This Month in Mormon Literature, Late September 2014

Be sure to read the discussion about the future of the Association for Mormon Letters in Theric’s Accountability to the little guy post at this blog. This month features: The 2014 League of Utah Writers awards and the Salt Lake City Weekly Artys awards were presented. The Maze Runner, based on author James Dashner’s YA novel, opened to much better box office and somewhat better reviews than Ender’s Game last year. The book is also at the top of the bestseller lists. Publishers Weekly focused on the efforts of Rick Walton as a key part of the success of Utah authors in the children/YA markets, and gave starred reviews to Julie Berry’s middle grade Victorian comic mystery and Craig Harline’s missionary memoir. An update on the plagiarism case. A call for papers from LTUE. New novels from several national YA authors. Two upcoming Mormon movies. And a Robert Lauer/Sam Cardon historical musical opened in St. George. Please send news and corrections to mormonlit AT gmail DOT com.

Awards

Salt Lake City Weekly Artys awards

BEST COMIC BOOK: Salt City Strangers. Would you believe … the intercontinental railroad was part of a demonic plan to engulf the planet in evil once the final Golden Spike was driven at Promontory Point? Fortunately, a group of heroes called the Salt City Strangers foiled the plot and have fought to keep Utah safe ever since. Chris Hoffman’s sharply detailed comic is steeped in local LDS culture (Deputy Deseret slings Porter Rockwell’s guns; Son of Bigfoot was discovered in Provo Canyon and raised Mormon; and then there’s the Gull), but Salt City Strangers—now two issues in—is ultimately a classic story of Good vs. Evil. If there’s anything Utahns love, it’s a tall tale about the righteous taking on the wrong-teous.

BEST FICTION BOOK: Shannon Hale, Dangerous. Rousing adventures are rare enough, yet it’s even more exciting to find such an adventure built around the kind of protagonist you’ve literally never seen before. Sixteen-year-old Maisie Brown—the heroine of Shannon Hale’s energetic science-fiction/action/superhero spectacle—is a nerdy, home-schooled girl, but she’s also half-Latina. And she happens to have a disability—missing one arm since birth. While Maisie’s unique qualities play a role in her efforts to save the earth from an extraterrestrial threat, this isn’t a book about those qualities. It’s simply a story making the unusual observation that people besides fully-abled white men can be heroes.

BEST TWIST ON SUPERNATURAL ROMANCE: Bree Despain, The Shadow Prince. Young-adult fiction is full of love stories complicated by the fact that one of the lovers is a ghost, or a vampire, or a fairy—or something. There’s nothing inherently wrong with such a setup—provided it’s built with the kind of complexity Despain invests in this series-opener, built on the Orpheus and Persephone myth. Her “Underrealm” gets a rich, intriguing history, and the characters—protagonists Haden and Daphne, as well as their supporting cast—are wonderfully three-dimensional creations. It’s going to be a pleasure following where Despain takes this story next.

BEST MODERN JANE: Melissa Leilani Larson, Pride & Prejudice. Even if you haven’t read Pride & Prejudice, you’ve probably been exposed to one of the BBC/YouTube/Mormon/Bollywood adaptations. But what’s innovative about Melissa Leilani Larson’s script is that she uses the stage to make Jane Austen’s masterpiece feel fresh without resorting to gimmickry. BYU’s spring production opened on the Bennets posing as if for a family portrait and closed with Elizabeth and Darcy posing for a similar one. In between, Larson’s script employed several theatrical devices to develop relationships, pulled the cleverest bits out of the text, and followed each of the Bennet sisters’ journeys without stretching the play tothe length of a miniseries.

BEST COMMUNITY THEATER GROUP: Grassroots Shakespeare. This summer, Grassroots Shakespeare Company toured parks across the state, performing back-to-back productions of As You Like It and Henry V for crowds of all ages. They delighted audiences by building on Shakespeare’s inherent wit with fast-paced staging, audience interaction and anachronistic quips. The company keeps its productions fresh by mimicking the conditions faced by actors in Shakespeare’s day: working director-free, with minimal rehearsal time and makeshift costumes and props, on a bare outdoor stage. Add a few guitars, an accordion and the occasional slide whistle, and each play feels like a fast-pasted medieval romp you’ll want to rewind and watch all over again.

BEST THEATER PERFORMANCE/BEST THEATER PRODUCTION: Mark Fossen, Clearing Bombs (Plan-B Theatre Company). Eric Samuelsen took one of theater’s more popular tricks—speculating on an encounter between two celebrated real-life figures—and turned it into a tremendously entertaining primer on macroeconomic theory. Set in summer 1942, it posits an evening in which economists John Maynard Keynes and Friedrich Hayek served duty on the roof of King’s College, watching for German incendiary bombs. Samuelsen’s direction provided a burst of energy to a concept that easily could have become a dry lecture, while Fossen delivered a terrific interpretation of a celebrated scholar whose certainty creates more friction in the conversation, helping give debates over policy a surprisingly human face.

BEST ORIGINAL PLAY: Eric Samuelsen, 3. (Plan-B Theatre Company). Plan-B Theatre Company’s Season of Eric showed off the broad spectrum of Eric Samuelsen’s talents (see also Clearing Bombs in this section), but came to a magnificent conclusion with this triptych of short plays about the struggles of Mormon women to project an image of placid perfection. Where it would have been easy to play some of their more uptight or apparently hypocritical actions for cheap punch lines, Samuelsen instead showed tremendous compassion for women facing the seemingly impossible-to-attain expectations of their culture.

BEST SHORT FILM: Torben Bernhard, Transmormon (KUER). Eri Hayward’s parents loved her and supported her enough to want to see her happy. That may not sound like a remarkable story—except when you consider that Eri was born Eddie Hayward, and that her parents are Mormons living in Orem. Torben Bernhard’s wrenchingly emotional film—produced by KUER’s RadioWest—addresses Eri’s struggles, but it’s most powerful when it gives her father a chance to speak, exploring how a faithful man tries to reconcile the reality of his child’s identity with the teachings of his church. Stories of unconditional parental love don’t get much better than this.

 2014 League of Utah Writers awards were presented on September 13.The conference, hosted by the League of Utah Writers, is in its 79th year. Several authors from Jolly Fish Press won awards, including Lehua Parker, whose One Boy, No Water won the Golden Quill Award for Children’s & Middle-Grade Literature, Eric Bishop, whose The Samaritan’s Pistol won the Golden Quill Award for Fiction, and L. K. Hill, whose Citadels of Fire won the Silver Quill Award for Fiction. JFP author Johnny Worthon (who is not a Mormon) who won the 2014 Utah Writer of the Year, and his book Eleanor won the Golden Quill Award for YA Fiction. Other Mormons who won awards include Fay A. Klinger, who won the Silver Quill award for Children’s book for I am Strong, I am Smart!, and Edward Massey, who won the Gold Quill Award for Novel for Every Soul is Free. I do not have a comprehensive list of the awards.

