Review: Spoil of War

OK. I realize I am REALLY behind in life, pretty much in general, but specifically with book reviews. I try to keep the blog balanced between writing-related stuff and reading-related stuff, but lately I've just not been feeling either of them, although I've read some fabulous books as of late. So, I'm going to try to play catch up a little bit here, starting with Phoenix Sullivan's Spoil of War.

And yes, this does tie into the interview from Tuesday. If you haven't read it, you should, ESPECIALLY if you're contemplating self-publishing. Phoenix has a lot of great insights into the process, marketing, etc. She's quite smart and a lot of fun to talk to.

Onward with the review!

I'll preface this by saying that I'm in love with all things Knights of the Round Table. I took a Middle Ages literature course, voluntarily, for Pete's sake. So when I found out Phoenix's book was a take on Arthurian legend, I was all over it. And thankfully, I was already informed of the culture because parts of this book tend to be brutal.

Here's the blurb from Amazon:

Elsbeth of Olmsbury desires nothing beyond helping her father run his dukedom - until the duke's forces are overwhelmed, his castle torched and Elsbeth seized for the invading king's personal spoil. Expecting the same abuse as the other surviving women of her house, Elsbeth instead finds the king, Leodegrance, treating her with a civility that belies his flagrant desire for her. A desire that will have her his consort in Cameliard once he can convince her rank and duty alone forced his hand against her father.

But Elsbeth is not so easily won. There is the matter of Leodegrance gifting his steward with an unwilling young handmaid from Elsbeth's household. Of his marriage of convenience to his Byzantine queen. And of his plans to subjugate more of Britain's citadels and unite the wild isle under Roman rule.

If Elsbeth can't find her tangled way to forgiveness with the king - or escape the dark designs and perverse desires of Uther Pendragon, enemy to them both - then a legend of Camelot may never be conceived, never be born, and never change history forever ...

Please note: This novel takes place in a harsh era when spoils were often treated as commodities. While the violence toward women and children is period-appropriate and for mature adults only, it is never gratuitous. The story focuses on adaptation, survival and, ultimately, love in the Dark Ages before Arthur was made king.

I'm trying not to make this review purely "I LOVED THIS BOOK" even though I did. I felt for Elsbeth, as she watches her entire life go up in flames. Her beauty proves to her downfall (which reminds me of Robin McKinley's Deerskin) when Leo chooses her to be his personal captive, if you know what I mean. Leo's treatment of Elsbeth begins as one would generally expect. She's property, pure and simple. It's the way of war, really, and even though Elsbeth had steeled herself for a day like this, she wasn't prepared for the total devastation surrounding her, and she basically goes numb, at least in my opinion. She spends a large part of the book this way as well, trying to rationalize the carnage and trying to keep hope alive that she may be to escape, or that Leo will just let her go.

As the book progresses, we start to see a change in Leo. Keep in mind, Leo is NOT--I repeat: NOT--a conventional romance hero. NOT. Nor is he meant to be. He is a king, Elsbeth is little better than cows at this point. However, Leo begins treating Elsbeth a little more humanely. She's already prized by Leo, thus earning her a place in the castle itself rather than the bailey where the rest of the captive women have been forced to live basically in squalor. And Elsbeth begins to feel the faintest hint of something like affection for her captor. He keeps her safe from his men, feeds her, ensures she's clothed. She doesn't have to worry so much, but she's become like a caged bird. She misses her freedom, and she has no qualms about letting Leo know exactly how badly she wants her freedom.

Elsbeth also develops a kinship with Leo's wife, who was barely more than spoil herself. She was given to Leo as part of an agreement with her father. Not uncommon, especially if you've seen Braveheart. So the ladies can sit and discuss the various ways their lives have changed since Leo entered their lives. Lynette is a true romantic at heart, a woman so in love with mythology that she hopes to someday find a love as strong as that in the stories she treasures. She hasn't found it with Leo, though. Leo isn't a monster, but he is a hard man, battle-hardened and full of the arrogance that comes with being a new ruler. His expectations of Lynette, most notably bearing him a son, turn her cold to him, but she feels some relief with Elsbeth's presence. Now Leo has someone else to cast his attentions on, and Lynette can be left alone.

And since everything seems to be hunky-dory, we have to throw in a wrench in the form of a hunky errant knight named Patrise, while Leo is away campaigning against the Pendragon (yes, THAT Pendragon). Oh Patrise. He's like Iago in a way. Sly, calculating, and bending people to his will. He tries to bed Elsbeth (against her will, poor thing), and when they get caught red-handed by the Queen, he tells Lynette that Elsbeth forced herself on him. Of course, a knight of such valor and blah blah blah that Lynette TOTALLY has a thing for would NEVER lie. So Lynette has no choice but to believe him over Elsbeth. Enraged? I was. Had it not been my computer at stake, I would have thrown the book. Not because this didn't feel natural but because sisterly kinship is almost always broken because of a man. But I also pitied Lynette because, as the reader, we KNOW she's going to get screwed over somehow. Patrise is just too slimy.

It doesn't take long for Patrise to ruin EVERYTHING.

