By far, the best part of being involved in the social media scene – specifically Twitter – has been networking with people I never would have met before. Sure, I get some great information and resources for my day job, but it’s the people that I enjoy most. And yes, those of you who know me personally can laugh at the irony of that. Anyway, as an aspiring writer who desperately needs motivation, I especially enjoy following the struggles and accomplishments of authors – both new and published.
One such writer I’ve enjoyed is Quinton Wall, the author of the breakthrough fantasy novel The Seed of Hope. Set in a world hidden within our own Earth, Seed of Hope is the story of Charlie Parker, a boy whose magical talent is stolen from him and the quest he and his friends take to return what was rightfully Charlie’s. Along the way, they must battle evil forces seeking to stop them and take over the source of the talents as well as cope with the dark heart of one of Charlie’s companions. The full summary and other great information on Seed of Hope can be enjoyed here: http://tr.im/oYeV.
I have to admit, it’s been a while since I read a fantasy novel – the last ones being the Dragonlance series by Margaret Weis and Tracy Hickman back in the early 90s. Despite that, I found myself immediately drawn into the genre again by Wall’s masterful storytelling and the depth of the plot and character development. Some of the conversations between the children seemed too forced and I would have like to see more emotion around an early death, but remember, Seed of Hope is targeted toward young adults. And regardless, within minutes of beginning to read, I was sucked into the story, its heroes and its villains. I was fighting side by side with them, feeling their pain, their fear, their excitement.
Throughout the book, Wall does an exceptional job detailing the scenes and the plot flows smooth and fast. The action scenes and the discovery each character makes of their magical talent were the most riveting sequences of the book. His development of the villain, hero, and even the supporting characters made them easy to relate to and I understood each action they took because of the effort Wall took explaining their background.
This has been a great read, and if you enjoy authors like Weis and Hickman or the Harry Potter series, you need to pick up a copy of Seed of Hope. My only warning? The 2nd book in the series isn’t finished yet and you’ll be chomping at the bit until it is!
For more information on Quinton Wall and his books see:
www.quintonwall.com
www.twitter.com/quintonwall
www.facebook.com
Until next time,
~T.S.
