Frostborn: 2016-2017 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominees

My novel, Frostborn, book one in the Thrones & Bones series, has just been listed as a nominee in the 2016-2017 Young Hoosier Book Award Nominees in the Middle Grade category. The Young Hoosier Book Award is administered by Indiana Library Federation. Each year the YHBA committee selects twenty titles in the category of Picture Books, Intermediate, and Middle Grade. Indiana students serving in grades K-8 then vote on their favorite book. Any Indiana student can vote, provided they have read 5 of the 20 books in the Middle Grade category. I'm thrilled to be on this list, alongside many great works, including books by friends Jonathan Auxier, Holly Black, and Brandon Sanderson.

This is the third awards nomination for Frostborn. The novel was previously nominated for Children's Literature Association of Utah's Beehive Book Award and is a current nominee in the Nebraska Library Association's Golden Sower Awards.

Review: The Luck Uglies by Paul Durham

It's been a while since a book pulled me through itself as rapidly as Paul Durham's The Luck Uglies. Lately, I've been reading a lot of material because I felt that I ought to, or needed to know about it, or required it for research. I have been wanted to get to The Luck Ugliessince I first spotted Petur Antonsson's wonderful cover, but as time wore on, I was worried that it wouldn't hold up. I needn't have. The book starts beautifully--with a rooftop chase--and it's all uphill from there!

Durham has done a magnificent job constructing the fictional world of Village Drowning and has peopled it with a wonderful cast of characters. 11 year old Rye O'Chanter lives by a set of rhyming rules, rules which don't quite mesh with the law as laid down by Earl Morningwig Longchance. When Rye accidentally breaks one of hers, she has an encounter with a horrifying creature. It seems the Bog Noblins have returned! Unfortunately, the Earl has driven out the only group capable of defeating them, the mysterious and possibly criminal Luck Uglies. Rye sets off to learn about the truth about Luck Uglies, though the answers are closer to home than she could have predicted.

This is a delightful fantasy adventure set in a quasi-medieval village, light on the magic but high on the adventure, that digs deeper than the usual good verses evil dichotomies to ask questions about the nature of monsters and outcasts. The world building is top notch, the pace brisk, the balance of humor and tension perfect, and the pay off most satisfying. If I have any quibbles, they're not worth sharing. It's been too long since I enjoyed a work this much. Highly recommended for kids and adults alike. I started my son on it the day after I finished, and he loves it as well! I preordered The Luck Uglies #2: Fork-Tongue Charmersimmediately upon reading THE END. It can't get here soon enough.

Visit Paul Durham's website at www.pauldurhambooks.com.

Frostborn: Two New Reviews

Two new reviews of Frostborn (Thrones and Bones)appeared today.

The first is from Random Musings of a Bibliophile, who calls my book "a fun, adventurous MG fantasy with wyverns, frost giants, barrows, and one very large dragon."

I'm particularly gratified by this paragraph:

Both Karn and Thianna have strong characters and their development happens in a believable and wonderful way. They find the power within themselves they need to do what must be done, coming to terms with the things that were holding them back, and learning so much. This is woven organically into the story of their adventure. I loved their friendship and how it developed over time. This too was realistic. They start out wary of each other, as most children are and break the ice with rough play. Karn and Thianna are different, but respect each other's differences and honor each other's strengths. It's a partnership that works well.

And can't complain about "...the pace is quick. It is hard book to put down and vastly entertaining. This is a perfect read for young fantasy fans, particularly ones who like fantastical creatures."

Meanwhile, I am just thrilled by a review that was posted on LitPick, from a 13 year old reviewer in Arizona, who gave Frostbornfive stars and said:

I really liked Thrones and Bones: Frostborn. It was very thrilling, adventurous, and funny. It was also fairly descriptive, like when the author, Lou Anders, described Helltoppr's draug minions as smelly, rotting, undead beings. One of my favorite parts in the book was where Karn and Thianna faced the dragon, Orm, and they outsmarted him. This book didn't really feel like it had any bad parts to it, other than a few very minor parts where it confused me a bit. My favorite character was Karn because he was a boy who always wanted to go adventuring to explore lands near and far. I would recommend this book to anyone aged eleven through seventeen or to readers who enjoy books with action, suspense, and excitement, yet can also handle a minimal amount of death.

Frostborn: School Library Journal review

School Library Journal just weighed in on Frostborn (Thrones and Bones).

I'm very excited.

ANDERS, Lou. Frostborn. illus. by Justin Gerard. 320p. (Thrones and Bones: Bk. 1). Crown. Aug. 2014. Tr $16.99. ISBN 9780385387781.

