Tales of Damasco: Update 6

It's a while since I've done one of these Tales of Damasco updates, but that doesn't mean there hasn't been plenty of good stuff happening.   In fact, it had a lot to do with wanting to hang on until I could announce the really big news I've been sitting on for quite a while now...

Which I've pretty much given away with that picture there, so let's just get to it: German publisher Piper Verlag have bought the rights to release Giant Thief in Germany, and will be bringing it out in April next year, behind that rather stunning cover, under the title "Im Schatten Der Giganten" - which, I'm assured by people who understand more German that I, means In the Shadow of Giants. 

My first non English language sale!  And I really do like that cover ... a very different Damasco from the UK / US edition, with a nice anime feel, and awesome, gravity-defying hair!  Plus, let's face it, they came up with a far better title than I did.  I'm looking forward to holding it in my hands and reading the entire book yet again, this time in a language I don't understand even slightly.  And who knows, maybe I'll end up being big in Germany ... just like the Hoff and Blue Oyster Cult?

In the meantime, I can make do with the fact there's been plenty of good stuff happening on the Crown Thief front.  I've done a guest post for Bull Spec, discussing the difficultest part of writing my difficult second novel, an interview with SF Signal's Paul Weimer on a whole host of writing-related subjects, and with SF Signal once again, took part in their "holding out for a hero" mind meld, on the subject of what sets true heroes apart from mere protagonists and whether the concept remains meaningful in this day and age.

Also, the positive reviews have been slowly but steadily arriving.  Elloise Hopkins on the British Fantasy Society blog has lots of nice things to say, not least of which is that Crown Thief is "...above all a fun read," while Fantastical Librarian Mieneke declares it "...a high-octane romp..." and "...a great follow up to Giant Thief."  Alister Davison at Starburst describes it as "...a light and entertaining read, one that can raise a smile or even shed a tear from the most hardened reader," and most glowing of all is probably Keith's commentary at Adventures Fantastic, which is pretty much summed up by its title, "Easie Damasco Pulls Off Another Great Adventure."  In fact, the only real dissenting voice so far has been the mysteriously initialed K. Burtt at Geek Speak Magazine, who was so put off by the fact that Damasco doesn't really steal a great deal of stuff in this one that he found the entire enterprise unspeakably dull.

Ah well.  At least the accolades are continuing to come in for Giant Thief, even months on from its release.  My favourites are the Fantasy Book Review article that lists it in their "Thief in Fantasy Literature" top ten (whether this of the year or all time I'm not entirely clear, but it's still completely awesome to be in there) and the overwhelmingly lovely review by blogger The Writing Mind that begins with the assertion that "Easie Damasco is a name that everyone in the world of light fantasy should become familiar with, " and ends up by declaring Giant Thief as "...hands down the best novel of 2012, (save for perhaps the coming sequel...)"  Got to love that caveat!

Let's finish up, though, with a review from another blogger, Dvarin, which while not quite so positive, made me smile even more.  Dvarin argues - not unfairly, I think - that Giant Thief "...reads a heck of a lot like a one-player D & D campaign where the GM is desperately trying to get some kind of heroic-ness out of a determinedly neutral-selfish character," and concludes that it's "Slightly worse than the Belgariad, significantly better than Xanth."  Pipping out Piers Anthony but not quite matching David Eddings?  There's a ranking I can live with!

Tales of Damasco, Update the First

There's just no point dividing these occasional novel updates into Giant Thief and Crown Thief any more, is there?  Giant Thief's out in less than a month, Crown Thief's not two months off its delivery date, and for that matter, the start of Prince Thief is right around the corner.  It's a whole big thing is what it is, and for this post anyway, I'm going to treat it as such.

First up, then.  The promotion for Giant Thief is gearing up fast, with lots of nice people asking me for interviews and guest blogs and such, and me blithely agreeing, while wondering just how quickly I can make my fingers work before the skin starts to combust.

But if I had any doubts about all that effort being worthwhile ... and I don't, obviously ... but if I did, a couple of recent developments would have smashed them into a squishy mush.  First came a few more glowing reviews.  J. S. Watts, writing for the Morpheus Tales review supplement, describes Giant Thief as "a fast paced, dryly humorous fantasy" and "a wryly amusing and entertaining read that also proves to be more thought provoking than might originally seem to be the case."  Over at Starburst, meanwhile, Alister Davison says, "I’m finding it hard to dislike anything about this book. It’s a fun, entertaining read, everything a good story should be", adding, "If you’re tired of huge volumes filled deep with sub-plots and webs of intrigue, then Giant Thief is a worthy alternative. David Tallerman’s first novel is a gripping yarn..."  Lastly, blogger Mieneke van der Salm, who also happens to be A Fantastical Librarian, calls Giant Thief "...a rollicking tale of being chased and getting away and maybe along the way finding a conscience" (surely she's not talking about Damasco?) and concludes that "...if you're up for a fun, fast-paced adventure featuring rogues, giants and lots of fighting, you won't want to miss it!"

And then there's that on the left.  It's real.  It's shiny.  It's shinily real.  It is in the fact the first-off-the-presses copy of Giant Thief.  See how Damasco looks like he's leaping from the cover, as though he really wants to steal your wallet?  That's because he does.


In the meantime, in the realm of Crown Thief... tonight's the start of the second of two weeks off, which feels like the first break I've had in a year, though I'm fairly sure it can't be.

Of course "time off" in this context means time off from the day job only, since a break from novel-finishing at this point would be madness of the highest order.  In fact, time off actually means hammering unrelentingly into the third and, (for the moment), final draft of Crown Thief.

(Actually, I exaggerate slightly.  I did take a break for the New Year's weekend ... and, er, ended up demolishing my friend Loz's shed.  Then burning it.  Hey, he asked me to!  Really.  I'm not such a terrible friend that I go round to people's houses on New Year's eve to demolish and incinerate their sheds.)

Wait, there was a point there.  Oh, right ... busy!  Yup, busy third-redrafting Crown Thief for the third time, and up to the start of chapter six already, which I don't think is bad for a first week.  It seems to be going well, all told.  For whatever my opinion counts, I don't think I've written a horrible sequel - and for whatever their opinion counts, my draft readers seem to be more or less in agreement.

That said, Crown Thief does have a subplot or two, and at least one web that might considered to be made of intrigue.  Have I misjudged?  Am I risking losing my audience here?