Eye of the Wizard! "A great, fun little romp" -- Red Adept Reviews

[Daniel Arenson]

EYE OF THE WIZARD "A great, fun little romp. -- Red Adept Reviews "Wildly entertaining." -- KindleObsessed.com They're misfits... but they're the only heroes around. From the author of Song of Dragons comes Misfit Heroes -- a fantasy series about creepy monsters, underdog heroes, and epic adventure. For all ages. BOOK ONE: EYE OF THE WIZARD Shadows prowl the night. A dark warlock musters power. Evil lurks in every corner. The world needs heroes. What they get... is a few misfits. A couple failed squires. A jinxed wizard. A banished spirit of the forest. A childlike demon and her teddy bear. They are outcasts, failures, oddballs.  They might just save the world. Buy from Kindle US -- $2.99 Buy from Kindle UK -- £2.17 SILLY INTERVIEW!  Two characters from Eye of the Wizard--Neev (a wizard) and Romy (a goofy demon girl)--visited the blog From the Shadows recently.  They caused some major havoc.  Take a look.

[M.S. Verish]

Swords, Spells, and Skeletons!

These are a few of my favorite things.

Congratulations, Daniel! Looks great. 

[telracs]

where'd the cheetos go?

[Daniel Arenson]

where'd the cheetos go?

I know you like the puffy kind:

[Ann in Arlington]

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[Bleekness]

Ohhhh

That is a beautiful cover.

Best of luck with it

[Daniel Arenson]

Thanks, Keith!

[Arkali]

So buying at lunch!  Good luck with it

[Daniel Arenson]

So buying at lunch!  Good luck with it

Thanks, Arkali!  You've read Firefly Island, right?  I hope you enjoy Eye of the Wizard, too.   

[Arkali]

Actually, have no... :blush:  Nor Flaming Dove.  For some reason the cover of FI just never grabbed me >.>  I DO have TGoD, (oooh... wild) and hopefully will read it soon.  I meant to read it this week, but my Daddy fell and broke his hip Tuesday so after finally getting back to town last night I'm horribly behind.  Bah!  But soon, soon, soon

[Daniel Arenson]

Actually, have no... :blush:  Nor Flaming Dove.  For some reason the cover of FI just never grabbed me >.>  I DO have TGoD, (oooh... wild) and hopefully will read it soon.  I meant to read it this week, but my Daddy fell and broke his hip Tuesday so after finally getting back to town last night I'm horribly behind.  Bah!  But soon, soon, soon

I hope your dad gets well soon!

No worries about Firefly Island.  I'm probably confused because often when people buy one of my new books, they tell me, "I've read Firefly Island, so I'll grab this one too."  I think either The Gods of Dream or Eye of the Wizard are good books to start with; the former is long and more serious, the latter is a light and quick read.

I've been thinking of asking my artist (the same one who created the covers for The Gods of Dream and Eye of the Wizard) to create a new Firefly Island cover.  If I do, it'll be the fourth cover Firefly Island has had!  I sold the book to a small press years ago; they commissioned artwork from a lovely artist named Stephanie Law.  Five Star Publishing printed the hardcover and gave it new artwork.  The current ebook version has the novel's third cover. 

[Arkali]

Hi, Daniel :-)
Thanks!  I actually just got off the phone with Daddy and he's sounding MUCH better today, like his old self.  He's 90, so I was pretty terrified Tuesday when mama called.

Anywho - the FI cover is nice looking, but it just does nothing for me and makes me think Sci-Fi, so, umm... yeah.  Never picked it up, even though I KNOW it's a fantasy book.  Go figure.  I'm really looking forward to reading TGoD, though.  Sadly, I'm so behind now with classwork, which has put me behind with editing stuff...  vicious cycle.  Grrrr.

[Daniel Arenson]

Hi, Daniel :-)
Thanks!  I actually just got off the phone with Daddy and he's sounding MUCH better today, like his old self.  He's 90, so I was pretty terrified Tuesday when mama called.

I can imagine.  Scary stuff.  I'm glad he's doing better!

