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The Seer
In The Muse , struggling author Stan Marino went looking for inspiration, but found instead an ancient evil that cast him, his friends, and his family into a realm of imagination where almost anything was possible, and into a battle for their souls.
They won that fight at a terrible price, and now, five years later, The Seer finds Stan still picking up the pieces of his shattered life. Are his daughter's disturbing visions of the future a lifesaving gift, or a curse that will draw him once again into the shadowy world of dreams and imagination, back into a war he can't hope to win?
They won that fight at a terrible price, and now, five years later, The Seer finds Stan still picking up the pieces of his shattered life. Are his daughter's disturbing visions of the future a lifesaving gift, or a curse that will draw him once again into the shadowy world of dreams and imagination, back into a war he can't hope to win?
- GenresFantasy
196 pages, Paperback
First published October 28, 2011
3 people want to read
About the author
Fred Warren
25 books16 followersI was born in Tacoma, Washington, but spent most of my formative years in California, where my parents pastored a couple of small churches. I graduated from the U.S. Air Force Academy in 1983, and spent 22 years in the Air Force as a bomber navigator, flight-test navigator, and military educator. I retired from the Air Force in 2007, and I now work as a government contractor in eastern Kansas, providing computer simulation support for Army training.
I've been married for 25 years to the girl who should have been my high school sweetheart, and have three kids, two dogs, and a mortgage. When I'm not writing or reading, I enjoy running, hiking, birdwatching, stargazing, and playing around with computers.
Writing has always been a big part of my life, but I kept it mostly private until a few years ago, when it occurred to me that if I was ever going to get published, I needed to get serious about it. Since then, I've written more than 30 short stories that have been published in a variety of print and online magazines, and a novel, The Muse, that debuted in November 2009 from Splashdown Books. A short-story anthology called Odd Little Miracles followed in July 2011, and my latest book, The Seer, a sequel to The Muse, was published in November 2011. There’s a third novel underway.
Speculative fiction is my first love, but I write the occasional bit of non-fiction or poetry, just to keep things interesting.
A complete list of my published works in print and online is available at http://frederation.wordpress.com/publications
I've been married for 25 years to the girl who should have been my high school sweetheart, and have three kids, two dogs, and a mortgage. When I'm not writing or reading, I enjoy running, hiking, birdwatching, stargazing, and playing around with computers.
Writing has always been a big part of my life, but I kept it mostly private until a few years ago, when it occurred to me that if I was ever going to get published, I needed to get serious about it. Since then, I've written more than 30 short stories that have been published in a variety of print and online magazines, and a novel, The Muse, that debuted in November 2009 from Splashdown Books. A short-story anthology called Odd Little Miracles followed in July 2011, and my latest book, The Seer, a sequel to The Muse, was published in November 2011. There’s a third novel underway.
Speculative fiction is my first love, but I write the occasional bit of non-fiction or poetry, just to keep things interesting.
A complete list of my published works in print and online is available at http://frederation.wordpress.com/publications
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
February 29, 2012
[[The following contains minor spoilers]]
The newest addition to Fred Warren's Muse trilogy, "The Seer" continues the exploits of writer Stan Marino and his daughter Hannah. For five years the two of them have tried coping with the loss of Charity, a muse who took human form and married Stan, then had to sacrifice herself to protect him and their daughter. Now, Hannah's beginning to display a few supernatural talents of her own, and Stan has to decide whether she ought to know her mother's true nature. Meanwhile, an old threat is slowly growing in the back of Stan's own mind.
Fred Warren is still a gifted storyteller. There are moments of real poignancy in this book, and he is as adept as ever for crafting characters who feel alive and realistic, and that does help give a much-needed sense of gravitas to "The Seer."
That being said, my opinion is that the overall novel just isn't as strong as "The Muse." Which is a shame, because I really wanted to love the journey that Stan and Hannah take with each other. Both are so well-developed, and it's sad that at first, they aren't given a lot to do. Like its predecessor, "Seer" takes a while to get its wheels spinning, and I was waiting for something big to happen, aside from a few interesting episodes where Hannah's psychic abilities come into play. But with so little conflict and with the characters so often locked into chitchat instead of dialogue, my interest waned. When a new friend of Hannah's helps her control and tailor her visions (based on prior experience in the dream world), it was almost free of conflict or immediate tension. It felt less like two clashing personalities trying to make sense of a fascinating new world and abilities, and more like two agreeable kids in the sandbox.
