The Gods Of The Gift

Like your book. Highly rated and watchlisted. You might like Solian Chronicles: Pluto Genesis by MDWS77. It is VERY good.

Thanks, SciFi-guy, I haven't been at Authonomy since, oh, 2009. I shall attempt to upload the revised first chapter of "Gods". I've done a LOT of work on this book in the last two years. I'll take a look at Pluto Genesis.

Like your book. Highly rated and watchlisted. You might like Solian Chronicles: Pluto Genesis by MDWS77. It is VERY good.

This is a brilliant book. I can't understand why you haven't been on the site for so long.
I only had to read the pitch and I knew I would want to read the whole book. This is rare for me.
I'll be back to read more, but for now I give you 6 stars because I think you should be published. If you should wish to get back in our race for the desk then I'll back you straight away. Let me know.
Junetee(Four Corners)

Chapter three: how to embitter and enrage a very powerful enemy in ten easy steps.
Winged one saved a lot of people. Its a great story. I was nervous because of your naming conventions that i would get lost and distracted keeping track of characters. I didnt
Shelved.

You have a true gift, my friend. I thoroughly enjoyed reading your story, and cannot offer much help other than praise and a backing. Splendid, entertaining, beautiful.

Ashley | Morningside

I like this, I'd buy this and I'm backing this. Only one thing, I personally thought that your pitch was quite weak, much weaker than your story (I was pleasantly surprised). If you get a chance, visit www.queryshark.blogspot.com. NY Lit Agent Janet Reid writes it. She's mean, but I think your book is worth the trouble.
Shoshanna Einfeld
A True Faerie Story

Shoshana, thanks for the read and the help. I'm happy with the pitch of my other book, but this one has eluded me. I've written hundreds of pitches, and I've just written another one.
I've read a lot of A True Faerie Story, I like it very much and will comment when I've gathered my wits about your
witty tale.

Best
Art

This book is wicked funny. It's sad to see a book that deserves much more being ignored like this, but so it goes. There's a vast gulf between Entertainment and Art. Your book is entertaining as hell but it is above all, art. It's a risk-taking innovative approach to science fiction that I've never seen before. Character development is much the same as in a literary novel. That's rare for SF, which is usually about the "alternate world" or "odd creatures" or " faster than light space travel". You've got all of these here. You honor all the
conventions of science fiction but you've brought it to a new level. The word "spiritual" is so overused it's meaningless. I regard as spiritual works that express deep humanity This book expresses
so many fundamental truths about the human situation. Given a hero who has a mighty power; a hero who
is wary of using his power because he knows it's dangerous, you have a hero who is grappling with his humanity even after living twenty thousand years. And the villains! They are creepy but funny. Boraz is the funniest and creepiest, and every time Garuvel laughs at him I am (and I think any reader is) also laughing at him.
On page 126 you have this bit of dialogue with Boraz saying . “What does all our scurrying about accomplish?” He asked rhetorically. “All our schemes, plots, all this…this…sheer activity! We are like a man walking on thin ice, unaware of the frigid depths that are about to suck him down. So long as he continues moving, the ice holds. But when he stops for a second, craaack! It begins, the cesspool of boredom opens its gaping maw and he looks down into himself and he finds absolute nothingness.”
Zyreen scratched an eyebrow, thinking. “If you really believe that,” she said, “then you are a truly horrible man.” She sat forward with a touch of vehemence. “I generally find myself to be a horrible woman. The three of us are monsters, don’t you think?”

Yep, they are indeed monsters.

come on people, read this book! It's a great novel.

Morningstarrs

[The Gods of the Gift looks like the sort of thing any agent or publisher ought to leap at. It would also make an excellent film, because there’s lots of action. Obviously, I’m going to bookshelf it. Which makes it the first novel I’ve bookshelved on this site in quite some time!