Anywho - the FI cover is nice looking, but it just does nothing for me and makes me think Sci-Fi, so, umm... yeah.  Never picked it up, even though I KNOW it's a fantasy book.  Go figure.  I'm really looking forward to reading TGoD, though.  Sadly, I'm so behind now with classwork, which has put me behind with editing stuff...  vicious cycle.  Grrrr.

Here is the cover from the hardcover.  What do you think?

[monkeyluis]

Arenson = Buy

Loved Flaming Dove.  Firefly is on my TPB.  I've been really swamped with school, but I'm back to reading now.

Look forward too this Daniel.

[Joseph Robert Lewis]

Sweet cover art. Looks like a nice story too!

[Daniel Arenson]

Thanks guys!

And Eye of the Wizard just received its first Amazon review -- for five stars.  That was fast!

Here's a quote from the review:  "...if you are looking for a fun read with loveable characters and an entertaining story at a great price, this is a book worth looking at.  For me to give 5 stars is rare but in this case I felt that the entertainment to cost ratio made it 5 star worthy."

You can read the full review here.

[Arkali]

I can imagine.  Scary stuff.  I'm glad he's doing better!

Here is the cover from the hardcover.  What do you think?

Thanks!

Well, hrrrm.  In some respects, the older cover is better.  It communicates the genre better, for one thing.  BUT - it's dated looking.  The new cover at least looks new, but it gives a totally wrong impression of what you're getting.  Hope that makes sense?

Oooh!  Forgot to add - 'grats on the five-star!

[Daniel Arenson]

Well, hrrrm.  In some respects, the older cover is better.  It communicates the genre better, for one thing.  BUT - it's dated looking.  The new cover at least looks new, but it gives a totally wrong impression of what you're getting.  Hope that makes sense?

Makes sense to me.    The current Firefly Island cover was inspired by George R. R. Martin's fantasy covers.  For example:



While I love George R. R. Martin's work, I think my cover is better than his.  Shhh.

Oooh!  Forgot to add - 'grats on the five-star!

Thanks.   

[Arkali]

Makes sense to me.    The current Firefly Island cover was inspired by George R. R. Martin's fantasy covers.  For example:

While I love George R. R. Martin's work, I think my cover is better than his.  Shhh.

Thanks.   

I HATE that cover.  Truly.  I'd be willing to bet that's the later cover.  Let me go look...
Not sure which cover came first, but I definitely prefer this one:

[Daniel Arenson]

I HATE that cover.  Truly.  I'd be willing to bet that's the later cover.  Let me go look...
Not sure which cover came first, but I definitely prefer this one:

I think that one (with the illustration) came first.  Not sure why they changed it.  But one thing's for sure:  I can't wait to see the mini-series.

[Arkali]

I think you're right about the cover order.  And I don't know why they changed it, either.  I definitely think it was a step backwards.  Totally agree that the TV show is probably going to be awesome, though   Do you know when it's supposed to start?

[Daniel Arenson]

I think you're right about the cover order.  And I don't know why they changed it, either.  I definitely think it was a step backwards.  Totally agree that the TV show is probably going to be awesome, though   Do you know when it's supposed to start?

April 17!  Get your HBO ready!

http://www.hbo.com/game-of-thrones/index.html

I've seen some of the trailers and "behind the scenes" videos.  You can find them on youtube or the HBO website.  It looks very well made.

George R. R. Martin has definitely inspired my writing.  I first read A Game of Thrones in 1998, when I was 18 years old, and it changed the way I thought about fantasy literature.  It was dark, gritty, and un-romantic.  It hasn't inspired Eye of the Wizard, which is a lot lighter and more whimsical, but I do see GRRM influences in the current novel I'm writing.

By the way:  Two characters from Eye of the Wizard--Neev (a wizard) and Romy (a goofy demon girl)--will be visiting the blog From the Shadows on Tuesday.  They're going to wreak some major havoc.  Neev is going to (try to) interview Romy, and both characters will be answering questions from the blog's readers.  If you're on GoodReads, you can RSVP here:  http://www.goodreads.com/event/show/108256

[Joseph Robert Lewis]

Daniel, what do you think of Martin's style of rotating the POV around a large cast of characters? I really like it and have been using a similar style in my own books, but I know some readers prefer to stick with one character throughout an entire story.

