Time for a little revamping

I've decided to move the New Releases posts to their own page.

The primary mission of Bookshelf Adventures is to introduce readers to books they may never see otherwise. By separating the interviews and book reviews from the new releases, I hope to make it easier for everyone to find what they want to see most.

Let me know what you think.

INTERVIEW Trent Jamieson

I recently found myself in a local bookstore waiting to meet a friend when one of the new releases caught my eye. Managing Death was the name of it. I had just enough time to see that it was the second book in a trilogy when my friend showed up.

So, later that night I downloaded the sample to the first book, Death Most Definite, and was immediately hooked. It didn't take long before I realized I wanted to interview Trent Jamieson for Bookshelf Adventures. Having never done this before, I spent a little time doing some research - then decided to jump in and ask. I wasn't really sure what to expect (after all, how would you feel if a complete stranger emailed you and asked for an interview?) I was pleased to find he was receptive to the idea.

Trent Jamieson has written several short stories and won the Aurealis Award. I anticipate reading a lot more of his work as soon as it comes out. You can find him on the web at Trentonomicon. Trent was kind enough to spend his time answering a few questions for me.


Writing is something that most people can do. However, very few are able to do it well - and even fewer do it well enough to sell what they write. Do you believe that writing well is a skill that can be learned? Or is it more akin to a natural talent that can only be molded?

I think it can be learned, but you have to really want to do it, and to put in the work. Writing is fun, and challenging. But writing professionally, writing for publication is very demanding. You have to be prepared to put in the long hours, often fitting it in around another job and family, with no real expectation of financial return.

Some people start off with a certain level of talent, that's undeniable. But if you're willing to learn, and to work and work and work at it, you never know where you might end up.

Which is why you have to love writing, and why that needs to be its own reward.

When did you know you wanted to be a writer?

Almost since I could write, so around five or six. I've always enjoyed writing stories, and I've always liked having an audience.

What, or who, has had the biggest influence on your writing?

My parents. They encouraged a love of reading in me, and they have always been supportive of my writing. And then, of course, there are the many authors that I grew up reading, Fritz Leiber chief among them.

Death Works has one more book due out later this year. Do you have any plans for further stories in the series?

I do, and I'm actually working on a new story now. As long as people are happy to read the books I'm more than happy to keep writing them!

You are currently working on Roil, a steampunk novel also due out later this year. Any hint as to what we can expect?

It's dark and fast paced. A story set in a world facing an ecological apocalypse. The Roil is a monster-filled darkness spreading across the land, and the story concerns itself with the way various cities and people respond to the threat. It's very different to the Death Works books, much more baroque, but I'd like to think they share a sense of pace and adventure.

And there are lots of really cool monsters in this book. It's a series where I've found a real joy in the names of things (I'm a writer, I get a bit geeky about this stuff). There are Hideous Garment Flutes, Endyms, an armored car called the Melody Amiss and a whole raft of weird nouns and verbs.

When writing later books in a series, do you find that you wish you could change something in one of the earlier books?

I've been lucky so far, though I'd imagine the longer a series goes the more continuity becomes an issue. I'm fairly careful to make sure situation and backgrounds are consistent and I to try and think ahead when I bring in new characters.

But you'd be amazed how often things work out, put it down to the power of the subconscious mind. A throw away line in book one can become an important plot point in book three.

That's part of the excitement of writing fiction, you can plan stuff out, and think you know where you are going, but it doesn't mean that you won't end up in an entirely unexpected place.

I like surprises when I read, and I'm delighted in them when I write.

And finally, is there anything specific you want to say to your readers?

I've been so lucky to have had such a warm response to these books. Nearly every day someone emails me to let me know they enjoyed the books. I just wanted to thank people for enjoying them!

If you like urban fantasy, I can definitely recommend these novels.

REVIEW Whirlwind by James Clavell

Whirlwind: A Novel of the Iranian Revolution
by James Clavell

In the final novel of the Asian Saga, we read a fictionalized account of a helicopter business and its power struggles during the fall of the Shah of Iran. Set against a backdrop of Western and Middle Eastern cultures clashing together, this novel chronicles the escape efforts of Struan's helicopter pilots.

Twenty-five years after it was written, Clavell's masterpiece is an insightful peek into how Western civilization viewed the Middle East. This is truly a fine end to the Asian Saga, and well worth the time it will take to read.

REVIEW Noble House by James Clavell

Noble House
by James Clavell

This is my favorite novel in the Asian Saga. It has dozens of characters - with an equal number of subplots. This novel easily rivals anything by Tom Clancy in terms of scope and complexity. This one has it all: international business espionage, cloak-and-dagger spycraft, criminals, natural disasters, drug smuggling - you name it, it's there.

Furthering the storyline from Tai-Pan, we learn that Struan's is on the brink of financial collapse. Once again, rivals are out to takeover the trading company. Can Ian save the company from Quillan? Only time, and over 1,000 pages of novel will tell.

REVIEW King Rat by James Clavell

King Rat
by James Clavell

This was the first novel I read by James Clavell, and, as such, holds a special appeal to me. While not necessarily my favorite in the Asian Saga - it nevertheless brings back fond memories from high school. In many ways, I believe it contributed to my interest in historical fiction in general, and stories of World War II in particular.

This novel tells the story of a group of American and British P.O.W.s in a Japanese prisoner camp. In particular, three characters are followed: The King is an American corporal, Robin Grey is a British officer, and Peter Marlowe is a younger British officer. Both Grey and Marlowe are minor characters in Noble House. Peter Marlowe, interestingly enough, is based on Clavell himself, who was also a prisoner of war for three years.

A quicker read than most of the novels in the Asian Saga, this is an excellent first book to read to get a feel for Clavell's writing style.

REVIEW Gai-Jin by James Clavell

Gai-Jin
by James Clavell

This novel is the linchpin that ties the story from Shōgun to the Noble House. Here we find the tale of the Struan's foray into Japan.

While chronologically the third book in the Asian Saga, this novel was actually written last. For some reason, this novel seems to suffer a bit. The characters seem a bit more like cardboard cutouts, rather than the rich, full-bodied characterization one usually expects from Clavell. In spite of its weaknesses, this novel still manages to entertain and hold a reader's attention.

REVIEW Tai-Pan by James Clavell

Tai-Pan
by James Clavell

Book 2 in The Asian Saga tells the story of Dirk Struan's founding of the Noble House - a massive trading company set in Hong Kong. The Asian Saga largely revolves around this trading company. Set against Dirk is Tyler Brock, former friend and shipmate, who owns the second-largest trading company in Hong Kong. Their attempts to destroy each other rival any of today's business rivalries - without the niceties of law and order we enjoy now.

All in all, an excellent addition to the saga.