Author: cherylmahoney

I'm a book review blogger and writer. I have published four novels, The Wanderers; The Storyteller and Her Sisters; and The People the Fairies Forget; and The Lioness and the Spellspinners. All can be found on Amazon as an ebook and paperback. In my day job, I'm a Marketing Specialist. Find me on Twitter (@MarvelousTales) and GoodReads (MarvelousTales).

Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond

On By cherylmahoneyIn Reviews, Science Fiction2 Comments

star-trek-beyond-2016-posterI have complicated feelings about the new Star Trek movies.  Complicated.  Feelings.  That didn’t stop me from going to see the newest one, Star Trek Beyond, on opening weekend, or from enjoying it!  But because I’ve noticed that those complicated feelings get more complicated, and tend to shift, the longer I think about these movies, I do feel I have to write a disclaimer…that the review to follow is my initial impression.  It may not be stable.  But it is a little complicated!

This is perhaps the most straight-forward plot we’ve seen yet.  Out in deep space, the Enterprise enters an isolated bit of the galaxy (there may have been a nebula or an asteroid formation or something cutting it off…I didn’t quite follow) to respond to a distress signal.  They encounter unexpectedly fierce enemies and end up stranded on a planet, without a ship and split up into pairs of regular characters, while a madman seeks an ancient weapon to destroy the Federation.

Compared to the last two, that was really straight-forward and logical.  Considering some of the plot problems of the previous two, this was a big step forward!  I liked the decision to split the crew up too, because it gave us a chance to really see everyone.  To some degree this has felt like the Kirk and Spock Show lately, so it was good to see more of the characters get a fair shot.  More on that later. Continue reading “Movie Review: Star Trek Beyond” →

Book Review: Sunborn Rising

On By cherylmahoneyIn Fantasy, Reviews1 Comment

Sunborn Rising_Beneath the Fall_coverWhen I saw a review copy offered of Sunborn Rising: Beneath the Fall by Aaron Safronoff, I couldn’t resist the gorgeous illustrations!  And they turned out to be frequent throughout–and really very gorgeous.

The story is set in a fantastical realm where many different species of arboreals live in an enormous treetop, with only the faintest myths of what lies below—because no one ever returns from the Fall.  Barra, a Listlespur, is intrigued by what could be down below the world she knows, in large part because her long-dead father was an explorer.  With her two best friends Tory and Plicks, both other species, she sets out to investigate rumors of a threat from below. Continue reading “Book Review: Sunborn Rising” →

Interview with the Author of Sunborn Rising

On By cherylmahoneyIn Ruminations1 Comment

Today I’m happy to offer an interview with Aaron Safronoff, author Sunborn Rising (read my review here).  First, a bit about Aaron, and then we’ll get into some questions!

Aaron Safronoff 2Aaron Safronoff is the author of the Discovery Award winning science fiction novel, Spire. Since his debut, he’s published a sequel, Fallen Spire, and a novella of literary fiction, Evening Breezes.

Safronoff’s diverse background includes the formal study of computer science, bio-chemistry, and culinary arts. However, most of his career has been in the videogame industry in quality, production, and design.

Today, Safronoff is the co-founder and Chief Storyteller of Neoglyphic Entertainment, and is busy writing his fifth novel, the second installment of the Sunborn Rising series.

Aaron: Thank you, Cheryl, for inviting me to answer questions for you and Tales of the Marvelous, on this virtual tour. Fun stuff 🙂 .

Cheryl: What advice would you give writers as they’re starting out?

Aaron: Get outside once in awhile! Seriously, your exploration of the world shapes who you are, and nothing will inform your characters better than having a breadth of personal experience from which to pull. Learn about something other than writing, unless you want to write about writing. Continue reading “Interview with the Author of Sunborn Rising” →

Cover Reveal: The Lioness and the Spellspinners

On By cherylmahoneyIn Novel News5 Comments

Regular readers will have seen me reference the next novel in my Beyond the Tales series (and occasionally offer an excerpt).  Today I’m delighted to present the cover for the first time on my blog.

Lioness Cover - Small

This is the lovely Karina (but don’t call her lovely, she won’t like it), the Lioness of the title.  I actually found this image over a year ago, while I was still doing revisions.  I liked it so much, I changed some book details to make it fit!  So just between you, me and the other blog readers, Karina’s eyes used to be a darker blue, and her cloak used to be gray.  But the expression–I knew that was pure Karina.

Stay tuned for a release date, coming soon!

Book Review: Orphan Train

On By cherylmahoneyIn Historical Fiction, Reviews2 Comments

I love it when a book I picked up on impulse turns out to be excellent.  I stumbled across Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline in my library’s audiobook section and it turned out to be a gem.

The story begins with Molly Ayer, seventeen and about to age out of the foster home system.  She’s bounced from home to home for years, rootless and trusting no one.  Enforced community service brings her together with Vivian Daly, a wealthy, elderly woman who needs her enormous attic cleaned.  But the attic holds all the memories of Vivian’s life, of when she was a nine-year-old orphan in the 1920s, sent west on an orphan train to find a new family.

The book is in alternating storylines, with the bulk of it on Vivian’s memories–or rather, Irish-born Niamh, who acquired new names as she was taken into different families.  Niamh’s story is frequently heart-breaking, as she bounces from adult to adult who won’t or can’t take care of her.  She encounters terrible callousness, occasional brutality, and a few sparks of kindness.  Her perseverance and will to survive is powerful.  For all the bleakness, she does eventually find safety, if not a fairy tale ending.

I loved the way Molly and Niamh/Vivian’s stories are paired.  On a surface level, they’re both orphans who passed from family to family.  On a deeper level, that has caused them both to struggle with trust and relationships.  In Vivian we see how her tragedies and her fears caused her to accept a life that, while not unhappy, was not all that it could have been.  The much younger Molly still has a chance to learn and grow and seek something different for herself–although there is a nice piece at the end suggesting that it’s not too late for Vivian to find new meaning either. Continue reading “Book Review: Orphan Train” →