I have given my book to four people to read at their disgression: Terry Brooks, my mother, a good friend, and one of Terry's uber-fans that I have become friends with. The latter has finished the book and here is what he had to say:

Well, well, well!!! Ok, I finished Shawn's book a few nights ago. I let it sink in for a day before I called him to let him know my thoughts. And now, 24 hours later, here I am, posting those thoughts for y'all.

Firstly, I'd like to thank Shawn for trusting me enough to read it, keep it to myself, and give him my honest feedback - without prejudice or bias. I hope he knows how much that means to me.

So, on with the "review". Marks out of ten? Eight. And that's a damned good eight. If he has a little play with some of the points we discussed, it will very easily be a nine. It's hard to believe that it is a debut novel, such is the power of the writing, the strength of the story arc, and the overall pacing. It's really obvious that Shawn spent a great deal of time planning and outlining (ouch!)... but it really paid dividends.

There are two things I'd like to mention. One: I forgot I was reading a fantasy novel. Despite the inclusion of elves, dragons, magic and the like, it read as a story of good versus evil (BUT - with a major twist!). Two: I forgot Shawn wrote it. It would have been really easy to sit reading it, saying "Shawn is such a nice guy; I love how he described that scene; Oooo, look at how well he handled that character, etc, etc. Instead, I had to remind myself from time to time that I was reading the work of someone who is, as yet, unpublished.

I shall refrain from going into specifics, so don't get your hopes up - it's not that kind of review!

What I will say though, is this: If you sat Terry Brooks, Greg Keyes and Philip Pullman in a room, locked the door and told them they would only get out once they, as a group, had produced a credible novel, I think you might end up with something like Song Of The Fell Hammer.

It has the style and pacing of Terry; it has the scope and epic proportions of Greg; and it has the religious undertones and twists of Philip. Now, that's not to say Shawn does not have a style of his own, and I'd like to make that perfectly clear. Indeed, he has moulded his craft by reading the best writers - in the same way Terry did by reading Walter Scott (from Scotland), Robert Louis Stevenson (also from Scotland), and Daniel Defoe (English, but who wrote about a Scotsman in Robinson Crusoe).

I would also like to say that he shouldn't post any more chapters. If he does, he should post my favourite one (he'll know what one that is!) - edited down, of course. The reason for no more chapters is this: imagine, if you will, never having seen or heard of the Niagra Falls. You take a journey from the US into Canada, and BAM!, there they are and your breath sits lodged in your throat; your heart forgets to beat; and time, money, and work all pale into insignificance. Now, I'm not saying Shawn's novel is as beautiful as the Falls (remember, 8/10!), but the point I'm getting at is you will all be blown away by it when you get to read it. You will gain nothing more by reading a few extra words - the knowledge you'll divine will simply spoil the very strong first few chapters.

Song Of The Fell Hammer WILL get published. Whether it's by Del Rey or not is irrellevant. There are dozens and dozens of books on the shelves that are woeful in comparison to the one Shawn has penned. I only hope that Del Rey are in a marketing position to snap him up with a three book deal, because, quite simply, he deserves it.

So, get behind him; sign up for his newsletter; hassle him about starting book two; ask for the map to be put on his website; and in general, be privilidged (spelling!) to have one of your own possess such a talent. Well done, Shawn. I loved it. Stu

I certainly was not expecting a review like that! I am proud of the book but I was uncertain how it would be received. The best part of my phone call with Stu was his desire to talk about the underlying themes I have woven into the subtext of the book and into the trilogy as a whole. I made him think, and that means more to me than creating a great character. I hope to hear back from Del Rey by the end of the year; I hope I can share my story with you. - S.

I visit one of the local bookstores here in Seattle at least twice a month. It is one of the largest Barnes and Noble bookstores in the nation—it is three floors of shelves lined with thousands of titles. I walk through the doors and am surrounded by one of the wealthiest places of knowledge contained by four walls in the world. Some of the sections are as large as some of the bookstores in the area. The books are mine for the taking; the books help me become who I wish to be in this life. It truly is a wonder to me.

I also purchase books at the various independents in the area, but this B&N holds a special place for me. It is the place I spent five years working as a manager. At no other time have I learned more about the book industry as an entity than working in that bookstore, and it is that reason I firmly believe new writers who want to become published should work in a bookstore for at least a year (this is something I want to expand upon later in this blog). But the purpose of this post is more of a mild criticism of some of the fantasy readers

Readers come in all forms. They read a menagerie of different literature. The fantasy genre has significant diversity even within its own area of the bookstore. Fantasy is not one, all-encompassing idea as most of the world believes. Fantasy comes in many different shapes and sizes and colors. There is epic fantasy, high fantasy, weird fantasy. There is industrial fantasy, punk fantasy, and contemporary fantasy, and many others I can not recount. It truly is more diverse than most people realize.

