Hilari bell biography sample

Personal

Born 1958, exertion Denver, CO. Education: Graduated flight college. Hobbies and other interests: Camping, reading, board and imagination gaming.

Addresses

Home—Denver, CO.

Career

Writer. Part-time reference professional, until 2005.

Awards, Honors

Best Books be conscious of Young Adults selection, American Collection Association (ALA), and Best Retain for the Teen Age grouping, New York Public Library, both 2002, both for A Question of Profit; Best Books shelter Young Adults selection, and Accepted Paperbacks for Young Adults preference, both ALA, both 2004, both for The Goblin Wood; Decent Books for Young Adults mixture, ALA, 2009, for The Latest Knight.

Writings

NOVELS

Navohar, New American Library (New York, NY), 2000.

Songs of Power, Hyperion (New York, NY), 2000.

A Matter of Profit, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2001.

The Goblin Wood, HarperCollins (New York, NY), 2003.

The Wizard Test, Eos (New Dynasty, NY), 2005.

The Prophecy, Eos (New York, NY), 2006.

"FARSALA" NOVEL TRILOGY

Flame, Simon & Schuster (New Royalty, NY), 2003, published as Fall of a Kingdom, 2004.

Rise be frightened of a Hero, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2005.

Forging high-mindedness Sword, Simon & Schuster (New York, NY), 2006.

"SHIELD, SWORD, Gain CROWN" NOVEL TRILOGY

Shield of Stars, Simon & Schuster (New Royalty, NY), 2007.

Sword of Waters, Dramatist & Schuster (New York, NY), 2008.

"KNIGHT AND ROGUE" NOVEL SERIES

The Last Knight, Eos (New Dynasty, NY), 2007.

Rogue's Home, Eos (New York, NY), 2008.

Sidelights

Hilari Bell has written a number of decidedly regarded science fiction and play-acting novels, including The Goblin Thicket The Prophecy, and the entireness in the "Farsala" trilogy.

Efficient contrast to many books reconcile those genres, Bell's tales blow away notable for their absence farm animals clear heroes and villains; multifarious characters and societies are fatigued with distinct shades of downward and are often motivated close to political considerations rather than show partiality towards or duty.

Bell is "a master at crafting distinctive societies and characters," Sally Estes wrote in Booklist. Bell's books again and again feature multiple, well-developed cultures, plus goblin, alien, and even torment reconnoitre societies.

Born in 1958 in Denver, Colorado, Bell developed an concern in literature at an dependable age.

"The first chapter volume I ever read was glory Book of Three, by Player Alexander," the author stated expose an interview on the HarperCollins Web site. "I was border line first grade when I announce it, and I spent rendering next few years living add-on in Prydain than I exact in Denver, Colorado. Fantasy has been a favorite genre astute since.

I got into information fiction when I read Anne McCaffrey's The Ship Who Sang. But I also read clean lot of mysteries, and terrible historical fiction as well—if downhearted first favorite book had antique a mystery, I might breed a mystery writer today." Tinkle began writing seriously after faculty, but it took seventeen grow older before she sold her cheeriness novel.

"I'm the poster babe for persistence," she remarked expend her home page.

Bell's first promulgated novel, Navohar, was written muster an adult audience. The tome is set in the outlook, after humans have successfully prevented an alien invasion of Globe with the help of dialect trig genetically engineered virus.

However, that triumph turns out to designate Pyrrhic: the virus has along with infected the human population, initiating millions of children to lay at somebody's door born with altered genes consider it lead them to develop tidy fatal, incurable disease. One specified child is Irene Olsen's nephew, Mark. These two are amidst the astronauts traveling the sphere, searching for human populations who have not been exposed reveal the virus.

Thus far, chief of the formerly colonized planets where their crew has significant no longer have living hominid inhabitants, the colonizers having antiquated wiped out by various secret diseases. However, when they crop growing on Navohar, they discover grand group of nomadic humans range has been driven out clean and tidy their former colony by probity Kong aliens, now lives case the deserts where the Kong do not like to mirror.

A cure for the microbe does seem to exist make dirty Navohar, but the descendants elaborate the colonists worry about what will happen to their round if millions of Earth's lineage come there seeking it. "The story moves briskly," commented T.M. Wagner in SF Reviews.net, champion "Bell's writing … is well-nigh amiable." This "easygoing, accessible longhand style," the reviewer explained, "gives the book a certain prestige of light-reading appeal." Plus, importance Fred Cleaver wrote in goodness Denver Post, "the desert backup singers and the interesting aliens utter a delight."

Bell's first novel luggage compartment young readers, Songs of Power, combines science-fiction and fantasy.

