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The Muse
Stan Marino needs a muse. He's written himself into a corner...again. A shot of inspiration is all he needs to finish his story ...where is he going to find it? What Stan doesn't know: Inspiration has found him. And it's about to take over his life. Ripped from reality, he must lead a band of lost souls in a life-or-death battle with a merciless enemy. Stan has found his muse, but will he survive it?
- GenresFantasy
196 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
15 people want to read
About the author
Fred Warren
26 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 - 10 of 10 reviews
April 26, 2010
The Muse, by Fred Warren, takes the reader into the world of muses, thus the title. Stan is a writer who’s having trouble figuring out where to go with his story. His writer’s group, consisting of Davos and Jilly, are also struggling. Then along comes Leila, and suddenly they’re able to not only get their stories back on track, but find buyers and break into the big time. But how? And more importantly, why?
That’s the engine for this story as the seemingly innocent events grow to dangerous proportions. Our trio, along with Stan’s wife, Charity, and his daughter, Hannah, are thrown into the world of a Muse intent on destroying them along with many others.
There is a Christian element to the story, but that is due to the characters being Christian, not an attempt to preach. Most anyone would be comfortable reading this, no matter what religion or non-religion they are. But you’ll not find an attempt to deliver an overt message or belittle anyone else in these pages.
The strength of the story lies in Mr. Warren’s well developed characters. He has a great cast, and they are well written. Their interaction provides much of the story’s spark. The only character I felt who could have used more nuance was the antagonist. She starts out interesting enough, but by the end, she evolves into the typical, arrogant villain. But the rest of the cast had depth and interesting interaction, and was what kept the story vibrant.
I read this rather quickly. On my limited schedule, reading a book takes a month or more, but I found myself sitting in the chair, late into the night, with a cup of tea or coffee, reading yet another chapter. I finished it within four days of starting. Would I call it a page turner? Plot wise, not really, but the writing and characters were so well done, I had to find out what would happen to them, and that kept me reading.
Which is good, because for me, it was a slow burn on discovering that there was a danger to confront. Mr. Warren takes his time building to the point where we fully realize the danger Stan and his friends are in. I found myself wanting to “get there” much sooner than we actually did. That coming from a guy who likes fast-paced narrative. Your mileage may vary.
Related to that, I had watched the book’s trailer. I knew at some point, our heroes would end up trapped in an alternate reality and have to fight their way out. If I hadn’t been looking for it, I may not have felt this way, but the entry into this alternate reality doesn’t happen until the last third of the book. I not only grew impatient waiting for them to get there, but wasn’t ready to leave when they did. Mr. Warren introduces several characters once in the new world who I would have loved to learn more about. If I had my say, I would have preferred more time in the alternate world and less in the real.
The plot is a mixture of both original concepts and predictable moments. It isn’t complicated, and I did feel more could have been done with it. Yet, the world of the Muse held interest, and I can tell Mr. Warren had invested the time in their back story. While the plot had a couple of holes, I had fun reading it. He paints the world, both real and alternate, so you feel you’re there. The plot adequately displays his strength: the characters. If you don’t need cliff-hanger action on every page, and prefer characters who you find interesting, my bet is you’ll enjoy this novel as well as I did.
Can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other bookstores.
That’s the engine for this story as the seemingly innocent events grow to dangerous proportions. Our trio, along with Stan’s wife, Charity, and his daughter, Hannah, are thrown into the world of a Muse intent on destroying them along with many others.
There is a Christian element to the story, but that is due to the characters being Christian, not an attempt to preach. Most anyone would be comfortable reading this, no matter what religion or non-religion they are. But you’ll not find an attempt to deliver an overt message or belittle anyone else in these pages.
The strength of the story lies in Mr. Warren’s well developed characters. He has a great cast, and they are well written. Their interaction provides much of the story’s spark. The only character I felt who could have used more nuance was the antagonist. She starts out interesting enough, but by the end, she evolves into the typical, arrogant villain. But the rest of the cast had depth and interesting interaction, and was what kept the story vibrant.
I read this rather quickly. On my limited schedule, reading a book takes a month or more, but I found myself sitting in the chair, late into the night, with a cup of tea or coffee, reading yet another chapter. I finished it within four days of starting. Would I call it a page turner? Plot wise, not really, but the writing and characters were so well done, I had to find out what would happen to them, and that kept me reading.