News and blog posts

Utah’s Children’s Authors Build a Community (Publishers Weekly). “Hale explains that the high numbers of nationally published children’s book authors and illustrators from Utah that has emerged in the past decade is the result of a close-knit community of children’s writers. The emergence of such a community is due “in no small part” to author Rick Walton’s leadership, she explains. Walton, the author, by his count, of more than 90 children’s books, teaches a course on writing for children at Brigham Young University as a part-time faculty member, and also was one of the key organizers and the first director of the annual Writing & Illustrating for Young Readers conference, which has taken place in the Utah Valley since 2000. “People who might have written for adults – or gone elsewhere – ended up in children’s publishing because of him,” Hale said, noting that the community of professional writers has further coalesced around the Rock Canyon listserv for children’s book authors and illustrators, founded by Walton in 2001, with a dozen charter members, five of whom are still members . . . The group, which has 188 members, interact online regularly, Hale notes. “We talk shop, celebrate each other’s successes, commiserate on the ups and downs of publishing, and just have colleagues,” she says. Members also meet in person once a month in one of two rendezvous spots – one in the Utah Valley, the other in Salt Lake City – for lunches. For the past seven years, it has also organized annual Writing for Charity seminar/workshop for children’s book writers, in which 50 authors lead workshops and provide critiques of manuscripts submitted by attendees. The proceeds are donated to nonprofit organizations to buy books. The conference attracts more than 150 attendees, most of them Utah residents . . . Hale added, “It all comes down to the community – it’s a very supportive community. I’ve never seen anything like it, even in New York City.””

A September 23 update on the plagiarism of Rachel Ann Nunes’ book, by David Farland: “A second victim of Rushton’s plagiarism has been discovered. This time it was a wounded army veteran who had written a report on how he had gotten PTSD after his Humvee hit a landmine. It was also discovered that the names of the sock puppets that Rushton used were taken from the third-grade children in her classroom. As a result, she has been placed on administrative leave from her job as a teacher. But wait, there’s more! I received two letters from angry parents who wanted the names of their children taken down in my blog posts, and I asked my assistant to take care of this. Then, on Nunes’s blog yesterday, Nunes got this note, addressed from one of the children’s parents, demanding that her blog be taken down and threatening legal action if it wasn’t: “This blog post needs to be taken down. My child’s name has popped up on other blogs because of this. Google Tiffanie Rushton and things are still popping up. ‘Redacting’ is not enough. I will report you and discredit your investigation. God help you, especially if you are LDS and held to a higher standard.” Interestingly enough, though, this didn’t actually come from an angry parent. It turns out that it came from the computer of Tiffanie Rushton, the perpetrator, who has gone from using schoolchildren as sock puppets to impersonating their parents.” Also, a KUTV news report on the basic story.

On Eliza R. Snow’s poem “To the Writers of Fiction” (Scott Hales). “Snow’s poem is significant for the way it reflects one attitude about fiction among early Latter-day Saints. Interestingly, Snow does not weigh the merits of fiction with those of poetry, but rather focuses on its fantastic quality–associating it with fairies, incantations, fables, phantoms, mysticism, and other seeming paganisms–as well as its capacity to mimic truth. I find this latter objection, that fiction is “mimicry,” most interesting because it suggests anxiety over fiction’s ability to deceive (or, at very least, confuse) readers who are searching for truth. According to the poem, such mimicry dresses life up with “fancy’s touch” while ignoring the “rich romance” already existing in “real life.”  It thus seems to discourage the kind of escapism that distances a person not only from daily life, but also from the kind of soaring experiences that happen when one activates genius and engages truth.”

Scott Hales proposes A Fifteen-Week Reading Course in the Mormon Novel, following up on Tyler’s proposed online Mormon literature courses.

Life, the Universe, & Everything 32: The Marion K. “Doc” Smith Symposium on Science Fiction and Fantasy is looking for papers for the 2015 conference. They are especially interested in papers in the following areas:

• Literary criticism/analysis of sf&f and related literature (medival, renaissance, mythology, magic realism, graphic novels, etc.)
• Science and technology (especially new or unusual)
• Serious analysis of sf&f in cinema, television, radio, and other media
• Analysis of sf&f relating to poetry or theatre
• Mormon culture, literature, and society in relation to sf&f

Submit full papers for consideration to LTUE-Academics, c/o Marny Parkin, 1063 JFSB, Provo, UT 84602 or email electronic submissions as RTF files to marny_parkin@byu.edu. Include name, phone number, street address, and email address on a cover sheet. Papers submitted without contact information will no be considered. Student papers welcome. Papers must be submitted no later than October 15, 2014.

The Utah Theatre Bloggers Association and Plan-B Theatre Company announced a new scholarship for higher education students in Utah. The goal of the scholarship is to foster critical writing for the arts in Utah. The scholarship provides funding to three recipients without restrictions on how it should be used. Award amounts will be for $500, $250, and $100. Applicants must be enrolled at an institution of higher education within the state of Utah. All past and current members of the UTBA are ineligible for the awards. Deadline is December 10, 2014. Students fill out the online application and include a critical review of ANY theatre production in the state of Utah.

There is an effort going on to create an association for LDS publishing professionals.  They say, “We hope to attract more Latter-day Saints to publishing careers and to help Latter-day Saints already in publishing connect with and support each other, become more successful, and have greater positive impact in the world.  They feel that no organization currently fulfills these functions. Please take a few minutes to complete a quick 9-question survey to help us envision and design this association.  The organizers hope for your response by 5:00 pm Pacific time this Friday, September 26.” To take the survey, click on this link: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/MST6MHM

The Good Word Podcast interviews with authors Annette Lyon and Denver Acey.

Mormon Music after the “Mormon Moment” (Jeremy Grimshaw, New Music Box). I usually don’t include articles about music in this blog. But this detailed piece by BYU professor Grimshaw is so packed with information and music, everyone should see and listen to it.

New Books and their Reviews

Various Authors. Beloved. White Star Press, September. Authors United Against Plagiarism Box Set featuring three complete Historical Romance novels. Loyalty’s Web by Joyce DiPastena, Miss Braithwaite’s Secret by G. G. Vandagriff, Spinster’s Folly (The Owens Family Saga) by Marsha Ward.   

Various Authors. Concealed. White Star Press, September. Authors United Against Plagiarism Box Set featuring three mystery/romantic suspense novels, with a bonus mystery novella. Your Eyes Don’t Lie by Rachel Branton (Romantic Suspense ), Trouble at the Red Pueblo (A Spider Latham Mystery) by Liz Adair  (Mystery), Brownies and Betrayal (Sweet Bites Mysteries) by Heather Justesen(Mystery Romance ), Chasing Pirates in Never Land by R. L. Tyler (Novella)  (Mystery ).

Various Authors. Unseen. White Star Press, September. Authors United Against Plagiarism Box Set featuring six speculative novellas. Times Nines by Teyla Branton (Science Fiction). The Focus by Andrea Pearson (Contemporary Fantasy). Aphrodite by Stephanie Fowers (Romantic Fantasy). Only Logical by Frank Morin (Fantasy Adventure). A Deadly Glimpse by Debra Erfert (Contemporary Fantasy). To Sleep No More by Kathleen Marks (Historical Romantic Fantasy).

