Adam Bolander's Blog

All right, I know that Final Fantasy is a series of video games, not books, so let’s just skip over the part where you all throw me into a pit of rabid chinchillas- all right? But even if it’s not a book, I still feel like Final Fantasy can serve as a great example of where the fantasy genre should be, as opposed as where it is now.
First of all, for those of you who aren’t aware, Final Fantasy is a series of video games that started on the original Nintendo system, and have spanned all the major (and not-so-major) consoles. There are fourteen numbered entries, with the fifteenth currently in development for the Playstation 4, and more spinoffs and direct sequels than I can count, like Final Fantasy: Tactics, Final Fantasy VII: Dirge of Cerberus, Dissidia: Final Fantasy, and the Final Fantasy XIII Trilogy. The games are, with the exception of the direct sequels, completely disconnected. You can play them in any order, or even skip some of them, without missing any important details. This is not just because the stories are disconnected, the worlds they take place in are too. The twin words, Cocoon and Pulse, in Final Fantasy XIII have absolutely no connection to Spira and Zanarkand from Final Fantasy X. The games do, admittedly, share a few common elements, such as the summon spirits, which have led many people to argue about how the games might be more connected than was originally beleived- but that’s not important to what I’m trying to get at here.
More than anything, though, the Final Fantasy games are known for having amazing stories. Like most roleplaying games, storytelling is usually the main focus. Each of these games, have a long, epic narrative to share with you that spans over their unique worlds. These stories are long, often requiring anywhere between sixty to one hundred hours to complete. And here’s the point that I’m trying to get at: they’re DIFFERENT.

Now, I’m a fan of fantasy in general. I love Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, Robert Jordan, and R.A. Salvatore as much as anybody else. J.R.R. Tolkien is one of my heroes. But have you noticed how the genre has stagnated over the past few decades? Nobody wants to move outside of what Tolkien put forward in The Lord of the Rings. Classic medieval setting, swords and shield, staffs and wands, elves and dwarves, you know what I mean. You’ll be hard pressed to find anything that doesn’t fall even somewhat into these categories. I’m not saying that good stories can’t come from this setting- far from it! Elantris, Mistborn, The Name of the Wind, and The Eye of the World all provided for some awesome adventures. I’m just saying, isn’t it time we moved on to some different settings? That’s where Final Fantasy caught my attention. The settings they put forth don’t immediately bring to mind anything else I’ve ever read/watched/or played. I don’t begin the game and immediately think “Wow, they totally ripped off Lord of the Rings with this.” Final Fantasy VII’s half fantasy half scifi setting was the first thing I noticed about it. You start the game riding a train to a factory, which you plan to infiltrate and set off a bomb. Upon arriving, you fend off a swarm of gun toting guards, mutant tentical-y dogs things, and laser shooting robots with a sword larger than you are. Your partner is a man with a gun for a hand. You also have access to a lightning and an ice spell. Now, tell me that sounds ANYTHING like a book you’ve recently read.
Likewise, in Final Fantasy X, you play as a famous sports star when a gigantic Godzilla-esque monster crashes your big game, somehow transporting you to an alternate, yet almost identical, world. There you become bodyguard to a young summoner who is about to begin her religious pilgrimage to obtain all the most powerful summon spirits and defeat the giant monster- which also turns out to be YOUR FATHER! Yeah, name another book that pulled THAT one on you.
The characters are awesome too, and not just the main characters. Let’s say you walk up to somebody on the street and say “Name a Final Fantasy character.” Assuming they had any idea what Final Fantasy was, they’d probably say, “Sephiroth.” Sephiroth is by far the most popular character in any Final Fantasy game. With his long, silver hair, one black wing, and seven foot long katana, he’s got an image that will stick in your head. He has his iconic theme song, “One Winged Angel,” that is instantly recognizable even to people who haven’t played the game. And these are all things you can appreciate without having even played Final Fantasy VII. Play the game and you’ll find one of the deepest villains of any story I’ve ever experienced. His mother was an alien come to destroy our world, but he, himself, became a soldier to protect it. Upon discovering his heritage, though, his sanity gradually snaps, leaving us with the most terrifying psychopath to ever walk the planet. This guy can swing his sword faster than the eye can see, kill entire armies without batting an eye, and even throw a freaking star at you. And through it all, he has a calm, collected attitude, like he couldn’t care less about the pain and suffering he’s causing. Only one word can describe him: MEM-OR-A-BLE.

