Black Shield Maiden by Willow Smith and Jess Hendel

Look, this has been an extremely difficult review for me to write. It takes A LOT for me to DNF a book. And judging by the premise alone, I thought this book was going to be right up my alley. Which is why I initially picked it up. But I think I managed to get about 30% when I simply couldn't anymore. It was not the writing – the authors start out strong, and thorough structural edits I think this book might even have worked.

But.

It was the lack of even the slightest bit of research into world building that drove me out of my skull. I don't know if the editor was sleeping at the wheel, was simply ignored or what was going on here, but it was the factual inaccuracies that made me give up.

The first was characters travelling through the Saharan desert and picking coconuts from palm trees at oases... While coconuts do occur in Africa, thanks to global trade, they will only thrive in areas with sufficient rainfall. I did much eye-rolling. It didn't end there.

Later, the main character ends up in Scandinavia. And I mean, the premise is awesome – a young black woman, traded as a slave, finds her way to the far north where she becomes the warrior she was always dreaming of being. And that's fine. That's a fantastic story.

Then more world-breaking stuff happened for me.

I always have a quiet chuckle when I read scenes where characters run through a forest at night. Having done wide games during my youth in Girl Guides, I can attest to the fact that running through even a pine forest is not advisable at night when you do not have a flashlight. Yes, there was running through a forest at night. There was also a spot of single-handedly slaying a wolf with a kitchen knife. At which point I sighed mightily and spent much time researching the physics of knife-throwing and the strength of wolfskin. And I could not suspend disbelief.

Then said character single-handedly lugged a large deceased wolf back home. Now, I consider myself to be quite fit and strong for a female person. But there was that time when I had to lug a semi-comatose 54kg boerboel x boxer from the vet and upstairs to my home. It didn't happen. I only got as far as the stairs because the dog could kinda stumble. A friend of mine who has Newfoundlands tells me that back in his younger years carrying an anaesthetised dog of 85kg from the vet's consulting room to the car was "like wrestling a bag of wet cement". 

So, a young woman singlehandedly carrying a large dead wolf (possibly weighing 80kg or more) slung over her shoulders through a forest at night back to home base? And barely breaking a sweat? Sorry, I know fantasy gives us dragons and wizards, but I simply could not suspend disbelief for this. I struggle to lug a 20kg bag of laying pellets from the boot of my car upstairs to my house.

But wait, there's more...

Said character then skins the wolf that very same night and makes her friend a natty wolfskin tunic to wear the next morning. Oh, and she makes a necklace from the teeth, too. Even Ayla (IYKYK) couldn't have this girl beat, I tell you. And hot damn, that's gonna be a super-stinky tunic in a day or so.

This is the point where I gave up. I'm sorry. I tried. The premise was definitely one that I would have loved like crazy, but these are the types of glaring issues that I would not let fly with the authors I edit or beta read for. To see this make it to print with a traditionally published book... I don't care who the author is. 

Other than the factual sinkholes, the writing is all right, if somewhat workmanlike. There were often parts that I felt were rushed, where there was not enough motivation to carry me through to why characters do certain things. But yeah... I think the editor was either inexperienced or ignored when this one went out into the world.

The Week in Review – April 19, 2025

It would appear that this week is one for inviting a bunch of TERFs to my block party. With She Who Will Not Be Named further proving to the world that she's become Voldemort, it's more important than ever for good people to stand up for the smallest of minorities who are being impacted by her actions. So yeah, I'll say it again, because it must be said: trans rights are human rights. You cannot in all good conscience support the Harry Potter franchise while the bitch still lives. Trans lives are more important than Harry Potter. 

Anyhoo, so back onto what's happening in my world. This week was an amazing one for me because I finished two massive editing and/writing projects. The biggest one for me was having to write alt text for over 20 backlist titles for the big publisher I work for in the UK. I pretty much had to do all the work in 10 days as I still had other deadlines that gnawed at me, but the relief at handing over that final file was cathartic to say the least.

Which left me free to finish edits on another rather challenging edit for a local author – challenging because there were so many areas for improvement in the manuscript, and it's very much a case of as editor being able to deconstruct the work that needs to be done, highlight the aspects that need attention, then draw up a list of resources and a battle plan for the writer that a) will give specific feedback and b) not discourage them. A good editor will be able to see to the heart of the story and make the appropriate recommendations. 

