There's a wonderful review of Angelfall in Locus Magazine this month. Locus is the premier sci-fi/fantasy magazine. I didn't even know they reviewed indie books so that was a happy surprise. But it really shouldn't surprise me. Locus is a multi-Hugo award winning magazine and one of the pillars of the sci-fi/fantasy community. This vibrant and wonderful community has always been open and welcoming to new…well, everything…readers, writers, ideas, life styles. Why shouldn't they embrace the new wave of indie publications?
Having said that, I still give kudos to Locus for being one of the first (perhaps THE first) major established magazines to review an indie book. (There are other major magazines that review indie books but they charge the indie author for the possibility of getting a review. I do not count them in the group of cutting-edge magazines who are plugged in enough to figure out what's worth recommending to their readers.)
Thank you, Locus and Gwenda Bond, who wrote the review. I feel honored.
Bond's review mentions that she discovered Angelfall through the Cybils Awards short list. She says they considered 1,289 nominations and Angelfall is the first ebook written by an indie author to ever make it as a Cybils' finalist (the print book wasn't even out yet). I had suspected this but wasn't sure until I read the review. Thanks again to the wonderful volunteers of the Cybils Award!
Major kudos to both Locus Magazine and Cybils for being all about the story and not about the business of publishing.
"Ee’s debut novel is a promising opener to what looks to be a YA series worth following, one that explores what it means to be human and what it means to be a hero." - Locus Magazine, March 2012
" Angelfall was a terrific surprise to all of us as a genuinely unique and gripping story of horror and faith, humanity and destruction…These strong themes and beautiful writing made Angelfall an easy favorite." - Cybils Awards, 2011 Finalist
