Mythical Monday (43)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Fantasy author 
Freya Robertson

Talking of the Firebird.

Kia ora and nice to meet you all!

I’m here to talk about my epic fantasy Sunstone, Book 2 of The Elemental Wars.

In Book 1, Heartwood, I talked on this blog about some of the myths behind the series, including that of King Arthur. The story isn’t about this mythical king, but it does feature some Arthurian themes like the link between the land and its people, and the age-old topic of resurrection and rebirth. Sunstone very much continues with these themes and elaborates on them.

Heartwood was about the element of earth and its battle against the Darkwater Lords or water elementals. Sunstone is about the element of fire. Originally, my plan was to make the king of the Incendi fire elementals a salamander, or fire lizard. This is because the land is called Anguis, which is Latin for dragon, and if you look closely at the map of Anguis in Heartwood, you may be able to see the way the mountains are in a vague dragon shape, with the Snout Range at the top, the Forest of Wings to the side and the Spina Mountains running down the middle. Making the sleeping king beneath the mountains a dragon-related species therefore made sense.

However, when I came to write the story, the themes of death, resurrection and rebirth became so prominent that I realised Pyra, the king, couldn’t be anything but a bird. In Greek mythology, the firebird or phoenix is a bird associated with the sun that is cyclically regenerated or reborn, rising from the ashes of its predecessor. The phoenix was later adopted by a symbol in early Christianity because of its association with resurrection.

The topic of rebirth is a common one in religions because of the way we observe how nature grows in spring, matures in summer, ages in autumn and dies in winter, only to begin the whole cycle again the following spring. This theme of birth, death and rebirth is also mirrored in the rising and setting of the sun and how the moon waxes, grows full and wanes again.

Sunstone is all about the circle of birth, death and rebirth. Set in three different timelines—22 years after Heartwood, five hundred years after that and a thousand years later—the plots interweave and culminate in the Apex, a fixed point in time during which the story concludes, with each timeline having a direct effect on the other. The firebird king’s power grows throughout the story, but everything goes in cycles, and even though he rises from the ashes of the Arbor or holy tree, so the wheel of time turns and the element of earth begins its ascension once again.

If you like stories about nature religions and about adventures through time as well as through vast lands, then maybe Sunstone is for you.

Freya


Author Bio:
Freya is a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, as well as a dedicated gamer. She has a deep and abiding fascination for the history and archaeology of the middle ages and spent many hours as a teenager writing out notecards detailing the battles of the Wars of the Roses, or moping around museums looking at ancient skeletons, bits of rusted iron and broken pots.

She has published over twenty romance novels under other pseudonyms and won prizes in fifteen short story and poetry competitions.

Freya lives in the glorious country of New Zealand Aotearoa, where the countryside was made to inspire fantasy writers and filmmakers, and where they brew the best coffee in the world.

Find Freya:
Her Site
Twitter:  @EpicFreya
Facebook:  Freya Robertson

Purchase Freya's Books: (click the image)

Mythical Monday (31)

It seems there are many books based on or influenced by Myths and Mythological Beings.

There are so many different Mythology and Mythological Beings recorded. Some are very popular and well known, others not so much. There are many similar beings, yet different depending on the culture it’s based in.  The definition of Myth covers about anything in the Urban Fantasy/Fantasy realm to me.

I’ve invited authors to share briefly the Mythological being or Myth that influenced their character(s) or story, or what their character(s) are based on influencing their books.  Hosting here, one author and being or myth per week.

This week we have:

Fantasy author Freya Robertson

Talking of English Folklore inspiration.

Hi Melissa, and thanks for having me on your blog today!

Heartwood—an epic fantasy and Book 1 of The Elemental Wars—was inspired by several important figures in English folklore. Ever since I was young, I’ve had an interest in Robin Hood and King Arthur.

While they have a profound mythical element, it is possible that both of these figures have a foundation in historical fact. Regarding King Arthur, there are occasionally historic mentions of a post-Roman warlord who attempted to unite the Celtic tribes and re-garrison the old Saxon Shore forts on the coasts to try and hold back the flow of incoming Saxons.