Bren, thanks for the read. I know the book looks like one thing in the first chapters but those are setups. The real premise comes when the MC zooms two or three billion years back in time to "become" a person in a civilization on the verge of destruction. Most of the book reads easily. I try not to venture too far from the action format. There are more sophisticated passages, but most of all there is SURPRISE. You do not know what's coming. I think that's what will keep readers going, and the touching nature of the the characters. I didn't know
what to expect putting a monster like this on authonomy. It hasn't done well. It has tanked. I'm close to pulling it off but I'll let it sit there and breathe for a while in case someone will actually have time to read it to the end.
If you want a file copy I can email you one. It's good to have the book on two bookshelves.
Best

Art

I know I said I’d read and review The Gods of the Gift some time ago, Art, and I’m really sorry for the delay: I didn’t realise just how much work I’d left undone after the rush to the Editor’s Desk. I’ve spent nearly all my time since catching up on it.

Anyway, I can honestly say I thoroughly enjoyed it. The first thing that struck me – and it’s an impression that stayed with me - was how incredibly well paced it is. Short paragraphs, each one telling, and each one driving the narrative along nicely. In Chapter one (‘There Are No Miracles’), you manage not only to establish the three main characters (four, if you count Garuvel’s rather potty-mouthed mum!), but you also give us a very clear idea of what’s at stake for him. By the time we get to the end, we’re really hoping he can use his powers to give his brother and father a good hard kick up their backsides. Honestly, the pace never slackens, and I never stopped reading, even to get up and take my lunch out of the oven. Luckily, all chapters come to an end, no matter how good, so it didn’t burn!

Chapter two, I must admit, I was expecting the said kick in the backside to be delivered. But no, you’ve got a quite different fate in store for poor old Garuvel. He lets his secret out in a fit of pique and next thing you know, he’s in a dungeon, being drugged. Luckily, the Winged Ones get to know of his existence, and come to comfort him with a little self-knowledge: he’s one of the Seven.

The pitch, by the way, is super. I got a good sense of the sort of novel this is: quirky, not too ponderous, heroic, humorous. A great combination.

The Gods of the Gift looks like the sort of thing any agent or publisher ought to leap at. It would also make an excellent film, because there’s lots of action. Obviously, I’m going to bookshelf it. Which makes it the first novel I’ve bookshelved on this site in quite some time!

This book is really burning up the ratings, eh? I thought it would do a little better than this, I didn't expect it to race to the top. I'm just commenting here to put the title on the "news" in hopes that another
few people will realize what an interesting book this is. Anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism will find familiar
scenes here, as I've drawn on the Tibetan culture as a model for the end third of the book. It has monks
and lamas flying through the air, a great monastery that is a nexus of cosmic forces and all kinds of goodies.

As a lover of sci-fi and all things well-written, I am backing this book.

Great job. I cannot understand why this is not doing better.

Richard Davies

Richard, this book is a chimera. It has many heads, and everyone sees a different head. Probably, long after
I'm dead, it will be recognized as a fine book. I would prefer to see people enjoy it while I 'm still on this planet,
because the fees for extra-galactic editing and criticism are HORRIFIC! Have you tried to have your work appraised on the second planet of Proxima Centauri? It takes a long time to get here, for one thing. Read on,
amigo, I am in love with this book. Thank you so much. I will be patient and hope others spread the word.
Oh, and I'll read your work because surely a fan of "Gods" must be a solid soul.

Art

As a lover of sci-fi and all things well-written, I am backing this book.

Great job. I cannot understand why this is not doing better.

Richard Davies

Cas, perhaps it is both fish and fowl. This is not an easily categorized book but it is not YA. I've never heard
that before. I think it will become a cult book for a certain kind of reader. Your observations are wonderful and
helpful and there will be a few changes based upon them. "Gods" is a big book, both in size and in ambition.
I'm proud of it. Twenty years ago it was represented and was held by a major publisher for a year. The editors
fought about it, couldn't reach agreement and it was finally sent back. The book that exists now is vastly different and better than the older version. It is a strange piece of work, but I think strange is good. Thanks for your reading and insightful comments. I want to get right back to it and incorporate your thoughts!

Some hours later:
I did the re-write. That gap between Garuvel's disappearing and his learning he could do more always bothered me, and I had written a feeble explanation for it. Now I have it right. Thanks, Cas, you did me a good
one.

