Escape Routes (Novel Excerpt)

This is the fourth excerpt from my upcoming novel tentatively titled “Elder Rites” which was begun on November 1st, 2020 for National Novel Writing Month and is intended to be the first volume of an as yet unnamed dark fantasy series set in a world of myth and magic which now finds itself on the

Gift of the Unicorn: An Original Fairy Tale (Part IV)

Read Part I – Read Part II – Read Part III “No, I will not do this.” Prince Zakir was adamant. “I will not keep secrets from my wife. There has to be another way.” “There is none, my prince,” the unicorn replied sadly. “Then I must remain celibate, even if it be for the

Gift of the Unicorn: An Original Fairy Tale (Part III)

Read Part I – Read Part II So did the prince ride upon the unicorn’s back, far to the west, swifter than the wind, through many kingdoms and principalities, across deserts scarcely inhabited, over mountains and seas, until at last they arrived at the briar wall that enclosed the dwelling place of the legendary maiden.

Gift of the Unicorn: An Original Fairy Tale (Part II)

Read Part I Meanwhile the legend of Geva’s beauty continued to spread throughout the land, and even to lands beyond. And with the legend of her beauty went the legend of her imprisonment behind the briar wall. So of course it wasn’t long before all manner of would-be suitors started coming from all over to

Gift of the Unicorn: An Original Fairy Tale (Part I)

That he should come—and pass—and would not stay,The Silken-swift—the gloriously Fair!That he should come—and pass—and would not stay… ~Theodore Sturgeon There was once a farmer’s widow whose life was never ending toil. All she had ever wanted was a child of her own, but her husband had died before that dream could be realised, and

Witch’s Hill: An Original Fairy Tale

Red blood out and black blood inMy nanny says I’m a child of sin—How did I choose me my witchcraft kin?Know I as soon as dark’s dreams beginSnared is my heart in a nightmare’s gin… ~Walter de la Mare, “The Little Creature” As the young woman entered the lone cottage on the edge of the

The Breaking of the Fellowship

This post contains spoilers for both the book and film versions of The Lord of the Rings. I’ve been continuing my re-read of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, which as I mentioned early on I used to do every year, but if I’m honest haven’t really done since before the release

Driven by the oath. — Middle-earth Reflections

When it comes to stories by J. R. R. Tolkien, you can always rely on him in providing his readers with the most many-dimensional characters. There are rather few who are either absolutely good or absolutely evil: most individuals in the tales of Arda are rather complex and have their own — not always easy […]

Lothlórien

This post contains spoilers for both the book and film versions of The Lord of the Rings. At this point in my re-read of J. R. R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, the Fellowship has made it to “the heart of Elvendom on earth,” Lothlórien, the literal meaning of which is “Dreamflower.” Also called

J.R.R. Tolkien’s “Secret Vice” and My Secret Love: Thoughts on Dimitra Fimi and Andrew Higgins’ Critical Edition of A Secret Vice: Tolkien on Invented Language — A Pilgrim in Narnia

A Secret Vice by J.R.R. Tolkien My rating: 5 of 5 stars It was the fall of 2001. I was rereading The Lord of the Rings in anticipation of the film, which I was sure would be screened even in our rural, mountainside Japanese town. One afternoon, I was killing time at our church, a […]