Equally, the late fourteenth century poem Piers Plowman refers to “Robyn hode in scherewode stod” while historical records show a man named Robin Hood lived in Wakefield, Yorkshire, in the 13th and 14th centuries.

But the legends as we know them both have their roots in folklore, and they are both linked with the tradition of the Green Man, as are many other of our traditional heroes, from Robin Goodfellow to Puck, Peter Pan and even Father Christmas.

The Green Man is a sculpture of a face surrounded by leaves, vines, flowers and fruit, and in Neo-paganism he represents the Horned God, the male counterpart to the Goddess. The Horned God is born in winter, impregnates the Goddess, dies during the autumn and winter months and is then reborn by the Goddess at Yule. He is also split into the aspects of the Oak and Holly kings, who fight out an eternal battle in the seasons, with the Oak king reigning from midsummer to midwinter, and the Holly king for the other half of the year. At each solstice, one of the kings dies to make way for the new king in a never-ending cycle.

This theme of resurrection and rebirth is a very old one in religion, and it plays a big part in the story of Heartwood, which revolves around the Arbor, an oak tree whose roots stretch across the land of Anguis. Its transfers the love of the god Animus through these roots, which keeps the countryside flourishing and its people happy. This idea stems from the notion in King Arthur of “a king without a sword, a land without a king”—the idea that the fertility and growth of the land is linked to its people and to its ruler. Certainly Chonrad—the hero of the story—comes to understand what an important role both he and the Heartwood knights have to play in protecting the Arbor and keeping the energies flowing throughout the land when the world is threatened by an invasion of the Darkwater Lords.

Those who love traditional epic fantasy will hopefully find something to love about Heartwood. And hopefully its fresh look—no elves or dwarves and an emphasis on positive roles for women (the leader of Heartwood’s army is a woman)—will bring added appeal to the modern reader.

There are also other mythical elements in Heartwood—for example the Darkwater Lords are mermen from the deep who come to the shores of Anguis to defeat the earth elementals. But more of that at a later time :-)

Freya


Author Bio:
Freya is a lifelong fan of science fiction and fantasy, as well as a dedicated gamer. She has a deep and abiding fascination for the history and archaeology of the middle ages and spent many hours as a teenager writing out notecards detailing the battles of the Wars of the Roses, or moping around museums looking at ancient skeletons, bits of rusted iron and broken pots.

She has published over twenty romance novels under other pseudonyms and won prizes in fifteen short story and poetry competitions.

Freya lives in the glorious country of New Zealand Aotearoa, where the countryside was made to inspire fantasy writers and filmmakers, and where they brew the best coffee in the world.

Find Freya:
Online at her website as well as on Twitter and Facebook.
Amazon Author Link: http://www.amazon.com/author/freyarobertson

Heartwood
A dying tree, a desperate quest, a love story, a last stand.

Chonrad, Lord of Barle, comes to the fortified temple of Heartwood for the Congressus peace talks, which Heartwood’s holy knights have called in an attempt to stave off war in Anguis. But the Arbor, Heartwood’s holy tree, is failing, and because the land and its people are one, it is imperative the nations try to make peace.

After the Veriditas, or annual Greening Ceremony, the Congressus takes place. The talks do not go well and tempers are rising when an army of warriors emerges from the river. After a fierce battle, the Heartwood knights discover that the water warriors have stolen the Arbor’s heart. For the first time in history, its leaves begin to fall...

The knights divide into seven groups and begin an epic quest to retrieve the Arbor, and save the land.

Augur and other short stories
Unexplained deaths in a South African gold mine... Adventure and loss in the Bermuda Triangle... Strange creatures in the shadows at the time of the Black Death... Alternate realities where things aren't quite as they seem...

An anthology of fantasy, science fiction and historical stories, including a bonus prequel and an excerpt of the epic fantasy Heartwood.