Best
Art

I am down to reading 2 books a week and I had the pleasure of reading this,great work.love your hook and from what I have read.will comment more later when I am done.great job

Hi Art.
From my point of view the main sticking point of your book is that it's neither fish nor fowl. I mean this in relation to your target audience. You've classified it as 'literary fiction' and 'science fiction' yet the opening reads like a YA fantasy. I'll admit that I've only had time for the first two chapters so far, but that was the impression they left me with. Perhaps the reason for your classification would become clearer the further I read, but that would only add weight to my point. I think any agent reading this would think it a YA story, then become concerned by the swearing.
Your writing talent is not in question, nor your ability to plan and execute a novel. Both are clear. You just might want to reconsider where it's aimed.
I made a few other notes as I read:
'He didn't know what he had done.' Here you have reaction before the action. IMO, it ought to read: 'He disappeared. His hands went to his face....still connected to his consciousness. He didn't know what he had done...' etc.
'Does he have control?...Can he repeat it?' Change of tense. *Did* he have control, *could* he repeat it?
If I was Garuvel and suffering the bullying of his brother and father, I think I'd have experimented sooner with other things besides disappearing. It was my immediate thought once it was clear the initial disappearance wasn't an accident. IMO, Garuvel takes far too long to reach the same conclusion!
As you are telling this from a nine-year-old's perspective I wondered about some of the language. Not just the swearing but phrases like 'maneuvers of dubious legality' which are supposedly Garuvel's thoughts.

Anyway, Art, these are only my opinions, something for you to think about!
All the best,
Cas.
(KING'S ENVOY)

I don't know whether or not I'm surprised that such a fine book is sitting here doing nothing. It's a little quirky but as the HC people say, they're looking for fresh talent and fresh ideas. I know the value of this book. One of science fiction's weaker aspects is its lack of character development. Here you'll find lots of character development, and it may be that the most admirable character is not a human but a "robiot", that
is a cloned being who was designed to do only the most simple work and broke through his limitations to become something far greater than what he was made for. I hope someone reads this book before I take it down and move on to my next book.

Art

Deeply inventive and fresh with the ideas. You also have a great way with description that reminded me of a lot of the book I used to read as a child and love. Backed on the back of what I've read so far - it's very good.

-Jenny-

I don't know if the regular sci fi critics will like this. It's beyond the conventions, it breaks all the rules. You have
the traditional benchmarks, weird creatures, interstellar travel, cosmic intrigue, shifting realities. Your method of space travel is so original it squeaks. Who would suspect that the tiniest sub-atomic particle opens up and joins with the macrocosm? It's the snake-swallows-its-tail symbol, the Worm Ourobouros, a legend found all over the world in many cultures. To travel faster than light you blast these particles together and whammo! The Great Gate opens into Transpace and you can go anywhere. Forget warp drive, wormholes, all the old stuff. Your humor is nasty and twisted, especially the way you provoke the mad villain Boraz aka Calakadon.
He's a hateful creature, the greatest mass murderer of all times and you succeed in making him both menacing and hilarious. That's a neat trick! The sex scene between Boraz and the two custom-made robiot creations is revolting yet I found myself laughing over and over again. This book is so damn interesting I
am about halfway through it and I do not know what's coming next, but I know it will be either insane or
so deeply touching that I'll weep. the dignity and sweetness of the robiots is one of the strongest elements
of this narrative. These newly awakened individuals aren't trying to be human, yet they know they must
co-exist with humans to avoid eternal warfare. They are far sighted and gentle. They show us a way to
be human without the vileness and greed. A wonderful book, my friend, and I'm amazed it hasn't caught fire
and captured a lot of readers.

Morningstarrs

It would help if I knew the words that cause trouble. Are we speaking of sci-fi terms or do I use too many jawbreakers? I know I can be guilty of that. You don't have to answer. I think you've found the path into the story.
Thanks very much. Hang in there!

