Publisher's Synopsis
The Journey is over three hundred thousand words and should reside in the genre 'fantasy' but can equally be read by those that enjoy fiction generally. (There are no dragons etc). It is the first part of a trilogy but can be read as a single work..'The Journey' tells the tale of a young man who leaves his village to search for answers regarding the disappearance of his mother. Two nations separated by differing histories, culture and climate is the backdrop. It follows the forming and loss of friendships and of misunderstandings that happen between people, which can then spiral out of control. It is about conflict between people as well as nations, about the dichotomy of belief against truth and ultimately about the contrasting journeys people can make for different reasons that become inextricably entwined. There are some close parallels to the current political world climate (invasion of countries as an example and the different reasons or people's opinions for that) but it is not immediately obvious and leaves it for the reader to make their own judgements. It is about the reality of good and evil, highlighting the fact that the lines between them are seldom clear-cut. Perspective can be the greatest deception. The main character is Talar who returns to a village he had previously left to warn his old friend of a war that he thinks is imminent. From there a series of events occurs that means he cannot warn his old friend of imminent trouble. He is chased for a crime he did not commit, his friend thinking him responsible. It describes their thoughts and feelings and how transient friendships and life can be. Each character is on a separate journey but through the book, through their own interpretations and emotional conflicts the story pieces together the events that truly happened so only the reader is given the complete picture. The Journey mixes the intensity and fast pace of a David Gemmel book with the development of character as can be found in Terry Goodkind novels. It also contains philosophy, not dissimilar in approach to Milan Kundera.