Gr 5-8–Karn would rather be playing his beloved board game, “thrones and bones,” than learning to become hauld of his father’s farm, which has been passed down many generations. He meets Thianna, a half-giant, half-human girl who longs to fit in with the club-wielding frost giants, the only community she’s ever known. When a tragedy reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Hamlet occurs, the two pair up in order to survive. They soon realize the danger that they’re in and that they need each other’s unique skills to survive. Aside from the sometimes difficult-to-decipher Norse names, the language is quite easy to understand and that, coupled with the shorter-than-your-average-fantasy length, makes this an excellent choice for readers new to the genre. The themes of staying true to oneself, teamwork, and individuality will resonate with readers. Fans of Matthew Kirby’s Icefall (Scholastic, 2011) who bemoaned the lack of magic in that book will enjoy this new series. A good addition to a fantasy collection with potential for future entries.–Jessica Ko, Los Angeles Public Library

First Review of Frostborn!

The first review of Frostborn (Thrones and Bones).
The review is from Kirkus and I couldn't be happier.

KIRKUS REVIEW

An obsessive gamer and a sassy half-giant affirm that power lies in being underestimated.

As the heir apparent to a powerful farm in Norrøngard (think a fictional Norway), 12-year-old Karn is expected to comprehend bartering techniques (six ewes + six lambs = one cow). His predilection for Thrones and Bones (a traditional Norrønir board game) and disdain for a bucolic existence don’t invite any confidence from his father. Thianna is a 12-year-old half-giant and half-human (by way of her deceased mother). At 7 feet tall, she’s considered diminutive by giant standards and would “cut her human half out in an instant if she could.” When their fathers meet for several days of trading goods, Thianna and Karn strike up an unexpected friendship. Their need for an alliance is accelerated when nemeses from Thianna’s mother’s past surface, and Karn’s life is designated an obstacle by his Machiavellian uncle. Enter: wyverns, a seemingly silent horn, undead assailants, flatulent trolls and one massive dragon. A merging of comedy, action and suspense maintains a promising pace. As present as the lurking danger are two important messages: Focus your energy toward accentuating your strengths rather than regretting weaknesses, and always stand downwind from a troll.

Future fans of Tolkien and George R.R. Martin can happily cut their serial-fantasy teeth on this first book of an eventual series. (map, illustrated guide to the Thrones and Bones game) (Fantasy. 10-14)

That last line especially, huh?
Meanwhile, keep watching www.thronesandbones.com for developments. And any activity on the Goodreads page is always appreciated.

BEA and AST

I came home this evening to two pieces of very good news.

One, my novel Frostborn (Thrones and Bones book one) has made Publishers Weekly's BEA 2014: Children's Galleys to Grab list. They do get the title wrong, but the rest is on point: "Firstborn by debut novelist Lou Anders, a middle-grade tale of trolls, giants, and dragons."

And second, Russian language rights to Frostborn have been sold to AST, one of the largest publishers in Russia.

Now It Can Be Told...

I've been sitting on some news for a month, not allowed to talk until this press release, and just bursting at the seams. But now I can speak. And so, I'm tickled pink to tell you that...

Drum roll please...

I've sold a book. And not just a book, but three books, to Phoebe Yeh, newly crowned vice president and publisher of Crown Books for Young Readers, a brand new imprint from Random House Children's Books. It's a middle reader fantasy that I'm very proud of, and it kicks off a series. The series is called Thrones and Bones, and the first book is titled Frostborn.

Joe and Lou take Manhattan

Obviously, I'm enormously grateful to my new editor Phoebe, to Barbara Marcus, RHCB president and publisher, and to my agent, the extraordinary Joe Monti. I'm thrilled to be working with them all. Recently, I was in New York City, where I got to sit down with seven people from Random House' sales and marketing departments, and I'm excited to work with them as well and very confident that I am in great hands. And the opportunity to be part of the first list from a brand new, prestigious imprint from the largest publishing house... oh my!

Frostborn is slated for an August 2014 debut. Watch this space, Facebook, and my Twitter account (@LouAnders) for updates.

The Burning Bridge is the second book in John Flanagan's Ranger's Apprentice series, following the adventures of a young boy named Will who is apprenticed to the most famous ranger in his kingdom. My son and my nephew both love this series, and it's easy to see why. They are fun, fast-paced, heartfelt, light adventure tales of heroism in a low-magic world. The Burning Bridge doesn't seem to pack as much in as the previous novel, The Ruins of Gorlan,did but there were moments of genuine tension and the ending I did not see coming. Flanagan's tendency to hop in and out of the heads of minor characters still drives me nuts, but not so much that I'm not in for more. I'm looking forward to starting The Icebound Landsoon. Recommended to middle readers and those adults who want a series they can share with their kids.