The Peterson Principle of Fantasy Storytelling is it should make this world brighter, not duller and our eyes clearer, not dimmer. When taken by the Black Carriage most children are taken to Fort Lamendron and then to the Phoob Islands or Castle Throg to be fanged, but when Janner was captured, he discovered that some children are instead traded in a business that enslaves children to forge weapons for the Fang Army called the Fork Factory, run by the cruel Overseer, which is what had happened to Sara. Its not just plot moves, its the ripple effect of our decisions. Are you a concerned Christian who asks whether fantasy books is right for Christians? If hes got matches, does that mean there are cannons in this world? And so I had to figure out what kind of world it was, so that it felt to the kids like they were dealing with a real place, with real human beings, who they could know and love. He wants rest. Part I of his book is titled, A Theology of Books and Reading. Wonder Woman is the daughter of the Gods of Olympus. Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli are ready and willing to fight alongside the Hollowsfolk. Instead of being fanged, she was forced to work in the Fork Factory. To bring up Harry Potter again, I love the fact that the books are funny and mix humor and darkness so well. One of the few highlights of 2020 for me has been getting to read the Wingfeather Saga to my kids. Its one of those classic Christian songwriter conversations, I expect, which is about the legacy of Rich Mullins. Water from the First Well. Viewing 15 posts - 1 through 15 (of 222 total), https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ACmjZb4GsKDWRadYKYIMxvaJyxN_lE2GJTKSvfZjuoQ/edit?usp=sharing, How To Sneak Past Those Watchful Dragons: What C. S. Lewis Knew That We Should Know, The Doctors Daughter -March 2023 Short Story Picture Prompt Contest Winner, This topic has 221 replies, 26 voices, and was last updated. And then to chase those choices to their logical conclusions. *apologizes to . Andrew Peterson: Yeah. The teacher said, If you want to understand Western literature, you have to have an understanding of the scripture first.. I really didnt like the abrupt ending, though. Something that intrigued me is that it felt to me like a lot of the time, Podo and Nia, you dont actually get to see their interior life as much, which is kind of a plot necessity in the first book, especially. Amazon.Git! "I love you." He whispered to her. Andrew Peterson: I have been feeling that, but then when I think about it in terms of eucatastrophe, I get this glimmer of hope, and I go, Oh man, the author of the story has this amazing ending in mind. And whether or not we see it in our generation, or it happens later, we trust that the author of the story is good. And so I missed the glory of what those books really were, for many years. But his father is gone. Okay, so I keep sneaking back in, but I have something else to add. I wont get into it. When Im watching Marvel movies, and the cities are getting blown up, Im always like, Who cleans this up? Im always just kind of like, My goodness, all the work that they put into that building, and its just rubble now. If there are real consequences to our decisions, then it begins to smack of the real world in a way that is more moving than otherwise. Many Christians are suspicious of fantasy literature despite the progenitors of modern fantasy genre, J.R.R. One of the most frustrating moves that I see in stories is when the kids are trying to tell the parents, Hey, theres this crazy thing happening, and the parents arent listening, they arent paying attention. Sara Cobbler was one of the children taken away by the Black Carriage. It can describe the world, how it functions and how to subdue it. It can teach us wisdom and valuable moral lessons. I found a wing-ibbythread! Andrew Peterson: So I care about The Shire more, or in a different way than I do about Narnia. Tolkien and C.S. (We now have the audio books as well and my almost eight-year-old listens to them somewhat obsessively.) I wish The Warden and the Wolf King finished the story and showed whether Janner comes back or not. And they end up seeing this world brighter, not duller, you have introduced a Christian love of story in their lives. So I thought you handled it in a really true-to-life way, where youre a parent and you kind of have to push things to the side sometimes for your kids. Those are all the should be pair off of Wingfeather. I too though was devastated at the end of the saga when Janner died and wanted to rewrite the ending but the second time I read it I realized what the ending truly means. So the first thing I was curious to ask you about, and I think I probably know some of the answers, because I think weve read a lot of the same things, but theres this quote Ive always liked from Tolkien, who said that his stories grew out of the leaf mould of his mind; his idea being its almost like a compost bin that youre just constantly throwing things into, and the stories grow out of it. And you are right. Every little bit helps! But beware of the toothy cows. Jake Meador: It doesnt get better. Reinke lists seven benefits of reading non-Christian books. BEEP. When Janner discovers who his father is and where he is from, his journey home is fraught with peril and loss and sadness. That was what I was hungry for. Janner is alone and lost in the hills; Leeli is fighting the Fangs from the rooftops of the city; and Kalmar, who carries a terrible secret, is on a course for the Deeps of . This was my first attempt at writing, so I can look back and see myself slowly figuring out how it worked as the books were written. I just finished reading wolf king again. His song Dont You Want to Thank Someone is a thing of beauty. I think in a pre-social media age, a pre-television age, peoples attention spans were longer than ours are now, so their reading of scripture was probably a lot richer, even if they didnt believe it. Youre beloved. Janner ran away from home and the home ran away with him. Janner wondered. Andrew Peterson: I think it comes down to the fact that I wanted the world to feel real, and therefore, I wanted the characters to feel real. After helping free Janner, she was put in the coffin again. Theres not a lot of interest in the world itself, where things come from, where characters come from. And what do you think his main-est theme in all the books is? Andrew Peterson: When it started, I began with the world-building part. Peterson describes his story as epic like Lord of the Rings, witty like the Princess Bride and truth-telling like the Chronicles of Narnia. The footnotes intrude, in a good way, into the narrative and tell of a bigger world