5. Sacrifice

The turning point of many fantasy books is when the hero gives of their self for the cause. It might be to help the main character push through to the end or it might be to bring about an even better ending than there otherwise would be.

Brom.

Dumbledore.

Gandalf.

Aslan.

Some of these sacrifices deliberately point to Christ’s sacrifice on the cross. Others are more ambiguous. Tolkien himself said that Gandalf’s death and resurrection wasn’t intended to be symbolism, but when you look closely at it, there’s no denying Tolkien’s worldview showed through.

This foundational aspect of fantasy can’t but help point people to the ultimate sacrifice that Christ made for us. Again, a heart longing for fulfillment of a story element in real life.

6. Prophecy

Along with the chosen one, there is usually some kind of prophecy that guides the main characters through their fantasy story. Whether it’s a designation of the chosen one or a statement that helps the main characters unearth their quest objective, some form of prophecy exists in most fantasy stories.

How does this relate to Christianity and real life? It’s easy to see the correlation with the Bible. A book, written years in the past, guides our lives today. Or there are the literal prophecies that were given and then later came to pass—like in the book of Daniel.

Again, here’s an opportunity for believers to share their faith through fantasy stories.

7. Orphan

Eragon

The Elfstones of Shannara

The Horse and His Boy

Uprooted (Okay, I didn’t honestly plan on being part of such an ostentatious list, but it’s true.)

All of these have main characters who are orphans, or who become orphans thus setting them on their quest.

Christians may wonder how I’m placing this within roots of their faith, but we are all orphans.

The earliest vision their eyes beheld was not one another. Upon humanity’s awakening, they first saw the glad smile of God. ~Cara L. T. Murphy, The Inquisitive Christ

Back in Eden, we had family. God was our Father, but due to the fall, from the time of our birth until we die, we are now orphans—unless we look to Christ. Then he adopts us into His family. The Apostle Paul talks about us being adopted and crying out “Abba, Father.”

Adoption probably should go under found family, but it’s the idea that we had no family and now we are adopted into a family. Many fantasy heroes have a longing for connection with their lost parents or mentors.

And so we have the next three reasons Christians should read fantasy. As we delve into the genre, we find there are aspects that drive our hearts’ longing. May you fulfill your true purpose this week.

3. The Chosen One

Every fantasy lover knows this trope. The lowly stable boy, the orphan girl, the underdog who no one knows becomes the prophesied savior. I don’t know how many fantasy stories include this in some way. And yet, what if it had its beginnings at the beginning of time?

Genesis chapter three tells of the fall of man, but God doesn’t just punish Adam and Eve for doing what they weren’t supposed to do, he gives a promise! One day, there will come one who will crush the serpent’s head. A Savior would come from the woman.

How many women through the ages wondered if their child would be the chosen one? How many young boys dreamed of being the savior their people longed for?

Then one day, an angel spoke to a young woman betrothed to a righteous man and told her she would bear a child who would be the Savior.

But the chosen one trope doesn’t end with Jesus as the Savior of the world. It goes on. Jesus chose twelve men to travel with him, and many others followed.

Ephesians chapter one verses three and four state:

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love (English Standard Version, emphasis mine)

Did you catch that? If we are believers in Christ, then we are chosen. The longing of every fantasy reader to be that chosen hero can be true.

4. Magic

I can just hear Christians ready to cry, “Heresy!” Doesn’t the Bible forbid magic? Put down your stones—okay, at least hold them for a moment and listen.

Magic by its very definition is a supernatural ability. There are two sources to supernatural abilities in this world—from God or from the Devil (Enemy, Satan.)

God gave his Old Testament servants the ability to perform miracles which would very much appear as magic. Moses turning his staff into a snake for instance. The Egyptian magicians did the same thing through their dark arts. There were several signs that Moses did that the Egyptians were able to duplicate, but eventually, they could no longer keep up with God’s power.

In the New Testament, again, God gave signs to help people come to a saving faith in Jesus.