Julie Berry. The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place. Sept. 23. Middle grade Victorian comic mystery. Seven proper schoolgirls in a Victorian finishing school bury their dead headmistress in the back yard after she is mysteriously poisoned at Sunday dinner. Berry’s eighth novel.

PW (starred review): “Readers with a penchant for dark humor will relish Berry’s (All the Truth That’s in Me) tongue-in-cheek murder mystery set in a late-19th-century British girls’ boarding school. The St. Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies, run by stern headmistress Constance Plackett, may not be paradise for its residents, but the students get an unanticipated break from their dull routines when Plackett and her odious brother drop dead at the dinner table one spring evening, apparently poisoned. Knowing opportunity when they see it, the girls hatch a scheme to dispose of the bodies and run the school on their own. Unfortunately, a killer is on the loose, and the girls could be the next victims. The pupils’ attempts to convince the public that everything is normal at the school make for some hilarious scenes, and their efforts to find the murderer result in surprising encounters with suspicious (but often quite appealing) suspects. Romance blooms in unexpected places, and danger lurks around every corner in this delightfully farcical tale, full of twists and turns.”

Horn Book. “This airy confection could not be more different from Berry’s most recent (and pitch-black) novel All the Truth That’s in Me. Part murder mystery, part girls’-school story, part dark drawing-room comedy (think Edwin Drood, Arsenic and Old Lace, or the 1980s movie Clue), the novel opens in 1890 England at Saint Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies. The seven students — our heroines — are known throughout the book as Dear Roberta, Disgraceful Mary Jane, Dull Martha, Stout Alice, Smooth Kitty, Pocked Louise, and Dour Elinor. Their headmistress is Mrs. Plackett, but she’s dispatched in the second paragraph (by poison), followed soon afterward by her ne’er-do-well brother, Aldous. The young ladies spend the rest of the book trying to figure out whodunit while also concealing the deaths (burying the bodies in the vegetable garden; having Stout Alice impersonate Mrs. Plackett; bilking their parents for tuition) in order to remain together at the school. Berry takes her madcap seriously, never breaking character when it comes to the old-timey setting or details (a Strawberry Social is the unlikely occasion of a late-in-the-story death). The young ladies, too, are products of their time: each one’s burgeoning independence and coming-into-her-own — largely gained through the murder investigation and/or cover-up, some also through snagging a beau — is satisfying without being too anachronistic. An immensely entertaining, smart, and frothy diversion.”

Kirkus: “Classic farce, as the young ladies spend the rest of that evening desperately hiding the corpses and their headmistress’s absence from an unprecedented stream of callers. Stout Alice is disguised as Mrs. Plackett, Disgraceful Mary Jane initiates the garden gravedigging, and Pocked Louise helpfully adopts a puppy. A third of the way through the novel, the breakneck shenanigans abruptly settle, becoming merely the backdrop of a fairly classic drawing-room mystery. The young ladies are charming and their problem-solving ingenious, though the epithets used to describe them—it is never “Roberta,” always “Dear Roberta”—get old very quickly. Droll farce yields to intriguing mystery, leaving the seams between them showing.”

VOYA: “This delightfully zany scenario embodies the premise of The Scandalous Sisterhood. While beautifully written with rich vocabulary, charming detail, spunky dialogue, and plucky heroines, this Victorian murder mystery farce tends to drag along as the feisty young girls devise madcap plans for how to conceal a double murder. For this reason, recommend it to patient readers who do not need constant white-knuckle suspense and can appreciate the gentle unfolding of a mostly sweet tale sprinkled with just a smattering of edginess and a few plot twists.”

Wall Street Journal. “The melodramatic 19th-century pleasures of Berry’s novel begin with the names of the young ladies in question: Smooth Kitty, Pocked Louise, Disgraceful Mary Jane, Dull Martha, Stout Alice, Dear Roberta and Dour Elinor. The seven girls, all with natures more nuanced than their nicknames suggest, are private-school pupils who happen to be dining with their headmistress and her unlovely brother one Sunday when, abruptly, both adults drop dead. The girls quickly determine that the victims have been poisoned (cyanide in the veal) and realize that, thrillingly, fate has made them mistresses of their own affairs. To establish their “independent feminine utopia,” however, the girls must somehow conceal the corpses, find funds and otherwise maintain an illusion of normalcy at St. Etheldreda’s School for Young Ladies. Not easy to achieve, any of it, in a small English village populated by crusty admirals, snooty vicar’s wives, love-struck farm boys—and, of course, a murderer. As charming, clever and surprising as its heroines, “The Scandalous Sisterhood” is a droll literary caper for readers ages 12 to 16.”

John D. Brown. Raveler. Blacksword Books (self), Aug. 27. Epic fantasy. The Dark God #3. This year Brown republished the first volume, and came out with the second and third.

Marilyn Brown. Waking in Tombstone. Walnut Springs Press, Sept. Western historical romance. When Libby Campbell, dressed as a boy, escapes her abusive Kansas City master, she pleads with a preacher to take her with him to his church assignment in Tombstone, Arizona. Arriving in a city reeling with tumult after the terror of the OK Corral shoot-out, Libby and Cotter impact the pandemonium with their steadfast hard work and faith. Cotter– drawn after the historic Endicott Peabody of Massachusetts–tames the upheaval with heartfelt sermons, a baseball team, and the construction of a beautiful chapel that still stands as a monument to what one man, awake and dedicated, can do in an environment of disruption and fear.

Peggy Eddleman. The Forbidden Flats.Random House, Sept. 23. Middle grade fantasy. Sky Jumpers #2.

Deseret News review. “The science and research involved in the story are evident and intriguing without losing younger readers to complicated language. Eddleman writes smart, strong characters whom readers can look up to. Although this book has slower pacing than the first, the adventure is still prevalent and the need for Hope to rise above and succeed is paramount.”

School Library Journal: “The curriculum strengths of this book include heavy STEM subjects such as chemistry, medical biology, and earth science, as well as the structure of local government and nation building. Students not ready for the violence of The Hunger Games will enjoy the book’s adrenaline-rush daredevil adventures in the first installment in this series.”

Sarah M. Eden. For Elise. Covenant, Sept. 5. Regency romance/mystery. Republication of a 2008 self-published book. The main character, Miles, is the relative of Marion Linwood from Eden’s “Drops of Gold” and “For Elise” is set a year after “Drops of Gold.”

Deseret News review. “Like with her other Regency novels, Eden carefully leaves a trail of clues as she unfolds the characters’ history and secrets throughout the novel. She leaves twists and unexpected revelations to keep this part-mystery and part-love story interesting. “For Elise” has a more serious tone than some of her other novels, but it is no less engaging as Elise joins Eden’s cast of female characters who have done their best to survive when the circumstances and, at times, the men in their lives, have left them with little or no resources.”

Fire and Ice: 5 stars. “Eden addresses deafness, prejudice of social classes and trust between friends. There’s plenty of suspense as mysterious handwritten notes start showing up as a threat to Elise. I read For Elise in one day, start to finish. With returning characters from her previous novels and a dreamy landscape, once again Ms. Eden had me fully engaged. I recommend all of her books!”

