Author Interview: Jaclyn Dolamore + Giveaway! (US)

Please Welcome Jaclyn Dolamore!

Jaclyn Dolamore is the author of Magic Under Glass, the newly released Between the Sea and Sky, and the upcoming Magic Under Stone and Dark Metropolis. Though set in a fictional world, her Magic Under series takes inspiration from real historical settings.  

 There are NO spoilers here!

Website | Twitter | Blog | Goodreads

Q:

How do you personally define historical fantasy?

A:

The obvious answer is, of course, stories set in the past with a fantastic element. My stories don't take place in our actual past, though. Although strongly influenced by settings, mores, etc., of earlier eras, they remain in made-up worlds. So are they true historical fantasy? And does that mean that high fantasy that takes place in pseudo-Medieval lands is also historical fantasy? HMMM.

Q:

What are your historical fantasy must-reads? (*Note: I have added Goodreads links for the titles Jackie mentioned so you can easily add them to your TBR!)

A:

Clockwork Angel was a ton of fun. Megan Whalen Turner's books are wonderful and like nothing else out there. And although it's not out until February, Jessica Spotswood's Born Wicked is a great read, with lovely writing, strong female characters and cute boys--everything a book should have, basically.

Q:

What's coming up next for you in terms of publication?

A:

In April, the sequel to Magic Under Glass is finally coming! There will be adventures in the fairy lands, a new impossible-yet-possible romance, and plenty of Nimira and Erris of course. And in summer of 2013 comes Dark Metropolis, about a city full of creepy secrets and a girl looking for her missing best friend, based on 1920s Berlin, with all of its decadence and darkness.

Q:

What drew you to historical fantasy?

A:

I have always loved history. Intensely. When I was a kid, all I wanted to do on family vacations was tour historic houses and go in history museums, the mustier and dustier and more cluttered and creepy, the better. I can't resist an intriguing history book either. But I've also always loved writing fantasy. Writing regular old history and sticking to what really happened...though I love to read it...just isn't my thing. I like storytelling through the lens of fantasy. It just comes so naturally to me. I get blocked up when I try to leave magic and other worlds out of it...

Q:

What’s your preference: Dark chocolate, milk chocolate, or (gulp) white chocolate?

A:

Dark. 75% is perfect. And fair trade if I can possibly afford it!

Q:

Is there a genre you could never see yourself writing? Why not?

A:

Never say never, but, straight contemporary with no speculative elements would be hard for me.

Q:

Aside from your own, who is your favorite mermaid?

A:

Well, I must say I have a total soft spot for Madison from Splash, because I loved that movie as a kid. I loved Ariel too, like practically every other girl born in the early 80s, but, Splash was a little more my speed because it was more romantically oriented and had more angst. When Allan finds out she's a mermaid and they throw him in the tank with her and he shies back from her in her mermaid form I was always like, "NOOO!" (And yeah, so, the guy in Between the Sea and Sky is named Alan. I hadn't seen Splash in years and I forgot the guy in that was named Allan, but...I wonder if the subconscious was working, there. Ack.)

Q: 

Twitter style: I’m in love with a winged guy, but I’m a mermaid. Your dating advice on how to make it work in 140 characters?

A:

Invest in island real estate!

Q:

Twitter style: I’m in love with an automaton. Your dating advice on how to make it work in 140 characters?

A:

Don't lose the key.

Thank you so much for stopping by, Jackie!


Have any of you read Magic Under Glass or Between the Sea and Sky? I can't wait to see what happens next for Nimira in Magic Under Stone.

And what about you, what advice would you give to a girl and her automaton boyfriend or a mermaid and her winged guy? I don't think I can top Jackie's advice!

Check out the blurb for Jackie's latest release Between the Sea and Sky!

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she's longed to join her older sister, Dosia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Esmerine takes her siren's vow, she means to protect the sea and all that live within it--until Dosia runs away to the mainland and Esmerine is sent to retrieve her.

Secretly thrilled with the prospect of seeing a world that she's only glimpsed from the ocean, Esmerine uses magic to transform her tail into legs and journeys to the capital city. There, she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alander, who belongs to a winged race of people. Alander, whose odd ways and brash opinions offend yet fascinate her. But as Esmerine embarks on a search for her sister that will take her farther away from the sea she loves and the life she has always known, she and Alander rekindle a friendship...and more.

