I found Melanie Nilles (and many other authors) via Fangs, Fur & Fey a handful of years ago. I began following her LiveJournal, and we’ve kept in contact since. Her fantasy stories didn’t seem like my thing, but when she spoke of a young adult sci-fi romance, I was intrigued. This was when I was discovering futuristics, so it was very much a case of the right tale at the right time.
But before I read the novel, Mel shared her world-building, to test its readability. Not only did I understand it, but it was FREAKING AWESOME, and that’s not a compliment I hand out willy-nilly. Basically Mel had taken something paranormal/mythological…and made it sound somewhat realistic. This is a trait I very much admire, but can be hard to find. For example, I don’t connect with immortal vampires, but I do connect with those who must replenish their blood intake or die.
The Starfireverse is fascinating, but it can’t all be revealed in the first novel – we learn along with our protag. But Starfire Angels is a great introduction to the history and characters. Set in North Dakota, teen Raea learns about who she is, who she can and can’t trust, and faces danger – but doesn’t escape unscathed. There’s some romance, but it’s not too angst-ridden or over-the-top. And Raea doesn’t abandon her friends for a love interest, so she has a decent head on her shoulders.
The world-building is inspired by manga and anime, rather than the usual suspects, and it’s a ‘verse I definitely want to re-visit. Melanie’s currently working on Book 3, but in the meantime we can start off with Book 1. I beta-read/critiqued it some months ago and it’ll be fun to see how it’s been enhanced since.
Starfire Angels will shortly be published, but in the meantime you can try out free eBooks (and an ongoing serial) on Mel’s website, and/or purchase a paperback edition of A Turn of Curses. I haven’t read any of these, so be sure to tell me what you think of them. Also, I believe Starfire Angels might be up the alley of Galaxy Express mastermind Heather, so if you’re good acquaintances with her please pass on the news that the novel’s launch isn’t far away. And by all means start blogging about it – this is a story that grabbed me, and hopefully you’ll love it too.
Stay tuned, and I’ll share specific information as it comes to hand.
You can learn more about, and contact, Melanie Nilles here:
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