It’s April: the days are getting longer, the nights are getting warmer, and the dragons are stirring. In a month’s time, an intrepid group of readers will spend a frenzied May celebrating the fantastic – so it’s time to start making our plans and drawing our maps. This week, we’re talking read-alongs!
Lisa and I are very excited (and yes, apprehensive) to be hosting two read-alongs this May. What’s a read-along? It’s a group of bookworms flailing through the same book at the same time! We’ve got a suggested reading schedule for each (although if you read faster, go for it) and we’re planning to adopt our old-school, much-loved structure of a blog post each week to talk about what we think so far (so: no spoilers if you read ahead).
Trail of Lightning by Rebecca Roanhorse
Most of the world drowned in the climate apocalypse, but on the former Navajo reservation the gods and heroes of legend walk the land. And so do monsters.
Maggie Hoskie is a monster hunter, a supernaturally gifted killer. When a small town girl goes missing, Maggie is the best hope of finding her. But what Maggie uncovers about the monster is much larger and more terrifying than anything she could imagine.
Welcome to the Sixth World.
We will be posting about Trail of Lightning each Sunday, so look out for prompts each Wednesday or thereabouts (starting May 1st) – we’ll post them on the Goodreads group with a shout-out on Twitter when they go live.
- SUNDAY 5th: Beginning through Chapter Eight
- SUNDAY 12th: Chapter Nine – Eighteen
- SUNDAY 19th: Chapter Nineteen – Twenty-Eight
- SUNDAY 26th: Chapter Twenty-Nine to the end
If you would rather chat live on Twitter than write blog posts, let us know – we could possibly host a weekly Trail of Lightning chat on a Sunday (UK/Euro evening / US afternoon) if there’s demand.
The Ninth Rain by Jen Williams
The streets of Ebora once glittered with gold. Now they are stalked by wolves. Master swordsman Tormalin the Oathless travels with eccentric explorer ‘Vintage’ de Grazon rather than linger in a homeland haunted by the dead.
But not everyone is willing to let the Eboran empire collapse. Thrown together with a fugitive fire witch, the adventurers are drawn into a tangled conspiracy of magic and war. For the Jure’lia are returning, and the Ninth Rain must fall…
We will be posting about The Ninth Rain each Thursday, and it too has a dedicated Goodreads topic where we will post prompts each Sunday or Monday (with a shout out on Twitter).
- THURSDAY 9th: Beginning through Chapter Ten
- THURSDAY 16th: Chapter Eleven – Twenty-three
- THURSDAY 23rd: Chapter Twenty-four – Thirty-six
- THURSDAY 30th: Chapter Thirty-seven to the end
Want to join us on either one of these read-alongs? Leave a message in the comments, or if you have a Goodreads account please join the Goodreads group and leave a comment on the topics. Read-along banners will be posted shortly!
Join the party
What’s that, traveller? You have no plans for May, and you’re tempted to join us on our quest to celebrate fantasy fiction? Why certainly. You don’t have to be a member of our party to join us on our read-alongs, but you’re more than welcome to join the greater adventure. Sign up to let us know to expect you and we won’t head into the Wild without you when the time comes.
We reward enthusiasm: those who sign up before May 1st and post about Wyrd and Wonder post during the first week can enter the draw to win a copy of the gorgeous new UK edition of V E Schwab’s The Near Witch (or a book of your choice from the Book Depository if the Witch is already on your shelf).
Fly the flag
Excited to spread the word and ensure we have enough cannon fodder Dwarves, Elves and Hobbitses to get us there and back again in one piece? Head on over to our armoury to lay your hands on banners and graphics to use on your own blog or social media channels.
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