Official A Kill in the Morning Thread
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Spoiler-free review
Having read the original fanfiction that spawned this Novel, I must say that the Plot didn't hold any surprises for me, with the exceptions of a few things I had forgotten about since reading the original years ago. As is, I had a few 'oh right, that scene happens next' moments.
Therefore I won't allow myself a verdict on how surprising the plot is or isn't and leave it to any readers who are unfamiliar with it. Suffice it to say though it still is highly entertaining and twisty enough to keep me reading it over the course of the last few days since getting an advance copy in the mail. Be it a morbid fascination at having a look into a Nazi Victory world (of sorts) that is far less over the top than Turteldove or Harris wrote it, the idea that the British Empire, however flawed, leads the free world or seeing the depths of depravity and evil National Socialism brought over the world matters not.
This book has something for everyone among AH.com's denizens, a gripping spy thriller, a hefty dose of Alternate history (which is explained in far more detail than most Nazi Victory scenarios in a lengthy and very interesting annex) and of course hordes of dead Nazis.
That Heydrich falls into the classic villain traps of monologuing and scheming up a needlessly over-elaborate death for our hero doesn't make the book loose anything, since in this case you'd have no idea what the 'bleep' is going on if he didn't.
Neither does the fact that we never find out who killed The Old Man, since by the end of the book it's rather pointless anyway.
On the other hand, the book is not without a few, if minor flaws.
One thing is that the present tense is used in the narrative. But that's probably just a matter of preference, and I still enjoyed it greatly.
Something else is that we don't really find out what happened outside Europe. Looking at you, Japan. Though it stands to hope that this is explained further in a future novel or the esteemed author tells us.
In any case 9/10. Very enjoyable, very good read, highly recommended.
Having read the original fanfiction that spawned this Novel, I must say that the Plot didn't hold any surprises for me, with the exceptions of a few things I had forgotten about since reading the original years ago. As is, I had a few 'oh right, that scene happens next' moments.
Therefore I won't allow myself a verdict on how surprising the plot is or isn't and leave it to any readers who are unfamiliar with it. Suffice it to say though it still is highly entertaining and twisty enough to keep me reading it over the course of the last few days since getting an advance copy in the mail. Be it a morbid fascination at having a look into a Nazi Victory world (of sorts) that is far less over the top than Turteldove or Harris wrote it, the idea that the British Empire, however flawed, leads the free world or seeing the depths of depravity and evil National Socialism brought over the world matters not.
This book has something for everyone among AH.com's denizens, a gripping spy thriller, a hefty dose of Alternate history (which is explained in far more detail than most Nazi Victory scenarios in a lengthy and very interesting annex) and of course hordes of dead Nazis.
That Heydrich falls into the classic villain traps of monologuing and scheming up a needlessly over-elaborate death for our hero doesn't make the book loose anything, since in this case you'd have no idea what the 'bleep' is going on if he didn't.
Neither does the fact that we never find out who killed The Old Man, since by the end of the book it's rather pointless anyway.
On the other hand, the book is not without a few, if minor flaws.
One thing is that the present tense is used in the narrative. But that's probably just a matter of preference, and I still enjoyed it greatly.
Something else is that we don't really find out what happened outside Europe. Looking at you, Japan. Though it stands to hope that this is explained further in a future novel or the esteemed author tells us.
In any case 9/10. Very enjoyable, very good read, highly recommended.
Thanks for the great review. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Thanks for that. One reason I post here is to encourage all the other good writers and show that, though it's a lot of work, it can be done if you stick at it.
They should have AKITM in Croyden Waterstones, unless they've sold out. I know they've sold out in Manchester and Newcastle.
Might be worth doing a 'click and collect' to reserve it: here.
I'll look forward to hearing your thoughts after you've read it.
Japhy
Banned
Actually, you're also on my 'thank you' list, so PM me your address and I'll post you your copy.
But no, it's not going to be in US shops on the 19th. The best option for getting an early copy in the US is an Amazon subsidiary called Book Depository, as they ship worldwide for free. Link below:
http://www.bookdepository.com/Kill-Morning-Graeme-Shimmin/9780593073537
Well I should have noticed this before, but considering I don't think I offered much in that thread, I'm ok with this.
Because I bought my copy and it just came in today, I'm so amazingly glad to have done it. I'm loving the changes, especially the new chapters. Also, a big fan of the comments on the copyright page about the Watching Committee.