In this case, I had five pages of handwritten notes to go through and put into order – which took quite some time. It's also not something I'd do if it weren't for the fact that I believe that this novel can be overhauled. If you ever receive such detailed feedback from an editor, realise that they took the fucking time to put all these thoughts in order and that it's not coming from a place of malice but rather a genuine intention to help you become a better writer. It's a calling I have, to invest in my local writing community when and where I can.

I'm feeling kinda giddy right now because I don't have these arsewhomping deadlines. It also means that my availability is ... well ... available. I do have a few small projects that I'm working on, but nothing that's going to turn me into a semi-masticated pile of goop. So, if you need edits, want to look at a bit of coaching, drop me an email at nerinedorman@gmail.com

Land | Lines by Shari Daya – a mini review

I must draw attention to this slim volume of poems by Shari Daya. A few months ago, I was blessed to attend one of Helen Moffett's Salon Hecate events at the Noodhoek Artpoint Gallery, where she hosted local poet Shari Daya to launch her collection of poems entitled Land | Lines (Karavan Press, 2024). And what a selection of beautiful words it is.

Daya possesses a rare eye (and ear) for evoking space and senses, each poem encapsulating moments of presence in the world and the complex accompanying thoughts and emotions. She has a talent for evoking instances in vivid colour and texture with only a few deft brushstrokes, and for those of you who grew up in Cape Town, this one's a must. Many of those poems linger. For me it was very much "The Work of Dying" with this passage:

My father, when the hours were numbered, knew
to call on muscle memory for each slide,
each breath, each grip-release, as onto ice,
fresh water running strong and clear beneath.

If you're an avid collector of quality words, then reach out to Karavan Press for your copy of this thoroughly profound little book. You will return to the words within, I promise.

Call the Fire – State of the Thing

Some of you might recall this year's big new of my five-book deal with Mirari Press for the Scatterlings of Fate, a rather ambitious project of mine that's been on the backburner primarily because Toby and I were so busy with The Splintered Fool five-book series. (which is still under production, I'll have you know – I'm currently drawing a map.)

The scary thing about picking up the threads around eight years after writing book one for Scatterlings is that I don't have any notes nor any deep familiarity with the characters and their predicaments. In fact, somewhere between moving desks around in the Treehaus and writing a bunch of other novels and stories, I lost whatever notes I had. Were they stashed at the bottom of a tray, saved as Google Docs or a random Word Document stashed on a hard drive somewhere? WE'LL NEVER KNOW.

This is both terrifying and liberating. It also meant I needed to reread the document and make copious new notes, draw maps, and build up a rough wiki with cultures, languages, plants and stuff. A lot happened since I wrote the end on book one, Call the Fire, and me bravely (or foolishly) telling my publisher when he made an offer that there'd be five books. It was always supposed to be five books: four origin stories for four friends dragged into far-flung reaches of a vast world, only to be brought back together by cruel twists of fate that see them possibly at odds with each other. While a world burns and empires clash. 

I finished my read-through of Call the Fire last night at 11.30pm whereupon I immediately wrote my publisher a completely bonkers wall o'text detailing my cunning plans – #sorrynotsorry, Marius. I couldn't put the fucking book down. Who is this past Nerine and how the hell did she manage to write this marvellous book? What drugs was she on? (None, I can assure you. This was pure braingasm.) There's something to be said about loving a relatively old manuscript when I can barely look at some of my older stories that I will honestly admit have problematic elements when viewed in light of today's societal conventions. You don't need to call me out on those. I know. I can do better. Be better.

Anyhow, getting back to Scatterlings – my next step is going to involve very careful management of timelines and story beats. Since for of the books happen along the same timeline I need to know who is where and when. How much of certain events will be foreshadowed earlier. How the four timelines brush up against each other before they eventually converge. I'll be making tables in InDesign. I foresee this in my future. I am the Table Queen. Hear me ROAR.

I already have a number of elements I'll be folding in, which includes a nod to a few historical figures such as Napoleon, Dr James Barry, and the Golden Age of piracy. I'll be cannibalising one of my other WiPs for an undead mummy assassin (a story that was legit based on a dream I had). There will be some fantastical beasties, such as giant eagles and griffins, selkies, and yes, maybe even gnomes. Because people asked, and this epic is also about creating a world that features things you want to read. So, this is the part where I invite you to leave any requests in the comments below. What do you want to see in this absolutely unhinged epic fantasy?