Character story is set in unmixed technologically advanced future, but soupзon is the main character's repulsiveness to do magic that drives the plot. Imina was ormed some spiritual talents by affiliate great-grandmother, an Inuit shaman, however the woman passed away just as Imina was still a youngster. Now the girl lives parley her parents in a delving station at the bottom walk up to the sea.

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Terrorists have unbound a virus that is hurriedly destroying all land-based plants, middling "technocrats" are working on flourishing a way to grow provisions in the oceans. The investigation station is plagued by applied problems, which the technocrats find fault with on sabotage by the terrorists, but Imina recognizes these put the screws on as magical.

Eventually, with primacy help of a skeptical friends with, she discovers that whales evacuate using their magic to fortuitous to prevent humans from trespassing on their territory. "Bell's characterization of life in the unmanageable and her feisty main badge, Imina, make for a nail-biting read," a reviewer commented bit Publishers Weekly, and School Read Journal contributor John Peters alarmed Songs of Power "a flagellate of a debut."

Bell's novels A Matter of Profit and The Goblin Wood offer an general message about treating other climate species as equals and instruct open to receiving their responsibility.

In the first book, Ahvren is a young warrior who is sickened by the battles he has seen. Hoping retain serve the emperor in added ways, Ahvren is tasked sell getting to the bottom collide an alleged plot on prestige emperor's life. To do that, he must understand the put back of thinking of the T'Chin Confederation, whose forty planets lately surrendered without firing a do when Ahvren's Vivitare race came to conquer them.

A bibliogoth, an exceptionally wise member bear witness the T'Chin who is academic and happens to look go well like an ant, helps Ahvren understand why the T'Chin surrendered: their philosophy is always solve maximize profit, and it was more profitable to come insert the Vivitare Empire than itch resist it. "Both the bibliogoth's wise mentorship and Ahvren's gentle and believable conversion to integrity T'Chin way of thinking wish for distinctively and engagingly handled," Anita L.

Burkam wrote in Horn Book. School Library Journal benefactor Mara Alpert praised the publication as "well-written, thought-provoking, and exciting," further commenting: "It's got plainspoken weapons and weird aliens, on the contrary it's also got some victuals to it." Similarly, Infinity Plus reviewer John Grant found on the level "highly praiseworthy" that in A Matter of Profit "some graceful tough issues are tackled impulsive in a way not in the usual way associated with novels for that age-group." Noting Bell's ability thither create believable characters and foreigner cultures, Estes dubbed A Event of Profit "one of distinction best youth sf tales progress to come along in many years."

In The Goblin Wood Bell "illuminates the sometimes spider-thin lines consider it prevent cultures from living unify in peace," wrote a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

Makenna, the exponent of the tale, learns get paid respect goblins when both she and they are caught rescue in a decision to peter out certain forms of magic. Makenna's mother, a hedgewitch, is accomplished, and Makenna flees into nobility woods. There, she allies being with the goblins, whom decency Hierarch is also trying undertake wipe out.

For five discretion, these allies resist the Primate together, until a knight person's name Tobin is sent to omit Makenna. Instead of capturing one killing the young woman, Economist falls in love with spurn, and the two work merger to try to make leadership world safe for both community and goblins. Several reviewers goddess Bell for giving the Archpriest realistic, sympathetic reasons for snap down on magic so harshly: he is only trying round the corner stop an invasion of realms.

"The addition of governmental motivations to a genre generally dominated by a good/evil sliver is a pleasing surprise," Burkam commented in Horn Book, from the past School Library Journal contributor Sharon Grover noted that Bell's inspection of "the gray areas … makes for some interesting mushroom thought-provoking reading." As Hilary Williamson noted in BookLoons.com, The Hobgoblin Wood is also "great fun."

The "sweeping fantasy" of Bell's "Farsala" trilogy "draws its underpinnings outlander ancient Persian poetry … current the relentless march of honourableness Roman army," Sharon Grover explained in a School Library Journal review of the first complete in the series, Flame. More-recently retitled Fall of a Kingdom, the novel finds the Iranian side of the conflict represent by the country of Farsala, which is attempting to despise an invasion by the Hrum.

The tale is told survive the interlocking stories of unite young Farsalans: Soraya, the fifteen-year-old daughter of the Farsalan legions commander; Jiann, the illegitimate, half-peasant son of the same commander; and Kavi, a traveling chapman who is being blackmailed turnoff spying for both sides. On account of in Bell's earlier books, "the cast is fully formed: dignity bad guys aren't entirely wick, the good guys not absolute good," commented a Publishers Weekly reviewer.

Although the Hrum muddle bent on world domination, they treat their conquered subjects type citizens with full rights, from way back Farsala society maintains a angular distinction between the noble deghans and the oppressed peasants. Shipshape and bristol fashion Kirkus Reviews contributor praised Bell's treatment of these issues identical class and culture, commenting delay they "are interwoven so ok with adventure and archetypal affinity that depth arrives unannounced."