Which is good, because for me, it was a slow burn on discovering that there was a danger to confront. Mr. Warren takes his time building to the point where we fully realize the danger Stan and his friends are in. I found myself wanting to “get there” much sooner than we actually did. That coming from a guy who likes fast-paced narrative. Your mileage may vary.
Related to that, I had watched the book’s trailer. I knew at some point, our heroes would end up trapped in an alternate reality and have to fight their way out. If I hadn’t been looking for it, I may not have felt this way, but the entry into this alternate reality doesn’t happen until the last third of the book. I not only grew impatient waiting for them to get there, but wasn’t ready to leave when they did. Mr. Warren introduces several characters once in the new world who I would have loved to learn more about. If I had my say, I would have preferred more time in the alternate world and less in the real.
The plot is a mixture of both original concepts and predictable moments. It isn’t complicated, and I did feel more could have been done with it. Yet, the world of the Muse held interest, and I can tell Mr. Warren had invested the time in their back story. While the plot had a couple of holes, I had fun reading it. He paints the world, both real and alternate, so you feel you’re there. The plot adequately displays his strength: the characters. If you don’t need cliff-hanger action on every page, and prefer characters who you find interesting, my bet is you’ll enjoy this novel as well as I did.
Can be found at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or other bookstores.
July 18, 2014
Creativity can't kill--or can it?
In Fred Warren's book, The Muse, creativity is a deadly serious thing. The story starts out with Stan--an ordinary guy working an ordinary job, who aspires to be a fantasy writer--meeting with his writing friends, a paranormal author named Jilly and a science fiction writer named Davos. As they commiserate over being stalled in their various works-in-progress, a sweet librarian-looking lady stumbles into their meeting. She introduces herself as Leila Starling, a freelance editor, and offers to help them.
Divine intervention, right?
Well, Stan's wife Charity isn't so sure. She thinks its just a little too coincidental. Stan gently ridicules her fears, but events quickly change his minds. He has several writing sessions where he doesn't remember writing a thing--yet fills 20 pages of the best writing he's ever done in his life. All three experience great writing and wonderful opportunistic meetings that Leila sets up for them. But when Jilly lands in the hospital, apparently in a coma, Stan decides that thy have to take action.
The Muse is a wonderful fantasy that is part hilarious, part creepy thrilller, and part heart-breaking. I teared up at the sweet, achy ending. And I laughed out loud at the three writers as they bemoaned their writing problems. Don't I know how that feels! Wanna-be authors will probably find this book especially fun to read.
I was impressed with the way the story was written. The dialog especially is natural and sounds like it's coming from real people, instead of cardboard characters. All the characters are easily distinguishable from each other and have their own, fun quirks. They all made realistic choices and I could identify easily with them. Another thing that impressed me was that there was no cussing or intimacy (beyond kissing and flirting between Stan and Charity).
Overall, this was a great read that I recommend to anyone that enjoys speculative fiction. Five stars!
~I received this book for free from Splashdown Books as a book reviewer~
In Fred Warren's book, The Muse, creativity is a deadly serious thing. The story starts out with Stan--an ordinary guy working an ordinary job, who aspires to be a fantasy writer--meeting with his writing friends, a paranormal author named Jilly and a science fiction writer named Davos. As they commiserate over being stalled in their various works-in-progress, a sweet librarian-looking lady stumbles into their meeting. She introduces herself as Leila Starling, a freelance editor, and offers to help them.
Divine intervention, right?
Well, Stan's wife Charity isn't so sure. She thinks its just a little too coincidental. Stan gently ridicules her fears, but events quickly change his minds. He has several writing sessions where he doesn't remember writing a thing--yet fills 20 pages of the best writing he's ever done in his life. All three experience great writing and wonderful opportunistic meetings that Leila sets up for them. But when Jilly lands in the hospital, apparently in a coma, Stan decides that thy have to take action.
The Muse is a wonderful fantasy that is part hilarious, part creepy thrilller, and part heart-breaking. I teared up at the sweet, achy ending. And I laughed out loud at the three writers as they bemoaned their writing problems. Don't I know how that feels! Wanna-be authors will probably find this book especially fun to read.
I was impressed with the way the story was written. The dialog especially is natural and sounds like it's coming from real people, instead of cardboard characters. All the characters are easily distinguishable from each other and have their own, fun quirks. They all made realistic choices and I could identify easily with them. Another thing that impressed me was that there was no cussing or intimacy (beyond kissing and flirting between Stan and Charity).