So, why don’t authors do that more? Fantasy is a wide open genre. There are no rules! Why do we keep limiting ourselves to what one man created, and thousands of others have replicated? Again, that’s not to say that good stories can’t come from these settings, but wouldn’t it be cool to see something DIFFERENT now and then? Something UNIQUE? Something that doesn’t take place in a renaissance fair? Mistborn gave this to us somewhat, making the setting and style and interesting mixture like Victorian-age and typical fantasy. I say this now, so hear me, readers of the world: WE NEED MORE UNIQUE FANTASY!
I mean, I’d like more of it. I’m not going to stop reading books if it doesn’t happen, or anything. I’ve made this my own personal goal, though. I want to write a story someday that when I’m finished, I can look back at it and think to myself, with sincere honesty, that I could see it being turned into a Final Fantasy game. Not because I think it will (though that would be AWESOME), but because it means I’ll have crafted a story that doesn’t follow the conventions set down by the other authors before me. It will be... yes, I’ve said it a hundred times already, but unique!
But what about all of you? Are you satisfied with the fantasy genre where it is now? Or do you, like me, hope to see some it branch out into more unexplored territories? Let me know what you think in the comments!

Here’s something I’ve wanted to write about for a long time: why I like werewolf stories so much. I’ve only written one (or, I am writing, I should say), but I also love to read them. Now, let me set one thing straight: NO, I do not like Twilight. Or Shiver. Or any of those other horrible paranormal romances that for some reason have made their authors rich. I won’t read a story about werewolves simply because it has werewolves in it. The same rules still apply for this genre as they do for any other. It has to actually be a good story, or I won’t even bother.
Anywho, I think one of the main reasons I love werewolves so much is because shapeshifting has always been #1 in my Superpowers-I-Wish-I-Had List. I remember being absolutely obsessed with Teen Titans when I was a kid, all because of one character- that’s right, Beast Boy! He had the power I’d always wanted to have, to be able to turn into whatever animal he wanted whenever he wanted. Seriously, it was like a package deal for superpowers. Turn into a bird and you could fly. Turn into a gorilla and you have superstrength. Turn into a cheetah and you can run really fast. Turn into a dog, and everyone will want to pet you. Actually, scratch that last one. I totally never wanted that... But even that wasn’t the real reason I wanted BB’s morphing powers. It was his ability to see the world from an infinite number of perspectives. As humans, we only ever see the world from a human’s perspective. The closest we can ever get to seeing the world through the eyes of anything else is through our imaginations. Beast Boy didn’t have that problem. He could fly through the skies or swim through the seas. He could experience the amazing senses of a dog, or from the agile balance of a cat. If he wanted, he would never have to see the world the same way two days in a row. As strange as it might seem, that was what made me envious of him.
But we’ve gotten off track from werewolves- or have we? What are werewolves if not shapeshifters? The difference is that they only have one alternate body they can shift into, while Beast Boy has hundreds. So, if shapeshifting like Beast Boy is the type of power I’ve always wanted, why did I limit myself to werewolves? Honestly, because it was easier. If I’d written a story where the main character could turn into anything he or she wanted, it would quickly stop being something special. You can only turn into so many different animals before you run out of new things to experience, and the reader would expect you to keep those shifts quick and short so you could move onto something new, leaving you with no time to truly explore what life as any particular animal might be like. Since a werewolf can only turn into one thing (a wolf), it doesn’t allow me to include a whole wealth of other scenarios I’d love for the character to experience, but it gives me ample time to describe their experiences as a wolf.
This leads me into the type of werewolf story I enjoy. While ones featuring born-and-raised werewolves can be fun, the ones I love the most are the stories featuring main characters that have just recently been turned into werewolves. Somebody who has been born a werewolf is completely used to everything that goes on in their life, and so will feel no need to actually explore their condition (for lack of a better word). If they’ve just been turned, though, everything will be new to them. A story about someone adjusting to a new life, to me, is always more interesting than a story about somebody who has always lived that life. You can tell the audience what they’re thinking and feeling the whole time. Their first transformation, learning to be around other werewolves, learning to cast away their human side, if only for a night, and give in to the animalistic instincts every human wishes they could express. And it doesn’t limit itself to just their wolf side, it carries over to their human lives as well. How do they deal with their newfound lycanthropy? How do their family and friends deal with it? Do they even know? How do they balance their old life with their new life? There are so many things to think about, and therefore to write about, that it never gets old.
And that’s why I love werewolf stories. What about you? Why do you like (or dislike) werewolf stories? I suppose this would also be the appropriate time for me to tell you about my werewolf story, Amber Silverblood. Remember everything I just talked about? Pretty much all of it is in that story. It’s an urban fantasy, appropriate for teens and up, that you can read for free on WattPad and Fictionpress. I upload one new chapter every Saturday. I’ll provide links below. You know, if you want to read it or something... *whistles innocently*
http://www.wattpad.com/story/17582958...
https://www.fictionpress.com/s/316964...

