Well it’s been 2 weeks since
my last post. Now the release of my debut novel RISE OF THE PENGUINS is upon
me. (Though to be honest, it came out on Createspace a few days ago). For those
potential buyers, I will give you a run down on what to expect.
Question? Here are answers:
Yes it is about penguins.
Are there human characters involved? By looking at
the cover you can surmise that there are in fact people within the storyline.
What
is it all about? The synopsis says that the penguins are ruled by an ancient race
of penguins, known as Royal Emperors, and that the ruler, who assumed the title
of Overlord, has manipulated them into to open warfare against the humans. Why
would he do that? He does it under guise of retaking their territory and for
revenge against the years of atrocities against their kind.
*HISTORICAL FACT: During the
1800s millions of penguins were killed for their fat. The fat was burned for
lamp oil. Having never encountered people before the penguins didn’t seem them
as a threat. They were actually herded up ramps which led to rendering pots and
boiled alive. Poaching still does take place in certain areas. You can see why
they might be a little pissed.
Knowing that they can be
killed, why would they attack? The Overlord is a powerful and charismatic ruler
and (this has happened throughout human history too) he convinces the masses
that there is a clear and present danger and that this is the only course of
action to ensure their future as a species. Again, why would he do that? Let’s just
say he has his own agenda and we’ll leave it at that.
Do all penguins follow
this Overlord? No. The Emperor penguins do not abide the “Royal” Emperors, but
the Royals are much larger and have physical mutations which make them a formidable opponent. There are some
members of other species who form an underground coalition to resist the
Overlord.
Is this the Chinstrap penguin
mentioned in the blurb? Not initially. The Chinstrap named Lavour, at first
goes along and is an obedient soldier. But events lead him along with his friends, Leepoh- a Gentoo penguin, and Nok- a Rockhopper penguin, on a different
path.
What about the people? The two main human characters are Randy and Gina;
researchers in Antarctica who survive the initial purge and find themselves in
a surreal situation. A third of the story focuses on these two and their
attempt to survive. They find unexpected allies and the allies they thought
they had just might be the enemy.
But what can a penguin do to
person or people? One penguin can do very little. But a million or more present
a much larger problem and nobody would ever suspect that these peaceful
creatures could harbor any violence.
Are the penguins intelligent? Yes. They
have a culture and society and have spent two decades unifying their kind. They have the ability to
communicate with one another and some have learned a variety of human language.
Animals don’t talk do they? In fact there are several species of bird and
mammal which can communicate and even assign names to each other within their
group. A species of dolphin is known to this as well as the Green Parrotlet in
South America which has specific calls for each member of the flock. Emperor
penguins can identify the specific call of their hatchlings. And don’t forget
that a parrot can mimic human speech.
That aside, how can a penguin match up
against human’s weaponry? They can’t, so things can’t go as the Overlord planned. Or does it?
So who else is involved? Randy and Gina work for a corporation called Global
Threat (GT) environmental/Global Technologies. This company has interests in Antarctica
and will do anything to protect its Antarctic assets.
It is 700 pages?! Don’t
fret. The story is broken down into bite-sized chapters so you can feel like you
accomplished something in saying “I read 5 or 6 chapters of a book today!”
Should I take this story
seriously? This story does have a satirical edge to edge it. At times it even
mocks the genre and itself. But reading the story you will find yourself
involved with the characters, penguin and human alike. The characters are well
developed and have a sense of “humanity” which makes them and the story
believable. They deal with the emotions that everyone has faced at one time or
another. Whether it be grief of loss, love, betrayal, friendship and honor, or facing
biased hatred, the characters deal with these situations in their own way. That
said, the story and author alike never take themselves too seriously. And in this time of readers facing a never ending
slew of vampire novels clogging up the fantasy publishing market, it’s nice to
take a break and read something that is original and fun. This may not be Shakespeare
or even Clancy or King or Tolkien, but you just might have a little fun
escaping to someplace new. So where can
I buy Rise of the Penguins? http://www.amazon.com/Rise-of-the-Penguins-ebook/dp/B00AO6N7KA/ref=sr_1_1?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1355525975&sr=1-1&keywords=rise+of+the+penguins
