Add Masters of the Veil to your Goodreads shelf!
Praise!
Oh. My. Gosh. I think I am an official fan-girl of the Veil trilogy, this book was brilliant. Daniel Cohen had such an amazing way of describing Atlas Crown and all of its strange and magical features that I instantly fell in love...this Book was brilliant, creative, and completely magical. If you want an amazing book to read in 2012, I would suggest you go to the bookstore and pick up a copy of Masters of the Veil.
Julia @ Inkbitten
Daniel Cohen has an incredible imagination. Masters of the Veil was literally busting at the seams with fantasy. It was coming out of my nose, dripping from the pages, and staining my fingers... Boys, girls - it doesn’t matter. Fantasy lover or not, I'm confident this book will appeal to all!
Shana @ Sizzling Reads
Masters of the Veil is a fun, fresh fantasy that delivers an intriguing story and fantastic world-building, and is a great first volume in what is sure to be an excellent trilogy.
Aeicha @ Word Spelunking
I absolutely adored Masters of the Veil. It is a unique and creative read in today's sometimes overwhelming YA market. Daniel is taking JK Rowling's lead and putting a whole new twist on fantasy.
Kristin @ Better Read Than Dead
Mr. Cohen has done a spectacular job on Masters of the Veil and I look forward to what comes next!
Kristi @ The Book Faery
Let's have a chat with Daniel, shall we?
I graduated with a degree in business management but I’m trying my best not to use it. Obviously I love writing, but really I just love books in general.
What inspired you to write about magic and sorcerers?
Harry Potter.
And others.
But mostly Harry Potter.
Like most everyone else, I am obsessed with Rowling’s work. Growing up, I was always the same age as Harry’s crew and I felt a special bond to him and his world. I knew I could never create something as world shattering at J.K. did, but I knew in the very least that I wanted my work to be in the same genre. I’ve also found out by trial and error that choosing to write about magic and sorcery is choosing to be free and chained at the same time. You can create anything you want, but you have to follow your own rules or the story doesn’t work. This genre can be unbelievably liberating and mind-bogglingly frustrating at the same time.
What do you do when you’re not writing?
Rock saxophone. I’ve been playing tenor saxophone for about fifteen years now, but I still have a lot to learn. I actually just moved to Austin, TX (the live music capital of the world) to try my hand at the music scene. Turns out that everyone here is amazing so it’s going to be rough.
Who is your favorite character from your book and why?
My favorite character is a young sorcerer named Glissandro Thicket. He’s a lanky, curly-haired sorcerer on the brink of adulthood. He was born without the ability to talk, but he somehow found a way to speak through playing music on his horn.
He’s based on a type of person that I feel like happens all too often. He’s talented, has a kind heart, plenty of wisdom, but because of certain life circumstances, he’s shy and lacks the self-esteem to shine as bright as he could.
Do you work with an outline or just write?
I have an outline, but in the heat of writing things seem to always change. However the bones of the story tend to stay pretty close to what I have planned out.
Do you have any advice for aspiring authors?
I know this is going to sound pretentious (and I apologize for it) but I have found that there is a huge difference between writing and being an author. I started as a writer, but I find myself slowly drifting to the other side. Writing is fun. Being an author can be horrible. If you’re serious about becoming an author, be prepared to sacrifice for your craft. I don’t mean to sound melodramatic, but real writing will consume you. The best advice I can give is be careful, and make sure to find time for friends, family, and real life.
What has been the toughest criticism given to you as an author? What’s been the best compliment?
People tended to complain about the romance in, “The Ancillary’s Mark”. And they were right to. But it was a good thing. Since I was aware of my problem with romance, I concentrated on making it better in my next book, and even better in the next book (Children of the Veil).
Was there any scene or part in your book that was difficult to write? If so, how did you get through writing it?
I was battling some pretty nasty demons while writing the first book, and some of them came out in the reenactment scene. I was actually climbing a mountain alone when I put that scene together. There were a lot of things in this book that hit very close to home with me, but it felt good to breath some of my own issues into the characters. For solidarity I guess.
If you were to go live on an island and could only choose 5 books to take with you, what would you choose?