But there is a definite dark magic that the Bible forbids and with good reason. Its source is from the enemy, and he only wants to entangle us in his grasp.

So, as believers we must be careful where our magic system comes from in a fantasy book. There are definite dark fantasy books out there that dig into magic on an evil front.

As you go about your week, remember the chosen one. Are you one of them? Do you know any? But even more importantly, are you living life as a chosen one?

Should Christians read fantasy? I grew up in a family that answered this in the negative. It wasn’t until I was in college that I read Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings and The Hobbit. Let alone C. S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. But as I grow in my faith and dig deeper into fantasy, the more I see that fantasy is an outworking of the longing of the heart for God.

How? Here’s ten themes within the fantasy genre that harken back to the roots of Christianity. We’ll look at 2 at a time.

1. Found Family

The number of stories in fantasy that have found family as a theme are beyond my counting. Even The Lord of the Rings have the hobbits coming together as a family, not to mention Gimli and Legolas.

But where is found family in Christianity?

Back in the Garden of Eden, God placed Adam and Eve and told them to multiply and fill the earth—in essence, become a family. Unfortunately, it didn’t take them long to break the perfect world God had created, including the family. Cain killed Abel!

When Jesus came to earth, he created the church. Paul uses the image of family for the church. Could it be that the church in its perfect form is to be one big found family?

2. Kingdom Fantasy

One of the subgenres of fantasy is Kingdom Fantasy where there isn’t any magic, just a medieval kingdom; while another trope of fantasy is to have it in a medieval setting.

Many who read fantasy wish to return to the medieval era. Why else would we have Renaissance Faires and the SCA? But what is the draw to this kingdom setting?

Especially in the United States of America, I believe the draw is to the monarchy. Even though our forefathers separated from it, we still are drawn to the idea of a king, queen, prince, and princess—hence the fascination with the British royal family.

The overarching concept of a monarch is that they have supreme control over the kingdom. There’s a bowing down in honor to them; a feeling of awe and reverence.

Wayne Thomas Batson does this well in his The Door Within series where the throne room is held in awe, and Aidan can’t even look at it in passing if the door is open.

Just as Gwenne covered Aidan’s eyes with her hands, a thunderous rumble sounded. The King’s enormous doors began to open. The entire hallway filled with searing light. The fierce brilliance streamed in through Gwenne’s fingers.

Aidan fell facedown, burying his head in his hands. Gwenne bent down to his side as the King’s chamber doors closed and the light withdrew.

“I warned you,” she said sympathetically. “Are you all right?”

“My eyes!” he complained, rubbing both vigorously with his knuckles. He blinked tears and opened his eyes. The only image he could see, eyes opened or eyes closed, was the vague outline of Gwenne’s fingers.

“The glory of the King… it is perilously pure,” she said.

Every believer knows that Jesus is given the name King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Could the fascination with fantasy kings be our desire to understand our own King?

Even better, could reading a fantasy book like The Door Within or others help bring a ‘welcome awakening’ to someone who is longing for a loving king who controls everything?

We’ll look at another 2 reasons next week.

But it’s more than mirroring our world, it’s more so our innate longing for what once was. And so there are ten ways fantasy reflects what our hearts long for. Because of this, I also describe them as ten reasons why Christians should read fantasy.

I know, that can be controversial. But I’ll line out those reasons later. Meanwhile, I posted the question of how fantasy mirrors the real world.

Genres that Mirror the Real World

As I look at fantasy genres, there’s at least one that mirrors our longing for another world. C. S. Lewis and many others, including me, write Portal Fantasy.

Portal fantasy is where the characters go from our world into a fantasy world. But how does this mirror our longing? Listen as this facebook creator explains Aslan.

Did you hear what he said? Find me in your world. Portal fantasy is a longing for the world we were originally created for. A world that can be ours again at the end.

The Door Within by Wayne Thomas Batson not only is portal fantasy, but shows the ending of what could be–adventures with God, not sitting on clouds playing harps.

Characters that Mirror our Longing

The hero is a longing for something more as well. Think about it. We want someone to come in and rescue us!

I once heard a speaker describe it as “Bog Theology.” It’s the time in your life when you’re in the middle of a bog–think mile long and wide where you’re sinking into it. Kind of like the Fire Swamp in The Princess Bride. There are dangers and you’re sinking wanting out.

Bog Theology says that instead of God sending you a helicopter to get you out, he comes alongside you and walks with you through it.

How many fantasy heroes do that. We walk with them through their journey, but in so doing, they walk beside us, helping us through our real-life struggles.

If this sounds like something you want to know more about, follow the series. Next up will be a series of posts with two reasons each of why Christians should read fantasy. It’s the same idea. This longing for a place to call your own that resonates within us with fantasy.

The previous week

Last week this time, we arrived home late. We’d been in the hospital for my husband’s urgent (not emergent) gallbladder surgery. While there we’d managed to pick up Professor Kirke, and then somehow ended up with enough room in the Prius to bring him back as well as a Costco run (which included my husband’s pain killers.) When we arrived, a man who looked much like my husband greeted us, helping bring in supplies. As he set down a box, I saw a mark on his hand. He quickly hid it, but I cocked my head.

“Brom?”

“At your service.” He turned to see my husband carrying the other box. “Let me get that for you.”

“I’ve got it,” my husband said as he set it on the island.

I shook my head this was going to be a long week.

At least my guests allowed us to sleep in, but by Sundy afternoon I came downstairs to find a man standing, looking slightly lost.

“Can I help you?” I asked.

“Is this where wisest counselors are gathering? I’m accustomed to inter-worlds travel, but this is a first for me.”

I chuckled. “You and me both. Welcome. I’m Kandi, your hostess. Care for a cup of…” I paused remembering I hadn’t ordered any more loose-leaf tea yet. “Coffee?”

“I… I’m not sure. I suppose I could try it.”

With something to do, I continued to make my newest guest feel at home.

Monday afternoon, three women escorted my husband in from the garage.

“I told you I could do it.” The woman adjusted her pink stole which was knotted around an overcoat; she was definitely overdressed for the warm September day.

“I never doubted you,” a plump woman with thick spectacles said.

The third ignored the other two and patted my husband’s arm. “I do believe he overdid it. We arrived just in time.”

“What were you doing now?” I asked my husband.

He shrugged, looking quite tired. “Only grinding shearing tool.”

I shook my head. “If you take him upstairs, he can show you to your rooms. And thank you, Mrs. Which. Or are you Mrs. Who?”

The three just smiled as my husband led them upstairs.

My home, although spacious, was starting to feel crowded. Gandalf, the two professors, and Brom had the third floor, and the three sisters now occupied the room across from mine. We couldn’t take many more guests.

Tuesday, went smoothly. As we walked the block to the photography studio, I was impressed with how well my husband could keep up. His healing was coming along. Before we made it the block to the studio, a man in a threadbare cloak approached us. Since we’d been known to wander the area in our own medieval garb, this didn’t surprise us. But it was his piercing blue eyes and long white beard that caught my attention.

“Is that a broadsword?” my husband asked the man, who glanced down.

“This?” He placed a hand on the hilt.

“Uh, yeah?”

The man shrugged and nodded. “Obviously, the world is not as I thought.”

I couldn’t hide a smirk.

“Yes, young lady?” The man glared at me with eyes full of knowledge and wisdom.

“Excuse me,” I said with a slight inclination of my head. “You may be another one of my guests. Are you purchance Dalmir of Turrim?”

A wary look crossed his aged face.

“It’s all right,” I soothed. “You’ve been called for the Silmaril Awards, and I’m your hostest. We’ll take you to our home.”

He muttered something into his beard, and I couldn’t help lean over and whisper, “Can I see the orb? It’s perfectly safe here.”

“Nothing is perfectly safe,” he grumbled, and I let it be.

By Friday, all was well. My guests were settling in, but I’d still not refreshed my tea stock. When Rendar refused coffee, but wished something hot to drink, I was at a loss.

There was a knock on the door.

“Good day, kind lady,” the gentleman said. “I hear you need tea. I may be of assistance. Let’s take a walk through your garden. There may be plants you need.”

“Why…” I don’t know why it threw me for a loop, but I finally found my voice. “Thank you. And you are?”

With a bow and a flourish, he said, “I am known as The Magus.”

Saturday’s happenings

Our walk wasn’t as successful as my tea-drinking guests would’ve wanted. There was a limited supply of spearmint and plantain leaves, but that was it. That evening, my final guest arrived. He’d have to share a room with The Magus, for I had no more beds available. But he, too, was a tea drinker.

As I stood in my kitchen wondering if I should leave my guests to their own devices while I went into town for the parade, my final guest, joined me, his hands wrapped around a mug. He hadn’t done anything but sip at what little tea I had, his eyes gazing into my soul as if he knew exactly what I was thinking.

Yet the more I watched him, the more I feared. Of all my guests, he seemed to be the one who would know a hundred ways to kill a person–and had discussed them at length with my husband over a mug of tea. Despite the fact that I believed he could kill me faster than a blink, I was still drawn to him like that cool uncle that everyone doesn’t understand but wants to be around.

It was at that moment that I realized what I needed to do.

“I’ll be right back!” I ran upstairs, grabbed my purse and returned. Athelas hadn’t moved, still holding his mug of tea. “I’ll go into town and bring back tea from Teas, Tinctures, and Tonics. Then you’ll have a good cup of tea.”

“Thank you,” he said with nod and turned back into the living room where Gandalf was discussing The Disaster of the Gladden Fields with the professors. “Why would you expend such a force of men when a single assassin would work?”

“You know nothing of orcs, sir,” Gandalf’s voice rose, and I second guessed myself.

Before I could chicken out, my husband joined me. I prayed our house would be left standing, and all our guests in one piece and unharmed when we returned.

Wisest Counselor 2026

Brom (Inheritance Cycle)
Athelas (The City Between)
Rendar (Moonscript)
The Magus (The Queen’s Thief)
Dalmir (The Turrim Archive)

Other Categories

Most Devoted Couple – T P Sarah at Light and Shadows
Most Epic Heroine – C. O. Bonham
Most Faithful Friend – Mackenzie K. Writes
Most Nefarious Villain – Janelle Leanne Schmidt
Strangest Character – E. E. Rawls
Most Magnificent Dragon – Rachel A. Greco
Most Epic Hero – DJ Edwards
Silver Tongue – S. L. Dooley
Most Rakish Rogue – Grace T

Where to Vote

What are the Silmarils:

The Silmaril Awards are all about celebrating fantasy fiction. But whereas most awards go to authors or books, these awards go to the characters themselves!

Started in 2016, these awards are a four week online celebration of all that’s best in fantasy literature. There are several awards in various categories given every year. The characters who receive them have to be from books generally considered to be in the fantasy genre. And a given character cannot receive an award more than once. These are lifetime awards.

Also, as Tolkien is, for us, the gold standard of fantasy, his characters are not eligible to be nominated. That’s because they’ll be the ones presenting the awards in this cross-dimensional online ceremony. 

Nominations are submitted on the websites of each of the presenters for that year. Anyone can submit a nomination and you can second (and third and fourth, etc.) any number of nominations besides your own.

After the nomination period (lasting one week), the five characters receiving the most nominations will make it onto the ballot and you’ll have one week to vote. After the votes are tallied, the winners will be announced, one per day, over the final two weeks of the awards.

Who to look for

Since each year, the different bloggers host different categories, you’ll find last year’s Most Faithful Friend on my blog.

This year, I get to hang out with none other than all the wisest counselors! That means that Gandalf and who knows who else will be hanging out in my 1880’s old stagecoach home. Maybe we can pretend it’s a castle?

But how does it work? I’m glad you asked. Starting September 7, you’ll be leaving comments on my blogs as well as others to nominate your favorite characters.

Rules for nominations:

Characters must be fantasy characters from books. This means no sci-fi, no contemporary, AND no webcomics, graphic novels, movies, and so on. If the story was a book first, but then got its own webcomic, graphic novel, characters from said story are eligible, but otherwise, sadly, they are not permitted. If there’s a book which might be seen as sci-fi, contemporary, or something else non-fantasy but you think has enough fantasy elements to count (for instance, The Lunar Chronicles, for the sake of the Silmaril Awards, count as fantasy, though they are rather sci-fi-y), make your case in the comments, and we will certainly consider it. 

Tolkien’s and Lewis’s characters are not allowed. Given that, in the awards ceremony at the end of the month, one of Tolkien’s characters (and potentially a few of Lewis’s) will be presenting this award, you really don’t want the conflict of interest that might result from the presenting characters being nominated for the award. Especially if they don’t win the final vote. It can get ugly, y’all. 

An author may not nominate (or second) his or her own characters. It’s just undignified and unprofessional, guys. Don’t do it. However, you of course may send your hyped-up readers to nominate and/or second your characters. (Winning a Silmaril would be really good publicity, just saying.)

Rule-breakers are sent immediately over to Rachel A. Greco, who’s hosting the dragons this year, to be eaten. Look, I don’t make the rules, I just enforce them. If you don’t want to follow these rules, prepare to be a dragon’s lunch. And vice versa–if you don’t want to be a dragon’s lunch, prepare to follow the rules. 

Former Wise Counselor Winners

Silmarils are a one-time thing, so a character may only win a category once. Here are the characters who have already won this award:

-Helmer (The Green Ember)
-Queen Irene (Princess and the Goblin)
-Nia (The Wingfeather Saga)
-Merlin (Arthurian Legends)
-Puddleglum (The Chronicles of Narnia)
-Halt (Ranger’s Apprentice)
-Remus Lupin (Harry Potter)
-Professor Kirke (The Chronicles of Narnia)
-Professor Hamilton (Dragons in Our Midst)
-Aslan (The Chronicles of Narnia)

Well, I’d best get to cleaning. We have enough room in this place, but my guest will expect some cleanliness. Let’s see how well this year’s Silmaril Awards go. Who knows, I may meet a new friend, or get to spend time with an old one. Who do you want to see win?

Founders

Two stories. 
Two books. 
Two families. 
Without courage neither will have a legacy to leave to the next generation. What heritage will you leave for your family?

Two stories:
What happens if you have dragons and an ice sea? What if a young man is out for revenge–against dragons?
What happens when a sliver of your moon comes careening toward the planet? What will it take for a family to survive?

Two books:
Things Passed Down
Things Left Behind

Two families:
Giorgi Ioseb’s son is the last of clan Kori. He’s determined to fulfill his papa’s dying wish.
Wendel Vogt’s dad handed him the family ring as the sliver of the moon had entered their planet’s atmosphere. With it comes a responsibility to the family and to stand for what Dad stood for.

Courage:
Giorgi will need courage to go against his very nature to achieve the revenge he longs for.
Wendel will need courage to face a world tilted off its axis.

The Special Editions

Since both stories take place at oposite ends of the planet, I’ve used that to influence the color choice. Things Passed Down will be blue to represent the cold north, while Things Left Behind is orange for the sun. Things Passed Down has snowflakes in silver foil. Things Left Behind has the watch Wendel’s dad gives him in gold foil. The silver and gold will continue with faux metalic sprayed edges.

Inside will have special art for chapter headers. I’m still finalizing who and what that will look like.

How to Pre-order

Normally, to pre-order books, you go to retailers, pay them, wait until release day and then the ebook miraculously ends up on your device. I’ve started to change that up. Instead of the impersonal route of ebook only pre-order, I’ve started to use Kickstarter. This enables those who pre-order to receive the ebooks months before the book is available in stores and usually there’s something special about even the ebooks that don’t end up on regular stores.

Besides early special ebooks, this also enables special art to be commissioned. For Paskal’s Hope in Four Stars over Ardatz: Journeys duology, we have two character sketches added to the chapter art already in the paperback and hardback that won’t be available in retail stores.

Kickstarter enables the author and reader to connect through reader polls of what they want in the book, stretch goals, and direct messaging.

To sum up, Kickstarter is great because:

• you receive ebooks ahead of others
• you receive special edition ebooks
• you receive special edition paperbacks or hardbacks (yes, both physical and ebook)
• you get to vote in what makes the special edition ‘special’
• you have direct access to the author
• you get swag (either digital or physical)
• you get both books of the duology at once if you wish instead of waiting (for this and future Kickstarters for me)

If that sounds like something you want to be a part of, then follow the Kickstarter to get an email notification when it launches (early September is the plan.)

What is Kickstarter?

You’ve heard of gofundme. Think of Kickstarter as a gofundme with perks! The gaming community has used Kickstarter for years. The indie-published book industry has just recently hopped on board.

This crowdunding option, enables the reader to have direct access to the author. The messsage feature works well, and many times the author has the reader interact with them through polls.

Since Kickstarter has been around for years, they’ve figured out the ins and outs of how to vet projects, provide secure payment options, etc.

How Kickstarter works

The project will be live for 23 days. During that time, you have the opportunity of pledging and encouraging your friends to pledge and back the project. If it funds, and only if it funds, you’ll pay what you pledged and get your rewards.

Reward tiers allow you to choose how much you wish to receive and how much you wish to support a project.

If the project funds early, then stretch goals are implemented–these are things that brings more value to your product and the project. For books, it’s often character art, maps, special art to include in the book, bookmarks, stickers, deleted scenes, extra short stories, etc. The more people who back, the higher the project goes and the more perks everyone gets!

When the project ends, late pledges can be in effect. (I’ve set mine to last until I make a final order of books.) This means there will still be people who can get the perks, even if they were late to the party.

A week after the project ends, Kickstarter uses Stripe to charge your credit card. Then if your card has changed since you pledged, Kickstarter, and often the author, will reach out to get that fixed. I just supported one Kickstarter where those errored cards made the difference in what art we would receive in our books! I was so excited to hear it got figured out and everyone still was able to have that stretch goal.

Kristjan’s Rise as a Kickstarter

I learned a lot from Bonded Crowns as a Kickstarter, and that helps you out.

You’ll be choosing from several options.

The first level is “back because you want to”–you can add some extra change to support it without receiving anything or add more to your pledge because you believe in it.

Then there are ebook options–from Uprooted to Kristjan’s Rise months before it’ll be available on outlets.

Physical product: Every physical product comes with an ebook as well. You’ll have your choice of paperback or hardback or sparkly hardback. Let me explain.

Both paperback and hardback will come with chapter art headings. These look really nice in the proof paperback I’ve received. There are two different images–one for Geirfinnur (the dad) and one for Kristjan’s point of view.

In hardback, you’ll have two choices–regular and shiny sparkly. The regular one has a dust jacket with the cover on it, and on the book, just Kristjan and his thinking spot.

The Sparkly Hardback special edition:

Let’s work our way from the outside in. There is a gold-foiled dust jacket–the title and author name in gold foil. When you turn the book to the side, you’ll see the gold-colored sprayed edges. When you open it, you’ll see leather-look endpages. If you take off the dust jacket, you’ll understand why the endpages are leather-like. This cover is as if you’re opening a leather tome like Kristjan would have in the library. There is gold foil on the metal corner pieces. And then each chapter has the art.

Stretch Goals

Once we reach our goal of $500 pledged, we’ll be working toward art that will be placed in each book. There are a lot of art-worthy scenes in this story, and Moonpix Art is already working on pieces for the game that will go along with Kristjan’s Rise.

This scene is of the original founders of Storeheltur.

Besides art, there are many deleted scenes. My editor was even sad to see these go! So, I’ll be offering those up.

There are also songs in the story and as those who followed Bonded Crowns knows songs can be fun to have digitally, but can also take a long time to produce. This time, I already have the songs composed and written down for musicians to play. I’ve spoken with a harpist and she has access to two different studios and has recorded before.

So as you can see, these books, besides being available months before the rest of the world gets access, have the potential to be unique and an interactive experience.

Now What?

How do you get your own special edition? Hop over to the Kickstarter and click follow (or make a pledge) depending on when you see this. It will only be available from May 13-June 5. A few tiers will be available after that.

Did you hear about the game? I’ll have more information later about that, but think Settlers of Catan meets Ticket to Ride meets Arkham. You’ll become one of the Ancients, the original settlers of Storeheltur, and help them create Storeheltur in under 30 days. Each round is one day, so the clock is ticking.

In the meantime, follow the kickstarter to get in on the special edition. It won’t be availble until November otherwise, and the sparkly hardback won’t be availble until next year sometime! And then only on my website.

About the Book

All fifteen-year-old Akeela has ever wanted is an ordinary family who will love her. But the only mother she has ever known is the old hag, Krezma, who berates her night and day. Why did the old woman even take her in?

But Krezma knows her charge is no ordinary child. She can see the auras surrounding living things and can communicate with fairies. And the birthmark on her palm reveals a secret Krezma must hold close for the child’s safety.

A secret that the witch, Tzmet, hunts for night and day, drying and eating fairies for the power they contain. When Akeela discovers her fate lies in being the next Fairy Guardian, all hope for an ordinary life dissipates like the dreams they were. She must protect the fairies from the witch–and an even darker power that threatens them all.

Akeela is unwillingly thrust into an adventure that will not end until she decides to accept her fate and give up on her dream.

Maybe even her life.

Cover Reveal

Where to pre-order the book

Pam’s publisher has the book (and others) on their bookstore.

Do you love worlds where there are high stakes? Worlds where cultures clash and people have to figure out how to get along? Where love is gentle and comes along slowly?

Then you’ll love Sharon Rose. Whether she’s writing stories in space or a medieval world, she brings all of that together in a masterful story.

Arts of Substance

This unique world has three gifts: Formers, Weavers, and Streamers.

Formers can sense and move the ground. They polish stones, excavate, and build.

Weavers move the wind and can control the weather patterns.

Streamers control the waters.

The gifts are given based not on the person but what Creo deems best for the world, and if someone acts in defiance to him, their gift can be taken away! In a world where status is held based on your gift, that’s not something people are willing to chance.

Book 1: To Form a Passage

The first book introduces us to Dirklan, an underground province that is expanding and bringing ore to the rest of the kingdom until there’s a collapse and the province is cut off from above. Their will to survive is challenged, and politics come to the fore as they seek a passage to reach the world above.

Book 2: To Weave the Wind

Set several generations after the first book, To Weave the Wind gives us a glimpse of the world outside Dirklan and then the problems that have resulted from years of isolation below.

An ambassador is sent from above to Dirklan province, but this ambassador is the daughter of the king and queen. Her gifting has always been valued, and she’s grown up knowing that she’s needed below.

When she arrives, though, she discovers she’s not what the people of Dirklan think she is. They want a streamer to open the waterways that bring in supplies, but she’s a weaver of the wind. What need can there be for wind in an underground world?

To make matters worse, all the eligible bachelors are vying for her hand in marriage. Thankfully, her father gave instructions to the governor of Dirklan that she’s capable of making her own decision.

As the passage that brings food in worsens and political scheming rises, the ambassador and the governor’s son work together with their unique giftings to bring unwanted but much needed help to the province.

Review of To Weave the Wind

Sharon Rose did it again! A story that brings to light the problems that can form when we don’t see things from different perspectives. The age-old struggle of thinking our way is right without bothering to discover that there are other ways of thinking.

Her use of the giftings is masterfully woven to show that each person is unique even if they have the same type of gift–each gift is manifested in a unique way. The whole idea of gifts resonates throughout the story shedding light on our own world.

A must read for those who love fantasy worlds with a touch of realism, characters to love, and books that transport you while they encourage you.