Mindy, LDSWBR: 5 stars. “I thoroughly enjoyed this book.  I loved Miles, he had me at the first page.  His humor, spirit, and especially his devotion, will make him a character that I will compare others to.  All of the characters are magnificent.  Elise especially.  I also really liked Mr. Langley, Miles’s brother-in-law.  He was a great comic relief.  His sister Beth was a delight, too.  I really enjoyed the turn the story took with Elise and the secrets she was keeping.  The romance with a touch of mystery added in, was a perfect mix.  I liked how the events came about and one thing really surprised me! A perfect book from a perfect author.  I will read anything from Sarah.  Her books are always well-written and entertaining.”

JH, Provo City Library. “Sarah Eden has hit upon a tried and true formula that has made her successful, and her latest venture will satisfy her loyal readers. With this story, however, Eden has added a little more depth to the characters and infused the story with a sense of mystery that is not usually a part of her writing.”

Richard Paul Evans. Michael Vey: Hunt for Jade Dragon. Simon Pulse/Mercury Ink, Sept 16. YA speculative. The Electroclan head to China in search of a girl who may have discovered why Michael and his friends became electric.

Christine Feehan. Dark Blood. Berkley, Sept. 2. Paranormal. Book 26 (and part of a sub-trilogy beginning with Dark Lycan) of the Dark series. Zev, an elite warrior, wonders about the future of the Carpathians.

PW: “The 26th Dark Carpathian installment (after Dark Wolf) goes over the top with magic, battles, passion, and a multitude of characters . . . Series followers will be pleased with the appearance of previous characters as well as with the adventures of this new couple, but new readers should start with earlier titles.”

Jacob Gowens. A Tale of Light and Shadow. Shadow Mountain, Sept. 9. Fantasy. Set on a different world. Debut published novel.

Kirkus: “Young lovers flee the clutches of a scheming emperor in this ponderous series opener. Gowans threads his tale with disguised Christian elements, though he’s no C.S. Lewis. Henry—master carpenter and peacemaker, stubbornly loyal to friends even after they betray him—dramatically rescues his drugged sweetheart, Isabelle, who has been sold to a sinister visiting ruler from an adjacent country by her despicable father. He then rides for the border with four contentious allies and a fortune in gold coins. The fugitives’ most persistent problems prove to be not their inept pursuers but their own moral failings. Amid constant arguments and sharpening suspicion, the gold begins to disappear, various members sneak away on mysterious errands, several harbor hinted-at secrets, and one turns out to be a traitor. Along with being light on suspense and ambling of pace, this epic features a poorly realized setting and a cast in which not only do certain minor characters show more facets than major ones, but the women do little aside from coming along, needing rescue or, following a climactic ambush, being paraded in a cage. The end leaves the company scattered, but the internecine conflict at least is resolved as two members beg to be forgiven their trespasses and at least one gets a kiss of peace. Occasional sparks of inspiration fail to kindle a sodden heap of anemic roles and tropes.”

Marsha Stokes: “[Is] similar to Wheel of Time (WoT) in the feel of the universe, only with less magic. There are some small hints towards supernatural forces, but it is all very minimal, with even some of the characters disbelieving that magic exists. There also appears to be only evil humans running around causing most of the problems instead of evil creatures like orcs (Lord of the Rings) or trollocs (WoT).The story is much lighter and less detailed than WoT, making it more appealing to some readers. It is kind of like “Wheel of Time Lite.” At 400 pages, it is half the length of many WoT novels and you don’t have to invest so much time and energy figuring out the rules of the universe. . . . I occasionally did find some of the interactions between the characters to be either unbelievable (too over the top, or too underwhelming), or their reactions to be poorly described (I seem to remember at least once where there was some unspoken communication between two characters that really would have benefited from simply having some dialogue instead), but that happened so little that it was hardly a problem. I really enjoyed the way the novel ended, and I have hope that this author’s writing style will continue to improve with each story he completes, so I would interested in picking up the next novel in the series to see how the story continues.”

Teri Harman. Black Moon. Jolly Fish, Sept. 16. YA paranormal. The Moonlight Trilogy, #2. Witches and magic.

Kirkus: “A dark, realistic and intriguing story that evades the second-book slump. Willa and Simon, now members of the Covenant, are both dealing with PTSD resulting from the events that closed Blood Moon (2013). But as dangerous, unexpected and unexplainable occurrences begin, the pair wonder if joining the Covenant was the right choice; moreover, Simon fears his powers—which continue increasing—make him a danger. Their story alternates with Archard’s, the villain of the last book, believed consumed by his own flames. Using long-banished dark magic and the power of the new moon, Archard heals and pursues arcane knowledge to exact revenge on the Covenant. Also interspersed are stories of a witch from the 1930s, as well as scenes from the life of Bartholomew the Dark, a legendary witch of the ancient past. Through these stories—as well as Willa’s dreams of Bartholomew’s life—readers learn that though supposedly long dead, Bartholomew had plans in which even Archard is a pawn. Willa and Simon’s relationship manages to be both intense and romantic and refreshingly realistic: Though they are still very much in love—soul mates—their relationship suffers from the distance created by Simon’s unwillingness to open up. The book’s closing revelation is so disturbing and alluring that even astute readers who saw it coming will anticipate the final installment. Unusual and absorbing.”

Mindy, LDSWBR: 4 stars. “In Black Moon, the magic is engrossing and captivating.  The characters are too.  Simon is struggling.  He is having a hard time coming to terms with what happened in the cave and no one can figure out what is going on with his magic, and Willa doesn’t know how to help him.  The bad guys, wow!, are they bad.  Archard is back and what he does to fix himself, is a little… icky.  We also get a glimpse of Bartholomew the Dark, he’s a sinister guy, to say the least. Black Moon starts strong and doesn’t let go until the last shocking page!  What an awesome set up to the next book, it took me completely by surprise.  I enjoyed how the author alternated the chapters between the past and present with different points of view at times.  It was a great way to add to the magic of the story,while setting up important events that took place.  Teri also does a great job of  catching up the reader on reminding us what happened in Blood Moon.  That being said, if you haven’t read Blood Moon, I would start there.  Even with all the magic and scary moments, Teri also found room in the book for love and friendship.  The Light Covenant has a great sense of family and hope. There are some scary, intense moments of magic.  Nothing I found offensive.”

Jenni James. Andy & Annie:; Greeny Meany. Trifecta, Sept. 3. Children’s Ghost Story/Chapter Book. Andy & Annie #2.

Elana Johnson. Something About Love. Self, Sept. 15. YA contemporary romance (written in verse). Johnson’s second novel-in-verse this year. A girl photographer broke up with a boy when her mother married the boy’s father. Their romance rekindles when he sits for her photos.

Mindy, LDSWBR: 4 stars. “This is the second free-verse style book I have read of Elana’s and I have to say, she is a master at this. I was instantly taken in to the story. She was able to keep my interest by laying subtle hints here and there about Livvy’s and Trevor’s past, all while creating a great story . . . Elana’s new name is “Master of the free-verse”. Something About Love reads quick, is fast-paced and very, very good.”