Oh, readers, this is when it gets JUICY. I don't want to spoil *LOL* the rest of the book for you. Really, this is one you need to pick up for yourselves because it gets gloriously crazy toward the end.

However, I will address one of the issues I know is floating around the interwebs. As I was writing this I took a gander at Amazon to get the blurb and read a few of the reviews there. They seem to fall at either 4-5 stars or 1 star with NONE in between. This book has been described as "polarizing" and I guess it is. There are accounts of brutal rape. There is an 11-year-old who becomes the spoil of one of Leo's knights and closest friends, and she does get treated AS spoil. It's not easy. It's not easy for Elsbeth to bear, either. Regardless of the implications that rape is treated as "romance," it is not. There is nothing romantic about rape, and rape is not treated as a romantic device. This was the reality for captive women . Hell, where war's involved, it still IS the reality for captive women, and that's one of the things you as a reader need to be aware of when reading this novel. It's a historical fantasy with romantic elements, and it does give us a HEA, but it is NOT romance.

Spoil of War is more a story of survival and overcoming brutality. There is affection and what constituted love in the time period, but Elsbeth is adapting to her new life as best she can. And sometimes, that means making your bed with those you consider your enemies.

Overall, I give "Spoil" a five out of five. This book's just too damn good. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

If you're interested in purchasing the book (and you should be, darnit!), then click here!

You can't please everybody

Working at a hotel has offered me a plethora of great insights, but the most notable, and probably writing-applicable, is this: you simply cannot please everybody.

I know this is a tried and true statement of the writing world. For instance, a lot of you reeeeeeeeeeeeally like Duality and I've gotten a lot of "I don't usually read science fiction but this sounds interesting" comments, but so far I'm up to 17 rejections out of 22 queries. That being typed, it occurred to me this morning that someone will say yes, if all the planets are in alignment and I wish upon enough stars.

No one's book is for everybody, just like no hotel is for everybody. It shouldn't be (except mine, on both accounts ;).) If you write to please everyone else, then you're not pleasing yourself. If you write to please yourself, then you'll alienate some people, but there will be others who enjoy/fall in love with/obsess over/create fanfiction for your book. And there will be those who disparage it for one reason or another, don't like it, etc. And those are the people we ignore :-D

But seriously. You can pick pretty much every book in existence from the Bible to Twilight to whatever, and I guarantee you'll find at least one person who does not like that book, even though it might be a bestseller or the greatest book ever written EVER. Like hotels, everyone's experience with a book is different. I'm not a huge fan of present tense, but I have found books that I enjoy in present tense. I'm not a huge fan of contemporary, but I cried like a baby when I read My Sister's Keeper. Experiences color our perceptions. Maybe an agent you're querying had a bad experience with a book similar to yours and didn't want to chance it. Maybe something about your writing style just didn't appeal to them. There are some people who refuse to stay in anything but Hiltons. There are people who refuse to stay in Hiltons. It's all a matter of preference.

So don't get terribly discouraged if you get a rejection. (I really need to take my own advice.) Don't give up. There may come a time when you need to trunk your novel, and you'll know it. But don't do it until you've exhausted every avenue. Trends fluctuate, minds change, attitudes matter--theirs and yours.

Finally remembered what I wanted to talk about...

Over the weekend, I received a*nother* form rejection from an agent I would have nuked Paris to work with (and dammit, I love me some Paris even though I've never been). I was sad for a while (two days). And then I started talking about my book with friends.

And I felt a LOT better about it. Because I realized how much I love it.

Here's the thing. I know rejections hurt. They suck. But this is a business. And rejections are business decisions. Much like not getting that awesome job you applied for. A candidate is better suited to their needs, but that doesn't mean you won't get a job somewhere else. A job where the staff is really excited you're there. A supportive place. A place you actually don't hate going every day.

Personal story: In Cincinnati, there are two main publishing houses. F+W publishing (which prints "Guide to Literary Agents") and the other one I can't remember the name of. Anyway, they're both non-fiction pubs, but I thought it'd be awesome to work there, get my foot in the door. Learn about the other side. I'm a grammar nazi. I know how to work with writers. I am a writer, so I understand the inner workings of the craft.

I didn't get hired at either one. And yes, I've applied again. And...yeah...nope.

Yes, I was devastated. What good is an English degree when you don't want to teach or write for newspapers? I wondered (oh yeah, totally just did that). So I had my little pity party. I applied at other places, but F+W just seemed like THE ONE.

After working a few temp jobs, I finally landed at my hotel. And yes, sometimes I dread the act of going to work. I wonder if the guests will be awesome or a-holes. But I can honestly tell you that this is the only job I've ever had where I feel at home. Where my mood improves when I come in. Where people are genuinely glad I'm here.

And I want that feeling with the agent or pubber who picks up my book. I want them to be genuinely happy and excited that they chose my book. And me.

Maybe it won't be Duality. That's a fact I have to face. SF isn't hot right now. It could potentially be Spark. Or TTA. But whichever one it is, I want the person who chooses it to love it as much as I do. Love it more, even. Cuz even though the agent who passed was a potential One, she just wasn't The One. And I'm okay with that.