[Daniel Arenson]

Daniel, what do you think of Martin's style of rotating the POV around a large cast of characters? I really like it and have been using a similar style in my own books, but I know some readers prefer to stick with one character throughout an entire story.

All my novels have strict, third-person POV, which rotates between the main characters.  Firefly Island follows this style, too, even though I wrote it before reading George R. R. Martin.  Head-hopping is a pet peeve of mine; I don't read books with head hopping, and I dislike the ominiscient narrator. 

In all my novels, I choose four or five character to be my POV characters.  Secondary characters don't get this status.  I choose the most important, interesting characters for POV rank, and make sure they're distinct -- by gender, age, personally, etc.  Between chapters, I alternate between these POV characters, and tell the story from their head.  Even though I write in third person, it's almost like a first person experience.  The reader sees the world through the POV character's eyes, hears through his ears, knows only what he knows, experiences his emotions, can read his thoughts... and is never allowed to leave his mind.  The reader can never hear/see/smell/sense anything the POV character isn't experiencing, or know anything the POV character doesn't know.  There is definitely no head hopping, whereby I suddenly show you what another character is thinking, or show you something that's not inputted via the POV character's eyeballs.  When I want to switch to another POV character, I end the scene or chapter, and can start with a new one.  I'm careful to use this style in all my novels.

Eye of the Wizard has six POV characters.

[Daniel Arenson]

New five star review for Eye of the Wizard on Amazon.com.

Here's a quote:

"Eye of the Wizard offers a delightful opportunty to get lost in an hilarious world where the reader's expectations of fantasy novels fade and are replaced with chuckles and giggles. Arenson displays consummate skills and timing from chapter to chapter, without fail. Five stars is a perfect rating for this work, and I was disappointed that my numerous clicks on the page failed to make a sixth star appear."

Have you read Eye of the Wizard yet?

[Daniel Arenson]

Eye of the Wizard now has three Amazon reviews.

Take a look.

[MosesSiregarIII]

Daniel, how would you say this one is different from your other works? Just curious.

[Daniel Arenson]

Author Sean Sweeney (Model Agent) reviewed Eye of the Wizard.  He writes:

"Daniel Arenson has another gem here. Take a set of three siblings -- two knights and a warlock -- a summoned demon (who has barely gotten out of Pampers, even though she's 207 1/2), and a gorgeous spiderling... and you have Eye of the Wizard.  Arenson is a master of description, especially in the fantasy genre. He draws readers in from the words Chapter One and doesn't let you go until The End."

[Daniel Arenson]

New review for Eye of the Wizard on Amazon.  Here's a quote:

"This writer knows how make you care about characters and he knows how to keep a story moving forward. I'm going to read all his books."

You can read the full review here.

[Daniel Arenson]

Syria (of Syria Says) has reviewed Eye of the Wizard.  Here's a quote:

"Oh my god! I loved these guys! Each one is a great stand alone character – but putting them together is just brilliant! ... Daniel's style is fun and very easy to read - I read this all in one sitting. (So, I guess I can thank him for the eye twitches later…?) I loved his take on the fantasy genre. Grobblers, Spiderlings and an evil vulture named Vanderbeak. It doesn’t get more imaginative than that."

Thanks, Syria!

[Daniel Arenson]

New review for Eye of the Wizard on Amazon.  Natasha writes:

"I love reading Arenson because his writing is efficient, fast paced, and quirky. This author is a smooth one, and even masters the tone of a scene with an artistry that is just damned impressive."

Read the full review on Amazon.

[Daniel Arenson]

New Amazon review for Eye of the Wizard:

"I really liked this book. I started it thinking that it was going to be a serious fantasy book, but it ended up being very funny and kept me entertained throughout... Highly recommended if you like a comination of fantasy and wit."

