A few thoughts on readers’ responses to The Green Man’s Challenge

Readers on Amazon and Goodreads are really enjoying Dan’s latest adventure, as you will see if you take a look. If you’ve posted a rating or review, thank you! Yes, these things boost visibility and that’s important, but most of all they boost author morale and that’s absolutely invaluable.

Amid the reviews and comments in various places, some readers have noted the background presence of the pandemic. As I’ve mentioned previously, I have been wondering how people would feel about this, since a writer can never know how a reader’s personal situation will colour their response to a book. Only one reader who has mentioned this seems to have found it a major deterrent, and I am genuinely sorry for that – in the sense that I really hope they have not had some dire experience that I have inadvertently made worse.

Other commenters have certainly been surprised to a greater or lesser extent. Thankfully, once they’ve got past that, they have decided that I made the right call/found the right balance. I am pleased and relieved, as it was an aspect of the story that I thought long and hard about, and where I took a great deal of care in the writing.

Author: Juliet

Juliet E McKenna is a British fantasy author living in the Cotswolds, UK. Loving history, myth and other worlds since she first learned to read, she has written fifteen epic fantasy novels so far. Her debut, The Thief’s Gamble, began The Tales of Einarinn in 1999, followed by The Aldabreshin Compass sequence, The Chronicles of the Lescari Revolution, and The Hadrumal Crisis trilogy. The Green Man’s Heir was her first modern fantasy inspired by British folklore in 2018. The Green Man’s Quarry in 2023, the sixth title to follow, won the BSFA Award for Best Novel. The Green Man’s War continues this ongoing series. Her 2023 novel The Cleaving is a female-centred retelling of the story of King Arthur, while her shorter stories include forays into dark fantasy, steampunk and science fiction. She promotes SF&Fantasy by reviewing, by blogging on book trade issues, attending conventions and teaching creative writing. She has served as a judge for the James White Award, the Aeon Award, the Arthur C Clarke Award and the World Fantasy Awards. In 2015 she received the British Fantasy Society’s Karl Edward Wagner Award. As J M Alvey, she has written historical murder mysteries set in ancient Greece.

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