Photographs

I've had a few inquiries about my photos and where prints can be available. And although I'm not reliant on photography for my income, I've decided to make select works available over at my Redbubble store. If you follow me on Instagram, you'll know that I very much have a vibe that favours things of a taphophile theme. If this is your jam, then do swing past my store and consider supporting my work there. I have a range of different options available.

Die Kapokdokter deur François Loots

Ek is al vir ’n lang tyd gefassineerd met die lewe van Doktor James Barry, ’n Engelse doktor wie gedurende die jare van 1816 tot 1827 aktief was in die Kaapse Kolonie. Maar die ding is, James was geen man nie, maar ’n vrou. Die enigste manier wat destydse Margaret Anne Bulkley geneeskunde kon studeer was om vir haarself as ’n jong man voor te gee – dus het sy James Barry geword. So suksesvol was die aanpassing van identiteit dat Margaret heeltemal in James weggeraak het, en toe James by die weermag aansluit, het ’n hele ander wêreld vir hom ontvou. As mense ooit iets van die waarheid verdag het, het dit nooit uitgekom nie – eers na sy dood in 1865.

Die Kapokdokter deur François Loots is ’n fiktiewe narratief wat vrae stel meestal oor identiteit. Meeste van die storie speel af gedurende die tyd wat James in die Kaapse Kolonie geneeskunde beoefen het – en ons sien hoe hy geworstel het met sy verlede en hede binne die konteks van die gesig wat hy vir dié rondom hom wys en wat hy innerlik voel. Die stres van sy geheim is groot, en al sukkel James met die verskillende situasies waarin hy homself bevind in die Kaap, moet hy nog boonop nog vir almal die mees belangrike geheim wegsteek. Ek sal maar sê: dis gekompliseerd.

Ek het in die begin ’n bietjie gesukkel met die styl – en het gevoel asof Loots doelbewus inligting wat James sal weet van lesers weerhou – maar die verhaal speel hom mooi uit, so dit was nie iets wat vir my die einde van die wêreld was nie. Ek voel diegene wie van historiese romans hou, en nuuskierig is oor James se lewe, hierdie boek sal geniet. Dis ’n stukkie van die Kaapstad van die vroeë negentiende eeu wat lewe vind tussen die blaaie deur die lens van ’n besondere mens.

The Week in Review – April 12, 2025

It's always with a sense of immense relief whenever I finish up a massively intense deadline – like the past three or so weeks have been where I had to write alt text on 17 backlist titles for the big publisher in the UK I work for. Of course, invariably, with a job like this, much like the creative process in general, it ends up with the memeworthy "doing all the work while crying".

Anyhoo, I got through it – the largest title taking me more than five hours of describing highly complex bar graphs for the visually impaired. It's ... definitely a skill. But it wasn't all dull stuff. A highlight for me was writing alt text for three Patti Smith books and oh my gosh, why have I never delved deeper into her work? I do believe I'll be purchasing hard copies of these titles – there's something to be said about a creative person who works across multiple disciplines and is still going strong in her latter years. She's a decade younger than my mum. Respect.

I briefly want to talk about the whole thing with the de-extinction of the dire wolves according to the work that Colossal has been doing. On one hand, my inner SF author is absolutely gobsmacked by the science behind this while another part of me has had time to sit back and listen to other opinions. So I have mixed feelings.

These are not dire wolves in the historical sense – it's been pointed out that the animals that died out over 10,000 years ago were not actually related to grey wolves at all, but were closer to dholes. All Colossal has done is mod the genes so that they have larger, edited grey wolves that share traits with dire wolves. No actual dire wolf genes were spliced and diced, but rather certain genes were nudged in the modified grey wolf DNA (at least that's how I understand it and am trying to explain it in plain English).

But evolution is a weird thing. Case in point is the Aldabra rail – a fascinating story of how the form of the animal was so well suited to the environment that under similar circumstances the same creature evolved after the first iteration went extinct. And let's look at parallel evolution. We have porcupines in the Americas and Africa, but they are not closely related, even if they are both rodents. They both have quills, however. 

If these hypothetical dire "wolves" can occupy the same ecological niche the original ones did, then they will have similar form and function, so in a sense do behave as the dire wolves should. Nu-dire wolves, anyone? Not that there's much in the way of megafauna for them to hunt these days.

