I must admit, I had such a wicked sweet time residing inside the world of Helene Wecker’s epic saga involving a Jinn and Golem, I was quite hopeful (long before now!) I might have been able to dig inside a few more since that fateful day I brought home her debut novel from my local library. The irony of course will not be lost on devout readers and bibliophiles alike who are now earnestly blogging their readerly lives (such as I am) when I state it took me until ‘now’ to find the proper time to give to another story of the Jinn – the very last year all of us are awaiting the sequel by Wecker! One thing I will say, it’s better late than never!
When it comes to world-building in a Young Adult novel, I am quite particular about what I’m seeking out (if my latest YA review can clue you in a bit) as I like to feel as if I’ve properly been transported ‘elsewhere’ to such a degree of certainty – the experience knits itself into your mind’s eye and extends itself into your permanent memories. Because stories which give us that curious stretch of imaginative blissitude allow us the smallest of joys to step into the threshold of someone elses shoes and live their life for a spell!
I find myself drawn more into epic sagas & layered world-buildings in Fantasy; I have recently (er, since I’ve been a book blogger) found I lean more towards Science Fiction or Sci-Fantasy releases but at the heart of what I love most are Magical Realism stories alongside a fairy-tale re-telling, a legend of lore or an Epic Fantasy that simply carts you off into the depth of a novel that is so wickedly long in length you might need a month or so to fully invest yourself into it’s folds. (herein I am hinting towards my soon-to-be shared readings of “A Turn of Light”; writ by a favourite Sci-Fi author of mine: Ms Czerneda)
My appreciation of genies truly goes back to the infamous television series – where an astronaut and a genie fall in love whilst trying to ‘fit & blend into contemporary life’ – to such great folly you cannot help but laugh along with the characters or feel their misery when things go terribly wrong! Since then, I try to turn my eye towards literature and root out stories of the Jinn (and nowadays golems) which have the depth of journey and an honest world built out of their legends where story-crafters entreat to take us.
Thus, when I heard there was a sequel to “Heir to the Lamp”, I knew it was time to put aside my readings of Ms Parrish’s delish anthologies and hold off on the murderous kitchen novella, to see how Ms Combs has chosen to alight us inside her world! I am featuring this ‘early preview’ ahead of my readings of the stories themselves as a precursor to the readings & reviews which are following lateron this month. I am also hoping to put together an author guest feature which I hope you all shall enjoy, too!
Solomon's Bell (Cover Reveal + Extract)
by Michelle Lowery Combs
Illustrator/Cover Designer: Sarena Ulibarri
Ginn thinks she has problems at home until she magically lands herself in 16th Century Prague. To save her family, Ginn uses her newfound genie powers to transport herself and her friends to 16th century Prague. Only one thing there remains the same as at home: she can't let anyone know what she really is.
The Emperor of Prague and those closest to him are obsessed with magic. In pursuit of it, they’ve waged war on the citizens of their city. In the citizens' defense, someone has brought to life a golem, a dangerous being with connections to an artifact capable of summoning and commanding an entire army of genies.
Can Ginn escape the notice of the Emperor as she attempts to discover a way to defeat Prague’s golem in time to save her family from a similar creature?
Solomon's Bell is the sequel to Heir to the Lamp and the second book of the Genie Chronicles series.
Places to find the book:
Book Page on World Weaver Press
ISBN: 978-0997788877
Also by this author: Heir to the Lamp, Solomon's Bell
on 7th March, 2017
Pages: 207
Published By: World Weaver Press (@WorldWeaver_wwp)
Available Formats: Trade Paperback, Ebook
The Genie Chronicles series:
Genre(s): Speculative | Young Adult | Fantasy | Lore & Legends
the Jinn (or Jinnis or Genies) | Adoption
Similar Reads: The Golem and the Jinni by Helene Wecker (see also Review)
Read an Extract from “Solomon’s Bell” : provided by the publisher
I knew I would have a choice of selection when it comes to which extract I’d feature on my showcase for this *upcoming!* Spring 2017 release – however, I was honestly pleasantly surprised the one I could select focuses on *adoption!* as this is a personal interest of mine and something I blog about time after time – especially through stories I am reading.
“What’s up, Haley?” I ask, trying to sound as though I don’t know she’s seen me appear from out of nowhere. I turn my back to her, retrieve the lamp from the ground, and stuff it into my pack.
“Sixty-four percent of people believe the Loch Ness monster really exists,” Haley says in her high voice. “Of course, you’d have to use a point zero one significance level to test that claim; the survey I saw was online.”
Half the time I have no idea what Haley is talking about. She’s insanely smart—a genius even. I can practically feel my IQ plummet whenever I try to have a conversation with her.
“Um, really?” I ask, trying to imagine where this is going. Haley half turns toward the open door of the small barn as if she’s about to leave. I sigh with relief, but Haley seems to think better of it and turns to face me again.
“Did you know that there’s an ongoing project to have collected evidence validated by science and the Sasquatch officially recognized as a species?”
What? “Haley, where do you come up with this stuff?” I sink onto the wooden bench behind me, peering into the bright eyes of the strangest kid I’ve ever met.