Also, where did you get the idea of the "Diary of an Unknown SS Scientist"? Because its a fantastic little detail.
Well I should have noticed this before, but considering I don't think I offered much in that thread, I'm ok with this.
Because I bought my copy and it just came in today, I'm so amazingly glad to have done it. I'm loving the changes, especially the new chapters. Also, a big fan of the comments on the copyright page about the Watching Committee.
Also, where did you get the idea of the "Diary of an Unknown SS Scientist"? Because its a fantastic little detail.
Hey that's great that you liked it. I would have sent you a copy because I remember your comments being very encouraging. If you let me know your address I can send you a signature bookplate and artwork postcard as a thank you instead.
I wondered if anyone would notice that 'Easter Egg'... it's cool that you did.
The diary idea came from a comment someone made in the original thread about the Nazis "digging at the Mountains of Madness". It started me thinking about an origin story for Giant.
This is to remind you all that my competition closes today (31 July 2014).
The prize is you get your work reviewed by a commissioning editor at Transworld Publishers.
Many authors dream of getting commissioning editors to look at their work. Normally commissioning editors won't consider work unless it's presented by a literary agent, and many authors never get that far - doomed forever to the 'slush pile'.
But now my editor, after some prodding from me, has agreed to read and review the first seven thousand words of the winner's novel.
He's not promising to buy your book or read the rest of it - but if he likes it then the possibility exists. Even if he doesn't decide he wants to read more, he has agreed to provide a critique. His review comments will be incisive, coming from an experienced professional editor.
How to Enter
To enter, what you need to do is read the first chapter of A Kill in the Morning here: A Kill in the Morning
Then you have to answer one (easy) question:
Then go to the YouWriteOn Contact Us page and email them your answer.
The winner will be chosen from the correct entries by the end of August and announced on the YouWriteOn website. I'll announce it here too.
But hurry up, you need to enter today.
The prize is you get your work reviewed by a commissioning editor at Transworld Publishers.
Many authors dream of getting commissioning editors to look at their work. Normally commissioning editors won't consider work unless it's presented by a literary agent, and many authors never get that far - doomed forever to the 'slush pile'.
But now my editor, after some prodding from me, has agreed to read and review the first seven thousand words of the winner's novel.
He's not promising to buy your book or read the rest of it - but if he likes it then the possibility exists. Even if he doesn't decide he wants to read more, he has agreed to provide a critique. His review comments will be incisive, coming from an experienced professional editor.
How to Enter
To enter, what you need to do is read the first chapter of A Kill in the Morning here: A Kill in the Morning
Then you have to answer one (easy) question:
Q: Why does the protagonist shoot the SS officer?
1. Revenge for the death of his hamster.
2. Revenge for the death of his wife.
3. Revenge for the death of his daughter.
4. Revenge for the death of his comrades.
(I will give you a clue - it's not option 1 - now you're way ahead of the field!)1. Revenge for the death of his hamster.
2. Revenge for the death of his wife.
3. Revenge for the death of his daughter.
4. Revenge for the death of his comrades.
Then go to the YouWriteOn Contact Us page and email them your answer.
The winner will be chosen from the correct entries by the end of August and announced on the YouWriteOn website. I'll announce it here too.
But hurry up, you need to enter today.
Found the book in my local bookstore today, snatched it up without blinking. Haven't begun yet, but I have a feeling this will keep me occupied for the rest of the summer.
Found the book in my local bookstore today, snatched it up without blinking. Haven't begun yet, but I have a feeling this will keep me occupied for the rest of the summer.
Cool. Let me know how it goes
Character Dossier: The Assassin
It's funny how much background you have to have as an author that never makes it into the actual novel. For example I have dossiers on all the main characters.
Here’s the Assassin’s dossier, written from the point of view of the Sicherheitdienst, Nazi Germany’s intelligence agency:
Also you have to understand the conflicts that drive the character. Here's the summary I made, some of which is clear in the novel, other bits just hinted at:
Internal Conflict
His internal conflict is between the sense of inadequacy that leads him to try to match his heroes, and his subconscious revulsion at the violent acts he has been required to perform. Having shut down his emotions in response to the brutality of combat, he now knows no other way of living. This conflict manifests itself in what the Assassin describes as his ‘so-called death wish’.
Interpersonal Conflict
The Assassin clashes with many of the other characters, particularly:
External Conflict
At the opening of the novel, the Assassin is eliminating the Nazis who killed his friends. He then becomes fixated on assassinating the man the thinks is ultimately responsible, Heydrich. The external conflict escalates from there, as he tries to reach Heydrich and discovers a far bigger conspiracy.
