The Land of the Wand by Deborah Hill and Sandra Brandenburg © 2005 Fire
Mountain Press ISBN 978-1-929374-43-7 252 pages Paperback $19.95 (U.S.)
This is the start of a series by a pair of talented authors. This is pure
fantasy in the vein of Mark Twain's A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's
Court. A group of individuals find themselves transported to a medieval
environment, as envisaged by someone who's only knowledge comes from
Hollywood.
There are other elements as well. The major races in this alternate realm
are daemona (humanoids with hooves) and anjeles (humanoids with vestigal
wings). The anjeles are virulently anti-daemona, whom they perceive as
evil, and whom they torture before executing them, to "cleanse" them before
sacrificing them to their god. There are giant cats, unicorns and pegasi,
furbles and an occasional cross-breed (Pegacorn and Unisis)
So much for first impressions. The more I read, the more depth appeared.
There is an excellent story here, and one that grabs your interest and drags
you into this alternate dimension. Individuals evolve, situations change,
and changes are made in unexpected ways.
One by one, the four inter-dimensional travelers die.or do they? Their
bodies disappear at the moment of their death. Where do they go? What has
happened? Will they reappear?
Some questions are answered as the end of this book nears, but there are
still unresolved questions. Of course, that is to be expected since this is
only the first volume in a series.
The magical aspects of this series are underplayed. The obvious exception
to this is, naturally, the wand which transports Marshall, Lilly, Valaura
and Evan to the City of the Wand. But there are some obvious references -
the four kings who each rule a land represented by a "magical tool" (wand,
chalice, sword and pentacle), and the references to Augustina as "the Witch".
I look forward to a chance to read the second volume in this series (The
Land of the Chalice), which is also in print at this time, and the remaining
books to come.
