Speculative Fiction Author David Debord

The Latest News

2011-11-04T08:30:00.000-07:00

I received a very nice email from a reader asking about the status of the next Absent Gods book, which reminded me that I haven't posted an update. The working title is The Gates of Iron and we're tentatively planning a summer 2012 release.

I do have one bit of great news! The audiobook version of The Silver Serpent is in production and will be released on Audible and through iTunes in early 2012. Hopefully Keeper of the Mists will follow in short order.

Also, readers might have noticed the great new cover art for the series, done by the talented Fiona Hsieh. Here is the front cover art for Keeper of the Mists, depicting Shanis in an important scene toward the end of the book. I love the new look!

Review- A Dance With Dragons by George R.R. Martin

2011-07-28T09:14:00.000-07:00

I haven't posted in a long while, so I thought I'd share my review of George R.R. Martin's A Dance With Dragons.

I loved this book! It was definitely better than A Feast for Crows- I'd say about as good A Clash of Kings. The book focuses on the characters whom we didn't see in AFfC, so we actually go back in time a little bit before catching up with the previous book and moving forward. Tyrion's POV chapters are excellent, as always, and don't turn out as expected. Jon Snow shows a heavy dose of the Ned Stark influence as he tries to balance the needs of the Night Watch with those of humanity, including the Wildlings, who need protection from the Others. We get surprisingly entertaining chapters from Theon Greyjoy's point-of-view. There are other POVs that are very good, but I won't list them all here.

My least favorite sections are those focusing on Bran and those of Daenerys. Bran's chapters are good, but few, and it's difficult to see where he's going to fit in the greater storyline. It's almost as if Martin is holding him in abeyance until he's ready to use him later. Daenerys has become indecisive and guilt-ridden, struggling to control her dragons, trying to be a good queen to those whom she's freed from slavery, and hold on to her goal of conquering Westeros. Her story line is not bad, but it goes on far too long, and her weakness is disappointing. I suspect Martin needed to slow down her progress so that all the plotlines can converge at the proper time.

Martin throws in a few surprises, some of them nasty, and one Red Wedding/Ned beheading-level shocker about which I'm still unhappy, to say the least. If you love Song of Ice and Fire, you'll love A Dance With Dragons.

The Silver Serpent is #1

2011-01-03T10:15:00.000-08:00

It's a brand new year, and it's off to a great start! I was thrilled to discover that The Silver Serpent is currently #1 on Amazon UK's Kindle chart in the Historical Fantasy category! Keeper of the Mists is also on the charts at #14 (and at #75 on the Amazon US chart in the same category.) I appreciate everyone whose support continues to make these books a success.

As I look ahead at the coming year, I'll be working on the next Absent Gods book, tentatively titled The Gates of Iron, and possibly a few smaller speculative fiction projects.

Wishing you all the best in the coming year.

David

It's Finally Here!

2010-11-01T16:34:00.000-07:00

At long last, Keeper of the Mists is available for purchase!

Here's the quick synopsis:

Keeper of the Mists

Destiny, or perhaps mere chance, has chosen Shanis Malan to be the bearer of the Silver Serpent, the one prophesied to bring an end to decades of clan war, but a pretender has risen in the East, and enemies invade her homeland on all sides. Will she choose the path that leads back to the home she loves, or will she accept her destiny and face the Keeper of the Mists?

Buy it at:

Amazon (paperback)

Amazon (Kindle)

Barnes and Noble (paperback)

Barnes and Noble (Nook)

Smashwords (multiple e-formats)

Keeper of the Mists chapter 5

2010-03-18T14:06:00.000-07:00

Keeper of the Mists Chapter 5

Keeper of the Mists Chapter 4

2010-02-06T20:40:00.001-08:00

KotM04

Keeper of the Mists Chapter 3

2010-01-13T15:55:00.001-08:00

KotM03

Keeper of the Mists Chapter 2

2009-12-29T15:20:00.001-08:00

KotM02

Read a Preview of Keeper of the Mists!

2009-12-06T19:28:00.001-08:00

I realize my progress has been slow on KotM. Events in my immediate family have significantly impacted my available writing time, and my emotional ability to immerse myself into a fantasy world to the depth required for good writing. I am, however, very excited about this book, and I don't want to leave you dedicated readers hanging (thank you for the e-mails- even the semi-threatening ones) so I'll be posting preview chapters.

