Fantasy novels have long been a classic territory for Young Adults to dip their toes into the water of more adult 
stories. This genre can cover a whole range of themes, but this story ( the first of a series) is what you might call a ‘classic fantasy.
The book is set in an almost medieval world, with a broad range of characters, from humans and elves, to dwarves and dragons all of whom are living in relative harmony; that is until a mysterious hooded person attacks the city of Celestial and destroys much of it, together with large numbers of the population. The central characters are Stephen Brightflame, a young warrior, Tyrus Canard an experienced warrior and Kari Quinn,who is a’Halfling’ and an archer. This is the first in a series of five books, which are set in a world split between those who follow the ‘good’ God Alazar and those that follow his opposite.
The story itself is fast paced and full of action. When the three heroes escape from the city of Celestial they are followed by the monster followers of the hooded killer and the usurping Prince Silas and they have to discover who are their enemies and what they are trying to achieve. They meet with other heroic characters along the way but there is a lot of death and destruction for them to cope with.
The author has written in a very flowery way, so that you feel it might have been written in the medieval period; however as you get further into the story, the more you begin to accept this style. This is a classic fantasy about the fight between good and evil, with the heroes being on a quest and we see the young people mature as they come to terms with some surprising facts about their families and their futures. One of the underlying themes is about accepting people who are different; the whole sad situation owes a lot to the way different races are kept separate and the ‘monsters’ have been excluded from participation with the rest of the communities. Perhaps the only advisory note about this story is the graphic descriptions of the violence, but I am sure that the average 14+ reader will have come across more graphic descriptions elsewhere. This is a series that grows on you as you read the titles; the edition I read consists of all five tales, so it is easy to keep reading to the finale.
About the author
Tony Johnson is the author of the award-winning epic fantasy series, The Story of Evil. Tony is an avid reader. He
enjoys fantasy, classics, and Christian literature. He is a fan of movies, television, music, videogames, and sports. From Batavia, NY.
come across the work of Mark Cushen before I was asked to take part in this blog tour, but I found the plot outline intriguing and really wanted to read the story. Since then I have discovered that this is the first of a duology (published in 2021) and the second title “Faeland’s Champion” is now available. However the reason for the blog tour is that this title was shortlisted (at no 10) for the BBNYA Awards, so it has garnered readers and reviewers from around the world
masterpiece, “Jason and the Argonauts”, while channel-hopping one Christmas-time Saturday afternoon, somewhere between the ages of 5 and 8.
wrote a short entry for me, all about his influences and where he writes. He spoke about the outline that he was writing for his second book, so it is fantastic to see all of his hard work come to fruition. You can see this first blog entry by searching”Peculiar tale of the Tentacle Boy”
writers have a variety of stories they want to tell. I did enjoy being released from detailed factual research and building the world of the highly anthropomorphised Dockland Rats.
Tilbury’s world, following him on his adventures, the twists and turns of the story happening organically as I wrote. I think I needed a change from my usual stories that are based in the real world, and to travel to new unexplored worlds. The infinite realms of the imagination were my portals out of reality. Lockdown also made me feel a little institutionalised, and anxious to venture out when Lockdown was lifted. A trip to London seemed a huge undertaking. I really felt I understood Tilbury’s paradoxical desires for adventure and yet to stay at home and never leave.
turn up before dark or for tea. I think parents are more worried by stranger danger and dangerous traffic on roads these days. But also sadly, a problem of modern life, especially in urban areas is that are fewer places to play outside as many places may be developed for housing. My own children grew up in a rural area, but the small roads were so busy, and used as cut-throughs for local traffic, that cycling and walking were not very safe. Like all mothers, Tilbury’s Ma wants to protect her little son as much as she can, but of course, she cannot protect him forever. She must be brave and let him begin to find his way in the world, letting him test his own boundaries. Even Tilbury’s Pa must remind Ma that they were young rats once in search of adventure. But Ma will always there for Tilbury with a hot dinner and a warm bed if he should need it.
this a very exciting prospect indeed. For those who have not read the first book, it follows the adventures of the four Santander children as they go in search of their explorer father, who has disappeared on his latest expedition. They undertake a gruelling challenge called the “Mapmakers’ Race”, hoping to win enough money to continue their search. Despite dastardly competitors (not quite Whacky Races) they actually win and thanks to some teasing information they start out on a new adventure.
have been possible, but we just didn’t know how to go about it. Once, we persuaded our mother to drive us a long way from home and leave us to get back on our own with just our pocket money. It was exciting to be in an unknown street, miles from anywhere familiar, but then we turned round the first corner and there was the tube station by our mother’s work. We were home in less than an hour. Why did we go on the tube instead of, say, seeing where the first bus that came along would take us? Tragic.
happening. Young Robbie is the heir to the Sinistevil’s dynasty and whilst he tries very hard to live up to his mother’s expectations, it is obvious that he will never fit (both literally and metaphorically), into his dead brother Brutus’s shoes. The family are the most evil rulers that you can imagine, with a love of killing, looting and pillaging. At the age of 12 years they are made to pledge their heart to a jewelled sceptre, which re-enforces their desire for evil. Nothing gets in their way and there is no such thing as family love or loyalty. The problem is that Robbie really does not fit into this world. He thinks he is evil, but in fact he is a real softy and even has a local peasant girl, Layla, as his friend. When Robbie discovers that he has an artificial heart, after his mother had the real one removed when he was a baby, he decides to go and retrieve the real one, so that he can take the oath to the sceptre. What follows is a funny and yet sad look at someone who is desperate for love and affection, but who cannot see the reality of the family that he is growing up in. Thankfully there are people who want to help Robbie be the good person he is meant to be, although they have their own challenges in life.
seem possible for the general population. But is everything really better?
celebrating is actually the third book, of what I think is going to be a quartet; at least that is the impression I get from the end of the book. I would however suggest that starting with the first title and working your way through is probably a very sensible option. The complex plot and relationships mean that you need to understand the background and it is book one that gives you this information.