Vampire novelist Jilly and sci-fi writer Davos were barely in the novel, unfortunate since they had delivered a great deal of humor and personality to the first book. And it was underwhelming when an old enemy was finally revealed. There were some very tense moments when she spoke with the main characters, but her defeat felt...well, easy. It was an intelligently executed defeat, but the final effect felt like all sizzle and no steak.
Of course, the second volume of a trilogy is often the weakest, even when you give a self-contained story to each book. And I do want Fred Warren to find a lot of success. His talent is still very much on display here, and I would love to see his Muse trilogy finish off with a real bang, with conflict, pacing, personality, and suspense to match his characterization.
The newest addition to Fred Warren's Muse trilogy, "The Seer" continues the exploits of writer Stan Marino and his daughter Hannah. For five years the two of them have tried coping with the loss of Charity, a muse who took human form and married Stan, then had to sacrifice herself to protect him and their daughter. Now, Hannah's beginning to display a few supernatural talents of her own, and Stan has to decide whether she ought to know her mother's true nature. Meanwhile, an old threat is slowly growing in the back of Stan's own mind.
Fred Warren is still a gifted storyteller. There are moments of real poignancy in this book, and he is as adept as ever for crafting characters who feel alive and realistic, and that does help give a much-needed sense of gravitas to "The Seer."
That being said, my opinion is that the overall novel just isn't as strong as "The Muse." Which is a shame, because I really wanted to love the journey that Stan and Hannah take with each other. Both are so well-developed, and it's sad that at first, they aren't given a lot to do. Like its predecessor, "Seer" takes a while to get its wheels spinning, and I was waiting for something big to happen, aside from a few interesting episodes where Hannah's psychic abilities come into play. But with so little conflict and with the characters so often locked into chitchat instead of dialogue, my interest waned. When a new friend of Hannah's helps her control and tailor her visions (based on prior experience in the dream world), it was almost free of conflict or immediate tension. It felt less like two clashing personalities trying to make sense of a fascinating new world and abilities, and more like two agreeable kids in the sandbox.
Vampire novelist Jilly and sci-fi writer Davos were barely in the novel, unfortunate since they had delivered a great deal of humor and personality to the first book. And it was underwhelming when an old enemy was finally revealed. There were some very tense moments when she spoke with the main characters, but her defeat felt...well, easy. It was an intelligently executed defeat, but the final effect felt like all sizzle and no steak.
Of course, the second volume of a trilogy is often the weakest, even when you give a self-contained story to each book. And I do want Fred Warren to find a lot of success. His talent is still very much on display here, and I would love to see his Muse trilogy finish off with a real bang, with conflict, pacing, personality, and suspense to match his characterization.
November 17, 2012
It's a good sequel to the Muse, but the plot is kind of slender.
It's been about five years after the battle with the dark muse Leila in the first book, and the loss of Stan's wife Charity. Stan's daughter Hannah doesn't remember a thing of what happened, and Stan must deal with the ebbing presence of his wife as she is called by God to do other things. But Hannah is about to find that she takes a bit after her mother...
There's some neat twists and thoughtful details that I liked about the book. The first is that it's a sequel whose details felt intelligent and flowed with the first book well, while amplifying and explaining it. The Muse felt complete as it was, but this book does a pretty good job of adding to it without it feeling forced or the sensation of "Suddenly a wild X appeared!" many sequels have.
The second is that there were little touches that really stand out. Stan's relationship with Charity, who in the first book had to transcend her physical body to save everyone, is done realistically and sweetly. I like Fred's style a lot. He manages to make a book light, without it floating away or being cloying, and it's fun to read.
I have to agree with John K. Patterson though that the plot feels weak. It's like the Muse in that the middle goes on too long. The Muse had the "who is Leila" thing persist long after readers guessed it, and this has the whole Hannah and Cassie thing. I find myself really wanting more, but in a good sense. More of Charity hovering over Stan's shoulder, and more of Hannah finding about her nature and her mother. Or even more about Cassie.
Still, I liked it. Looking forwards to the next book, and I wonder how Hannah will grow in it.
It's been about five years after the battle with the dark muse Leila in the first book, and the loss of Stan's wife Charity. Stan's daughter Hannah doesn't remember a thing of what happened, and Stan must deal with the ebbing presence of his wife as she is called by God to do other things. But Hannah is about to find that she takes a bit after her mother...
There's some neat twists and thoughtful details that I liked about the book. The first is that it's a sequel whose details felt intelligent and flowed with the first book well, while amplifying and explaining it. The Muse felt complete as it was, but this book does a pretty good job of adding to it without it feeling forced or the sensation of "Suddenly a wild X appeared!" many sequels have.