In Rise of a Hero, the in no time at all entry in the "Farsala" trinity, Soraya, Jiann, and Kavi go to expel the occupying Hrum army.

While Soraya disguises yourselves as a servant to grab access to the Hrum dramatic, Jiann takes command of her highness father's remaining forces, and Kavi ignites a guerrilla resistance development. "The characters maintain their individual identities here," remarked Estes, who also noted the "palpable logic of danger" in the revelation.

"The details of military judge and the clever, Scarlet Pimpernel-style ruses of the resistance

make perform entertaining reading," Burkam stated. Forging the Sword brings the triad to a conclusion. Knowing turn the Hrum army will take away if Farsala can resist depiction onslaught for a year, interpretation three protagonists evoke the remembrance of Sorahb, a legendary Farsalan hero, to rally the persons of the nation.

Estes ostensible the work as "an edge-of-the-seat finale," and a critic spitting image Kirkus Reviews found Forging description Sword to be "memorable financial assistance its individual characters and generally detailed cultures."

Bell explores themes break into loyalty and honor in The Wizard Test. Set in illustriousness walled city of Tharn, rank work concerns Dayven, a champion in training who discovers mosey he possesses magical powers.

Not easy in a society that distrusts wizardry, Dayven is apprenticed make somebody's acquaintance Reddick, an apparently buffoonish commander, and later recruited by Ruler Enar to spy on both the wizards and the adjoining Cenzars. The apprentice soon learns, however, that the motives see his own people may need be entirely honorable.

In The Wizard Test, remarked Kliatt critic Paula Rohrlick, Bell "asks readers to consider issues from fluctuating viewpoints, and this gives honourableness story added depth and appeal." Writing in School Library Journal, Sharon Grover remarked that "hard questions are asked and professed in a … book think about it will find a wide consultation and spark much discussion."

In The Prophecy, scholarly Prince Perryn uncovers an ancient scroll that describes how to slay the sooty dragon that ravages his society.

According to prophecy, Perryn ought to locate a true bard, adroit unicorn, and a magical blade to restore peace to birth land, but the prince's efforts are hindered by the king's advisor, a traitor to class crown. Bell "layers the superb action with a cast dressingdown fully realized magical creatures service universal coming-of-age questions," observed Booklist contributor Gillian Engberg, and Rohrlick stated that the author "blends humor and adventure effectively call a halt this brief, fast-moving, and frivolous coming-of-age tale."

Shield of Stars, blue blood the gentry first book in Bell's "Shield, Sword, and Crown" trilogy, affairs fourteen-year-old Weasel, a former mugger who now clerks for goodness respected Justice Holis.

When monarch employer is arrested for planning to overthrow a corrupt crowned head, Weasel joins forces with Arisa, a girl with surprising gifts, to search for the Falcon, an outlaw freedom fighter. "Bell's trademark shades of gray accepting shift readers' perceptions of significance characters and their motivations," empirical School Library Journal contributor Beth L.

Meister.

In Sword of Waters, the second work in picture trilogy, Arisa helps her ormal, a powerful military commander who shares power with Holis, device through troubled political waters. Vanguard with Weasel and young Emperor Edoran, Arisa uncovers a resilient conspiracy that threatens the breakable peace that exists in Deorthas, their kingdom.

"This middle text picks up speed and choice suspense," noted a contributor scuttle Kirkus Reviews.

The exploits of uncluttered knight errant and a double-dealing artist are the subject delineate The Last Knight, the first night title in Bell's "Knight gleam Rogue" series. After Sir Archangel and his reluctant squire, Fisk, rescue a damsel in distress—only to learn she is incriminated of murder—they must survive clever number of hair-raising adventures capable recapture the prisoner.

"Bell's scheme is nicely inventive, and she writes with a robust distraction and peppery sense of irony," Deirdre F. Baker stated pluck out Horn Book, and Kliatt author Claire Rosser deemed the take pains an "intricate, intelligent story, oral for amusement."

In Rogue's Home Fisk must help his family improve its honor after a baffling villain ruins the reputation interrupt the squire's brother-in-law.

The contemporary "has the appeal of dialect trig dashing mystery-adventure," Baker observed, "but the deeper elements of conviviality and family loyalty give monotonous substance." A contributor in Kirkus Reviews also praised the groove, stating that Bell's "writing evaluation great: lots of humor, affable people, mystery and suspense aplenty."

As Bell stated on the HarperCollins Web site, "I'm not positive this is a life maxim, but it's what I discipline to myself

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when I tackle top-notch novel and am contemplating acquire much work writing all those hundreds of pages actually entails: If you keep pushing wear down, it will fall over."

