Free Sanderson eBook, House of the Dragon, and Lower Decks

To view this email as a web page, go [here.]( [Tor.com Newsletter]( [Forward to a Friend]( E-BOOK CLUB [Download Brandon Sanderson’s Shadows of Self — Before August 27!]( Shadows of Self is a heist story of political intrigue and magical, martial-arts action from #1 New York Times bestselling author Brandon Sanderson—and we’re giving you a free copy! Download your eBook before 11:59 PM ET on August 26. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( TOLKIEN TIME [A Second Age Primer: The Rings of Power, the Rise and Fall of Númenor, and the Last Alliance]( We’ve known for some time now that Amazon’s Rings of Power series is going to be set during the Second Age of Middle-earth…but what exactly does that mean, and how does it connect with the stories we already know and love? Jeff LaSala takes us on a step-by-step timeline using Tolkien’s writing as a guide, highlighting all of the major people, places, and events of the Second Age. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( BACK TO WESTEROS [First Impressions: HBO’s House of the Dragon Provides a Rationale for Cautious Optimism]( In the three years since the ending of Game of Thrones, the series has become shorthand for opportunities missed, landings unstuck, and fanbase betrayed. So of course, HBO’s prequel series, House of the Dragon, was to be approached with caution: would the showrunners of this new series, Ryan Condal and Miguel Sapochnik, fix the mistakes made by Benioff and Weiss? Here, Tyler Dean shares his thoughts on the first episode. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( CHECK UNDER THE BED [Five On-Screen Monsters and the Real Folklore Behind Them]( Nothing beats a good screen monster. After all, monsters are mirrors. They’re reflections of what we fear, what we question, what we loathe and long for. What’s more enticing than that? GennaRose Nethercott looks at five iconic on-screen monsters and the real folklore behind them. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ABOARD THE ENTERPRISE [Back to Basics — Star Trek: Lower Decks: “Grounded”]( One of the reasons why the TNG episode that inspired Lower Decks was so successful is that most of the stuff that we normally see in a Star Trek episode happened off-camera. Instead, we got bits and pieces out of context—and the latest episode is a great example of why that works so well. Keith R.A. DeCandido reviews it here. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( FOR YOUR BOOKSHELVES [Five SFF Books With Queernormative Worlds]( One of reading’s biggest joys can be when a secondary fantasy world doesn’t replicate our real-world oppression in them. Queernormative books represent possibilities of something better, and the power of speculative fiction to imagine brighter futures. Naseem Jamnia shares five books with queernormative worldbuilding. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( THE SINGING HILLS [Who’s Telling the Truth? Uncovering History in Nghi Vo’s When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain]( When the Tiger Came Down the Mountain, the second of the cleric Chih’s adventures in the Singing Hills novellas by Nghi Vo, is packed with depth when it comes to insights into culture and history. But the novella also gives us insight into the power of storytelling and mythmaking. When presented with two different accounts of history, how do we know who is right? Tina S. Zhu and Eliza Ying He take a look at Nghi Vo’s work and the study of historiography. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( STORY RECOMMENDATIONS [Five of the Best SFF Anthologies Featuring Reprinted Stories]( Recently there has been some discussion as to whether reprint anthologies should have the same standing as fiction anthologies made up of entirely original stories. But consider this: they can provide a historical perspective that editors in the present moment may not recognize or appreciate. James Davis Nicoll recommends five excellent and highly noteworthy SFF anthologies featuring reprinted stories. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( ORIGINAL FICTION [“D.I.Y.” by John Wiswell]( When the elitist institution of Ozymandias Academy and its headmaster, Vamon Kinctuarin, can’t find a solution to the city’s worsening drought, two self-taught magicians, Noah and his partner Manny, take it upon themselves to find a solution to the crisis. [Read more]( SHARE THIS: [Publish to Facebook]( [Publish to Twitter]( Follow Tor.com to get updates on all of our original fiction. FOLLOW US: [Follow Us on Facebook]( [Follow Us on Twitter]( [Follow Us on Tumblr]( [Follow Us on Pinterest]( This email was sent by: Macmillan 120 Broadway New York, NY, 10271, US We respect your right to privacy - [view our policy]( Macmillan believes piracy hurts writers, readers and everyone who loves books. Learn more and report suspicious activity [here.]( To subscribe to this or other email communications from Macmillan, please click [here](. Visit our [profile center]( to update your email address and/or other information. If you no longer wish to receive this email communication, click [here]( to unsubscribe.