I've seen people saying we should rather protect the species that we already have, and that to have these 'de-extincted' beasts running around is unethical since we can barely manage the vulnerable or critically endangered ones we already have. And yes, I totally see their point.

Yet it is also my hope that the work being done can be applied to helping restore species that are under significant pressure. Or nudging along programmes such as The Quagga Project that has already done a much gentler job of de-exctinction for the quagga. The current generation of Rau-quagga, as they're called, are really starting to look the part.

I do, however, have a great fear that we're going to see many more 'designer' exotic animals created for wealthy billionaires who don't have anything better to do with their fancy yacht money. Le sigh.

Anyhoo.

On to books.

Mini review

I just read Knee-Deep in Cinders by Ashley Capes, an author I've reviewed before, and I'm happy to say that I enjoyed this book even more than his first, that I read a million years ago, it feels like. In this one, we meet Vilas, who's the endling of his people, who were brutally murdered and used for magic potions by a conquering race, due to magical properties in their bodies – primarily their immortality. Vilas is now kept under lock and key, collared so that he cannot access his magic, and he vows that one day he will break free and wreak vengeance on the city of Onath. Yet when an existential threat looms, Vilas may very well be the only one who can save the city he has vowed to destroy. 

Capes offers well-written, action- and intrigue-packed adventure fantasy set in a well-realised world populated by a broad cast of characters. This is very much the type of story that carries me away so that I forget that I'm reading and get swept up in the action, with some nicely executed descriptions as well. I know that with his previous book I felt that there were moments where characters acted without sufficient motivation and I'm pleased to see that this time, he's gone deeper, with a far stronger-realised setting and characters. A solid read, and one that I recommend.

The Priory of the Orange Tree by Samantha Shannon

I read The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon yoinks and yoinks ago, and I recall enjoying it, so I was certain that when I picked up The Priory of the Orange Tree that I'd enjoy it. Her writing is often hyped and in this case I'd say that the hype is warranted. Shannon writes the kind of fantasy I can sink my teeth into, and her solid grip on evoking a sense of history and place in her writing is what keeps me reading. But also, the covers. Oh my, Bloomsbury has outdone themselves with the covers – and not only for The Priory but also for the other book in this setting that is currently sitting next to its chum up on my bookshelf – A Day of Fallen Night. These are pretty books that look simply delightful in my permanent library, avid book dragon that I am.

Speaking of dragons, this book has 'em. 

We meet Tané, a dragonrider; Ead, a mage belonging to a secret order who must safeguard a queen; and of course Queen Sabran who must face great adversity to rule her land. I don't want to go into too many particulars – this is way beyond the scope of this review, but I will touch on themes. We do have an outside, existential threat that reminded me somewhat of The Lord of the Rings in terms of the world-breaking aspect that the different protagonists face. It's a ticking clock, if you will, with it being quite clear that if East cannot treat with West, then everyone's doomed.

Sabran is very much a Queen Elizabeth figure, while our enlightened meddlesome mages with their orange tree are suggestive of our Assassins or yore, and of course our dragonrider's culture is very much a nod to Imperial China – and it's really a lovely combination, with plenty of adventuring and derring-do. And the sapphic angle was wonderful to see so effortlessly front and centre.

But...

Of course, there's a but.

While the story starts off strong, and Shannon has oodles of awesome happening, I feel that she falls afoul of the the law of 'too much awesome'. One of two things should have happened: the novel should have been reeled in and simplified with perhaps fewer subplots and viewpoint characters in order to focus more on shoring up the stronger main arcs or, alternatively, it should have been expanded into two or three books, with more attention given to fully developing all the narrative arcs.

While I still found this an entirely enjoyable read – enough so that I immediately purchased the next book in this setting, I felt that about 3/4 of the way in, Shannon suddenly came to the startling conclusion that she needed to wrap the story. Whether this was due to the publisher's deadline or a self-imposed one, who knows, but the last quarter of the story feels somewhat dashed off. She gets off to a strong start but then either lacks the will or the wherewithal to see it through to the end. And this is a big book – one I'll likely read again in a few years. The world is big enough that it wouldn't have hurt to develop this further to give The Priory a more dynamic ending. It's not a deal-breaker, but definitely a thought I've had.