As an author, I am also an avid reader. It kinda comes with the territory, you know? You should already know this because of the list of my favorite authors I provided a couple of weeks ago. Today’s blog deals with a similar topic, but not one that is quite as cheerful. There are a ton of things writers will do, be they amateurs, self-published, or successful big name authors, that just drive me up the freaking wall. Being the nice guy that I am, I’ve decided to share my misery with all of you fine folks on Goodreads. Please keep in mind that these are my opinions, and I’m not trying to offend anybody. That means if you get offended, it’s your own dadgum fault, got it? And without further ado, heeeeeere we go!

Bad Boy Romance: Let’s start off the list with something I bet a lot of us can identify with. The number of books out there starring some innocent young lady falling in love with the absolute biggest douche bag on planet earth are INNUMERABLE. Twilight is only the tip of the iceberg, ladies and gentlemen. This is a pet peeve that goes beyond my taste in books. Stories like these tell the teenage girls who read them that it’s perfectly okay for your boyfriend to be an abusive [bleepity bleep]. As long as he says he loves you afterwards and can make pretty googoo eyes, all is well, right? Wrong! You may be thinking that that’s way too farfetched. Women, even girls, are smart. While I won’t disagree with that, I have to point out that if they weren’t accepting this idea, they wouldn’t actually think these stories are so romantic. We wouldn’t have hordes of Edward vs Jacob cults, and the like. But enough about that. Let’s talk about…

Wrapping Up Too Quickly: I’ve found this to be a problem in several books I’ve read lately. Now, let’s be clear that just because this is my pet peeve, that doesn’t mean I didn’t still enjoy the book. A story being told in a series is what’s popular now, and it’s also profitable for the publishing companies. They’re able to leave the reader hanging, and then tease them with the next book until they’re prepared to sign over any children and/or future children in order to get it. There’s nothing wrong with this, per se (publishing in series, I mean- not selling your children), but some stories just weren’t made to have to be more than one book. This creates a jarring ending to the book, where the author is forced to wrap up an incomplete story in an unsatisfying way so that it can be continued in book 2. This also happens when the author begins to wonder if the story is getting too long. Take Brandon Sanderson’s book “Warbreaker” for instance. Like I said in my review, I loved the book. It’s what got me hooked on Sanderson in the first place. But it’s like the ending sneaked up on him without him realizing, and he had to wrap up EVERYTHING within a couple scant chapters. There were some legitimately awesome twists in there, but they didn’t get the attention they deserved because the author had to hurry through everything to keep it from getting longer. Was the book awesome? Yes. Would it have been even better if he’d taken his time to explore these new ideas and plot twists? Definitely.