A few warnings:
1- Spoilers abound.
2- This is not a polished draft. You'll find plenty of errors in this preview.
3- I reserve the right to change my mind about anything you read here.

KotM01

Enjoy, and please leave comments!

Dave

Special Treat for Halloween!

2009-10-29T20:25:00.000-07:00

Want to read a free book? How about several free books? On Halloween, Gryphonwood Press and Blade Red Press will be giving away all their books for free! (Including a certain novel by yours truly...) Visit the Gryphonwood blog for more details.

Sci-Fi and Fantasy Day

2009-06-23T19:15:00.000-07:00

Today is Sci-Fi and Fantasy Day. I'm a little slow on the uptake here, but I thought I'd take a moment to reflect on a few of my all-time favorites:

1- The Wheel of Time series by Robert Jordan
This series inspired me to write epic fantasy. I love the detailed attention to cultures and traditions and the complex interweaving of plot lines.

2- Ender's Game by Orson Scott Card
This is one of those rare books I've actually re-read a couple of times, and enjoyed it every time.

3- A Song of Ice and Fire series by George RR Martin
Martin's world is so masterfully crafted, you sometimes believe you are reading historical fiction.

4- The Belgariad and The Mallorean series by David Eddings
I skipped classis and hid in the college library, reading, because I had to know how the last book ended.

5- Crystal Rain by Tobias Buckell
A truly original and entertaining Sci-fi novel.

Progress Bar

2009-06-20T09:09:00.000-07:00

I added a progress bar to track Keeper of the Mists. I estimate that about 41% of it is completely ready to go. That's not to say more of it has not been written- just that not all of what is written is publishable. I'll be posting a new preview chapter soon!

Has it really been that long since I posted?

2008-12-03T17:11:00.000-08:00

Holy crap! (As the grandfather from Everybody Loves Raymond is fond of saying.) It's been a great year. The Silver Serpent has been well-received, and the encouraging e-mails are greatly appreciated. For the first time ever, I received fan mail from Indonesia. I'm working on being worldwide.

Keeper of the Mists is getting there. I've only killed off a few familiar faces, but I'm not saying any more than that... I've been using Radio Rivendell for my background music while writing. If you haven't checked it out, it's worth the click.

I guess that's it. Back to work.

Wishing everyone a safe and happy holiday season.

Dave

Moving right along

2008-04-15T12:29:00.001-07:00

I'm back! Had a great Spring Break and now I'm back in the writing groove. Work is coming along nicely on Keeper of the Mists. Keeping my fingers crossed for a Christmas release.

In other news, I noticed that The Silver Serpent hit #3 in kindle Epic Fantasy. Yee ha!!

If you're bored, don't forget to friend me on MySpace and drop me a note.

Until next time,
Dave

Fantasy Book Critic Reviews The Silver Serpent

2008-03-05T10:46:00.000-08:00

Fantasy Book Critic has reviewed The Silver Serpent. Here are some highlights:

"I was quite impressed with the book. The characters were well-crafted, the pacing excellent, the prose was straightforward but accomplished, and the story was an enjoyable blend of adventure, intrigue, and humor. In fact, as far as traditional fantasy goes, I think fans of Terry Brooks and David Eddings could easily enjoy The Silver Serpent..."

"...there’s actually much to like with David’s story starting with the fact that there are two parties trying to fulfill the prophecy. In addition to this little twist, there are also different factions that either oppose or support the discovery of the Silver Serpent and the mysterious sai-kur who have their own hidden agenda. On top of that, David plants the seeds for a number of interesting subplots—a pending war, a traitor amongst Shanis’ friends, Hierm taking responsibility for his actions—that should take effect as the series progresses, while also hinting at a much larger world. "

I appreciate what I feel was a very fair review. You may read the entire review at Fantasy Book Critic.

More good news!

2008-02-26T16:42:00.000-08:00

Things are going great with The Silver Serpent! Two weeks ago, the book hit the top 100 fantasy series list for the first time ever! Today, the kindle version reached number five in epic fantasy and number eighteen among all fantasy titles! It's so gratifying to know that people are reading (and hopefully enjoying) my book. Thanks!

The Silver Serpent has been reviewed on Blogcritics

2008-01-31T06:44:00.001-08:00

Click here to read the Asgard Oracle's review of The Silver Serpent. Asgard was kind enough to provide me with an advance quote, and now the entire review is up.