Pick up Heartwood at Amazon


Pick up Augur and other short stories at Amazon

Book Review: Heartwood

Heartwood

By:  Freya Robertson

Publish Date: October 29, 2013

Format:  eARC

Genre:  Fantasy

Series:  1st in Elemental Wars series

Recommendation:  You like your fantasy, with adventure and death. This is for you. And with a twist to environment as well!

Synopsis:
A dying tree, a desperate quest, a love story, a last stand.

Chonrad, Lord of Barle, comes to the fortified temple of Heartwood for the Congressus peace talks, which Heartwood’s holy knights have called in an attempt to stave off war in Anguis. But the Arbor, Heartwood’s holy tree, is failing, and because the land and its people are one, it is imperative the nations try to make peace.

After the Veriditas, or annual Greening Ceremony, the Congressus takes place. The talks do not go well and tempers are rising when an army of warriors emerges from the river. After a fierce battle, the Heartwood knights discover that the water warriors have stolen the Arbor’s heart. For the first time in history, its leaves begin to fall...

The knights divide into seven groups and begin an epic quest to retrieve the Arbor, and save the land.

First Sentence:
The belt hung from a hook in the doorway of a tent, weighed down by a bulging leather pouch.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles  /  Book Depository

*I asked to review this book as it caught my attention and sounded like something I'd enjoy.

My Thoughts and Summary:
The peace talks are called by the Heartwood Militis to help save the land. The land is slowly dying, foods not as plentiful as it once was. The weather is turning ill. Animal sicknesses. The worshiped powerful oak tree of the lands is shrinking. The Arbor is dying and they hope bringing the people together, instead of constant battle, they can help save it and all who live on the land. When they gather to talk, they start to bicker. While the bickering is happening, a surprise attack of Dark Water Lords hit. The heart of the tree is stolen and many are killed. The rains set in and a dangerous journey into unknown areas has to succeed to save them all from what's to come. In a world as this, much can happen to stop them from their tasks. Others won't even get to accomplish their tasks.

The world is vast. We start with a believe that may not be as all have thought. That there are pieces of their believe that is wrong with the finding of a lost room. The system of the Arbor is vast, magical, and powerful. The history of the elements caught my attention right away. I am taken with the elemental influence in this world. The influence in the care of the world and even in the beings and characters. An ancient history is buried here.

We have different regions in the world and slightly differing life styles that cause disagreements among the land. There is Laxonian, Wulfian, and Komis. Then you have the Heartwood Knights of the Militis that try to police the lands and keep things calm. Heartwood is neutral ground as all areas send people to join their ranks at young age of seven. Although, there are late bloomers that have made their way into the ranks.

We meet many characters here. It's a large cast to play with. It's an epic fantasy. Large casts are a good thing in a world as vast as this. We learn more, see more, and know more, by having more venues to see the world through. It brings the diversity to our attention. But, the larger the cast in a deadly world...there are more to lose along the way. More potential of death. More happening. And this book keeps it all moving along in that way.

We get a point of view from multiple characters. Each as they lead their own quest party across the land and encounter something different in the world. Each character has their own section so it's clearly marked out who you are reading and what is happening. Of all the characters it's hard to pick a favorite. I loved Chonrad, Lord of Barle, the moment I met him. And overall in the book, I think he's the main character. We aren't with him at all times but he fits the part of the key character to me. But I really enjoyed Teagon as well. Teagon holds a very special magic and that's what draws me to him. Everyone holds something close they don't or won't share with others. It eats at them and everyone needs someone to help them - as a friend or something more.

The story walks these characters through their trials, baring the crosses they hide deep, and drawing friendships where ones would not have been before. A journey, as a group to save the world and individually to help themselves through, through a dangerous world - a world growing more dangerous daily - to save it from itself. Water and Air fight an internal battle over the land.

This story comes to a close with the characters and the troubles of the land. But there are more books to come. And I'll be looking for them. I'm curious to see what comes in the next books in this intriguing world.