“Because I’m the Author” Logic: Admittedly, this is something I see more often in new writers and self-published authors than in the big name publishers. It’s when something strange happens, ranging from improbable to outright ridiculous, and the only explanation you can find is that the one who wrote is said, “I’m the author, I can write the story however I want.” I once had a lengthy discussion with a friend who wanted to be an author about a story he showed me. In it, a superhuman and two normal humans went out into a blizzard on an alien world, a blizzard that they knew full well would kill anybody but a superhuman. I asked him why they had decided to go with him, since they didn’t offer any help or guidance- they just went with him and then got killed. After beating around the bush for a while about them being tired of being helpless and wanting to die doing something meaningful, he finally admitted that they didn’t really have a reason to do this. They walked straight into an icy grave for the sole purpose of creating unwarranted drama in the storyline, like the Red Shirts in Star Trek. Or, in other words, “because I’m the author, and it’s my story.” Drama and suspense can be great tools in a story- heck, some people would even say they’re ESSENTIAL. But there has to a reason the characters’ actions. Otherwise, you don’t have a cast of characters, you’ve got a swarm of lemmings fighting to see who gets to run over the cliff first.

Bad YA fiction: Oh, this is a big one. After years of reading Harry Potter and Percy Jackson, I began to take it for granted how hard it must be for an adult to write fiction for a generation they didn’t grow up in. Then I came across books like Falcon Quinn and the Black Mirror. Even books like Maximum Ride, which I used to love, became nauseating when I tried to reread them years later. The deciding factor for a YA novel is whether or not it accurately depicts the life and mindset of a modern day teenager. The sign of a good book is that you’ll never once stop to wonder how old the author is because you’re too busy enjoying the story. The bad ones, however, are filled with slang teens don’t actually use (and too much of it, at that), and teens doing things the author THINKS teens do, but they really don’t. These characters are cardboard cutouts of how the author views a generation they’re not a part of, and at best they’re annoying. At worst, they’re insulting, and even embarrassing. I’ve developed a lot of respect for those adult authors who write good young adult books, because they’re the ones who can actually get into the mindset they weren’t born and raised to have.

Self-Insertion: Here it is, dear readers. The one thing that bothers me more than anything else in the literary realm. When the author decides that they, themselves, need to be the star of their own story. Or if not the star, then one of the major supporting characters. Why is this such a bad thing? Well, for one, it’s nothing but a major ego trip for the author. They couldn’t make up imaginary people to do all these cool things, they had to do it themselves! The real problem is that by putting themselves in the lead role, the author comes to think they no longer need a fleshed out cast. That one character is good for everything. It’s natural, right? Just like when you’re playing pretend, you want to be the one doing all the cool things, saying all the cool lines, etc. Same with writing stories. Your backup characters, if you even have any, will practically be talking wallpaper, only there to tell you how awesome you are and to feel sorry for you when something bad happens. Action hero? That’s you. Comic relief? That’s you too. Strategic mastermind? That’s probably you. Inhumanly beautiful and romantic? Oh heck yeah, that’s DEFINITELY you. Do you see what I mean? Once you throw yourself into the story, the story is all about you. Trust me, nobody’s going to be impressed by the way a character you based on yourself did all this crazy awesome stuff. They just won’t… please don’t do this.

And there you have it, everybody! Those are the five things I can’t stand when reading books- you’re welcome. But seriously, what are your pet peeves? Let me know in the comments! In the meantime, I’ll catch you later!
Adam out!

Hey-a, it's-a blog time again-a!

Now that I've wowed you with my Mario impersonation (trust me, it's a lot better in person), I'm going to tell you some things about my favorite authors. I gave them a brief mention in my last post, but here I'm going to go into more detail about what they write and why I like them so much.

Ted Dekker: I'll tell you right now, f you don't like Christian fiction, Ted Dekker probably isn't for you. If you're a Christian, or if you're able to look past religious differences, it is my humble opinion that Ted Dekker is the greatest author in that market. He has written numerous series, such as The Circle Trilogy, the Paradise Trilogy, The Lost Books, The Books of Mortals (coauthored with Tosca Lee), and the Martyr's Song trilogy. The amazing thing about him, though, is that several of his series feature a shared world, similar to DC and Marvel comics. Not only that, but the events in one series often has a direct, yet subtle, effect on the other series. For example: what happens in The Circle causes the Paradise trilogy. The Paradise trilogy then goes on to spawn two other books, Skin and House. The Lost books take place in the background of The Circle, and in a way also causes the Paradise trilogy. Usually, these are subtle references that a reader can skim right over without missing any important details, but those who have studied Dekker's writings and know what to look for will recognize the names and events that pop up in certain areas. When you put them all together, this mega-series is known as The Books of History Chronicles. But even if he hadn't pulled off an amazing shared world, his stories would have still been awesome. He is also the author of one of my all time favorite villains: Marsuvees Black. Want to know who he is? You'd better get reading, then!