[Daniel Arenson]

From a reader: "Just finished Eye of the Wizard and loved it! Just what I needed at the time -- a good light read after coming off some heavy stuff. I liked it so much I went and grabbed Firefly Island and Blood of Requiem and I'm thinking of getting the other two as well. If nothing else you just grabbed another fan with this book."

[Dana Taylor]

Hi Daniel--

Your covers are so eye-catching. I must put you on my TBR. So many books, so little time!

Dana Taylor

[Daniel Arenson]

Hi Daniel--

Your covers are so eye-catching. I must put you on my TBR. So many books, so little time!

Dana Taylor

Thanks Dana!  I hope you enjoy my work.

[Daniel Arenson]

Enjoy an excerpt from Eye of the Wizard....



Nobody else saw the grobbler.

At first Scruff thought he imagined it.  His family didn't seem to notice the creature.  Father and Mother dozed in armchairs by the fireplace.  His brother Neev was reading a dusty, leather-bound tome about chess.  His sister Jamie, the youngest in the family, was playing with toy knights under the table.  Had nobody felt the chill in the air, heard the grunting, glimpsed the twisted figure outside the window?

When he looked out the window again, Scruff saw nothing but an empty street, the wet cobblestones glistening beneath lanterns.  The windowpanes were opened wide, and the night wafted into the house:  its cool breezes, scents of crackling hearths, the distant sound of chanting monks.  No grobblers.  No lurking shadows.  You just imagined it, Scruff, he told himself. You listen to too many fairytales.

Scruff was thirteen and already six feet tall--the tallest kid in town--but when he was smaller, his mother would tell him stories of grobblers.  "If you don't behave," she'd say, "they'll get you.  Grobblers eat misbehaving children."

But of course, those were just stories.  Pagan gods cursing beautiful, vain women, twisting and wilting their left halves?  The women wandering the world as grobblers, left halves rotting, right halves never aging, a reminder of their corrupted beauty?  It was ridiculous.  Even their name, grobblers, sounded silly, a name some rambling storyteller would invent after his tales of Arthur, Robin Hood, and William Tell were already told.  Scruff shook his head. Just stories, just stupid stories told to--

A shadow moved outside, severing his thoughts.

Scruff straightened, goosebumps rising across him.  There was something out there, something strange.  Scruff could not see the creature itself, but its shadow made his heart race.  At first he thought it the shadow of a young woman, but when it turned, Scruff saw a hunchback and a knobby, twisted arm. Half beauty, half beast. Hands sweaty, Scruff grabbed his brother's arm.

Twelve years old and wiry, Neev looked up with a grunt, eyes flashing.  "What do you want, Scruff?  I'm trying to read."

Scruff pointed outside.  "Look!  What's that?"

Neev sighed.  "Really, Scruff, I don't like being bothered when reading, and...."

Neev's breath died, and he gaped out the window.  The grobbler had stepped into view.  Scruff saw it only in profile, and he gasped.  He had never seen a woman so beautiful, with hair so golden, skin so silky, lips so plump and red.  Then the grobbler turned to face him.  Its left half was rotted and warty, scraggly hair swarming with maggots, red eye blazing.

The grobbler turned that red eye upon him, and Scruff grimaced.  Its stare burned like a ray of hellfire.  The grobbler's mouth opened--a mouth half perfect, half shriveled--and it hissed in a voice like flames.

"You will die, Scruff."

[Daniel Arenson]

KindleObsessed.com reviews Eye of the Wizard!

"As a I flipped my Kindle closed on Daniel Arenson’s latest novel Eye of the Wizard, the only coherent thought I could form was, 'What the hell was that!?'"

Read the full review.

[MosesSiregarIII]

KindleObsessed.com reviews Eye of the Wizard!

"As a I flipped my Kindle closed on Daniel Arenson’s latest novel Eye of the Wizard, the only coherent thought I could form was, 'What the hell was that!?'"

Read the full review.

Ha! Awesome review. Congrats.

[Daniel Arenson]

Eye of the Wizard gets a new cover!



See a larger image here.