The Faerie have come to take London, and only one girl stands in their way.

Justice isn’t your average fifteen-year-old girl. She’s an irrepressible scoundrel, and she always has a plan. But her world falls apart when her father forcibly bundles the entire family into carriages in the middle of the night and carts them off to a strange mansion on the outskirts of Victorian London. The Faerie are invading, but the Kasric siblings can’t stay neutral in the ensuing war when they find their parents on opposing sides. Justice has no choice but to embrace her burgeoning magical powers to fight against the Faerie and save her family.

*Interview with Christian Klaver*

This author of Science Fiction and Fantasy lives in the suburbs just outside the sprawling decay of Detroit, Michigan. There he resides with his wife (Kimberly) his daughter (Kathryn) and a group of animals he refers to as ‘The Menagerie’.

He has been selling short stories since the early ’80’s, including recent sales to Escape Pod and Dark Wisdom Anthology from Elder Signs Press.

He is an alumni of Viable Paradise Writing Workshop, managing and contributing Editor of The Nautilus Engine: A Speculative Webzine and a regular attendee and speaker at Confusion Science Fiction Convention.

Do you ever get writer’s block? What helps you overcome it?

Writer’s block, as you often see it (ironically) in the movies, where you’re staring at a blank page and don’t know what to put down, just doesn’t happen to me. Or I think most writers. When you get stuck is when you have something specific you can’t figure out. I have an ending outlined and need to notch it up. A particular character’s action or plan doesn’t make sense at first and I want to come up with something better. Or you’re tripped up by details like what a big breakfast in England consists of and you have to dig and research before you can write that part out. Or you’re trying to write out the details of something you’ve imagined, like the Wild Hunt, and the minutia have to be right.

What genre do you write and why?

I’m all over the map and wouldn’t have it any other way. I read mystery, thriller, YA, fantasy, sci-fi, horror, mainstream fiction, some non-fiction and mainstream fiction and I’d like, someday, to write in all of that. But fantasy and sci-fi are my first true loves and some weird elements of speculation and imagination always seem to find their way into everything I do.

If you could go back in time, where would you go?

The 80s. So much I wish I’d done differently.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? Least favorite?

It’s funny, it’s something I’m compelled to do, and it’s very satisfying to complete a day, a scene, a chapter, a book, but I’m not sure I normally enjoy the process of writing. That being said, both the beginning and ending of any book is filled with energy, while the middle of can be confusing and difficult.

What is the last great book you’ve read?

Katherine Addison’s Goblin Emperor

*Review*

Shadows Over London, book one in the Empire of the House of Thorns, was a fresh and unique take on all things Faerie.

It’s slow moving, whimsical yet dark – perfect for fans of gritter YA fantasy books. I love the fact that the author used a variety of fae creatures and they aren’t all “beautiful” in a traditional sense.

While filled with action, it went rather quickly. Often times, there wasn’t too much in between. I’d love to see some more drawn out, epic battles as the story progresses. I suspect that the battle for London is going to be huge and bloody and drawn out, I’m looking forward to seeing if good triumphs evil.

Each character were their own, no two really alike. I like that they all had their own personalities, likes and dislikes. I wasn’t always a fan of how each character handled themselves or one another though. Sometimes the characters acted older than they were, or younger. Justice, and all of her siblings (except Joshua and maybe Prudence), have buckets of potential.

There were a ton of characters thrown into the mix towards the middle/end of the book, but they weren’t really fleshed out so I didn’t find it worth my time to memorize them all at this time. Perhaps they’ll make a bigger impact next book?

I’m not sure how to take the romance that.. appeared at the end of book one. It definitely wasn’t insta-love, or love at first sight, so it will be interesting to see the angle the author takes. Will it be fated mates? Forced proximity? Hopefully we will see a well thought out romance. Forced romance in fantasy novels is a real turn off – not every story needs it.

There was a lot of information to digest in this one novel. I’m super intrigued by dragons being the source of all magic, and well as the magic system itself.

Shadows Over London hits all the bases: historical, thriller, magic, war, betrayal, and more!

There is some content that readers may find triggering such as:

Abandonment

Animal Abuse (ish)

Violence, Torture & Death

I gave Shadows Over London three point five stars.

Check back in the next few weeks for my review on Justice at Sea (book two) and Armadas in the Mist (book three).

Scroll down for information on the giveaway!

Enter to win Shadows Over London, the first book in The Empire of the House of Thorns series, by Christian Klaver.

Two (2) winners will receive a copy of Shadows Over London by Christian Klaver.

*Click the link below to be taken to the entry form.*

https://gleam.io/dlsKJ/armadas-in-the-mist-book-tour-giveaway

Thank you so much Christian Klaver and iREAD Book Tours for the opportunity to participate in this amazing tour!