“I like to read,” she says, looking away. Between her right thumb and first two thin fingers, Haley rolls the fat glass marble she carries with her at all times. Mom says it’s a kind of security object, like how some kids develop attachments to stuffed toys or blankets from their babyhood. Mom also says the rest of us kids shouldn’t make a huge deal about it. Haley’s been in six foster homes in five years, and Mom figures the marble could be a keepsake from her life before all that, though Haley hasn’t said as much. She’s so intense sometimes; I don’t think anyone knows what to make of her. Mom says some of the other foster families exploited Haley; she’s been on a major talk show and even won twenty-five thousand dollars for one of her foster families on some game show before they abandoned her on the steps of the Children’s Methodist Home on their way to Las Vegas. Watching her with her marble, seeing how slowly she works the ball of glass flecked with every color of the rainbow, I can tell I’ve hurt her feelings.
“Reading’s cool,” I say, hoping to reassure her. Sure, I thought about divorcing my parents when I found out we were taking in another kid, even when in the beginning the arrangement was supposed to be only temporary, but I kind of like the little brainiac. Mostly because of the way she’s able to keep Eli and Jasper in line. The Twosome are crazy about our new foster sister. Part of me is starting to wonder if Haley’s stats on Bigfoot could have anything to do with the boys’ obsession with B-grade horror movies.
“I’d be satisfied with being half as smart as you, Haley. I’m having the worst time in algebra.”
“Mr. Lawson is teaching me trigonometry,” Haley says brightening. “Algebra was a breeze.” My parents are homeschooling Haley; they say it’s for the best. She’d be at least a junior at my high school otherwise. I can imagine all four and a half feet of her struggling on tip-toe to reach a locker—that is if her statistics about the Loch Ness Monster didn’t get her stuffed into it. “I’m happy to tutor you,” she tells me.
“Thanks. I’ll keep that in mind.”
I stand and watch Haley eye the backpack on my shoulder. She looks from my face to the pack a few times. I think she’s about to say something about what she’s seen or thinks she’s seen with the lamp when Jasper bursts through the barn door.
“Hay-wee!” he exclaims. “We need wou, quick! I fink we found a chupacabwa!”
“It’s highly unlikely that a goat sucker or el chupacabra would be found this far north of Latin America, Jasper,” Haley says. She corrects my seven-year-old brother even as she allows him to tug her excitedly from the barn.
This cover reveal is courtesy of: World Weaver Press
NOTE: This showcase was meant to run on Wednesday, however, due to a sick feline I had to push forward my blog schedule a bit to accommodate finding a way to help my beloved cat. I wanted to keep this feature on my blog, as I love how I can help others find stories which may interest them in a similar fashion of ‘early notice’ as #FuturisticFriday run by two book bloggers I enjoy following. (@rockstar1023 & @DoingDewey)
Showcases of World Weaver Press Titles:
FAE (see Review)
Disclosing my keen interest in CORVIDAE + Scarecrow (#BookishNotBookish No.6)
CORVIDAE (see Review)
SURPRISE! I awarded World Weaver Press the honour of two of my Jorie Loves A Story Cuppa Book Love Awards as disclosed on my *End of the Year Survey, 2015*.
The Falling of the Moon by A. E. Decker (see Review)
SCARECROW which contains a sequel short story from Corvidae! (see Review)
UPCOMING SOON: (follow my readerly tweets this week!)
Far Orbit: Apogee (edited by) Bascomb James
Frozen Fairy Tales (edited by) Kate Wolford
Followed by reviews of:
Heir to the Lamp (the first of the Genie Chronicles) by Michelle Lowery Combs
Solomon’s Bell (the second of the Genie Chronicles) by Michelle Lowery Combs
Reader Interactive Question:
Which stories of the Jinn have you happily found a writer who conveyed the lore & legend of the Jinni to such a wicked breadth of joy – it encouraged to seek out more stories such as the Genie Chronicles!? OR were you like I felt knowing Wecker’s sequel is arriving in 2018 and you wanted to read a bit more stories of the Jinn ahead of it?!
{SOURCES: Cover Art for “Heir to the Lamp” and “Solomon’s Bell”, author photo of Michelle Lowery Combs, book synopsis, author biography, and WWP logo badge were provided by World Weaver Press and used with permission. Extract chosen by Jorie and provided by World Weaver Press whilst being used with permission. Post dividers & My Thoughts badge by Fun Stuff for Your Blog via Pure Imagination. Tweets embedded due to the codes provided by Twitter. Blog graphics created by Jorie via Canva: Stories Sailing into View.}
Copyright © Jorie Loves A Story, 2017.
Comments via Twitter:
Thanks so much for featuring the book! I’m so happy to learn of your afinity for djinnis and golems. To that end I have what I hope you’ll find to be an interesting story to tell you.
I know Helene Wecker. We met in October 2013 when we both appeared at the Southern Festival of Books in Nashville, Tennessee. The Golem and the Jinni and Heir to the Lamp came out within months of each other and Heir to the Lamp included a teaser chapter from Solomon’s Bell wherein I introduce the golem that will play a central part in that installment’s storyline. Ms. Wecker and I connected over that basic shared premise of a golem and genie inhabiting a shared story. We talked about the overlapping research we’d done on both folklore characters, and then we talked about (of all things) Spanx. Yes, that magical undergarment probably produced by hoards of demon genies somewhere.
Anyway, she’s a wonderful writer and was so generous to spend part of an afternoon talking with me about the folklore figures we both love so much. I anxiously await her forthcoming sequel as well.
Thanks again!