Overall, this was a great read that I recommend to anyone that enjoys speculative fiction. Five stars!
~I received this book for free from Splashdown Books as a book reviewer~
Read
March 18, 2010I wrote this book, so I can't provide an objective review, but here are some comments from folks who have read it:
“What would you do to fulfill your artistic dreams? Fred Warren offers a humorous, yet mysterious, twist on the journey to success that warns: if the deal is too good to be true, it likely is. The Muse is unique and imaginative.” — NovelTeen Book Reviews
“I give The Muse two thumbs up, with a gold star for family friendliness, a gold star for originality, a gold star for plot, and a silver star for characters. Plus, a first place ribbon for Fred Warren’s first novel, and a shiny red apple for Splashdown books for taking a chance on a new writer.” — T.W. Ambrose, Editor, Digital Dragon Magazine
“Fred Warren’s debut is great. I am a new reader in this genre. I found the book to be fun, fast-paced, and an excellent read.” — L. Hooker
“Fred’s book is a fast read that I could not put down until I reached the end.” — Paulette Harris
“The dialogue is snappy, the action is taut, and the family emotion is strong and real.” — Steven Rzaza
“…beyond the fast paced chapters, great dialogue and fantastically magical climax is the soulful inner journey of the main character that so many stories seem to lack these days…A truly impressive debut novel” — Kirk Outerbridge
“Fred Warren’s deftly-designed characters and well-developed scenes will draw in a variety of readers and carry them along for the ride.” — Cathi
“What would you do to fulfill your artistic dreams? Fred Warren offers a humorous, yet mysterious, twist on the journey to success that warns: if the deal is too good to be true, it likely is. The Muse is unique and imaginative.” — NovelTeen Book Reviews
“I give The Muse two thumbs up, with a gold star for family friendliness, a gold star for originality, a gold star for plot, and a silver star for characters. Plus, a first place ribbon for Fred Warren’s first novel, and a shiny red apple for Splashdown books for taking a chance on a new writer.” — T.W. Ambrose, Editor, Digital Dragon Magazine
“Fred Warren’s debut is great. I am a new reader in this genre. I found the book to be fun, fast-paced, and an excellent read.” — L. Hooker
“Fred’s book is a fast read that I could not put down until I reached the end.” — Paulette Harris
“The dialogue is snappy, the action is taut, and the family emotion is strong and real.” — Steven Rzaza
“…beyond the fast paced chapters, great dialogue and fantastically magical climax is the soulful inner journey of the main character that so many stories seem to lack these days…A truly impressive debut novel” — Kirk Outerbridge
“Fred Warren’s deftly-designed characters and well-developed scenes will draw in a variety of readers and carry them along for the ride.” — Cathi
June 5, 2012
"Stan Marino needs a muse. He's written himself into a corner...again. A shot of inspiration is all he needs to finish his story ...where is he going to find it? What Stan doesn't know: Inspiration has found him. And it's about to take over his life. Ripped from reality, he must lead a band of lost souls in a life-or-death battle with a merciless enemy. Stan has found his muse, but will he survive it?"
I did this a little differently--the above is the actual back cover blurb. I normally don't use that as an intro to a review because, to be honest, I rarely read back cover blurbs. I've found all too often that the book turns out to be nothing like the back cover description. NOT THE CASE HERE!
I also found myself wanting to copy the endorsements for this novel, because I actually agree with them. Descriptions like, "A light-hearted, family-friendly page-turner..." (T.W. Ambrose, editor of Digital Dragon magazine), and "Unique and imaginative, a humorous yet mysterious twist..." (Jill Williamson, author of By Darkness Hid).
I found The Muse by Fred Warren funny and heart-warming, with great characterization. I truly enjoyed reading it. I picked it up on a day that I was feeling pretty dumpy, and by the time I had finished it (and I stayed up late to finish it!) I was smiling :).
I did this a little differently--the above is the actual back cover blurb. I normally don't use that as an intro to a review because, to be honest, I rarely read back cover blurbs. I've found all too often that the book turns out to be nothing like the back cover description. NOT THE CASE HERE!
I also found myself wanting to copy the endorsements for this novel, because I actually agree with them. Descriptions like, "A light-hearted, family-friendly page-turner..." (T.W. Ambrose, editor of Digital Dragon magazine), and "Unique and imaginative, a humorous yet mysterious twist..." (Jill Williamson, author of By Darkness Hid).