Art

I like your novel you have a great way with words,but I find myself quessing what some of the words could possible mean!!it cause me to pull away from the story a bit,but I hang in there and discovered a great work of art,adding to watchlist to completly read it all the way.") great story

It wouldn't surprise me to learn that you're a fan of Samurai films, especially Kurosawa. The critical duel between Nutun and Boraz' henchmen reminds me of Musashi's battle with his rival teacher's students in Film Two of the Samurai Trilogy. Here's Nutun, fighting almost forty opponents, and it isn't hokey Kung Fu stuff, it's credible action based on the concept that the victor of a duel is the person with the strongest faith in himself. Don't want to be a spoiler here but I'll just say that the duel's outcome is obviously the hinge upon which your whole plot turns.Garuvel receives the "transfer" of Nutun's knowledge and is suddenly whisked away into a billion year old memory of a civilization that's TOO perfect, and its perfection is its destruction. This is a very mature and sophisticated form of adult sci fi/fantasy and I'm enjoying its cinematic effects. You have a deft way of picking out just the right detail: a smell, a gust of wind, a piece of clothing, the movement of a character's hands and I am whisked away as if by magic to your created world. The interlude where Garuvel becomes Thargmem is a little clumsy or I should say it's so packed with information that I had to read it twice to make sure I got all the nuances. But it's a fascinating view of this long-gone culture and it explains why Garuvel gets involved with the duel and makes the promise that he makes. This is powerful and original stuff and I've never
read anything like it. It makes me think. It's entertaining as the dickens but still it makes me think. And that's
good.

Morningstarrs

This is really amazing stuff. From the first line, I was hooked. This is an ambitious novel that requires something of the reader, a little bit of attention. It' s well worth it, however, as we follow the picaresque adventures of Garuvel Nep Zing, a man with god-like powers who can't or won't use them. He understands the dangers of power, the complexity of changing things in the universe. If you change something here,
what might it also change over there? The one brake on his power is The Great Balance, but even without that principle, Garuvel knows that using a mighty power is a terrifying responsibility. I'm only on chapter seven, but
I'm reading two books at once, so I'll be back with more when I have more to say.

Morningstarr

Great pitch and concept. Well written. Should be popular.

Bill

Fabulous opening...wow. Three chapters in and still steaming on.
Backed Sir!
Ash
(Shadowknight)

Thanks Ash. Hope you keep reading. I'll reciprocate as soon as one of my loaned brains is returned.

Art

I like it...alot, sci fi for the young at heart, mighty stuff, backed!

Fabulous opening...wow. Three chapters in and still steaming on.
Backed Sir!
Ash
(Shadowknight)

Thanks Ash. Hope you keep reading. I'll reciprocate as soon as one of my loaned brains is returned.

Art

Fabulous opening...wow. Three chapters in and still steaming on.
Backed Sir!
Ash
(Shadowknight)

Thank you, Andrew. The first sentence has always been what it is. What follows has changed a zillion times, and
it won't stop until I see galley proofs. I hope you hang on to the end, it's not the easiest book, but it's big....I read
the ending pages earlier tonight and it was like having my hair on fire.

Best
Art

The Gods of the Gift

Hi Art, What a great opening sentence and what a great first chapter. You have a lovely episodic tone, your narrative flows into the grand themes you have set for it. Garuvel's world is an amazing place and you have some lovely descriptive turns of phrase that make the words fizz and kick under our eyes and bring everything to life even more powerfully. Not a wasted word, great stuff, can't nit pick this one, simply enjoyed it too much, best wishes - Andrew W.

Thank you Elaina. I had no idea a prologue would be frowned upon. Perhaps I should just call it chapter one.
The book doesn't exist without the prologue, and it's just story, narrative, so what's the big deal? I design all
my covers but am disappointed we can't see anything but tiny avatars, unless I'm missing something. I always
look at the work of those who look at mine, so I'll be reading your book. Yes, it is an epic! I don' write the books
i want to write, I write the books I CAN write.

Stay sane,

Art

Art, this is really good. I like the concept of spaces between worlds and balance (because I use that myself in my work!). You write well and have a good premise for a epic kind of tale. I have to tell you many here will cause you to doubt your prologue- it is sort of frowned upon. From my point of view, I have no problem with the concept (use it myself!)...but yours is a bit long. You might want to tighten it.

I'm not so good with crits, I tend to shelve what I like. If I come across a typo, I point it out, but can't say anything here caused me to stumble.

The Gods of the Gift is an intriguing title and your cover is attractive- that alone will draw readers!

I wish you all the best. Shelved.
Elaina
Gathering of Rain