As you can most likely gather by now, I feel quite strongly about Samantha Shannon's writing, enough that I'll go on a limb. I really love what she's doing, however, and I'm glad that she's getting the opportunity to tell her stories.

The Week in Review – April 5, 2025

There's a lot I can say about the world at present, but I've already deleted the introduction to today's blog once because I think I was dropping too many F-bombs.

Anyhoo, before I go back on my decision to make this post family friendly, it's time to kick off with this week's roundup...

I've not had nearly as much time as I would have liked to read, but I did finish wonderful little field guide by Peter Ryan. Yes, I'm more than a little obsessed with birds, so the Guide to Seabirds of Southern Africa is one that I particularly enjoyed. Granted, my eyes complained about the size of the type, but this is a field guide, so if it weren't the kind of book you'd conveniently slip into your backpack before going for a cruise on a ship, then it would have to be the kind of hefty coffee table book you could clobber annoying people over the head with. (I'd really like that, too.)

What I appreciated with this slim volume was how much they managed to pack into it. Not only do we get an overview about seabirds in general – and they really are amazing, considering some of them hardly ever go to land – but we're also reminded how fragile our oceans are. We are one of the reasons why seabirds are vulnerable thanks to our fishing habits and also all the awful plastics we seem to be choking our oceans with. 

But if you get past that, Ryan gives us an excellent overview of all the important species that are found in and around our coast ... as well as the ones who sometimes wander here by mistake. And I learnt a new word (for me, all right) for a type of albatross. Whoever came up with "mollymawk" deserves a badge. I may want to include it in a colourful, Shakespearean insult one day.

Nevertheless, this fantastic little book has loads of photos, and while I'm not going to tell my shearwaters apart from my storm petrels anytime soon (without a lot of handholding), I really do appreciate all the photos that will assist with IDing. I suppose I really need to get off my posterior and go for a boat cruise soon considering that Simon's Town and Cape Point are right on my doorstep, so ostensibly I don't have to go far for some birdwatching.

Bookish stuff

This past week I attended one of editor and all-round awesome person Helen Moffett's Salon Hecate events at the Noordhoek Artpoint. One cannot ask for a better environment to sit and listen to folks talk about their passions – there are always amazing new artworks up on the walls. This time around it was on April 1, and the talk centred around why certain people do the things they do (publishing, volunteering, doing book fairs) in a country that doesn't exactly have a huge reading culture. 

Speakers included Julia Smuts Louw (Off The Wall poetry), Darryl David (assorted book festivals), and Colleen Higgs (Modjaji Books), all interrogated by Helen. My big takeaway was that one needs to put your trust in the universe and take that leap of faith to do that thing that makes your heart beat faster. You might not always succeed, but when you do, it's magic.

And to a large degree, that's what I've found. If I look at my career thus far, I'm certainly not wealthy, but I've had some incredible successes that involve winning major literary awards, speaking at literary festivals and Comic Con, working with some of my favourite authors and illustrators, and of course, seeing my books out there in the wilds. It's not so much the number of books, but rather the journey that sees you arrive at various destinations. 

If you think it's a mountain that has one peak, you're very much mistaken. I liken this more to a steady climb full of false summits that never end unless you decide you're done.

I'm not done yet.

Going wide

I've steadily been going wide with my books. What that means is that I've given up on Amazon's Kindle Unlimited for my most recent titles. My sales there have been so dismal. I don't know if it's the boycott of Amazon goods or simply that the industry is so volatile what with all the junk AI books and general oversaturation. Or just that I really suck at marketing. Or perhaps all of the above. What I am grateful for is my small cabal of rabid readers who go out to buy my books when they do release. THANK YOU.

So, my books are now going to be going up at Kobo, Barnes & Noble, and all the others, as soon as their terms with KU finish up (it's a 90-day contract). And I'll also be directing folks to purchase the ebooks directly from my Ko-fi store as that's the venue where I get the biggest slice of the pie when it comes to the splits. PayPal doesn't steal nearly as much from me as Amazon or the other vendors do. So if you're looking for something to read, do stop by my Ko-fi store. I've just put up the ebook for my novelette The Princess Job this past week. I'll still be using Amazon for my print fulfilment, however, as the system works, even if it's not that author friendly. I just shudder what the print costs are going to be now with all the tariffs. But, as we say here in South Africa, ons sal maar sien.