I found The Muse by Fred Warren funny and heart-warming, with great characterization. I truly enjoyed reading it. I picked it up on a day that I was feeling pretty dumpy, and by the time I had finished it (and I stayed up late to finish it!) I was smiling :).
January 17, 2010
I think the most appropriate word to describe Mr. Warren's book is "fun", because from beginning to end that's what it is. The Muse is a tightly-written, easy-to-read jaunt reminiscent of the best episodes of TV's "The Twilight Zone" or "Amazing Stories". The book doesn't waste a lot of words, but marches straight through the plot, one which I found both logical and sincere.
I don't know that I've ever read a book where the idea of inspiration and one's "muse" was such an important part. I found the originality refreshing. Great first effort, Mr. Warren! Look forward to more.
I don't know that I've ever read a book where the idea of inspiration and one's "muse" was such an important part. I found the originality refreshing. Great first effort, Mr. Warren! Look forward to more.
October 14, 2012
A fun novel about inspiration gone bad. I wanted more of the beginning and end, and a little less of the middle though.
Stan is a struggling fantasy writer who meets with two other writer friends in a local coffee shop. They drown their sorrows in coffee and support each other, critiquing their work and giving feedback. One day a girl named Leila overhears them, and offers to help them out. Leila is a part-time editoral staffer, and soon the three writers find themselves inspired and having good fortune.
This comes at a price though. Increasingly the three of them find themselves locked in what seems to be a trance, and their energy is at a low ebb. Is something giving them creativity at the cost of their life?
It's a fun novel to read, with good writing all around and a nice real-life focus. Very readable, and I enjoyed it, but I wish there had been more. Rather than spend time of the mystery of the muse, and a certain character sitting on information, I wish there had been more of the writer's life in the beginning, more explanation of the books mythology, and an extension of the wonderful final conflict at the end. The "mystery" of the muse you'll figure the main part out early, and the second part needs a bit more justification imo. That kind of world, where was very interesting to me, and it fit the light tone of the book nicely.
The ending conflict was great, too. Especially the unexpected "secret weapon" that helped out quite a bit. The other characters introduced then were cool also, and I wanted to learn a bit more about them.
It's a good, likable book that had some nice parts, but needed to show them more and a little less of the middle. A decent change from the average high fantasy Christian spec fiction though, and I'd love to see what he does with future novels.
Stan is a struggling fantasy writer who meets with two other writer friends in a local coffee shop. They drown their sorrows in coffee and support each other, critiquing their work and giving feedback. One day a girl named Leila overhears them, and offers to help them out. Leila is a part-time editoral staffer, and soon the three writers find themselves inspired and having good fortune.
This comes at a price though. Increasingly the three of them find themselves locked in what seems to be a trance, and their energy is at a low ebb. Is something giving them creativity at the cost of their life?
It's a fun novel to read, with good writing all around and a nice real-life focus. Very readable, and I enjoyed it, but I wish there had been more. Rather than spend time of the mystery of the muse, and a certain character sitting on information, I wish there had been more of the writer's life in the beginning, more explanation of the books mythology, and an extension of the wonderful final conflict at the end. The "mystery" of the muse you'll figure the main part out early, and the second part needs a bit more justification imo. That kind of world, where was very interesting to me, and it fit the light tone of the book nicely.
The ending conflict was great, too. Especially the unexpected "secret weapon" that helped out quite a bit. The other characters introduced then were cool also, and I wanted to learn a bit more about them.
It's a good, likable book that had some nice parts, but needed to show them more and a little less of the middle. A decent change from the average high fantasy Christian spec fiction though, and I'd love to see what he does with future novels.
June 18, 2010
Stan Marino and his friends Jilly and Davos make up the Seventh Circle of Hell
Writers' Society, a threesome critique group that meets at the Pensive Aardvark bookshop. Stan is working on his fantasy epic, Taron's Crusade, Jilly writes vampire romances, and Davos writes science fiction and all things spacey. While discussing Stan's latest bout of writer's block at a meeting, Leila Starling interrupts with the perfect solution. Stan is so thrilled to have solved his writing crisis that he invites Leila into the group.
Instantly all three writers become more productive. And all three start experiencing black outs. One minute they are typing away, the next? They wake up to find that hours have passed and they've accomplished tons of work on their stories. Weird. But cool, right?
