Tag Archives: David Kudler

Review

Review: Empire of Storms is a hurricane of epic fantasy

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I was going to post my review of Empire of Storms over on my own blog, but it occurred to me that folks here might be more interested in what I had to say. Have you read the Throne of Glass books? What do you think?

By the way, I avoided spoilers for the book as best I could, and have hidden spoilers for the series behind the cut. — David Kudler

As someone with an interest in YA novels about female teen assassins, I’ve enjoyed Sarah J. Maas’s Throne of Glass series. The latest volume, Empire of Storms, delivers all of the pleasures that have made the previous installments addictive — fast-moving action, well-thought-through epic fantasy, and, at its center, the snarky, sneaky assassin-heroine Celaena Sardothien Continue reading Review: Empire of Storms is a hurricane of epic fantasy →

News, Book

Risuko sale through Thursday! ($0.99 in the Kindle store)

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David Kudler’s teen historical adventure novel Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale is on sale through Thursday, August 18 only. Buy the ebook for just $0.99 on Amazon’s Kindle Store!

Risuko v2b - medium circleSamurai, assassins, warlords…
and a girl who likes to climb

Though Japan has been devastated by a century of civil war, Risuko just wants to climb trees. Growing up far from the battlefields and court intrigues, the fatherless girl finds herself pulled into a plot that may reunite Japan — or may destroy it. She is torn from her home and what is left of her family, but finds new friends at a school that may not be what it seems.

Magical but historical, Risuko follows her along the first dangerous steps to discovering who she truly is.

Historical adventure fiction appropriate for young adult and middle-grade readers

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Season of the Sword #1

Can one girl win a war?

Kano Murasaki, called Risuko (Squirrel) is a young, fatherless girl, more comfortable climbing trees than down on the ground. Yet she finds herself enmeshed in a game where the board is the whole nation of Japan, where the pieces are armies, moved by scheming lords, and a single girl couldn’t possible have the power to change the outcome.

Or could she?

RISUKO ON SALE THROUGH THURSDAY ONLY!

News, Interview

Interview: David Kudler Talks Risuko

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In a recent interview with book blog A Cup Full of Tea and an Armload of Books, Risuko author David Kudler talks writing, publishing, inspiration, writing history as fantasy, and much more. Continue reading Interview: David Kudler Talks Risuko →

News, Interview

Interview: Risuko author David Kudler talks writing

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John Byrne Barry, award-winning author of political and crime thrillers, interviewed Risuko author David Kudler for the Bay Area Independent Publishers Association web site on the day of Risuko’s release.

In the interview, Kudler discusses the writing process, including:

  • what it’s like to write the first book in a series,
  • how to balance leaving your readers wanting more with leaving them satisfied,
  • where he falls on the “plotting vs. pantsing” spectrum,
  • what inspired him to write the teen historical novel,
  • and much more.

Continue reading Interview: Risuko author David Kudler talks writing →

Book, Article

The Magic of History

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On writing historical fiction as if it were fantasy

When I first began working on my novel Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, my daughters were both young, and they were both voracious readers. Which, not surprisingly, I am as well. And so we happily read a lot of books together — both pleasure books and books assigned by their teachers.

Now, most of the books Sasha and Julia brought home from school were wonderful. But I noticed pretty early on that a lot of the “historical fiction” was way heavier on the historical than the story.

Again, some of the books were great. The Witch of Blackbird Pond? Crispin: Cross of Lead? Number the Stars? Terrific.

But a lot of the others were… less so.

I found myself looking at the books that my daughters and I found compelling and realized that, first and foremost, they were great stories — that they had  lot more in common with the magic in the fantasy books that we all enjoyed together (Harry Potter, Artemis Fowl, Tamara Pierce’s Tortall books) than a history text.

And so, as I thought about what style I wanted to take on when I began writing Risuko, I decided that I was going to write my historical novel as if it were a fantasy. Continue reading The Magic of History →

News, Book, Review, Interview

Risuko Blog Tour Starts June 1!

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Risuko - Can one girl win a war? Coming June 15! Risuko.NetBlog Tour

Starting June 1, YA Bound Blog Tours will be organizing a week-long series of reviews, feature articles, and guest posts on Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale and author David Kudler! (See the schedule below.)

Over eighteen bloggers will be discussing and reviewing Risuko, which comes out in bookstores and online on June 15. Look for more updates as the tour gets underway! Continue reading Risuko Blog Tour Starts June 1! →

News

Six weeks to go — get your copy of Risuko now!

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With just six weeks to go until the release of Risuko: A Kunoichi Tale, you can avoid the wait and enter to win a copy today!

Through this Friday, author David Kudler is giving away a signed advance copy of his historical teen thriller on Goodreads:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Risuko by David Kudler

Risuko

by David Kudler

Giveaway ends May 06, 2016.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Set in sixteenth-century Sengoku era Japan, Risuko follows the journey of a young woman who is recruited to become a kunoichi. What does that mean, how will she adapt, and can one girl affect the outcome of a hundred years of civil war?

Interested in finding out more?

Sign up today to receive the subscriber-exclusive prequel tale “White Robes: A Kunoichi Companion Tale”!

News, Book, Interview

Podcast Review/Interview with Risuko Author David Kudler

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David Kudler (author): My friend Sue has been helping run a podcast for a number of years. Called PotterFicWeekly, it was originally dedicated to discussing Harry Potter fanfiction, but over the years they’ve branched out. Poufwa Exchange is their podcast for discussing other fandoms — and on the most recent podcast, they discussed Risuko and interviewed me!

Poufwa Exchange Podcast banner

The interview starts at about the thirty-minute mark — the first half hour is Sue, Scott and Moony discussing the book. Continue reading Podcast Review/Interview with Risuko Author David Kudler →

News, Book

Flying Squirrel: Risuko Kickstarter zooms past 100%!

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Flying Squirrel — Risuko Kickstarter fully fundedWell look at that! With 36 hours to spare, Risuko has crossed the dreaded Kickstarter 100% funding threshold. Risuko has truly become a flying squirrel!

Thank you so much to all of you who have pledged your support to the Kickstarter campaign — and especially to those of you who increased it, as well as those who’ve let their friends know! Every pledge counts, and I truly appreciate your help.

I’ve been thinking about stretch goals — incentives above and beyond the ones I’ve already offered — and I think I’ve come up with a good one: Continue reading Flying Squirrel: Risuko Kickstarter zooms past 100%! →

News, Book

Win a free copy of Risuko

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This week, you have another opportunity to win a free copy of Risuko on Goodreads! Author David Kudler has made a paperback ARC (advance review copy) available on the world’s biggest book review site:

Goodreads Book Giveaway

Risuko by David Kudler

Risuko

by David Kudler

Giveaway ends January 15, 2016.

See the giveaway details at Goodreads.

Enter Giveaway

Enter now!