing the various plot strands together to set us up for a (hopefully) mind-blowing finale in the final book in the series, Zombie Dawn.
Demon Games sees Trey entering the Netherworld proper for the first time in the series. Whilst he was soul-searching in Canada things went pretty badly for his friends back home, and Alexa has now ventured into this land of demons on a mission of her own. Trey, who is finally admitting his feelings for Alexa (to himself at least), realises that the only option is for him to launch his own rescue mission and follow her into the unknown, especially as Lucien is currently AWOL. As such the story is a little more fragmented than previously, as the point of view jumps between the stories of the different characters, from Trey to Philippa, then on to Lucien, Alexa or Caliban and back again, but this jumping around adds to the excitement I felt as a reader as many of the chapters end on a cliffhanger for one character, and we don't necessarily get to discover the resolution of this moment of tension until a chapter or two later. By using this method of telling his story Steve Feasey manages to keep the tension levels are almost inbearable levels, and the reader fully interested in every character's story, and not just Trey's.
Having the whole story set in the Netherworld also allows Steve Feasey to let his imagination run riot, with vivid descriptions of landscapes, cities and inhabitants, and it is this latter category where he really lets rip - there are more demons and nether-creatures in this book that any of its predecessors, and most of them are pretty nasty. The Demon Games of the title are an event that Trey find himself competing in (I will leave you guessing as to the prize if he winds), and I have a feeling that the author had a great deal of fun in writing these scenes.
Like all great 'penultimate book in a series' books Steve Feasey leaves some tantalising loose ends to keep us hungry for the final episode, and judging by the final revelations in Demon Games, and the amazing cover for Zombie Dawn, I think Changeling fans are in for one hell of a treat with the next book as well. Steve also has a growing legion of fans in the US, where the first book in the series was released as Wereling back in April, and Dark Moon scheduled to be published in February 2011. I feel a little sorry for American fans of the series that they are so far behind us UK readers, but please believe me US readers of The Book Zone - the wait is more than worth it.
Demon Games is available to buy right now and my thanks go to Macmillan for providing me with a copy to review. I love this 'job'!
(That's book two finished in the R.I.P. Challenge)
Wednesday, 21 April 2010
*** Interview with Steve Feasey (author of the Changeling series)
First of all..... why werewolves? What makes them so special in your eyes?
I suppose we’re on the crest of a vampire phenomenon at the moment, but I’ve always loved the brutal animality of werewolves. Let’s face it, in a straight-up, one-on-one fight between a vamp and a lyco, there really is only going to be one winner isn’t there? Having a teenage protagonist who also happens to be a werewolf allows me to explore the analogy between shapeshifting and the child-teenager-adult change. And werewolf transformation scenes are SUCH great fun to write!
I did a lot of looking into the ancient werewolf and vampire legends. I needed to know which aspects of the legends I wanted to keep, and which parts I would make up to suit the world I was going to be imagining. The internet is great for that sort of thing. You can quickly build up a large information dump of the useless, the quirky, the helpful, and the downright scary. Sifting through it all is another matter…
I was amazed at how some of the beliefs in these supernatural creatures were still in existence today. At school visits I often tell the true story about a family in Romania who, because they believed their neighbour was a vampire, carried out the most bizarre ritual at his grave. This was as recent as five or six years ago!
Do you visit the locations that you write about?
I have visited most of the places that the books have been set in so far (London, Amsterdam, Iceland). I’ve never been to Canada which is the setting for most of book three, Changeling: Blood Wolf, but as it was a remote rural woodland setting, I figured I could get away with making most of that up.
Book Four is set in the Netherworld, and I’ve been visiting that every time I’ve sat at my desk in the last six months.
What do you see as the main influences on your writing?
I think I get influences from lots of different sources. I don’t particularly have a favourite sort of book, and I enjoy switching between genres and authors. But I think the fantasy adventure and sci-fi stuff I read as a teenager have had a big influence on the Changeling books.
Imperilment. Good fiction relies on placing your protagonist in dire situations. The bigger the peril, the more impact that it will have on the character, whether in a positive or negative way. Horror allows you to place your characters in the direst of situations, and for me it is those characters’ reactions to those situations that makes horror so much fun to write (and hopefully to read).
What was your first introduction to horror in literature?
I was about twelve years old and I was at a loss for something to read, having just finished a book. I wandered into my older sisters’ room and found a copy of Carrie by Stephen King on the bedside table. I read it and it scared the living wits out of me (I had to sleep with the light on that night).
Do you have a favourite horror book or horror movie?
I think that my favourite horror book is Falling Angel by William Hjortsberg. I read it on holiday as a teenager and fell in love with the dark, gothic feel that it had, despite the fact that it is set in the deep south of America. It was one of those books that I came across quite by accident, and it has a great twist at the end.
Do you remember the first horror movie you ever saw?
It was one of the Hammer Horror vampire movies. They were really corny, and I think I’d laugh at it now. But at the time I was terrified.
Who/what in your opinion is the ultimate horror movie monster?
Alien. It’s my favourite horror movie. As I’ve said, I used to read quite a bit of sci-fi when I was younger. When I saw Alien, I was blown away. You get three monsters for the price of one. *SPOILER ALERT* Firstly, you get the crab-like monster that attaches itself to the astronaut’s face, and plants something in his stomach. Next is the thing that bursts out of his stomach in one of the great movie scenes, and this grows into a thing with more teeth than you can shake a stick at. It has acid for blood, for heaven’s sake! Of course, the monster sets about killing the entire crew. Hey, there’s nowhere to run in space. Classic stuff.
What scares you?
Now I’m an adult, proper scary stuff like income tax.
I’m still capable of scaring myself witless if I’m in the house alone with a good book or film.
Some people think that horror writers must be a little weird to come up with their stories. Would you agree with them?
I think writers as a whole have to be a bit weird to do what they do. But yeah, I think it helps if you have a taste for the macabre if you want to write stuff that makes other people reluctant to turn the light out at night.
I think that most people, but particularly younger people, like being scared. Hey, there’s a reason that rollercoasters are so popular with teenagers. The cool monsters help too.
What would you say to people who think that horror stories are not suitable for young people?
I would have to choose my words carefully. There is no such thing as a ‘type’ of book that is unsuitable for young people (just as there is, with a couple of obvious exceptions, no subject matter that is unsuitable). I think it’s the way that the ‘genre’ is handled. Clearly, a stomach-churning gore-fest book like Jack Ketchum’s cannibal stuff is not suitable for younger readers, but would anyone seriously think that it could be bad for someone to read Stoker or Shelley (Dracula and Frankenstein)?
There are some pretty violent moments in your books. How do you gauge the right level of violence?
They always start out, in the earlier drafts of the books, more violent than they end up. If I only listened to the majority of young boys that I meet during events, I’d end up with something like the Ketchum books I referred to in the last answer. But I think it’s better to hold back the violence a bit, and I tend to get a feel for when I’ve gone too far. Besides, if there is too much gore, the readers get inured to it, and it loses any impact that you hoped it to have.
Do you have time to read any of the many books for children that are published these days? If so, are there any other books or authors that you would recommend fans of your books to read?
To be honest, I don’t read much YA fiction. That’s not to say I don’t read any, and recently I enjoyed Meteorite Strike by A.G. Taylor as well as Sebastian Faulks’s Revolver. I’m also re-reading His Dark Materials by Phillip Pullman at the moment.
I recently had a Graphic Novel themed month on my blog. Do you read graphic novels and if so do you have any favourites?
I love Graphic Novels. I’m a big fan of The Walking Dead series, and I also like The Punisher books. Oh, and Batman. Everyone loves Batman, right?
I’m writing book four at the moment, which will be called Changeling: Demon Games. It’s a slightly different format from the other books because it is set exclusively in the Netherworld. It’s great fun, but a difficult book to write. I plan for there to be five books in total.
Is there anything else you would like to say to the readers of this blog?