Until Stan's wife, Charity, meets Leila Starling and the two women seem to hate each other. Charity warns Stan to stay away from Leila, but won't say why. Leila sets up a meeting for Davos and Jilly, and both sign major contracts. Stan doesn't see why Leila is so bad, and he wasn't to make his big break, too. But if he gives Leila too much control, will he ever get it back?
What would you do to fulfill your artistic dreams? Fred Warren offers a humorous, yet mysterious, twist on the journey to success that warns: if the deal is too good to be true, it likely is. The Muse is unique and imaginative. I got caught up in the story of love and Divine inspiration, which totally took me by surprise. I loved the idea that you shouldn't rush creativity, that it takes time to build art that entertains and gets people to think. A well-written delight, The Muse will inspire the readers to enjoy their own artistic gifts and the time it takes to create them.
Writers' Society, a threesome critique group that meets at the Pensive Aardvark bookshop. Stan is working on his fantasy epic, Taron's Crusade, Jilly writes vampire romances, and Davos writes science fiction and all things spacey. While discussing Stan's latest bout of writer's block at a meeting, Leila Starling interrupts with the perfect solution. Stan is so thrilled to have solved his writing crisis that he invites Leila into the group.
Instantly all three writers become more productive. And all three start experiencing black outs. One minute they are typing away, the next? They wake up to find that hours have passed and they've accomplished tons of work on their stories. Weird. But cool, right?
Until Stan's wife, Charity, meets Leila Starling and the two women seem to hate each other. Charity warns Stan to stay away from Leila, but won't say why. Leila sets up a meeting for Davos and Jilly, and both sign major contracts. Stan doesn't see why Leila is so bad, and he wasn't to make his big break, too. But if he gives Leila too much control, will he ever get it back?
What would you do to fulfill your artistic dreams? Fred Warren offers a humorous, yet mysterious, twist on the journey to success that warns: if the deal is too good to be true, it likely is. The Muse is unique and imaginative. I got caught up in the story of love and Divine inspiration, which totally took me by surprise. I loved the idea that you shouldn't rush creativity, that it takes time to build art that entertains and gets people to think. A well-written delight, The Muse will inspire the readers to enjoy their own artistic gifts and the time it takes to create them.
June 13, 2012
Fred Warren's The Muse is a heart warming fairy tale that moves from reality to creative imagination and back again while expertly weaving together plot, setting, and characters - obviously the key elements in any good story. This short novel is a nicely accomplished metafiction (a story about storytelling), which is difficult to pull off, from my perspective. Many novel-themed novels can be self-conscious and this one isn't due to Warren's unpretentious third person voice and likability of Stan and his two friends, Jilly and Davos.
The set up is simple: These three writers meet a muse, of sorts, and strange things start happening. Some of the strangeness is a bit unbelievable, and yet the characters are so likable you just go with it. Creativity is strange, after all. And while it doesn't take long to realize that the "muse" turns out to be just as bad as she was suspicious when she first showed up, the experienced writing and interesting scenarios kept me hooked. While it's not necessarily a page turner plot-wise, there are just enough creative revelations (which Warren hints at throughout) that are wonderfully revealed in the final climax and resolution that reward the faithful reader.
Most of the writing is solid (some wonderful turns of phrases) but some of the dialog colloquialisms are already dated (da bomb!). However, this is a minor quibble and can be explained by this particular character's idiosyncrasies. Recommended as a middle grade or young adult novel (or for those who are young at heart) with nothing objectionable, although a few deaths do occur. And while the novel deals with some spiritual issues (and a little bit of angel speculation) it is not a tract for any particular religious group. A family safe bet for the whole family.
The set up is simple: These three writers meet a muse, of sorts, and strange things start happening. Some of the strangeness is a bit unbelievable, and yet the characters are so likable you just go with it. Creativity is strange, after all. And while it doesn't take long to realize that the "muse" turns out to be just as bad as she was suspicious when she first showed up, the experienced writing and interesting scenarios kept me hooked. While it's not necessarily a page turner plot-wise, there are just enough creative revelations (which Warren hints at throughout) that are wonderfully revealed in the final climax and resolution that reward the faithful reader.
