My attention was drawn today to the following very favourable review of The Dog of the North in the US Publishers' Weekly. It's hard not to be satisfied with with a starred review that characterises the atmosphere as "almost Shakespearean".
Tuesday, January 19, 2010
The Dog of the North crosses the pond
My attention was drawn today to the following very favourable review of The Dog of the North in the US Publishers' Weekly. It's hard not to be satisfied with with a starred review that characterises the atmosphere as "almost Shakespearean".
The Dog of the North Tim Stretton. Macmillan UK/Tor (IPG/Trafalgar Sq., dist.), $14.95 paper (304p) ISBN 978-0-330-46083-5Debut author Stretton skillfully chronicles court intrigue in rival city-states in this unique fantasy tale. Arren is a young boy taken from poverty and brought into the Lord of Croad's household. Beauceron, the Dog of the North, is a vassal of the Snow King of Mettingloom and obsessive in his desire to capture the city of Croad. Each plot line moves adroitly through themes of love and revenge toward a surprising climax. Stretton adeptly uses courtly, carefully structured discourse and Italianate names and places to evoke an almost Shakespearean atmosphere, providing hints to Beauceron's identity but never giving too much away. This cleverly plotted fantasy mystery is full of intelligent dialogue, enthralling characters, and dramatic world-building that will hold readers' attention to the last page.
My attention was drawn today to the following very favourable review of The Dog of the North in the US Publishers' Weekly. It's hard not to be satisfied with with a starred review that characterises the atmosphere as "almost Shakespearean".
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11 comments:
Woop! That absolutely rocks!
Great review, Tim! You must be delighted.
I'm very pleased with it - not just because it's favourable, but because the reviewer understood what I was trying to achieve.
Yeah, they really got it! That's top.
That's a great review, Tim, for a great book I might add. I'll be interested to see what happens if Dog Of the North does well across the pond. Will Macmillan reappraise Dog in the UK if that happens?
Woo-hoo! That's excellent!
I might add that Publisher's Weekly has the reputation of being a harsh reviewer, so I'm pleased to see that your passed through their gates not only unscathed but wearing laurels.
Matt raises an interesting question. I'd like to add to it by raising another: If Pan Mac isn't interested in your world, maybe you should consider getting an agent over here who wants to get the series rolling as a US publication.
Of course, that would mean you were back to the query grind. But if you were to do it part time, and didn't let it throw you offstride, and don't mind the international postage...
Let me know if you decide to go down that road--I can suggest some fantasy agents.
Tim, brilliant review - and a very perceptive one. Good luck with sales in the US.
Great review, and by someone who got it, too. So when is the book scheduled to be published in the US? know the copy I picked up turned out to be a special order by the store from a Canadian supplier.
Isn't it great when reviews are not only complimentary but perceptive and on the ball? This is a well-deserved review, Tim and I hope it's going to be the start of TDOTN becoming a big thing in the US!
Good luck with it, Tim. Hopefully sales will be strong and we may see more of the adventures of Beauceron.
Naturally I'm very keen to see how we go in America. I'm not even sure of the book's status over there since the review describes it as "Macmillan UK/Tor" - so the normal UK edition.
That said, it seems to be selling, albeit in small quantities, on Amazon US, but I'm not quite sure how.
David, I may very well take up your fantasy agents idea. Nothing to lose by looking for a US deal...
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