Lord of the Rings

The Bow of Destiny: An Interesting Reaction

Read about this reaction to The Bow of Destiny from a reader this week.

A reader contacted me this week about her reading of The Bow of Destiny. We’ve had an email conversation which I totally enjoy (anyone interested in talking about the books, just send me and email, comment here, or catch me on a social media channel).

Here’s a quote from the message after the reader finished the book:

“This morning I went back and reread the short story about the mystic Withling order. It was more meaningful after reading the book. Now I’m reading the first chapter again to understand Athson’s visions. I’ll have to buy the next book in the series when I’m in a place with good internet. Your writing reminds me of Lord of the Rings– a big compliment as that was one of my favorite books growing up and what got me interested in reading.”

The referenced short story is What Is Needed which is backstory for the Withling order. That’s a good place to start the series if you like.

I’m not going to giveaway anything regarding the content of Athson’s visions, but it’s interesting the reader wanted to review those parts. Athson is a complicated character who knows things are not right with him, but he believes he still makes good decisions.

As to The Lord of the Rings, that is a high compliment. My hope is that I’ve taken the classic epic fantasy and given it a more current treatment of the genre.

That’s all for today with that quick note. If you have something you want to share about the series (or have already), please let me know where you’ve done that so I can respond to it. Interested in the series? Find out more from The Bow of Hart Saga series page on this site, or have a look at the books on Amazon.

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Fantasy Friday! Why I Like Fantasy

I’ve read fantasy for a long time. I’ve been known to take a break and read other genres but I always seem to come back to fantasy. I guess it’s the kid in me and the love of a good yarn that keeps me reading these stories. But there are other reasons the genre interests me as both a reader and a writer.

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I got into a conversation after completing my interview the other night about speculative fiction and why it’s useful for story-telling. One of the main points noted about fantasy and science fiction is how flexible these genres can be. A writer can explore all kinds of topics through setting and situation. This is done in science fiction by using technology and in fantasy through magic systems.

As a reader, fantasy attracts me for several other reasons, one of which revolves around courage. So often, fantasy characters – main, secondary or otherwise – are faced with dire circumstances regardless of their magical assets (spells, weapons, etc.). It’s at this point that courage becomes the factor in the story with outcomes that can be either victorious or disastrous. I like to see how a character of any kind might react courageously in the face of these extreme situations.

For instance, in The Lord of the Rings, Gandalf refuses to budge in the presence of both the balrog and the Lord of the Nazgul. Likewise, Eowyn stands up to the Lord of the Nazgul just to defend King Theoden. That’s gripping as well as courageous.

Additionally, I like to read about characters who take on leadership and just do what’s necessary. In such stories, a character might make decisions because they have nothing to lose and nobody else is willing to make that call.

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And then there’s the pure adventure of a fantasy tale. One recent book that captured adventure well was Michael J. Sullivan’s The Emerald Storm which is a tale that largely takes place on a sea voyage. It captures elements of Treasure Island in a fantasy setting. And who doesn’t like adventure on the high seas.

So for me, fantasy is a way of examining people in extraordinary circumstances all with in fantasy settings that add to the wonder and excitement of the story. Sure, I could watch Saving Private Ryan to see the defense of the bridge and the courage it takes – and love it. But put that in a fantasy setting and you can come up with some really good stories. I could read or view ocean voyages like Moby Dick or Master and Commander but add magic and some monstrous critters and it gets doubly interesting.

Why do you read fantasy? What book or movie would you like to see converted into a gripping fantasy novel?

Please share your thoughts and ideas in the comments section.