Laura Johnston. Rewind to You. Kensignton, Sept. 15. YA Contemporary romance. A girl dealing with the tragic death of her father in a car she was driving meets a boy. Clean romance. First novel.

Mindy, LDSWBR. 4 stars. “I really, really liked this book!  The characters are so well-written.  I loved the point of view switches.  I felt I was really able to get to know Sienna and Austin better as I saw them through each other’s eyes.  Austin was adorable, I instantly liked him.  I loved getting to know him better and all that he did to make others feel good (even if they didn’t know it at first).  He truly is a great kid.  Austin also has a sad back story and I loved how it plays out. It even made me cry at the end.  Sienna has a lot going on too.  She keeps fainting and rewinding back to times when she was most happiest with her dad.  She finds she wants to see her dad, but needs to figure out the cause. I LOVE a great story that is clean and enjoyable and something I can pass to my girls.  This book is fantastic and I can’t wait to read more from this author.”

RT Book Reviews. 4.5 stars. “Johnston’s debut spotlights romance and familial relationships, including themes like grief and self-sacrifice. It’s an ideal story for readers looking for a deep-rooted YA love story with the emotional ups and downs and poignancy of a Nicholas Sparks contemporary. There’s also a touch of wit and a sigh-worthy hero — a definite on your TBR list.”

Wendy Knight. Shattered Assassin. Self, Sept. 18. YA fantasy/romance. “When the royal family is brutally murdered, Princess Kazia alone is left to rule the kingdom. But how can she rule when her home has burned to the ground and at any moment the assassin may return to finish the job?” She lives in the night and sleeps during the day, as she has a debilitating allergy to the sun. Her brother’s best friend acts as her bodyguard, and feelings between them develop.

Edward Massey. Every Soul is Free. Pen-L Publishing (Self), April 14. “In 1948, in the mountainous world of Coalville, Utah, Sheriff Mark Willford Simms—third in the line of sheriffs who made the ultimate sacrifice for the job—must follow his calling and bring back to justice a man he caught once before, a man he raised like a son.”

Anne Perry. Blood on the Water. Random House, Sept. 9. Victorian mystery. William Monk #20. Commander William Monk re-investigates a murder when the person convicted turns out to be innocent.

PW: “Perry’s 20th William Monk Victorian historical (after 2013’s Blind Justice) opens with a powerful scene. Monk, commander of the Thames River Police, witnesses an explosion aboard a pleasure boat, which rapidly sinks. Despite his heroic efforts to save lives, almost 200 are lost in the tragedy, which the detective quickly concludes wasn’t an accident. To Monk’s dismay, the authorities take the case away from his force and assign it to the London Metropolitan Police. An Egyptian man, Habib Beshara, is charged with planting the bomb that caused the deadly explosion, though his motive is far from clear. Monk has misgivings about Beshara’s guilt, but with the case reassigned and a culprit identified, he can investigate only at risk to his career. The book’s endearing main characters—Monk; his wife, Hester; and their 16-year-old surrogate son, Scuff—help compensate for a mystery with less sociopolitical interest than Perry’s usual.”

Obert Skye. Katfish: The Creature From My Closet. Henry Holt, Sept. 2. Middle grade fantasy. Illustrated. Creature from my Closet #4. Deseret News review.

LuAnn Brobst Staheli. Temporary Bridesmaid. Self, Aug. 19. Contemporary Romance. A older single woman finds romance.

Jennie Hansen, Meridian Magazine. 4 stars. “Staheli doesn’t usually write in the Romance genre, but she’s a talented writer and gave it a try. The result is Temporary Bridesmaid, a fun look at romance after thirty . . . Staheli does an excellent job of making her secondary characters distinctive individuals. All of the major characters and the more important minor characters show growth and a greater awareness of their lives, expectations, and values as the story progresses. There are not a lot of surprises in this story. It isn’t as much plot oriented as character driven and I’m not sure how many approaching-forty-brides actually go in for all the frills and cutesiness that younger brides dote on, but the story is fun while giving the reader glimpses of the problems and concerns faced by older single women who desire marriage and children.”

Marsha Ward. Gone for a Soldier. Self, Sept. 18. Owen Family Saga #5. Western historical. Set in Civil War-era West Virginia.

Kiersten White. Illusions of Fate. HarperTeen, Sept. 9. YA fantasy. “Downtown Abbey meets Cassandra Clare in this lush fantasy.”

PW: “White claims the influence of Jane Austen on her latest fantasy, but the hero, Finn, is less reminiscent of Mr. Darcy than of Dorothy Sayers’s Lord Peter Wimsey—all nervy blond elegance. Like Wimsey, Finn has a nameless role to play in keeping the empire out of war (in this case, the magic-wielding nation of Albion). Finn falls in love at first sight, most inappropriately, with narrator Jessamin, an illegitimate “island rat” whose father is a professor in Albion and whose mother is a marriage-obsessed native of Melei, a colony. Jessamin has blackmailed her father to gain entrance to an exclusive school, but she works in a hotel to make ends meet, a situation that allows for riffs on A Little Princess as Finn—and Finn’s enemies—inflict their attention and wealth on her. White’s critique of colonialism can sit awkwardly on the adventure/romance plot—Jessamin makes long speeches about the oppression she experiences, but there are no special insights offered. Ideology aside, the characters make a believable and intriguing connection across their cultural divide.”

Kirkus: “Downpike’s attempts to recover the bird/book and Jessamin’s frantic pursuit of the captured Finn through a maze of magic portals and strongholds make for a thrilling if confusing narrative. Jessamin’s engaging first-person, present-tense narration does not entirely compensate for the tenuous logic of the plot and the preponderance of stereotyped characters. Not really enough substance to make a satisfying read even for paranormal addicts.”

SLJ: “Jessamin is a strong, well-developed character to whom readers will relate; even readers who are not typically fans of the genre may be drawn into the narrative by the realistic voice of the main character. This well-written historical fantasy has romance, suspense, a fairy-tale feel, and a great ending that will leave readers cheering.

Tyler Whitesides. Janitors: Strike of the Sweepers. Shadow Mountain, Sept. 9. Middlge grade fantasy. Janitors #4.

SLJ: “With plenty of action sequences and some slightly gross humor, the secret and magical society of janitors is back in this fourth installment of the series. Spencer, Daisy, and the rebels are chased by the toxic Sweepers and must learn to summon the founding witches.”

Shanda, LDSWBR: “The Janitors series holds its own in the world of middle-grade novels, and this latest release strengthens that position. I read Strike of the Sweepers thinking this was the last book in the series, mainly because the nonstop action and dramatic events made me think we were heading to the big finale. Only at the very end did I realize how wrong I was. There is one more book in the series, and if it’s anything like Strike of the Sweepers, readers will be in for a wild ride. I think fans of the Janitors series are really going to love Strike of the Sweepers. Tyler knows how to write in a style that appeals to middle grade readers, especially boys, though I know there are a lot of girls who love this series as well. Tyler’s experience in janitorial work at an elementary school adds a dimension to the story that makes the fantastical become possible in the imaginations of young readers. This might be my favorite book in the series so far. It was fast-paced and held my attention. The descriptions were just right and I could easily picture the settings . . . Strike of the Sweepers is a fun read and a great addition to the Janitors series. I can easily recommend this book to middle-grade readers who love adventure and magic, and don’t mind a little gross here and there.”