Brandon Sanderson didn't introduce me to the world of high fantasy, but he DID get me addicted to it. It began when I found out he was offering free downloadable copies of Warbreaker on his website, and I instantly snatched one up for my Kindle. Though I'd tried to read several other high fantasy books before, Warbreaker was the first one I ever finished, and I instantly became a fan of Sanderson. In my opinion (and I can only hope nobody hunts me down after saying this) that Sanderson is even better than JRR Tolkien, the father of modern high fantasy. I can't read The Lord of the Rings, because my spastic little ADHD-riddled brain gets bored with his slow pace and overly descriptive style. Sanderson doesn't have that problem. While he will describe the world, it's always just enough to give you a feel for what the setting is. His stories move at an almost breakneck pace, and his characters are instantly likeable. Currently, my favorite book of his is Mistborn: The Final Empire (which is getting it's own video game soon, so YAAAAY!), but I think The Way of Kings may be good enough to dethrone it. And since I mentioned Dekker's shared world, it's only fair that I give credit to Sanderson for having a shared UNIVERSE. While they don't connect with each other the way Dekker's books do, Sanderson has said that all of his stories take place on different planets in the same universe, which he called the Cosmere. Really, the only way this effects the reader is with one reoccurring character, but it's really fun to go through the books and play "Where's Hoid?".

Patrick Rothfuss is up next, and he's the other author who got me addicted to high fantasy. His in-progress Kingkiller Trilogy is almost nothing like Sanderson's stories. There isn't very much action, no big wars, or plots to assassinate political figures (not in the first book, at least- it's got to be called Kingkiller for a reason!). Mostly, it's about one young man going through his life. He grows up with his parents, lives as an orphan, goes to school, and tries to unravel an ancient mystery. So, why do I like it so much? I can't really say, to be honest. It has something to do with the way his characters think and interact. They're all so alive that they practically jump out of the pages at you. I've never read another book that enthralled me so much with such little things. I have not read the second book yet, but I'm looking forward to the day when I get the chance.

As for R.A. Salvatore, one word: DRIZZT. If that sounds like the sound a drowning wasp makes, then stop reading right now and put that word in the search bar. Then run out and buy the book that pops up. Read it, and then come back here. It's fine, don't worry. I'll wait for you. All right, now that you are properly educated, I'll continue. Drizzt Do'urden is his most famous character by far, and for good reason. In a world where everybody's heroes have to be tough and gritty, Drizzt is refreshing because of his empathy and his love for all living things. Just don't mess with him, because he'll still ram both his shiny metal swords through your eye sockets- he'll probably just apologize a dozen times afterwards. Salvatore has some other books that don't feature Drizzt, but I haven't read any of them. I'd to someday, but for now I'm content with his famous dark elf.

Last but not least is M.I. McAllister. She's an author not many people have heard of, and I hate that- I HAAAAAAAATE THAT. She wrote the Mistmantle Chronicles, which is one of my absolute favorite series ever. If it's weird for a full grown man to like stories about fuzzy little critters having sword fights and whatnot, but... well, whoever told you I'm in any way normal needs to get their head checked. Lots of people will immediately write them off as ripoffs of Brian Jacques' Redwall series, but I disagree. I think McAllister handles her story far better than Jacques did. While I enjoyed Redwall as a kid, I eventually came to realize that just about every single one of them went by the same basic formula: one group heroes takes Martin's sword and leaves the Abbey, and while they're gone he Abbey gets attacked. Mistmantle is a continuous series of only five books, so it never fell into that rut. The characters are all fun, and some are even scary (yes, scary squirrels). McAllister doesn't break up the action with songs and overly elaborate descriptions of every single meal that gets eaten. I know there are a ton of Redwall fans out there even after Mr. Jacques' death, ready to throw me in a pit of vipers just for saying this, but all in all I just think that The Mistmantle Chronicles is the better story, which makes McAllister the last on my list of favorite authors.