You can read more about the assassin's character here.
It's funny how much background you have to have as an author that never makes it into the actual novel. For example I have dossiers on all the main characters.
Here’s the Assassin’s dossier, written from the point of view of the Sicherheitdienst, Nazi Germany’s intelligence agency:
Also you have to understand the conflicts that drive the character. Here's the summary I made, some of which is clear in the novel, other bits just hinted at:
Internal Conflict
His internal conflict is between the sense of inadequacy that leads him to try to match his heroes, and his subconscious revulsion at the violent acts he has been required to perform. Having shut down his emotions in response to the brutality of combat, he now knows no other way of living. This conflict manifests itself in what the Assassin describes as his ‘so-called death wish’.
Interpersonal Conflict
The Assassin clashes with many of the other characters, particularly:
- Leo, his friend and superior who tries to control him.
- Elliott, the upper-class agent he despises.
- Molly who challenges his views about women.
- The two Nazis, Kaltenbrunner and Heydrich, whose goals are directly opposed to his.
External Conflict
At the opening of the novel, the Assassin is eliminating the Nazis who killed his friends. He then becomes fixated on assassinating the man the thinks is ultimately responsible, Heydrich. The external conflict escalates from there, as he tries to reach Heydrich and discovers a far bigger conspiracy.
You can read more about the assassin's character here.
Just curious, how different is the book from what you posted here? Does it still feature the secret agent who IOTL is suspected to be a Time Lord?
Just curious, how different is the book from what you posted here? Does it still feature the secret agent who IOTL is suspected to be a Time Lord?
The plot is fundamentally the same, including the ending, but if you did a 'compare' in Word there would hardly be a sentence that hasn't changed. There are several completely new chapters and a couple of others either deleted or drastically reduced. The opening is different too, it's based on what was originally the third chapter, but then expanded it a lot.
Also, it's ~85K words now, not ~60K, but at the same time the original version suffered from the fact that I was making it up as I went along, so the commercially published version is a lot more focussed. Several people who have read both the original and the final version say the final one reads much more smoothly.
The female characters are much less 'Bond girls' than in the original version (though some people think they still fall in love with the hero a bit too easily) and the other minor characters are a lot more rounded as well.
Oh yeah, it has several maps and documents from the ATL, and a timeline, and notes on the real characters now too.
Plus, it has actual punctuation now. I don't think I really understood punctuation when I first wrote it.
Basically the differences are the ones you'd expect between a quickly-written fan-fiction and a polished commercial novel.
You can read the first three chapters at http://goo.gl/qJl7p2 and compare with what you remember if you like.
I saw it on sale in my local Waterstones.
That's great, guys.
Agreed that Giant is not fundamentally the most plausible thing thing in the world. It's supposed to be plausible on the level that, say, technology in Doctor Who is: a bit of handwaving to establish it as a 'thing' in the world of the story and on with the story. I hope it reaches that level at least.
BTW, I had a good review from a chap called Peter Smith yesterday that touches on the way the story goes a bit bonkers at the end:
I haven't posted all the other reviews here, but anyone who is interested can see them on my website. They're pretty good, mostly at the four or five star level.
Hey I thought some of you guys might be interested in me talking in my genuine British accent about A Kill in the Morning.
Learn awesome stuff about me like... how I learnt to program on a ZX81... how I used to be rich but threw it all away for a mad dream about writing... and what the hell is supposed to be going on in A Kill in the Morning!
Check it out here: http://quoracast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/graeme-shimmin.mp3http://quoracast.com/graeme-shimmin-a-kill-in-the-morning/
Learn awesome stuff about me like... how I learnt to program on a ZX81... how I used to be rich but threw it all away for a mad dream about writing... and what the hell is supposed to be going on in A Kill in the Morning!
Check it out here: http://quoracast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/graeme-shimmin.mp3http://quoracast.com/graeme-shimmin-a-kill-in-the-morning/
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I was invited to read at Blackwell’s Bookshop in Manchester recently.
Here's a video of me reading part of chapter seven of A Kill in the Morning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkIMqjlmHlo
Here's a video of me reading part of chapter seven of A Kill in the Morning:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XkIMqjlmHlo
New to this thread and I just wanted to say congratulations on getting your work published. As a huge Bond fan, I hope to get it when it's available for purchase.