Lani Woodland. Stronger. Self, Aug. 24. Science fiction. “When the aliens attacked Earth, their bombs changed our atmosphere. Through DNA manipulation, humanity survived, but exist now as two distinct classes of people: the Valudis who heal and gain strength from every hurt, and the weaker Debilii, for whom the slightest injury can be fatal. The Debilii are servants for the Valudis, who in turn act as warriors and protectors. And ruling over them all are the alien Orions who decided they liked Earth enough to stay. Despite being born a Debilii, Lexie Hake bravely joined the resistance to free Earth from the Orions.”

Reviews of older books

Traci Hunter Abramson. Chances Are (JH, Provo City Library). “Yes, the plot is a little over the top and many of the details left me wondering if any of what happens in the book is legally or medically possible. However, all that aside, Abramson creates characters that you want to root for. While the plot may leave you raising your eyebrows, the characters themselves make you want to keep reading through all the improbabilities thrown their way. It is a fun, relaxing read for a day when you just want something to smile over.”

Shannon Hale. Dangerous (Rosalyn). 4 stars. “I was surprised to see how many reviewers didn’t like this book: I enjoyed it. The plot was fast-paced, but it always felt under control. I loved Maisie, who was smart and funny and brave. I loved that she had a strong relationship with her parents, which seems to go against the norm in so much YA today. Yes, sometimes Maisie did feel a little young–but she *was* young. And she’d been kept home much of her life (but not for the reasons she thinks). I did think some of the characterization was a bit unrealistic–I have a PhD in English and even *I* don’t know many people who quote poetry with the frequency some of the young scientists did. Don’t get me wrong, I love the poetry (some of them are perfect for the book) and I think scientists are equally capable of appreciating poetry, but I found it hard to believe that these kids were all so versed in it. (See what I did there?) But the book was full of Hale’s signature wit and humor and the science she included felt real to me. I liked the big dilemmas Maisie faced and if the romance didn’t always work for me, there were more than enough good things to make the story an enjoyable one.”

Craig Harline. Way Below the Angels: The Pretty Clearly Troubled but Not Even Close to Tragic Confessions of a Real Live Mormon Missionary (Publishers Weekly) Starred review. “Harline recounts his experience as a young missionary in Belgium in this delightful memoir. After intensive training at the Mormons’ Missionary Training Center, he and thousands of his fellows are cast out into the world with minimal language skills and, he notes, little in the way of training for what the real world holds in store. As he dodges Belgians and fellow missionaries, weather and traffic, readers will laugh out loud at Harline’s misadventures. But this tale is, at heart, a reflection, 40 years later, on how life doesn’t always follow the rules set out by statisticians and spiritual advisers, and how growing up away from home can be profoundly unsettling. A thoughtful, wonderful read.”

Craig Harline. Way Below the Angels (Kirkus). “Harline spends a good deal of this reminiscence clowning around in a charming fashion, like the harmless and naïve teenager he was when he accepted a two-year mission to proselytize the Mormon faith in Belgium . . . But he was not without faith and humor; he was not just a devout young man, but a searcher. He was open to the sublime, and he found it in Belgium’s timeless places, such as a forest near the village of Godsheide in the late-afternoon winter light, where “we knew we were in some other world, like we and every person, thing, and place we’d ever known, done, or been were all there too, at once…toujours vu, always seen.” Along the way, Harline learned a lot about being himself and had many profound experiences. In his memoir, he displays a fine mix of pathos and hilarity as he describes imagining what people made of his Dutch, laughing at his “stainless-steel suit,” and giving thanks for the virtues learned and the connections made. An unvarnished, mostly bewildered and touchingly human memoir.”

Craig Harline. Way Below the Angels. (Janet Riess, Religion News Service). “One of my favorite Mormon books this year . . . Craig Harline’s experiences as a Mormon missionary in Belgium in the mid-1970s are ingeniously funny, but they also point to important issues: how religious people deal with apparent failure and navigate grown-up faith after childish certainties have proven inadequate.” Reiss then has an interview with the author.

Craig Harline. Way Below the Angels. (Blair Hodges, Goodreads) 4 stars. “Craig Harline served an LDS mission more than a quarter century before I did (he in the 70s, me in 2001) and about a quarter of the world away from where I did (he in Belgium, me in Wisconsin). Given the difference in time and space I approached his missionary memoir as an opportunity to learn about a Mormon mission of a bygone era and foreign place. What I found, instead, was a remarkably familiar story of emotional and spiritual wrestling . . . The underlying tensions, mini-triumphs, and mini-tragedies Harline describes left me wide-eyed with familiarity. The most immediate devil Harline must confront is his own inflated ego, while the most immediate angels who appear on the scene to bear him up, as Mormon scripture promises, turn out to be a few non-Mormon Belgians . . . Harline says he wanted to split the divide between the “relentlessly heroic sort of mission book on the one hand, or the astonishingly scandalous sort on the other” (265). I think he’s done it well. (If you find his sentence structure a bit distractedly meandering at first, just keep going; you get used to it.) The closest thing to it is probably Richard Dutcher’s “God’s Army” films, but this book adds the power of inner monologue and real-life backing. If you’re an RM Mormon, Harline’s memories will help you excavate some of your own—even the ones you tucked away deep in the far back corners of your heart. If you’re not Mormon, you’ll get an engaging and sympathetic look at the life of a Mormon missionary.”

Craig Harline. Way Below the Angels. (Booklist) “By turns amusing and tender, an unvarnished and introspective reflection, humanizing a little-understood religion.”

Moriah Jovan. Magdalene (Sarah Dunster, AMV). “I have always loved stories that delve into the imperfect testimonies of real, LDS people; the doubts and fears and the struggle with conflict. I love the different shades of testimony Jovan paints in her various characters. I love her portrayal of how trauma has effects on testimony . . . It portrayed a healthy relationship, with sexuality as a source of joy, not shame, and one of the more detailed, explicit scenes actually kind of helped me through a sort of breakthrough. I’m not going to start reading explicit romance on a regular basis, but I truly believe my choice to pick up this book at this time in my life was inspired . . . Regardless of your preferences as to genre and content, it is impossible to miss the quality of Jovan’s writing. She is clever, coherent, furiously fast-paced and exciting. She uses just the right amount of detail, writes characters that are somehow both incredibly improbable and extremely relatable, and overall hooks a reader and keeps her driven through to the very end.”

Steven L. Peck. A Short Stay in Hell. (C. Jane Kendrick). “I finished this story two days ago and it’s been on my mind constantly. It is unsettling, but also thrilling and absorbing. It stimulates thoughts on theology, science, religion and love.”