Just that there’s a book for everyone out there. Whatever floats your boat, there are people writing to suit your tastes.I’m really glad that it’s seen as cool to read again. Maybe that makes me cool by association? Hmm, maybe not…
~~~~
Another great interview on The Book Zone from another great horror writer. Thank you Steve for taking the time to answer your questions - I hope we can do something again in the future. If you want to read more about Steve and his books then you can find his website here.
Sunday, 11 April 2010
Review: The Changeling Series by Steve Feasey
Trey thought he was an ordinary teenager. Then he meets a mysterious stranger, Lucien Charron – luminously pale, oddly powerful, with eyes that seem flecked with fire and skin that blisters in sunlight. Somehow Trey finds himself in a luxury London penthouse, like a Bond villain’s lair. It’s the heart of a sinister empire, built on the powers of the netherworld – werewolves, vampires, sorcerers, djinns. And Trey himself has a power that’s roaring to break free. Is he a boy or is he a beast?
The world has gone vampire crazy and adult books featuring these creatures of the night and a host of other supernatural beings are being released almost daily under the banner of Urban Fantasy. In YA literature however, vampires and Shan's demons were reigning supreme, until the beginning of 2009 when the first book in Steve Feasey's Changeling series was released (the series is known as Wereling in the USA). Having become a little bored with the genre I never picked up Changeling at the time, and it is only recently that I have read the books, thanks to Dom Kingston at Macmillan who sent me all three of the books released so far. I am so grateful that he got in touch through my blog - it was a rare luxury to be able to read three excellent books in a series for the first time, almost back-to-back.
The first book in the series focuses on orphan Trey's personal voyage of discovery as he finds out that he is a werewolf, the only pure blood still in existance. He is helped on this journey by his new vampire mentor Lucien Charron, Lucien's daughter Alexa, and tough guy/troubleshooter Tom Callaghan, one of the few humans we come across in these books. This new found 'family' aid Trey in coming to terms with his new abilities, and also train him in the skills he will need should he ever come face to face with his nemesis, the evil vampire Caliban, who is determined to wipe all pure blood werewolves off the face of the planet.
I am determined not to give too much away in case you have not yet read any of these books, so I am not going to mention too much of their plots. Suffice to say, Steve Feasey has created a well imagined world, where creatures of the netherworld are used for both good and bad. The author has dreamed up a myriad of these nether-creatures, including shapeshifters, a battle-angel and my favourite, the particularly nasty Necrotroph. This demon is pure evil, desribed as a "hard-to-kill parasitic demon. Inhabits a body and controls the victom's mind. Leaves its prey dead or insane". The Necrotroph plays a big part in the second and third books and the scenes in which it appears are particularly dark and terrifying. Steve Feasey very kindly provides us with a demon lexicon in each of the books, a nice reference aid to help the reader keep up with the array of creatures that appear throughout the story.
Boys will love these books (and probably a large number of girls as well). Trey is a very believable character and despite being a werewolf many boys will be able to identify with him and the challenges and new emotions he faces. The plot is very fast paced and full of great action scenes, and there are many quieter moments that help build the tension so that the final climactic scenes feel even more rewarding when you get to them.
Trey is no Twilight Jacob Black-style shapeshifter; when he changes he becomes a werewolf in the traditional sense - half human, half wolf - a brutal, towering beast who manages to retain his human thoughts and emotions only by wearing an ancient amulet that prevents him from becoming Wolfan, when his animal side would completely take over. It is not until the third book, Blood Wolf, that we see what a Wolfan is really capable of, and it certainly ain't pretty. In this book Trey's voyage of discovery takes him further afield, when he flies to Canada to search for his long estranged Uncle Frank. Where the other books focused on Trey's fight against Caliban and his netherworld forces this book is much more about Trey trying to find somewhere he feels he truly belongs. During this Canadian visit he discovers the LG78, a pack of Wolfan living on Frank's land, and these creatures do not have an amulet to suppress their basic animal instincts, and at this point Steve Feasey really lets rip and we see far more blood than in either of the previous books.
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