The second is that there were little touches that really stand out. Stan's relationship with Charity, who in the first book had to transcend her physical body to save everyone, is done realistically and sweetly. I like Fred's style a lot. He manages to make a book light, without it floating away or being cloying, and it's fun to read.
I have to agree with John K. Patterson though that the plot feels weak. It's like the Muse in that the middle goes on too long. The Muse had the "who is Leila" thing persist long after readers guessed it, and this has the whole Hannah and Cassie thing. I find myself really wanting more, but in a good sense. More of Charity hovering over Stan's shoulder, and more of Hannah finding about her nature and her mother. Or even more about Cassie.
Still, I liked it. Looking forwards to the next book, and I wonder how Hannah will grow in it.
December 1, 2011
"The Seer" is a worthy follow-up to Fred Warren's first novel, "The Muse." Fred is a great storyteller, and his skill is on full display here.
This time the focus is primarily on Stan (the hero from the first book), his daughter Hannah, and her new friend, Cassie. The first book had consequences that Stan and Hannah are still dealing with, which by definition makes the tone of this novel more poignant. Darker. Then there are those visions that Hannah is having...
"The Seer" was a lightning-fast read for me. There was always just enough action or intrigue to keep the pages turning. I had a similar experience with the first book. These stories really are like something you'd see on a fantasy version of "The Twilight Zone." Fast-paced and fun until the end.
The only criticism I have is that there were places in the book that could've used a bit more upfront description of the surroundings. (The ice rink comes to mind.) Just enough to turn the lights on for the reader. I also missed some of humor from the first book. Like I said, "The Seer" is a bit darker. I also understand that it probably had to be.
Overall, "The Seer" is another fun read from Mr. Warren. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next!
This time the focus is primarily on Stan (the hero from the first book), his daughter Hannah, and her new friend, Cassie. The first book had consequences that Stan and Hannah are still dealing with, which by definition makes the tone of this novel more poignant. Darker. Then there are those visions that Hannah is having...
"The Seer" was a lightning-fast read for me. There was always just enough action or intrigue to keep the pages turning. I had a similar experience with the first book. These stories really are like something you'd see on a fantasy version of "The Twilight Zone." Fast-paced and fun until the end.
The only criticism I have is that there were places in the book that could've used a bit more upfront description of the surroundings. (The ice rink comes to mind.) Just enough to turn the lights on for the reader. I also missed some of humor from the first book. Like I said, "The Seer" is a bit darker. I also understand that it probably had to be.
Overall, "The Seer" is another fun read from Mr. Warren. I'm looking forward to whatever comes next!
July 28, 2012
In this sequel to The Muse, several years have gone by since the first book, and Stan and Charity’s daughter Hannah is now a teenager. She’s having prophetic dreams but doesn’t remember them until the last minute, just before catastrophe strikes. Meanwhile, Stan is worried about his daughter and about the dreams he’s having of Leila, the evil woman who tried to suck him and his friends into their own imaginations years ago.
As expected, this was an entertaining read. I enjoy Fred Warren’s characters very much. They are all unique and, many of them, true geeks. I love that! This story read like a novel for teens at times, since half the book was from Hannah’s point of view. And it had a bit of a dark and teenage angsty tone because of that. There wasn’t as much time spent with the writer’s group this time, which I missed. But the story offered some surprising twists that tied in with book one. All in all, a really good book. If you haven’t read Fred Warren’s books before, start with The Muse. It’s good stuff.
As expected, this was an entertaining read. I enjoy Fred Warren’s characters very much. They are all unique and, many of them, true geeks. I love that! This story read like a novel for teens at times, since half the book was from Hannah’s point of view. And it had a bit of a dark and teenage angsty tone because of that. There wasn’t as much time spent with the writer’s group this time, which I missed. But the story offered some surprising twists that tied in with book one. All in all, a really good book. If you haven’t read Fred Warren’s books before, start with The Muse. It’s good stuff.
June 5, 2012
I fell in love with Fred Warren's writing a few years ago, after discovering several of his short stories. I bought his first novel, The Muse, and was not the least bit disappointed. The Seer is a strong continuation of the story, where we get to delve deeper into the dream world introduced in The Muse, and we also get to really know Stan's daughter, who is having visions of the future. Yes, this book is a bit darker than the first, but it's still beautifully written and true to Fred's unique style. Well worth the read.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews