(Book I of Legends of Karac Tor)
“You have been chosen for a life of great purpose. Adventure awaits you in the Hidden Lands.”
Hadyn and Ewan Barlow are two brothers caught up in a painful new life after tragedy strikes their home – their mother passes away while they are only in their teens. They try to adjust to their new life and a new home when they not only find a runestone, or, more precisely, an arch inscribed with runes which have been hidden for countless years, but are also called to the Hidden Lands of Karac Tor.
Soon they not only have to learn to cope with the pain they carry, but help save a whole world from falling into darkness. They must also fight the darkness and despair within themselves. Love, friendship, loyalty and faith are challenged when the Book of Names is found to be blank and the young of Karac Tor are plunged into mindlessness and despair.
I must admit that it was the book’s cover and the Norse elements thereon which made me first pick it up. Briggs weaves a wonderful tale with elements from the Norse and Celtic mythology reinvented or reapplied to fit the world and legends of Karac Tor. It is quite believable that the legends that exist in Karac Tor have been changed in retellings to form the Norse mythology we know on Earth – but you do not need to know the mythology to enjoy this work.
What if sorrow was a doorway,
And memory, a gate?
What if we never passed through?
What worlds would go unfound?
On a personal note, this book has really meant a lot to me as I first read it about three months after my own mother passed away. The heart in the books, I am sure, also comes from the fact that Briggs at first wrote the book for his own children after the passing of their mother and his descriptions of the children’s and the father’s pain are truthful and deeply felt by the reader. But do not expect a somber tale bereft of comedy or a dark tale without hope or a renewed faith.
I completely agree with GP Taylor – “Magic and folklore at its very best – well worth a read.”
Look out for: Book II, Corus the Champion
Author Website: www.hiddenlands.net
Publisher of Book I: www.NavPress.com
Monday, February 21, 2011
Monday, February 14, 2011
Light and Darkness//Lig en Donkerte
(And a bit of rambling)
Some wise words from Becky Minor (http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com/); she of The Windrider Saga:
Both Science Fiction and Fantasy are great genres to explore the issues of darkness and light, of good and evil, of man's struggle with faith. I write fantasy. And through my fantasy, I show both the evil in the world and the evil inside our hearts and the struggle we have with it. I also show how God reaches down and heals us of the darkness that lives inside. I could show sin in a contemporary novel, but I can give a visual representation of sin, a picture that I hope will not leave my readers' minds for a very long time.
That's what I love about fantasy: I see God's truth in word pictures. And through the fantasy genre I am able to show those word pictures.
This is one of the great things I love about fantasy – it is a lot more than simply swords, gowns, strange races and adventure; most of the time morals and ethics also play a very big part. For example: what makes the character heroic? What choice did he make that either gave him (or her) the moral high ground? What makes you root for a character? What makes you detest another character?
Of course, as a Christian, my morals may very well be different from someone who is not a Christian – but not always. Hey, being a Christian also doesn’t mean you’re perfect or that you always make the right choice – but you should at least try to. Holding on to your morals could be as simple as not going to certain parties. It may also mean that you need to set free a bunch of dragons; because that’s the right thing to do. See how easy it went from reality to fantasy?
Basically, living a good life means fighting against the darkness within you (come on, you know it’s lurking there somewhere, otherwise why would we need saving?) and not just that outside of you. And yes, on one level I do mean something like depression as well. Now, before you ask me ‘How can you say a thing like that!’ and ‘How would you know?’ I’ll admit it - I suffer from Depression. It’s not a pretty thing and, yes, I also believe God gave us medicine for a good reason. But the thing with Depression is that it makes it much easier to fall deeper and deeper into a pool of despair until you can’t even remember how it started in the first place. Despair like this can also be handled a lot easier and more creatively when used figuratively or in a speculative setting. Most of the fantasy I read (and like) is also about that glimmer of hope and overcoming despair and darkness in order to get (to) a better world.
Just as other writers’ worldviews influences their work, so do Christian writers’ worldviews. So, while Christian fantasy may not quote directly from the Bible (although Polivka’s Trophy Chase novels do this very well), it does not mean that it isn’t Christian or that important questioned aren’t dealt with. It just means you may need to read a little deeper…
(En ‘n bietjie gorrel)
‘n Paar wyse woorde van Becky Minor (http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com/); sy van The Windrider Saga:
Beide wetenskapsfiksie en fantasie is wonderlike genres waarin die kwessies van donkerte en lig, van goed en sleg en van die mens se worsteling met geloof ondersoek kan word. Ek skryf fantasie. En deur my fantasie wys ek beide die boosheid in die wêreld en die boosheid in ons harte en die worsteling wat ons daarmee het. Ek wys ook hoe God uitreik en ons gesond maak van die donkerte wat in ons leef. Ek kan sonde wys in ‘n kontemporêre roman, maar ek kan ‘n visuele voorstelling van sonde gee, ‘n prentjie wat ek hoop vir lank nie my lesers se geheue sal verlaat nie.
Dit is hoekom ek so lief is vir fantasie: ek sien God se waarheid in woordprentjies. En dit is deur fantasie wat ek hierdie woordprentjies kan wys.
Hierdie is een van die wonderlike aspekte van fantasie waarvoor ek so lief is – dit is meer as net swaarde, rokke, vreemde rasse en avontuur; meestal speel waardes en etiek ook ‘n groot deel. Byvoorbeeld: mat maak ‘n karakter heroïes? Watter keuse het hy (of sy) gemaak wat hom (of haar) moreel goed maak? Wat laat jou ‘n karakter ondersteun? Wat maak dat jy sterk afkeur het van ‘n ander karakter?
Natuurlik, as ‘n Christen, kan my waardes en optrede baie anders wees as iemand wat nie ‘n Christen is nie – maar nie altyd nie. Hei, om ‘n Christen te wees beteken nie jy is perfek of dat jy altyd die regte keuse maak nie – maar jy moet ten minste dit probeer doen. Om aan jou waardes vas te hou kan so maklik wees soos om nie na sekere partytjies toe te gaan nie. Dit mag ook beteken dat jy ‘n klomp drake moet vrylaat, omdat dit die regte ding is om te doen. Sien hoe maklik beweeg mens van realiteit na fantasie?
Basies moet jy, om ‘n goeie lewe te lei, baklei teen die donkerte binne-in jou (komaan, jy weet dit is daar iewers binne-in jou, anders hoekom moet ons gered word?) en nie net buite jou nie. En ja, op ‘n vlak bedoel ek ook iets soos Depressie. Nou, voordat jy my vra ‘Hoe kan jy so iets sê?’ en “Hoe sal jy weet?’ sal ek dit erken - ek ly aan Depressie. Dis glad nie ‘n mooi ding nie en, ja, ek glo ook God het ons medisyne gegee vir ‘n goeie rede. Maar die ding met Depressie is dat dit dit baie makliker maak om dieper en dieper in wanhoop te verval totdat jy self nie kan onthou hoe dit begin het nie. Wanhoop soos hierdie kan ook baie makliker en kreatiewer hanteer word in ‘n figuurlike en spekulatiewe omgewing. Meeste van die fantasie wat ek lees (en van hou) is ook oor daardie spikkeltjie hoop en die oorwinning van wanhoop en donkerte om sodoende ‘n beter wêreld te kry (of heen te gaan).
Net soos wat ander skrywers se wêreldbeskouings hul werk beïnvloed, so beïnvloed Christelike skrywers se wêreldbeskouings ook hulle werk. Dus, terwyl Christelike fantasie dalk nie direk uit die Bybel aanhaal nie (alhoewel Polivka se Trophy Chase-romans dit baie goed doen), beteken nie dat dit nie Christelik is of dat belangrike vrae nie gevra word nie. Dit beteken net dat jy ‘n bietjie dieper moet gaan lees...
Some wise words from Becky Minor (http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com/); she of The Windrider Saga:
Both Science Fiction and Fantasy are great genres to explore the issues of darkness and light, of good and evil, of man's struggle with faith. I write fantasy. And through my fantasy, I show both the evil in the world and the evil inside our hearts and the struggle we have with it. I also show how God reaches down and heals us of the darkness that lives inside. I could show sin in a contemporary novel, but I can give a visual representation of sin, a picture that I hope will not leave my readers' minds for a very long time.
That's what I love about fantasy: I see God's truth in word pictures. And through the fantasy genre I am able to show those word pictures.
This is one of the great things I love about fantasy – it is a lot more than simply swords, gowns, strange races and adventure; most of the time morals and ethics also play a very big part. For example: what makes the character heroic? What choice did he make that either gave him (or her) the moral high ground? What makes you root for a character? What makes you detest another character?
Of course, as a Christian, my morals may very well be different from someone who is not a Christian – but not always. Hey, being a Christian also doesn’t mean you’re perfect or that you always make the right choice – but you should at least try to. Holding on to your morals could be as simple as not going to certain parties. It may also mean that you need to set free a bunch of dragons; because that’s the right thing to do. See how easy it went from reality to fantasy?
Basically, living a good life means fighting against the darkness within you (come on, you know it’s lurking there somewhere, otherwise why would we need saving?) and not just that outside of you. And yes, on one level I do mean something like depression as well. Now, before you ask me ‘How can you say a thing like that!’ and ‘How would you know?’ I’ll admit it - I suffer from Depression. It’s not a pretty thing and, yes, I also believe God gave us medicine for a good reason. But the thing with Depression is that it makes it much easier to fall deeper and deeper into a pool of despair until you can’t even remember how it started in the first place. Despair like this can also be handled a lot easier and more creatively when used figuratively or in a speculative setting. Most of the fantasy I read (and like) is also about that glimmer of hope and overcoming despair and darkness in order to get (to) a better world.
Just as other writers’ worldviews influences their work, so do Christian writers’ worldviews. So, while Christian fantasy may not quote directly from the Bible (although Polivka’s Trophy Chase novels do this very well), it does not mean that it isn’t Christian or that important questioned aren’t dealt with. It just means you may need to read a little deeper…
(En ‘n bietjie gorrel)
‘n Paar wyse woorde van Becky Minor (http://callofthecreator.blogspot.com/); sy van The Windrider Saga:
Beide wetenskapsfiksie en fantasie is wonderlike genres waarin die kwessies van donkerte en lig, van goed en sleg en van die mens se worsteling met geloof ondersoek kan word. Ek skryf fantasie. En deur my fantasie wys ek beide die boosheid in die wêreld en die boosheid in ons harte en die worsteling wat ons daarmee het. Ek wys ook hoe God uitreik en ons gesond maak van die donkerte wat in ons leef. Ek kan sonde wys in ‘n kontemporêre roman, maar ek kan ‘n visuele voorstelling van sonde gee, ‘n prentjie wat ek hoop vir lank nie my lesers se geheue sal verlaat nie.
Dit is hoekom ek so lief is vir fantasie: ek sien God se waarheid in woordprentjies. En dit is deur fantasie wat ek hierdie woordprentjies kan wys.
Hierdie is een van die wonderlike aspekte van fantasie waarvoor ek so lief is – dit is meer as net swaarde, rokke, vreemde rasse en avontuur; meestal speel waardes en etiek ook ‘n groot deel. Byvoorbeeld: mat maak ‘n karakter heroïes? Watter keuse het hy (of sy) gemaak wat hom (of haar) moreel goed maak? Wat laat jou ‘n karakter ondersteun? Wat maak dat jy sterk afkeur het van ‘n ander karakter?
Natuurlik, as ‘n Christen, kan my waardes en optrede baie anders wees as iemand wat nie ‘n Christen is nie – maar nie altyd nie. Hei, om ‘n Christen te wees beteken nie jy is perfek of dat jy altyd die regte keuse maak nie – maar jy moet ten minste dit probeer doen. Om aan jou waardes vas te hou kan so maklik wees soos om nie na sekere partytjies toe te gaan nie. Dit mag ook beteken dat jy ‘n klomp drake moet vrylaat, omdat dit die regte ding is om te doen. Sien hoe maklik beweeg mens van realiteit na fantasie?
Basies moet jy, om ‘n goeie lewe te lei, baklei teen die donkerte binne-in jou (komaan, jy weet dit is daar iewers binne-in jou, anders hoekom moet ons gered word?) en nie net buite jou nie. En ja, op ‘n vlak bedoel ek ook iets soos Depressie. Nou, voordat jy my vra ‘Hoe kan jy so iets sê?’ en “Hoe sal jy weet?’ sal ek dit erken - ek ly aan Depressie. Dis glad nie ‘n mooi ding nie en, ja, ek glo ook God het ons medisyne gegee vir ‘n goeie rede. Maar die ding met Depressie is dat dit dit baie makliker maak om dieper en dieper in wanhoop te verval totdat jy self nie kan onthou hoe dit begin het nie. Wanhoop soos hierdie kan ook baie makliker en kreatiewer hanteer word in ‘n figuurlike en spekulatiewe omgewing. Meeste van die fantasie wat ek lees (en van hou) is ook oor daardie spikkeltjie hoop en die oorwinning van wanhoop en donkerte om sodoende ‘n beter wêreld te kry (of heen te gaan).
Net soos wat ander skrywers se wêreldbeskouings hul werk beïnvloed, so beïnvloed Christelike skrywers se wêreldbeskouings ook hulle werk. Dus, terwyl Christelike fantasie dalk nie direk uit die Bybel aanhaal nie (alhoewel Polivka se Trophy Chase-romans dit baie goed doen), beteken nie dat dit nie Christelik is of dat belangrike vrae nie gevra word nie. Dit beteken net dat jy ‘n bietjie dieper moet gaan lees...
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