"All ears yearn for a voice to lead them through the darkness."

It's been a while since I have posted a traditional book review but I have one that I just finished reading and I thought I'd share it with you.

The book was Red Rising by Pierce Brown. Depending on who you ask it can be classified as a Young Adult or a Contemporary Fiction. The themes are quite adult and there is some harsh language but I do not believe in censorship so if a teen wants to read it then good for them; there are a lot worse things they could be doing with their time.



Red Rising is the first book, in what is planed to be a trilogy, about Darrow, a Red, who has been instrumental in the colonization process on Mars. Humanity has overwhelmed the capacities of Earth and they have ventured out in a substantial way to prepare Mars for human habitation. The pioneers are divided into castes defined by color with each color providing a service to the new life on Mars. Reds, like Darrow, make up the lowest caste on the color scale with their principle job being to mine below the surface for the energy source that powers the settlement above. Teenage Darrow enjoys the mines and is a prodigy with a quick hand and a sharp attitude.

Darrow and all Reds like him are led to believe that their work below the surface is an honorable task and will one day lead to humanity colonizing the surface of Mars. But Darrow is soon shown the truth; people have been living on the surface for hundreds of years. The Reds have been enslaved with lies and political power and have toiling away in dangerous circumstances at poverty's threshold for an elitist civilization.

After learning the truth, combined with witnessing the brutal execution of his father for speaking out against the government years earlier and his wife, Eo, asking questions and challenging authority he begins to be swept up in a political chess match he wanted no part of. He was told he could be the change, he could make a difference for the people of all colors and be the start of a revolution to bring all colors to the surface.

Darrow is a strong male lead in the vain of Katniss and Ender, and even a bit of Harry Potter circa Order of the Phoenix days, who gets put through enormous transformation on the journey to playing his part in making the world a just place for all colors. He is strong, impulsive, likable, and feared. His transformation as a person both emotionally and physical will have you ensnared by his story. The action and violence of his trials and tribulations will, at times, make the Hunger Games seem like a children's nursery rhyme.

If you are still mourning the end of the Hunger Game series and you love a moderate amount of science fiction then there can be no better book for you. Red Rising took me by surprise and had me cringing, cheering, depressed, and angered along the way.

The second book of the trilogy is called Golden Son and was released earlier this month. If you want to be taken in by a series again and follow a characters journey, there is no one better to place your trust in than the Golden Son himself, Darrow.

2nd Edits

Okay so the honeymoon period is over. I had sent my manuscript out to critique readers and got a nice couple of months away from the pressure and attention that it needed. Well now, I have got my responses and it is time to get back to work.

I received fairly good reviews and even better criticisms for how I can make my story better. Judging from what I remember and the responses from my readers it doesn't need an overhaul but it does need some tweaking.

It makes me anxious to get back to it because I am my own worst critic and I am afraid that I will come back to find it well below my expectations but I need to give myself some credit and go for it.

I created a time table for when I want to get the process completed and I think seeing the dates marked on the calendar will really give me the push to finish it up. I want, one day soon, to be able to have a physical copy of my book that I can shelve next to some of my biggest inspirations and favorite stories. That is the validation for me. Not a chart topping, YA sensation but knowing all the effort and hours I have put in created something that before did not exist.

I created something, I put the story swirling in my head down on paper and that to me is all I need. Until then however, I have a lot of red penning and cutting and pasting to do. I have a lot of plots to weave, characters to flesh out, and story points to wrap up. I know I can do this.

My first attempt at writing has taught me so much and I know that if and when I write subsequent pieces I may look back at this first one and cringe but it will only be because I have come so far from this initial attempt. For now, this story is still commanding my attention and I will give it the final efforts it requires. Stay updated, this will be happening, I promise.


Write on. -T

2015 Reading Challenge

Ah the new year. A time of beginnings, much needed endings and the always enthusiastic yet rarely followed through with resolutions.

I myself am not much of a resolution maker but I am a goal maker. I often write goals or things  I want to accomplish for the month, week or even for the day. My type A personality ensures that I am constantly in the middle of at least one To-Do list.

So this year one of my big goals is to finish the 2015 reading challenge that I was well, challenged to. The list is 50 items long and has criteria like, 'Read a book by an author with your same initials' and 'Read a book that is over 500 pages long'. You can find the entire list on the link below.

http://www.popsugar.com/love/reading-challenge-2015-36071458

 I managed to read 51 books last year which is about one a week but I also took large chunks of time off for my writing so I think I can manage to complete the list with using only one book per category.

I'm looking forward to the challenge because I can all ready tell it will get me out of my reading comfort zone. I like to think I am really open minded when it comes to my book but I do find myself reading similar titles or genres. I can't help what I like but I can also be willing to explore new territory. It will also help me get some of the long term to be reads off the shelf. I am completely guilty of buying multiple new books when I have hundreds I have not read yet.

Along with the challenge that is my biggest reading goal for the year; to read what I have before getting something new as often as possible. Anyone who has an obsession with books like I do knows how hard this will be.

I hope for all you that 2015 is a year of firsts and bests, fun and adventure and most of all, I hope that 2015 is a year of good reading.

-Write on. -T