And yet stigmas abound. Perhaps it is just human nature. I have encountered more animosity and angst toward high fantasy/epic fantasy in the last several years than ever before. Cookie-cutter is one word used. Bubble-gum is another. Formulaic and boring. Unimaginative. These words and countless others have crossed my eyes online, and I have heard them said in bookstores. Usually they are said by people who read the other forms within the genre. There is often a well-spring of hatred behind the words that belies my understanding.

Without using names, there have been several authors extremely vocal on their blogs about how high/epic fantasy is detrimental to the industry. These writers slash at high/epic fantasy writers, using similar words to those above or even worse. I cannot decide why this particular subset of the genre inspires so much rancor. Could it be money made? High/Epic fantasy sells as a whole extremely well if it is well done, perhaps even sells as a majority over the other subsets. Are these writers jealous of the money? Are they jealous of the readership? Or do they merely hate high/epic fantasy for how it tells its story? It could be any number of things why this happens. I can say, however, I've never heard a high/epic fantasy reader angry or rancorous at the other subsets. I merely want to understand.

One thing is for certain, and there is no arguing this fact. It is not the writers who should have those comments unceremoniously sent their way. All writers, at their core, want to tell a good story and the construct for the telling of said story is the only thing that varies. Each is as valid as the next. No, it is not the writer who has this control of what makes its way out into the shelves but the publisher. The publisher has the power. They purchase new books from new writers based on what they deem can sell, what will find a good-sized niche. It is an industry about money, as all industries are, and the publisher holds the key to what is released onto the bookstore shelves. How does a publisher decide what sells well? That is based off of sales. And fans control the sales.

So to those writers out there criticizing high/epic fantasy writers, be sure to point at the real culprits of your animosity—the readers and the publishers.

But you might not want to point too hard: After all, those readers have long memories and publishers hold your potential contracts—your livelihood—in their hands.

I have never feared. Not when it mattered, at any rate.

Almost ten years ago, I read Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien and Dune by Frank Herbert. While the former did not wholly impress me as it has so many millions of others, the latter buried itself deep and has never fully let me go. Frank Herbert was, in fact, his very own Paul; while he wrote Dune he was in a waking dream and he invited readers into a world of religious anxiety, interplanetary politics, ecological worry, and an adventure story that had never been achieved before. Dune was a literary masterpiece whose pages mimicked our own world. The book contains wisdom and warnings on every page, but one of the best known passages of the book holds a great lesson for all:

"I must not fear. Fear is the mind-killer. Fear is the little-death that brings total obliteration. I will face my fear. I will permit it to pass over me and through me. And when it has gone past I will turn the inner eye to see its path. Where the fear has gone there will be nothing. Only I will remain."

I do not need to explain it. Frank Herbert has already done it so well.

Have I ever feared? Sure. I would be the most open liar if I said otherwise. I have had great fear come over me in a rush of adrenaline. I think most people have. The car accident barely avoided. The diagnosis that is uncertain. The news one never wants to get. Fear swirls around us every day in many different forms, and although people deal with it in their own ways it can always be dealt with and fear's dominance ended.

But when it comes to the craft of writing, I have observed most writers succumb to fear as if it is a sado-masochistic mistress one cannot deny. It is indomitable and absolute. It envelops like a death shroud, paralyzing the writer as though already in their coffin.

I have to say, out of all the fears that can overcome a human being, fear of the writing craft should not be one of them. I see it every day. These writers—especially new writers—have fear varying from how to share material with others to incorporating another person's criticisms and looking at them objectively. We are all readers and know what the craft's final version looks like, but do most new writers accept other people's criticisms? Do new writers even let other people look at their work? It is one of the most difficult—and fearful—things to do to put one's work out into the public domain for others to read. Why? If a writer is criticized, they fear. If a writer fears, do they do their best work? Do they learn? Do they grow into a better writer by succumbing to the fear? No.

People ask me now all the time how I was able to write an entire novel. I tell most of them I did not fear the craft and took it by its burly horns and taught it some tricks. I researched. I read books. I spent hours and hours and hours working on it. In the process, I learned more than I did at the University. In the process, I became a writer, one who does not fear criticism from others but embraces it for the lessons it can teach. Fear did not control me. Fear should not control you.

If Frank Herbert were here to give advice about the craft, I bet he'd tell us all to not let fear mind-kill our craft and dreams.