Clair M. Poulson. Falling (Jennie Hansen, Meridian). 4 stars. “A story of a military Special Forces veteran who loses his fiancé in combat, returns to civilian life, and eventually begins both a private investigator business and a helicopter service in Moab, Utah. . . The background is painted vividly by Poulson and is a vital element of the story. He draws in the conflict between mostly out-of-state environmentalists and local natives along with the clash between good jobs in the oil industry and the limited tourist oriented jobs. He adds in the physical background of a small town and small town politics balancing between deep canyons and arid desolate stretches of desert. He portrays well the conflict between federal and local control of Utah lands.”

Theater

Rob Lauer (playwright), Rick Rea and Sam Cardon (composer). First Freedom. Brigham’s Playhouse. St. George. Opens Sept. 26. This musical (similar in style to 1776) is set in Virginia and follows James Madison’s and Thomas Jefferson’s political fight to separate church and state and bring true religious freedom to the Old Dominion. Lary Sidwell, the producer, commissioned playwright Rob Lauer and composer Sam Cardon. Work on the play began in 2003 and finished in 2006, at which time the play debuted at Western Wyoming College in Rock Springs, Wyoming. Following its first production, the play went through extensive revisions. “First Freedom” was written for a worldwide audience and does not mention Mormonism.

Melissa Leilani Larson talks about her plays on the Rational Faiths Podcast.

Get Ready MoFems For Pilot Program (Feminist Mormon Housewives). A discussion of Pilot Program, an upcoming world premiere by Melissa Leilani Larson. April 9-19, 2015, Studio Theatre, Rose Wagner. Plan-B Theatre. “The second spring production is Larson’s ‘Pilot Program,’ which is set in 2019 and revolves around a professional middle-aged Mormon couple with no children who have been called to participate in a program restoring polygamy. For Larson, a writer from Provo, the play’s genesis arose from a simple question: “What would it take for me to no longer be a Mormon?””

Melissa Leilani Larsontalks about her upcoming play Pilot Program on the PlanB blog.

Also upcoming at PlanB is Matthew Ivan Bennett’s A/Version of Events (Plan B, March 5-15, 2015) is set entirely in a car as a young Mormon couple, who are grieving the death of their child, are traveling to Hershey’s Chocolate World in Pennsylvania. The play revolves around doubts about whether they can continue to sustain their ideals of faith and marital commitment. The claustrophobic metaphor seems especially appropriate as the couple cannot escape confronting their most pressing issues. Bennett’s play will be directed by Christy Summerhays. Bennett is not Mormon.

Film

The Maze Runner opened on September 19. Based on a novel by James Dashner. It is the first feature film directed Wes Ball, who has made his name through digital special effects. 20^th Century Fox also announced a September 2015 release of the sequel, The Scorch Trials. Rotten Tomatoes grade: 63% fresh. Metacritic score: 56. Deseret News feature on James Dashner.

Box Office Mojo on Sept 21 said: “The Maze Runner sprinted to the front of the pack with one of the biggest September debuts ever; add in strong international sales, and a new young-adult franchise was born this weekend . . . Playing at 3,604 theaters, The Maze Runner opened to $32.5 million this weekend. That’s nowhere close to Divergent, though it is bigger than Percy Jackson & The Olympians: The Lightning Thief ($31.2 million) and Ender’s Game ($27 million). What separates The Maze Runner from those comparisons is its relatively modest budget—it cost just $34 million, or less than half of those movies—and its strong international prospects. As is always the case with young-adult adaptations, The Maze Runner’s success can be attributed in part to the strong fanbase that’s developed around author James Dashner’s book series. Of course, an existing fanbase couldn’t save Beautiful Creatures, The Host, The Mortal Instruments: City of Bones and many more young-adult flops. In contrast to those movies, though, The Maze Runner had a marketing campaign that created broad interest outside of diehard “Gladers.” Advertisements split time between outlining the movie’s premise and showing off its thrilling action; thanks to the action in particular, opening weekend attendance skewed more male (49 percent) than usual for the young-adult genre. The Maze Runner’s audience also skewed much younger (64 percent below 25 years of age), which tends to translate in to steep drops in subsequent weeks. Moviegoers did award it a solid “A-” CinemaScore, which suggests word-of-mouth will be good. If The Maze Runner follows Divergent‘s pattern, it will wrap up with nearly $90 million. Regardless of how it holds up, though, 20th Century Fox seems bullish about its franchise potential: they’re aggressively moving forward with The Maze Runner: Scorch Trials, and announced a September 18th, 2015 release date this morning. To date, The Maze Runner has earned $49 million overseas. It still has nine of the top 15 markets left to open, and will almost certainly wind up with over $200 million total.”

Salt Lake Tribune (Sean Means). “Watching “The Maze Runner” . . .  will make audiences feel like rats in a maze: sometimes energized, often disoriented and ultimately frustrated that the cheese at the end is so small . . . Dashner’s story — adapted by three writers in a tag-teamed script — moves along at a good clip and is quite involving as Thomas starts figuring out life in The Glade and the secrets of The Maze. The plot doesn’t make a lot of sense upon follow-up examination, but in the moment it’s exciting. Rookie director Wes Ball, an animator and visual-effects guy, neatly devises The Maze’s forbidding vibe and the scary look of the Grievers. Alas, he junks up that look with stomach-churning handheld camera work that detracts more than it reveals. Even so, “The Maze Runner” keeps the audience engaged, right up to the aggravating finish. That’s when the movie pull the rug out from under everyone, denying the characters a satisfactory resolution with an information dump of exposition. The ending abruptly reminds viewers that Dashner has written three more books in this series — and if you want the whole story, you’ll have to wait for the next movie to be made. Or go read the books.”

New York Times (Ben Kenigsberg). “A perfectly serviceable entry in the young-adult dystopian sweepstakes. It combines elements of “Lord of the Flies” with the Minotaur and Orpheus myths, but it plays as something closer to “The Hunger Games” experienced through a dissociative fog. Much suspense comes from wondering which favored Hollywood twist the movie will employ. Is this actually the present day? Has someone blown up the planet? Yet by keeping its cards so close, “The Maze Runner” remains compelling . . . Whatever cataclysm has ailed society has inspired the cinematographer to bathe everything in bluish gray. The Grievers’ limbs tumble over one another in an indistinct mash of menace. The dime store explanations are unsatisfying, but the movie does its main job: raising curiosity for a sequel. Problem solved.”

Entertainment Weekly (Chris Nashaway). B-. “The first two-thirds of The Maze Runner are a clever feat of fantasy world building. It’s thrilling, twisty, and as mysterious as the mammoth Skinner Box environment the film takes place in. But the promising set-up raises so many puzzle-piece questions that when it’s all finally explained in the final reel, you can’t help feeling a bit gypped. Having not read the book, I was hoping for a more satisfying payoff than the one I got. Then again, maybe the filmmakers are saving the answers for the sequel (which is all but announced during the final scene). Either way, I couldn’t help thinking: Is that all there is?”

