Books that Influenced Shai - January

Let me start by explaining how all this came to pass. My writer accountability partner, Phoenix Williams always wants me to watch an anime!

Always, always, always! said in my Jan Brady voice.

She’ll be like just watch this one episode of “blah, blah, blah…” And I’ve explained to Phoenix time and time again I don’t like anime. Not from a lack of trying; my own children have tried to get me to watch anime for years. My son is a huge One Piece fan, and my daughter cosplayed her 16th birthday as Lucy from Fairy Tale.

Anyway, we’ll be talking characters, book development, pacing, whatever and every reference Phoenix makes is some anime she’s watched, more like devoured.

Well, my references are books and television shows that have human actors. We were talking (completely off topic of course) about how it has felt like forever with me working on this one novella, and how I need to finish it.

She said the months that I’ve been working on it, haven’t been that bad because it takes some authors years to write a book.. I laughed my terrible paint peeling laugh and said “Exactly.” then referenced my favorite slow author, Kristen Britain (well besides George R.R. Martin).

I first read Kristen Britian’s The Green Rider in 1998. Yes! 1998 and book seven, Winterlight in The Green Rider series is scheduled to publish September 2021!

If you’re doing the math, that’s three or four and in one case five years between books.

But I couldn’t stop talking about Green Rider when I first read it, because of the world building and the layering, and character development and just everything. I told Phoenix she had to read it and she tried to baulk. “I’m too busy!” etc etc etc.

So I struck a devil’s deal; I agreed to watch two hours of anime if she read The Green Rider.

She picked Jujutsu Kaisen for me as her part of the deal. I’ll let know how I feel about these four episodes. not looking forward to it!

Back to why I love The Green Rider, it’s the perfect blend high fantasy, sword and sorcery, and fantastical storytelling and I’m now recommending it to all of you.