Al estilo del cuento de fantasía tradicional, PORTALS, PASSAGES & PATHWAYS, de B. R. MAUL, enfrenta el bien y el mal en una aventura con título que recuerda a la niñez de Dragones y Mazmorras.
PORTALS, PASSAGES & PATHWAYS
B. R. MAUL
Paperback and eBook
Fantasy
478 pages
March 25, 2014
When a portal to another world cracks open just outside the small town of Riverside, it sets off a series of events forever changing the lives of two boys; one boy is chosen to lead a world to peace while the other one is chosen to tear it apart.Simon Whittaker lives an ordinary teenage life. That is until the most powerful ring in the land of Magnanthia chooses him to become its guardian. Overnight, Simon has had to flee from something trying to kill him, seen magical spells he had only read about in stories, and stepped into the most majestic world ever imagined.Swept away to the fantastic world that’s in the midst of a brutal war, Simon must place his life in the hands of four unlikely travelers, a swordsman, ranger, cleric, and wizard, sent to lead him down the right path.While King Elderten has ordered death to Magnanthia’s nine guardians, the group he believes is responsible for the kingdom’s devastation, Simon remains the only hope for those who believe the guardians are innocent.Meanwhile, Jak Jakobsin has been pulled through a portal by two of Bedlam’s undead scouts. Bedlam’s overlord plans to use Jak, along with his army of undead, goblins, and trolls, to build a force so powerful that Magnanthia will be his forever.“Portals, Passages & Pathways” is a story of our greatest journey, to discover our purpose in this life, and the consequences of the choices we make to get there. “In the Land of Magnanthia” is the first novel in the series and is complete just under 115,000 words. It’s told from the alternating viewpoints of Jak and Simon.
Q&A with B.R. Maul
“Portals, Passages & Pathways” is billed as “a story of
our greatest journey, to discover our purpose in this life, and the
consequences of the choices we make to get there.” How did you get started
writing this series?
We all have a purpose in life. We just need to take time to discover what
that purpose is. Mine, I learned, is
storytelling. When I was a teenager I
remember thinking that it sounded ridiculous to wait until the end of my life
to do what my heart longed for. Unfortunately,
like the majority of people, I bought into the lie I was supposed to pick a
“real” career, make as much money as I could, and then retire. After fifteen years of making, spending, and
chasing money, something happened.
People dear to me were struck down from terminal illness, and some died. I came to realize I was on the wrong path…but,
like all paths, it would still lead me to the inevitable, my own death. I’d been arrogant, and naïve, assuming I knew
what tomorrow was going to bring and that there were going to be enough tomorrows
so I could retire and live purposefully.
I quickly got off that path while I still could and started down the
right path. I began writing.
As a reader, it’s easy to get lost in the world of
Magnanthia. For people who haven’t read your book yet, can you describe the
setting?
Magnanthia is enchanting and
extremely beautiful. The spiritwood trees almost glow their colors are so
vibrant, and the intricate design of sea silk, a.k.a. blue quagmire, is
miraculous. Magnanthia is also
monumental. Shiftwood trees grow
hundreds of feet high with girths bigger than houses, and Paramount Peak is so
large they say all the other mountains in Magnanthia could fit into it. The
indigenous life is spectacular…and mysterious. The land has energy of its own.
It’s also foreboding. A small part of it has spread like cancer to
outlying lands creating a chaotic environment where glamour and wasteland
collide.
Simon and Jak are such divergent characters, but what are
some ways that they are similar to each other?
Simon and Jak both feel segregated
from the rest of the world. They don’t
fit in with their peers and have a hard time relating to others. They are also both bullied. However, how they respond to feeling
segregated and to being bullied are completely different.
What do you think makes them so relatable?
They’re genuine. Simon and Jak may have different backgrounds
and circumstances, but they have the same kinds of feelings, emotions, and
reactions to their problems like the rest of us. They, too, want to love, be loved, be happy,
and find their place in this world. And
like you and me, Simon and Jak make their share of mistakes along the way.
What drew you to the fantasy genre when you were a kid, and
why do you think that genre has stuck with you all these years?
The adventure! There’s something about dragons, castles, heroic
knights, journeys to faraway places, creatures and monsters, spells, magical
items, and lost treasures that whisks me away from the endless grind of reality,
straight into the depths of the wondrous imagination. The fantasy genre has stuck with me for so
long because it had the greatest impact on my childhood, and for that reason,
the rest of my being.
Did growing up in the Red River Valley influence your
writing at all?
The Red River Valley has a unique way
of growing at its own pace, almost untouched from the rest of the nation. It’s the last place to catch onto trends,
fashions, and movements, if at all. I’d
have to say I grew up with a rather wholesome perspective morally, spiritually,
and culturally. I believe this may have
influenced the fact I enjoy reading and writing young adult fiction. Our teenage years are full of first-time
moments that sculpt us into the adults we eventually become. And as a writer, I find it more challenging
to bring a reader into an intense moment without using obscene or abrasive
language.
Reminiscent of three of the greats – “The Chronicles of
Narnia,” “The Lord of the Rings” and “Harry Potter” – how did those popular
book series shape the direction you took with “Portals, Passages &
Pathways?”
Magnanthia and Earth are separate from one
another. Like Narnia, a person steps out
of one realm and into the other. This is
a fun way of overlapping fantasy with real fiction.
“Portals,
Passages & Pathways” is an epic story in the same sense “The Lord of the
Rings” is epic in that there are multiple subplots taking place at the same
time with underlying themes in each. And
although much is yet to be seen, the lore of elves, dwarves, other demihumans,
and some of the creatures in Magnanthia stay true to the fantasy traditions
also found in Middle Earth.
The
relationships and interactions between characters are palpable, something I
appreciated when reading “Harry Potter.”
It’s not just about the relationship between major characters, but also
between major and minor characters, and even between minor characters.
What can readers expect from the rest of the series?
There’s so much to tell I don’t know
where to start! Well…I guess I better
summarize so I don’t give anything away.
Simon and Jak both have much to learn as they continue down their paths;
things are going to get intense.
Relationships grow, emotions fly, fighting increases, and battle lines
are drawn. And that’s only the
beginning!
“This story has something for everybody,”
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