· The Name of the Wind
· The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
· The Giver
· The Alchemist
· How to Build A Boat Using Nothing But Island Materials
If Masters of the Veil were made into a movie, who do you picture starring in it?
It’s funny that you should ask. I did a piece over at Fiktshun where I cast the main characters. You should check it out here. There’s even photos!
Oh, but there's more! There's always more :) Now let's talk with some of Daniel's characters!
Super short character bios:
Daphne Sunder: Beautiful, intelligent, and one of the most popular young sorcerers in Atlas Crown.
Cassiella Pyx: Shy, kind, and sort of nerdy. Even though she keeps a low profile, she is also one of the more powerful young sorcerers.
Glissandro Thicket: Glissandro is a young, mute sorcerer who speaks magically through music. He uses the horn of a skull-wolf to create his musical language. He also keeps to himself.
Petir LaVink: Grumpy young sorcerer. He hates outsiders. VERY good at magic.
Rona Rono: Teaches the best young sorcerers in Atlas Crown (Daphne, Cassiella, Glissandro, and Petir). Was a tribal king in Africa before he was brought to Atlas Crown.
May: Liaison from Atlas Crown to the outside world.
Here are some of the highlights of the interview.
Dan asked: “What’s your dream in life?”
Petir: You don’t belong here (at this point, Petir raises his second-skin* at Dan). You’re lucky May says you’re ok, or I would… You know what? I’m leaving (he leaves the room in a huff).
Daphne: Easy. I’m going to be head grower some day. Can you Just imagine being in charge of the seven grow fields? Just being around all the animals, and plants, and colors. It’s like the most important job in Atlas Crown.
Cassiella: I don’t know. I guess… I don’t know. It would be nice to meet somebody (she looks down at her feet). Can we go to the next question?
Glissandro:
*A hand covering made from magical materials, which allows you to “grip” the Veil. Essentially, it’s how you do magic.
**Coming of age ceremony that determines what branch of magic you study
Dan asked: “What’s your favorite thing to do?”
Sam: (Picks at his football jersey) Seriously?
Daphne: Well, me and my girlfriends love to go to the hot springs and relax. (She shrugs) And it doesn’t hurt that there’s usually some cute guys there.
Glissandro:
Cassiella: I like the library.
Rona: I teach. There’s nothing I like more. The first time one of my students drapes* an object, well, there’s no better feeling.
*Draping is a magical technique that involves wrapping the Veil around something to give it magical properties.
Dan asked: “What’s the most impressive magic you’re ever seen performed?”
Daphne: One time I was with May in the grow fields and she called like every bird in Atlas Crown. Thousand of birds, every color imaginable, all came and May tossed handfuls of seeds into the air and the birds each caught one and flew away. I’ve never seen anything more beautiful. There was no chaos. The birds all fell in line like a dance. May said that another magical community had lost one of their fields—she never told me how—so she was sending a new one. It doesn’t get much better than natural magic.
Cassiella: I love watching Rona. He can drape anything. He made me a wooden flower that only blooms on the full moon, but when it opens up it gives off whatever smell would make me most happy. Last moon it smelled like honey and nettle-melon.
Rona: (His eyes darken) If you don’t mind, I’d like to skip that question.
After the interview, the characters shared their thoughts on meeting Dan:
Daphne: I guess he seems nice. Not my type. It’s not his fault though, I just wouldn’t ever date a flathand*.
Cassiella: I really like blue eyes (at this point in the interview, Cassiella blushes). Don’t tell him I said that!
Glissandro:
Rona: (Shakes his head) He seems to have the right heart, but She [The Veil] hasn’t chosen him. It’s too bad. I would have loved to teach him.
*A flathand is someone who cannot connect with the Veil.
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So, it is finally time for the giveaway, my dear little patient roses! Enter using the Rafflecopter below!
Good luck, everyone!
Lovelovelove,
And because I am awesome and you love me, I'll let you in on a secret: I have a personalized interview with Dan going live in six hours. I originally intended to put it in this post, but then it got kind of crowded and besides blogger formatting is temperamental. So check back later, okay, roses? :)