Most of the writing is solid (some wonderful turns of phrases) but some of the dialog colloquialisms are already dated (da bomb!). However, this is a minor quibble and can be explained by this particular character's idiosyncrasies. Recommended as a middle grade or young adult novel (or for those who are young at heart) with nothing objectionable, although a few deaths do occur. And while the novel deals with some spiritual issues (and a little bit of angel speculation) it is not a tract for any particular religious group. A family safe bet for the whole family.
April 2, 2013
Parts of The Muse reminded me of an old Stephen King story, The Library Policeman. I had to stop reading Stephen King after Misery because most of his books are too scary for me. Thankfully, The Muse was entertaining and thought provoking without the side of fear.
Fred Warren's book is about a small writer's group that is befriended by a helpful editor. Suddenly, strange things begin to happen to each member. At first good, then troubling, then scary, the friends try to figure out what is happening and whether it has any connection to their newest group member.
Theology: All good things are from God
The Muse is a good vs. evil type of book, except it's more subtle and realistic. Sometimes we don't recognize the good from the bad because the bad is disguised as something that we desperately want, or it's not overtly bad at first glance. Our enemy knows our deepest desires and seeks to exploit them. So once you've been exploited, what then? In real life, we need to repent and turn to God. In this story, well...you have to read it to find out.
Rating: PG
While this book is free of profanity, sex, and adult themes it might be scary for younger readers. Then again, it might not. In general, anyone who is mature enough to read the book is old enough to enjoy it.
Social Issues:
In the afterword to the book, Fred Warren writes, "This story is about inspiration--its meaning, origins, and purpose. It also explores the idea that there's more than one kind of inspiration, and it's important to understand the source, nature, and ultimate effects of the creative energy we're using." The Muse is a creative adaptation of spiritual warfare.
I enjoyed this book and plan to read the rest in this series.
Fred Warren's book is about a small writer's group that is befriended by a helpful editor. Suddenly, strange things begin to happen to each member. At first good, then troubling, then scary, the friends try to figure out what is happening and whether it has any connection to their newest group member.
Theology: All good things are from God
The Muse is a good vs. evil type of book, except it's more subtle and realistic. Sometimes we don't recognize the good from the bad because the bad is disguised as something that we desperately want, or it's not overtly bad at first glance. Our enemy knows our deepest desires and seeks to exploit them. So once you've been exploited, what then? In real life, we need to repent and turn to God. In this story, well...you have to read it to find out.
Rating: PG
While this book is free of profanity, sex, and adult themes it might be scary for younger readers. Then again, it might not. In general, anyone who is mature enough to read the book is old enough to enjoy it.
Social Issues:
In the afterword to the book, Fred Warren writes, "This story is about inspiration--its meaning, origins, and purpose. It also explores the idea that there's more than one kind of inspiration, and it's important to understand the source, nature, and ultimate effects of the creative energy we're using." The Muse is a creative adaptation of spiritual warfare.
I enjoyed this book and plan to read the rest in this series.
March 27, 2013
Stan Marino and his struggling writer friends find sudden success when they bump into Leila, a literary agent/talent scout of sorts, at their favorite coffee shop. As a new stream of creativity begins to flow through Stan, he realizes something is amiss, but how can he stop? Success and pride assuage his concerns as he comes to learn the supernatural price of Leila's assistance.
Mr. Warren executes the classic slippery slope, bit by bit descent into oblivion story very well. I found myself constantly wishing that the protagonist would just turn back, but again and again he didn't and was sucked in deeper. The trick, of course, is for the protagonist's bad decisions to make sense in the moment, for him not to be a moron that blindly bumbles into a meat-grinder, and Mr. Warren pulled it off.
The story slows a bit in the middle, but is written with such an easy going, easy to digest style, I never lost interest. I read it over the weekend and had a lot of fun with it. The limited cast of characters and straightforward plot (not simply, just nice and straight!) makes it a perfect book to read while traveling. Recommended.
Mr. Warren executes the classic slippery slope, bit by bit descent into oblivion story very well. I found myself constantly wishing that the protagonist would just turn back, but again and again he didn't and was sucked in deeper. The trick, of course, is for the protagonist's bad decisions to make sense in the moment, for him not to be a moron that blindly bumbles into a meat-grinder, and Mr. Warren pulled it off.
The story slows a bit in the middle, but is written with such an easy going, easy to digest style, I never lost interest. I read it over the weekend and had a lot of fun with it. The limited cast of characters and straightforward plot (not simply, just nice and straight!) makes it a perfect book to read while traveling. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 10 of 10 reviews