SWEEP: The Movie!

In case you haven't already heard, Universal Studios has bought the rights to adapt Sweep to the big screen!  Cate herself is, understandably, excited, especially that they have hired screenwriter Robert Nelson Jacobs, who previously adapted another magic-themed book, Chocolat.

So, I figure now's a good time to remind you that Sweep: Volume I, collecting Book of Shadows, The Coven, and Blood Witch is out on all bookshelves now.  And that Sweep: Volume II (Dark Magick, Awakening, and Spellbound) is already on Wal-Mart shelves and will be hitting all bookstores on November 11th.  Sweep: Volume III is slated for a February 3rd, 2011 release (though it will no doubt hit Wal-Mart earlier) and will collect The Calling, Changeling, and Strife.

Also, let me point you to my rarely-viewed YouTube channel where I have a playlist for all the Sweep Dream Casts and Fan Trailers I've found-- which have new relevance while we wait for more movie news!

Sweep: Book of Shadows, The Coven, & Blood Witch by Cate Tiernan

When Morgan Rowlands first sees the gorgeous new senior Cal Blaire at school, she falls for him, but remains firm in her belief that he would never be interested in her plain looks or flat chest.  But Cal turns out to be completely different from any other guy she's ever met-- to start with, he's a witch.  He invites Morgan to be a part of a new coven he starts up, and though she has no idea what to make of it at first, she decides to try it out. But after one circle, she knows she'll never be the same.  She discovers her hidden talent for magick-- a fact that has far deeper implications than she ever expected.  And as she taps in to her power and her history more and more, her relationship with Cal grows deeper.  Yet someone as powerful as she is is bound to attract attention, and not all of it good.  But how does she know who to trust?

Re-reading the first three Sweep books was like coming home for me.  As in Balefire, Tiernan builds a rich world, with a complex system of magick (based on Wiccan practices, but tweaked and enhanced to make for a more fantastic story) and an engaging cast of characters.  Morgan and Cal's magnetic attraction is a wonderful portrayal of first love.  And every single one of the supporting characters, no matter how minor, is fleshed out enough that you're rarely confused about their motivation (and if you are, it's probably because Tiernan is leading up to a reveal!), and even when they make bad decisions, you can't hold it against them, because you probably would have done the same thing.  The stories that intertwine, forming the overarching plot, leave you breathless with suspense, keeping you turning the pages desperate to know what happens next--only to leave you with yet another cliffhanger at the end!  Thankfully, there is plenty more where that came from.

The Sweep series (known as "Wicca" in the UK and elsewhere) originally came out from 2001 to 2003, which is when I first read it, and I can't help but feel it's finally gotten the treatment it deserves.  The first three books have been released in a fat bind-up edition (though for now it's only available at Wal-Mart; it will be released in all bookstores September 2nd, 2010, just a few days before the first book in Tiernan's new trilogy Immortal Beloved.)  The individual books are still available in bookstores if you can't wait, but keep in mind, they cost $7.99 each-- the same as the bind-up costs for three.  You can read the first 7 pages of Book of Shadows on the Penguin website.

    

Balefire news!

I mentioned in my Balefire review a few weeks ago that the series will be collected in an omnibus edition around Decemberish.  Well, today Cate Tiernan posted the new cover of the bind-up on her blog:

I love it, though I would like the series title to be a bit bigger.  I can't wait for this to come out.  Even though I already have the individual books, I'm a sucker for big fat books, so I'll probably get this too.

(If I had to name who was who, I'd guess that Thais is the one on top and Clio's on the bottom--it's the look of innocence vs. experience.)

Still no Amazon listing or anything on the Penguin website yet.  I'll keep you posted.

Balefire Series by Cate Tiernan

I'm reviewing the Balefire series as a whole because, while it is currently out of print, it will soon be reprinted in one volume some time around the holidays.  However, I'll try not to give too much away in case you want to hunt down the original volumes (A Chalice of Wind, A Circle of Ashes, A Feather of Stone, and A Necklace of Water).

Clio Martin and Thais Allard are twins, separated at birth by their grandmother, Petra, to protect them from the questionable machinations of people within her own coven.  Thais goes with her father to live in Connecticut, while Clio remains with Petra in New Orleans.  But when they are 16, their father is killed in a mysterious accident, and Thais finds herself in the hands of strangers in a city she never thought she had any connection to.  Running into their twin the first day of school is the least of the surprises the girls face as they both discover their family's true history, one that goes back further than either of them ever imagined.

It is a mystery that these books ever fell out of print, and it is a blessing that they will be brought back.  Clio and Thais's world is vividly drawn.  Tiernan's New Orleans is a character in itself, emanating from the page.  The Balefire coven is filled with rich, complex characters, from the duplicitous Luc-Andre, the penitent Marcel, the haughty Axelle, the wise Petra, and the fiery Richard.  The system of magic in this series is so organic to the world and very believable.

One complaint is the somewhat rushed ending -- Tiernan had planned a 15 book series, but low sales required it to end at four.  However, she has tweeted her intentions to smooth it out for the reprint.  Also, it switches perspective between Clio and Thais every other chapter, which I don't mind, but I know that annoys some people.  Overall: