Scumbase

Monday, July 30, 2012

ScumFlash: We got a new contender

It is a busy week indeed. We got ourselves a new contender for the #1 spot.

Congratz Woopydoo.

Sunday, July 29, 2012

FreshScumFlash: ZPirate

It has been a very busy week. First we had Etrius Joining the Scumside. Then Alyxyn decided he was not gonna wait till I made him a happy 300 post and now we have another FreshScumFlash already.

Welcome to Zpirate. A level 201 Scout with a 90% scrapbook (close to 95% Zpirate, just work a bit harder on it). Let's hope we can keep her for a while. To say it in her own words:

"You will always remember this as the day you almost caught ... me!"

Although I really think she will soon remember this day as the day she caught Scummyness... And the best of it is... there is no cure!

Tales of loathsome tyrants and prophesied saviors aren't nearly so appealing when you are a royal bastard with a prophecy hanging over your head.

Evonalé Yunan has never cared for tales of the aforementioned loathsome tyrants and prophesied saviors since it has been foretold that she will somehow free her grandmother's enslaved queendom. Yet she's merely a child, and her father is the powerful fire mage who subjugated the realm.

Evonalé has fled home, her two half-siblings, and her father. Unfortunately, it's the middle of winter. Fortunately, following her mother's directions puts her in another king's hunting grounds.

To Evonalé's bewilderment, that king picks her up and gives her a place in his palace. The prince seeks her out to tease and befriend. Then one of Cook's daughters starts teaching her magic, and a scullery maid proves herself immune to poison - making Evonalé realize that she isn't the only one with secrets.

~~~ the author ~~~

Misti Wolankski says of herself .. "I've written speculative fiction as my primary hobby since I was a high school freshman, and now I've finally figured out that novel-writing thing. Reading web fiction online helped tremendously as an office administrator when I needed to de-stress on my 15-minute break. Ergo, I pay it forward and offer web fiction for the next poor office soul who needs to de-stress.

~~~ the online story ~~~

I'm not one for sitting in front of my computer reading a book when I could be gaming and catching up with my friends. Yet .. this one is remarkably easy to read. Short chapters and a first-person tale draw you smoothly into the story, which while familiar in basic plot, shows promise of an author who is not confined by rote. Its not done in a comic format, its honest to goodness writing. Misti isn't an accomplished writer, from what I can tell; there are grammatical errors and sometimes awkward situations to move the plot along. What does come across is a sort of pure innocence and belief in the power of the words to tell a story larger than her world, and here she succeeds. I think it will be wonderful to follow along and watch this writer develop.

A Fistful of Fire has 79 chapters as of this writing, with more books to come. Enjoy!