Bloomsbury is generously providing a copy of Between the Sea and Sky for giveaway!

Click here to enter!

Info for the giveaway:

• As always, you do NOT have to be a follower
• You must have a US
• You must be 13 years of age or older
• One entry per person
• Your address is not required, but including it will help with sending the book out to you sooner
• I will contact the winner through email and the winner will have 24 hours to reply before a new winner is chosen 
• This giveaway closes on December 7th

Join Ruby today as she chats with one of our favorite authors and offers up another book for giveaway! 

Check out our Historical Fantasy Jubilee full schedule of events and giveaways!

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Book Review: Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore

Between the Sea and Sky by Jaclyn Dolamore
Release Date: October 25, 2011
Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages: 240
Received: ARC from publisher
Rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
Goodreads Page

Summary

From Goodreads:

For as long as Esmerine can remember, she has longed to join her older sister, Dosinia, as a siren--the highest calling a mermaid can have. When Dosinia runs away to the mainland, Esmerine is sent to retrieve her. Using magic to transform her tail into legs, she makes her way unsteadily to the capital city.

There she comes upon a friend she hasn't seen since childhood--a dashing young man named Alandare, who belongs to a winged race of people. As Esmerine and Alandare band together to search for Dosinia, they rekindle a friendship . . . and ignite the emotions for a love so great, it cannot be bound by sea, land, or air.

Review

I'm a mythological racist

I realized something about myself when reading Between the Sea and Sky: I totally stereotype mythological creatures. And I don't really like it when their books deviate too much from my preconceptions.

When it comes to mermaid books, I expect and want them to be light frothy fun with a sweet romance and an "easy read" plot. Luckily, Between the Sea and Sky perfectly fit my mermaid stereotypes and gave me exactly what I wanted.

Esmerine

Esmerine is my perfect mermaid. She's super sweet and a little naive. She has an almost childlike openness and I couldn't help but love her.

Will we be sleepover best friends? Eh, I don't think I got to know her well enough for that, but I would totally invite her to my book club (she's a reader! I love characters who love books.)

And, ok, we would also gush about her romance with Alan. Even though they met when they were kids, they hadn't seen each other for years and their reunion was kinda rocky. I could sympathize with the one-step-forward-two-steps-back progression of their relationship. No insta love or messy love triangles here!

Alan

Ugh, what a jerk. He had such a pole up his butt.

Wait! Don't run away yet! He's supposed to be jerky in the beginning, but I promise he gets a LOT better.

Still, even though he turns into a stand up guy, I spent a good part of the book thinking Esmerine could do SO much better that it was sort of hard to love him. I like him though and I think he and Esmerine make a cute couple. She'll mellow him out and I can see him doting on her and being all sweetly protective of her.

A message worthy of Disney

The big message here is following your heart, and every character struggles with the expectations of others versus their own desires. Can you really go wrong with such a heartwarming message? That kind of Disney-sweet message pretty much gets me every time, and Between the Sea and Sky was no exception.

I could also relate to the characters' feelings of not quite belonging. Many of the characters march to the beat of a different drummer, and I liked how Jaclyn Dolamore emphasized that it is okay to be different.

Wait, is this historical fantasy??

Um, not so much (unless you're a real Anything Goes-er). So why are we including it? Well, Jaclyn Dolamore's other series IS historical fantasy (as far as our definition is concerned) and this is her latest book so we thought we'd give our support. Afterall, our goal is much more about highlighting good books than it is about being strict with categories.

Bottom line

Cute, simple, sweet. It didn't blow my mind and I doubt I'll remember the details for very long, but I'd happily read it again sometime.

This is not an action-packed story, so don't expect a whole lot of plot depth or excitement. But there IS a good, simple plotline that works and sets a nice frame for the characters to move around in. The pacing is moderate and steady and the third-person narrative voice reminded me of a fairy tale (distant, but nice). 

Good for YA/adult audiences looking for something in the lighter fairy tale vein, but probably appropriate for MG readers as well.

Explanation of rating system: Star Rating Key 

Do you have any questions about Between the Sea and Sky that I haven't addressed? 
Feel free to ask in the comments!

