Last night I finished C. Robert Cargill’s excellent dark fantasy Queen of the Dark Things. A sequel to his novel Dreams and Shadows, Queen of the Dark Things chronicles the continuing adventures of the eternally unfortunate sorcerer, Colby Stevens.

It’s a fun romp around the world, leaving Texas behind for the Australian Outback. Overall a heart breaker full of horrific and fantastic elements, Queen of the Dark Things is a quality piece of fantasy. It’s a fast read, and was my escape of choice over the last week while America got a lot weirder.

This novel has me thinking once again about how to handle shifting point of view, and the possible plot mechanisms for moving characters together.

I also watched the British horror film The Awakening, which is on Netflix and a good choice if you enjoy supernatural horror. The Awakening follows professional ghost debunker Florence, who has a grudge against the spiritualist movement that is taking advantage of an England mourning thousands of dead after World War I. It’s a great study in character driving the film, with Florence’s guilt over past mistakes and coping mechanisms driving a large portion of the plot. And the twist is really good; you think you see it coming from a mile away, but you’re only half-right.

While watching the film, I made this thing:

It’s the prototype of some lanterns I’m making for wedding decorations. I need to find a cheap source of similar ribbon online, as my quest for supplies yesterday only gave me enough to make two of the things. I need a few more clever ideas for decorations, preferably that I can make quickly.

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