A Woo Hoo and an Update

2008-01-01T18:48:00.000-08:00

It's a small woo-hoo, but a woo-hoo nonetheless. The Silver Serpent has not hit the shelves, but the kindle version is out on Amazon.com. I've been tracking its ranking, and tonight it hit#10 in epic fantasy, right smack between two George RR Martin titles. If I'm going to be sandwiched, couldn't it be between two attractive female authors, instead of a couple of GRRMs? (Nothing against one of my favorite authors, but you know what I'm saying..."

In other news, work on Keeper of the Mists is coming along nicely. Half the continent either went to or mobilized for war in the chapter I just finished, which always makes for exciting writing.

Wishing everyone a happy and blessed New Year.

Dave

The Silver Serpent is Available for Pre-order

2007-12-09T13:30:00.000-08:00

You may now order pre-order The Silver Serpent on amazon.com. Hope you enjoy it!

In Memory of Robert Jordan

2007-11-23T12:23:00.000-08:00

I was in a dry spell. I'd read The Hobbit and Lord of the Rings, forgotten about reading for pleasure in college, then re-discovered Tolkien after graduation. I read the Shannara books and wanted more fantasy, but nothing on the library shelves ever looked good. I'd been too cheap to spend money on new books, but I had a craving for a good epic fantasy. I headed to the local bookstore determined not to leave until I'd found an author I thought I'd like.

I scanned the shelves without much hope. Doubtless my eyes passed over many titles I would later come to love, but nothing appealed to me at the time. And then I saw The Eye of the World. Something about the title drew me in. I took the book off the shelf and loved the cover art. The blurbs sounded good, so I bought it.

That night I found myself painfully bored with the rantings of Lews Therin who had killed... I don't know, everyone he'd ever met... but doggone it, I had paid good money for this book and I was going to read it. I slogged through the prologue and on to chapter one.

"The Wheel of Time turns and..."

Okay, I won't recite the whole thing, but I was hooked. I devoured Eye of the World and headed out that weekend to pick up The Great Hunt, which I also loved. I was even happier to learn that The Dragon Reborn would be out on hardcover the following month. Naively thinking there was an unwritten law that fantasies were trilogies, I was left, mouth agape when I realized that the story wasn't nearly over. If I had only known...

After that I had an insatiable craving for epic fantasy. Wheel of Time was my gateway drug. David Eddings was next up, followed by Feist, Allan Cole and Chris Bunch, J.V. Jones, David Farland, David Drake more Terry Brooks, and then George RR Martin. When the stretches between installments of Wheel of Time and Song of Ice and Fire grew interminably long, I missed the stories. I actually missed Rand, Mat and Egwene the way you miss old friends (didn't miss Nynaeve all that much). I longed to immerse myself in a fantasy world that was so real I could almost touch it, but no other author, to my mind, held a candle to Misters Jordan and Martin, particularly the former.

I scratched my itch by writing. I wanted to feel a connection with a fantasy world like the one Jordan had created. I wanted to know characters so intimately that I could laugh or cry with them. Crafting my own world and characters was an amazing and humbling experience that made me admire the masters even more. I can only dream of some day being one-tenth the writer Robert Jordan was, but his work still inspires me. Were it not for his creation, I would have missed out on so much. May we treasure his memory and his literary legacy.

Advance Praise for The Silver Serpent!

2007-11-23T12:22:00.001-08:00

The release of The Silver Serpent is just around the corner. Hugo Award-winning author and illustrator Ron Miller previewed it and had this to say:

As an author who has a clear prediliction for strong female protagonists I found myself very much taken with David Debord's Shanis and her story. He has eminently succeeded in achieving that all-too-rare accomplishment: a believable heroine---and a believable fantasy heroine, at that---by a male author. Shanis can be---and probably will be---placed on the same plane as such classic heroines of heroic fantasy as Robert Howard's Belit and Red Sonja, C.L. Moore's Jirel of Joiry or Leigh Brackett's Ciaran. "The Silver Serpent" is a superb story told believably and unpretensiously by a superb new fantasy author.

Ron Miller
"The Grand Tour", "Bradamant"

I'm honored to have someone of Ron's talent take the time to comment on my work and I hope readers enjoy it every bit as much.