And that's my list of favorite authors! These aren't the only authors I enjoy, but they are the most notable. Now it's your turn! Who are your favorite authors, and why do you like them so much? I'm always on the lookout for new books to read, so throw me some good titles! Before I close this post, I should point out that I don't have a schedule for these posts. I'll be updating sporadically whenever I think of something worth writing about. You could get several new posts in a week, or you could go longer than a week without any updates. I'll try to post as often as I can, but you know what they say, "When in Brooklyn, don't drink the water."
*Runs away while you're trying to figure that out*
Adam out!

Hello, Goodreads! My name is Adam Bolander, and this is my first Blog Post. I’m the independent author for seven novels, all of which you can find on here, and an weekly updating web-series you can read on WattPad and FictionPress. But that’s not what you want to hear right now. Let’s get to know each other!
I live in Arkansas- and no, I don’t run around barefoot (not everywhere, at least), play banjo, or try to hook up with my cousins. I mean, just in case you were wondering. I do have a fond love of the forest, though, with its peaceful quiet and amazing lack of motorcycles roaring past your house at 2:00 in the morning. Can you think of a better place for a writer to live? Because I can’t...
Besides writing and reading, I also love to play video games. If I’m not writing, reading, or working, I’m probably holed up in my living room with all the curtains drawn, telling myself I’ll turn the TV off after one more level... one more level... My favorite console is the Playstation 3, and some of my favorite games are Heavenly Sword, Tales of Xillia, Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2, and Nier. If you have any idea what those games are, you’ve probably already realized that I’m a JRPG nut. If you have to ask what a JRPG just forget about it and go back to your Call of Duty.
Anybody who knows me can tell you that I’m an absolute goofball. I love to make my friends laugh. If you don’t like excessive sarcasm, you and I might not get along. I tell people that if they never get a sarcastic remark from me, I probably hate them. Hopefully this will keep my blog posts from being too boring. On another note, Zimbabwe is really fun to say. You should try it sometime.
I love to read. Fantasy is my favorite genre, and the only time I read anything else is for Young Adult books like The Hunger Games or Divergent. My list of favorite authors is as follows: Ted Dekker, Brandon Sanderson, Patrick Rothfuss, R.A. Salvatore, and M.I. McAllister. They’re awesome. Go read their books. Just... just do it. I’ve also just finished reading Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. The link to the review is at the bottom of this post. Click it. Read it. READ IT.
Last but not least: MY BOOKS. My novels can all be listed in the Young Adult Fantasy genre, and I’m proud to say that they’re some of the cleanest young adult books on the market. You get all the good stuff (action, adventure, romance, and a good healthy dose of angst) without any of the bad stuff (swearing, sex, drugs, drinking, and just about everything else that has no place in a Young Adult novel). If you’re a fan of stories like Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, you should check out my Slayer/Sphinx trilogy. You can get them from the Amazon Kindle Store for 99 cents each. If you’re into animal stories, like Erin Hunter’s Warriors series, give Legends of the Saloli a look. If you just want to check out my writing without having to spend any money (hey, I don’t blame you!), then get on Smashwords and download Staying Human- it’s completely free! You could also look up Amber Silverblood on WattPad. It’s free to read too, and I update it with a new chapter every Saturday. You can follow me on Twitter, username @adambolander1, and like my Facebook page for updates on how my writing is going. Occaisionally I will drop hints about my new book, which I am mysteriously referring to as PROJECT GRAVITY.
Well, that’s just about it for now. I’ll make new posts whenever something interesting happens. Like, when I finish a new book. Or if I review a book. Or if I have a funny joke that I just can’t wait to tell. So keep checking in. Leave me a comment, send me a message, or a friend request. I want to connect with people on here! So come on, let’s be friends!
Until next time! Adam out.

Review for Catherine Fisher's Incarceron: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...