Looking for another book like this? 

You might like: 

Click on the covers to go to my reviews.

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Spotlight List: Historical Fiction with Magic

Spotlight is a feature I do where I pick a topic or theme and then highlight some books that fall into that theme.

Historical Fiction with Magic

Want to dip your toes into the historical fiction pool? Maybe even take part in the YA Historical Fiction Challenge? That's great! But what if you're not really an historical fiction kind of reader? Maybe fantasy is more your thing. If that's the case, then do I have a list for you! The following are all books that can be loosely considered historical fiction ("historical fiction lite," if you will) and include paranormal and fantasy elements. 

Bewitching Season 
by Marissa Doyle

Release Date: April 29, 2008

Publisher: Henry Holt and Co.
Pages:  352

Goodreads Page

Doyle seamlessly combines magic, Regency drama, romance, and kidnapping in this upbeat story about two magical sisters making their debut into society while also trying to discretely search for their missing governess. The characters were a delight and the story was fun. The sisters were repeatedly distracted from the plight of their kidnapped governess by courtly balls and dress shopping. While odd for characters who should be wracked with worry, these scenes were equally distracting to me and so I didn’t mind them at all. The whole book has an upbeat and girly feel I just loved. There is a sequel, but this book wraps up as if it were a standalone.

 

Sorcery and Cecelia 
by Patricia C. Wrede and Caroline Stevermer

Release Date: 1988

Publisher: Graphia
Pages:  336

Goodreads Page

If J.K. Rowling and Jane Austen teamed up to write a book, this would be the result. Instead, two powerhouse fantasy authors combined forces to write this epistolary novel, each taking the voice of one of the two main characters as they write to one another about their exciting season. Written in a completely charming voice, Sorcery and Cecelia can only be described as a hilariously fun romp through a magic-filled Regency England. Witches and wizards, intrigue and scheming, and of course a healthy dose of adorable romance make this one of my favorite books ever. Part one of a trilogy, Sorcery and Cecelia is easily read as a standalone. 

Magic Under Glass 
by Jaclyn Dolamore

Release Date: February 1, 2010

Publisher: Bloomsbury
Pages:  225

Goodreads Page

Part fantasy, part fairy story, part Victorian steampunk, and part Gothic, this book takes elements of a bunch of different styles and effectively combines them to create an intriguing story. Nimira is a likable main character, but my favorite by far was the enigmatic Hollin with his tragic past. While I wasn’t in love with the execution, Dolamore has set a satisfactory foundation and shows promise for future installments of this series. The main events are wrapped up, but there are enough loose ends that will leave readers anxious for the sequel.

Kat, Incorrigible 
by Stephanie Burgis

Release Date: April 5, 2011 (already published in the UK)

Publisher: Atheneum
Pages:  295

Goodreads Page

Fans of Sorcery and Cecelia and Bewitching Season are sure to enjoy this adorable Regency-era book. Kat, the 12-year-old heroine is beyond cute. The relationship she shares with her two older sisters is heartwarming and fun to read. Pulled into magic, secret orders, balls, arranged marriages, romantic matchmaking, gambling debts, and rumors of a thieving highwayman on the loose, Kat’s adventures are at turns perilous, exciting, and heartwarming. The characters are endearing, the plot delightful, and the writing charming. I can’t wait for Stephanie Burgis to write another book!

The Vespertine 
by Saundra Mitchell
Release Date: March 7, 2011
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Pages:  304  
Goodreads Page        

In the summer of 1899, country girl Amelia is sent to stay with relatives in Baltimore for the social season in order to find a suitable husband. Amelia’s fun is interrupted by startling visions that appear to her in the light of the setting sun. As the town clamors for Amelia to read their futures, Amelia finds her heart pulled toward the decidedly unsuitable Nathaniel, an artist below her station. Balancing the fine line between propriety and passion, tension grows as Amelia’s visions show her increasingly disturbing events. While I didn’t find it perfect, this was an enjoyable story with an ending that was as shocking as it was satisfying. You can read all of my thoughts on The Vespertine in my review.

Do you know any historical fiction books with magic? Please feel free to share in the comments. I'm always on the lookout for suggestions!

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