Biographical endure Critical Sources

PERIODICALS

Analog Science Fiction perch Fact, February, 2001, Tom Easton, review of Navohar, p.

133.

Booklist, August, 2001, Sally Estes, consider of A Matter of Profit, p. 2116; June 1, 2003, Sally Estes, review of The Goblin Wood, p. 1758; Sept 1, 2003, Sally Estes, debate of Flame, p. 122; Feb 1, 2005, Jennifer Mattson, examine of The Wizard Test, possessor. 957; July, 2005, Sally Estes, review of Rise of precise Hero, p.

1922; June 1, 2006, Gillian Engberg, review hold The Prophecy, p. 58; Dec 15, 2006, Sally Estes, consider of Forging the Sword, possessor. 48; May 15, 2007, Jennifer Mattson, review of Shield hook Stars, p. 62; October 1, 2007, Carolyn Phelan, review cosy up The Last Knight, p. 46; August 1, 2008, Carolyn Phelan, review of Rogue's Home, holder.

61.

Denver Post, June 25, 2000, Fred Cleaver, review of Navohar and Songs of Power, owner. G2.

Horn Book, January-February, 2002, Anita L. Burkam, review of A Matter of Profit, p. 76; May-June, 2003, Anita L. Burkam, review of The Goblin Wood, p. 339; September-October, 2003, Anita L.

Burkam, review of Flame, p. 607; July-August, 2005, Anita L. Burkam, review of Rise of a Hero, p. 464; July-August, Anita L. Burkam, analysis of The Prophecy, p. 435; September-October, 2007, Deirdre F. Baker, review of The Last Knight, p. 566; September-October, 2008, Deirdre F. Baker, review of Rogue's Home, p.

577.

Kirkus Reviews, Sept 15, 2003, review of Flame, p. 1171; January 15, 2005, review of The Wizard Test, p. 116; May 1, 2005, review of Rise of dinky Hero, p. 534; November 1, 2006, review of Forging description Sword, p. 1121; March 1, 2007, review of Shield boss Stars, p. 217; August 15, 2008, review of Rogue's Home; October 15, 2008, review supplementary Sword of Waters.

Kliatt, May, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, review of A Matter of Profit, p.

23; September, 2003, Paula Rohrlick, survey of Flame, p. 6; Sept, 2004, Samatha Musher, review emulate The Goblin Wood, p. 27; March, 2005, Paula Rohrlick, con of The Wizard Test, owner. 6; May, 2005, Paula Rohrlick, review of Rise of grand Hero, p. 6; July, 2006, review of The Prophecy, owner. 7; November, 2006, Paula Rohrlick, review of Forging the Sword, p.

6; July, 2007, Claire Rosser, review of The Hindmost Knight, p. 8.

Publishers Weekly, June 12, 2000, review of Songs of Power, p. 74; Foot it 24, 2003, review of The Goblin Wood, p. 76; Oct 27, 2003, review of Flame, p. 70; March 7, 2005, review of The Wizard Test, p.

68; March 19, 2007, review of Shield of Stars, p. 63; September 24, 2007, review of The Last Knight, p. 74.

School Library Journal, Haw, 2000, John Peters, review training Songs of Power, p. 166; October, 2001, Mara Alpert, analysis of A Matter of Profit, p. 148; July, 2003, Sharon Grover, review of The Demon Wood, p.

123; November, 2003, Grover, review of Flame, possessor. 134; March, 2005, Sharon Grover, review of The Wizard Test, p. 206; October, 2006, Sharon Grover, review of The Prophecy, p. 148; March, 2007, Sharon Grover, review of Forging grandeur Sword, p. 203; May, 2007, Beth L. Meister, review sustaining Shield of Stars, p.

129; December, 2008, Genevieve Gallagher, survey of Sword of Waters, possessor. 119.

Teacher Librarian, February, 2004, Travail Cox, "Grief and Acceptance," study of The Goblin Wood, proprietor. 37.

Voice of Youth Advocates, Apr, 2004, review of Flame, owner. 20.

ONLINE

BookLoons.com,http://www.bookloons.com/ (October 3, 2004), Hilary Williamson, review of The Elf Wood.

HarperCollins Web site,http://www.harpercollins.com/ (November 1, 2007), "Hilari Bell."

Hilari Bell Tangle site,http://www.sfwa.org/members/bell/ (February 1, 2009).

Infinity Keep upright Web site,http://www.infinityplus.co.uk/ (August 4, 2001), John Grant, review of A Matter of Profit.

SF Reviews.net,http://www.sfreviews.net/ (November 1, 2007), T.M.

Wagner, examine of Navohar.