USA Today (Claudia Puig). 2 stars out of 4. “The Maze Runner will have you going in circles. Sometimes it’s a hectic action adventure, other times it feels like an updated version of Lord of the Flies. Ultimately, it’s yet another tale of a teen dystopia. In any of the above scenarios, it leaves questions unanswered. A sci-fi thriller set in a vaguely post-apocalyptic future must create a fully drawn universe to thoroughly captivate the viewer. But Maze Runner feels only partially formed . . . It’s a slow-paced yarn. Believability is dodgy, especially since the boys are none the worse for wear. They look fit and remarkably well-coiffed . . . The Maze Runner should have focused more on effectively establishing its premise, instead of being diverted by the story’s franchise potential.”

AV Club (A. A. Dowd). B. “The Maze Runner draws its familiar, Twilight Zone premise from the first book in James Dashner’s teen-lit series. But don’t hold that against it: As YA adaptations go, it’s surprisingly brisk, tough, and unsentimental, sharing more in common with the old British television series The Prisoner than with, say, The Hunger Games. There’s no tortured love triangle here, or even a love interest, really. In fact, the drama revolves entirely around how the characters approach their unique predicament . . . The stripped-bare quality of the storytelling is refreshing. The Maze Runner bucks the conventions of its genre by functioning as a pure cliffhanger machine, fueled by mystery instead of melodrama. Eventually, though, that mystery must be solved, and the film’s final minutes are a little deflating, both for the expository answers they provide and for their mercenary function as sequel setup. It’s here that The Maze Runner most betrays its airport-fiction roots, revealing itself as a blatantly inconclusive entry in a prospective franchise. Just as the characters manage to navigate the murkily metaphoric layout of the labyrinth, only to discover something just as treacherous on the other side, viewers not already invested in Dashner’s grand design may feel underwhelmed by the “ending.” In other words, if you’re going to treat your audience like a rat in a maze, it’s best to offer a tastier reward than the promise of more maze to come.”

16 Stones. October 1. Brian Brough, director. Brittany Wiscombe, writer. Set in 1830′s Missouri, the film centers around a young Mormon convert who goes searching for the sixteen stones “touched by the Hand of the Lord” from the Book of Mormon. In the vein of the Work & Glory series, 16 Stones looks to mix fictional characters with historical Church figures for a faith-promoting story. Made by the Candlelight Media team that made Turn Around, Christmas Angel, Rescued, and the LDS Beauty & The Beast. Opens on 24 screens in Utah on Oct. 1. Then to the rest of the Mountain West on Oct. 24. Stars Mason Davis (Granite Flats, The Cokeville Miracle).

Meet the Mormons. October 10. The Church-made promotional film/documentary will be released widely in theaters. Blair Treu (Little Secrets ) wrote and directed it, and Jeff Roberts produced it. The Cultural Hall Podcast interview with director Blair Treu and the narrator, comedian Jenna Kim Jones.

Steve Evans of By Common Consent attended a preview of Meet the Mormons, and wrote this largely positive review. “Consider this a review in two parts: first, the film itself, and second, the motivations, production, marketing and purpose of the film. It’s a fine film and a worthy successor to the throne of Church-produced films to play in the Legacy Theater in downtown SLC. Can it transcend that genre? No. . . . Ultimately MEET THE MORMONS is a Church movie, like Legacy or Mountain of the Lord or The Mailbox – but it comes the closest of any Church production in showing the world the everyday power of the Gospel. Production values are fairly high. I’m becoming convinced that helicopter shots of dramatic scenery are the one continuous aspect of the Church from investigation through to the temple. Expect lots of soaring music. The people involved in this film are skilled at their craft. There are a few hiccups here and there, from overwrought transitions to cliched forms of narration (opening: a helicopter shot of New York City. Narrator: “This is New York City!”). Overall, however, the film looks good and sounds good. This was a big production. The stories told are also powerful. Basically, the film is a feature-length version of the “I’m A Mormon” campaign, massaged and tweaked. Each person takes 10-15 minutes to tell their story, interspersed with dramatic shots of their lives (or re-enactments, as the case may be). They have picked some very good stories to tell, with people who live outstanding lives around the world. Two of the stories are outside the U.S., two focus on women. Each person focuses on a different aspect of living the Gospel. The cumulative result is a very good feeling; the Spirit definitely was present as I listened to these histories. It’s not an unalloyed good. The narrator, a perky blonde from New York City, was simply not the right pick. Her script was ham-fisted and distracting . . . So: how do you rate such a movie? Well, it’s a really good Church movie. Like, very very good. But I wouldn’t consider it as an sort of serious documentary or attempt at anything other than marketing the Church.”

Saints and Soldiers: The Void appears to still be playing in a small handful of Utah movie theaters in the 7^th week of its theatrical run.

This past spring, the BYU Theater and Media Arts department sponsored the production of a pilot, Beyond.  Professor Tom Russell was the creative consultant for the script, the director’s team mentor, and the instructor of the writing course from which the series came.

Bestsellers

Sept. 21, 28, Oct. 5

James Dashner. The Maze Runner

USA Today: #6, #5, #3 (43 weeks)

USA Today: (full series) #139, #133, #60 (3 weeks)

PW Children’s: #5, #5, #3 (7 weeks) 12,928, 13,590, 17,285 units. 89,915 total.

PW Overall: x, x, #8. 22,985 units. 455,132 total.

NYT Children’s Series: #1, #1, #1 (102 weeks)

James Dashner. The Scorch Trials

USA Today: #38, #32, #12 (28 weeks)

James Dashner. The Death Cure

USA Today: #60, #53, #35 (30 weeks)

James Dashner. The Kill Order

USA Today: #174, #131, #93 (6 weeks)

PW Children’s: #18, #15, #14 (22 weeks) 5222, ?, 6749 units. 118,388 total.

James Dashner. The Rule of Thoughts

NYT Young Adult: #13, #14, x

Richard Paul Evans. Micheal Vey 4: Hunt for Jade Dragon

USA Today: x, x, #13 (1 week)

PW Children’s: x, x, #2 (1 week). 21,054 total.

NYT Children’s Series: x, x, #4 (3 weeks)

Christine Feehan. Dark Blood

USA Today: #13, #76, x (2 weeks)

PW Hardcover: #5, #14, #25 (3 weeks). ?, ?, 2734 units. 19,833 total.

NYT Hardcover: #12, x, x. Ebook: #4, x, x. Print and Ebook: #8, x, x (1 week)

Shannon Hale. Ever After High: The Most Wonderlandiful World

USA Today: #109, x, x (1 week) [was #158 the previous week]

PW Children’s: #11, #13, #16 (4 weeks) 7759, 6472, 5929 units. 27,487 total.

NYT Children’s Series: #9, x, x (2 weeks)

Anne Perry. Blood on the Water

USA Today: x, #122, x (1 week)

Sherryl Woods and RaeAnne Thayne. Safe Harbor/ A Cold Creek Homecoming.

USA Today: #98, x, x (2 weeks)

PW Mass Market: ?, #12, #16 (4 weeks). ?, ?, 4833 units. 28,743 total.