out there. Andrew Peterson: Yeah. I think Philip Pullman said it. Lovlies to you if you recognize that. Another influence for me as I was writing is that I think one of my most persistent spiritual struggles is my imagination. "But now that everyone's healed, hopefully there won't be a need for me to do that again." Kalmar smiled back, but Janner noticed a hint of something like guilt in his blue eyes. Its not just a generalized pride or ambition. I guess thats the point. its probably cringey, i should read over it haha, I KNOW RIIIGGGHHHTTT ARTHAM IS A PRECIOUS CINNIMON BUN WHO SHOULD BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS, i cried when janner died and im still sad over his death okay like [small sobs]. But the Maker seems to be an absent God. Some of my favorite parts of the whole story are like, Okay, what happens next?. Im working on making the ultimate Igiby trivia. If you know someone who likes fantasy novels, recommend this review. At one point Janner strikes a match, and a friend of mine was like, Matches require gunpowder, basically. Janner has this wanderlust, a yearning to see the world beyond his tiny backward village. Janner Igiby is a 12 year old boy who wants to sail the world. I think everybody is looking at the election thats coming up, and were like, No matter what, were hosed.. Once you get to know him, I reckon you will let him enter your home. At the beginning of the story Janner is twelve, Kalmar (whose nickname is Tink) is eleven, and their little sister Leeli is nine. *scowls*. . Or Be Eaten is the winner of the 2009 Christy Award for Young Adult fiction. Tink is 10 years old, and he is Tink by name but not a thinker by nature. Jake Meador: And she just burst out laughing. And eucatastrophe, which means good catastrophe, is a way of awakening us to hope and longing. Andrew Peterson: This is why we named our property too. But today that influence is just lost on us because people dont have that level of rootedness in shared texts. That was when Derek was doing Mockingbird, and those kind of things, and I remember tracking with it at the time. It was said that he shone with Eremund's Fire, and was much renowned for his swordsmanship, bravery, and protection of the kingdom of Annieria. And so I just didnt care. But other than the cruel Fangs and the constant threat of death and torture, there wasnt much to fear in Skree. "You know I can't promise that, Mama." After a pause, he glanced at Kalmar with a hint of a smile. If its not obvious by now, Im one of the 8000 fans of the Wingfeather Saga. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Frankles cute! Amazon.The Rord of the Lings by T.R.R. They both had classical training, and could probably read The Iliad in its original language. Jake Meador: To get his kids to safety, and yet its still there. The broad argument is: if you are convinced by Reinkes 7 reasons for reading non-Christian books as supported by John Calvin, Martin Luther, the early church fathers, and his interpretation of the Bible and your conscience is not violated when you read popular culture books and movies, then you have slayed the dragon in the room. Janner had to be the one. Can you talk a bit about how you wanted to approach some really dark themes as youre writing these books? Footnote. In that message, Peterson has a note to parents. Wingfeather Saga is my favorite book series of all time, but only one other person I know has read the entire series and he still like LotR better. And in the reflection of that world, this world becomes brighter, not duller; our eyes become clearer, not dimmer. Its a series of four fantasy-adventure novels about the three Igiby children, Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli. Jake Meador: Oh, of course. Aside from the inconceivably clean humour and family-friendly message that oozes from every page, there is a bigger reason, the biggest reason really, for you to get the Wingfeather Saga for your children and for yourself. Its hard to find that. No sign up. We are working hard on the show and would love to share our journey with you. He sighed, then limped back to his corner. And, one of the wonderful things about storytelling is you get to see how it builds. And he failed. [] An Interview with Andrew Peterson about The Wingfeather Saga by Jake Meador October 12, 2020 [], [] I didnt have anything close to a classical education, but the Bible was always there, Peterson told Mere Orthodoxy. Jake Meador: Well and even after Gnag is gone, theres Fangs that are like, We dont know what were supposed to do now., Jake Meador: Weve just been evil for so long, and, Jake Meador: When I was reading that to Davy Joy my wife was in the kitchen and overheard the part where one of the one Fangs is like, What if we like being evil?. Janner tells himself he is just looking out for Tink but he enjoys every bit of the adventure. Jake Meador: Thanks so much for doing this, Andrew. If this world was real, if I wanted the reader to feel like there were real consequences to characters decisions, then what do you do with a bunch of Fangs after their leader is gone? I just read this part of a book about the environmental vision of Tolkien. Or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, and The Warden and the Wolf King.The series chronicles the adventures and transformations of a family . Click to contribute one-off or be a member. By the end of it he feels he would give anything to have his life back the way it was (or almost: without the fangs of Dang would be nice). I will wholeheartedly agree! And would listen to them if they needed to tell them something. The first is that when I was a kid, it was pulp fantasy, like when I was in junior high I talked my dad, who is a pastor, into letting me read this series called the Dragonlance Chronicles, which were an offshoot of Dungeons & Dragons, which was the most evil thing you could read back then. Though no offense, I dont approve of thirteen year olds kissing, even if they are in love and perfect for each other and so sweet. Fang of Dang? All of this ridiculousness. Ha. We all have it in us by virtue of the choices that we make, whether we choose to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, or the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. Gnag the Nameless sent an army of Fangs across the Sea of Darkness, to conquer Skree but Skree itself was not the main goal. And I didnt do it perfectly. The books, not the movies. Yes, Im glad that youve noticed. Since you still struggle to walk properly, Sara can help you." Sara went and stood by Janner. Your children think they are reading a story of boys and girls fighting against dragons and monsters. But in the Wingfeather books, even with Gnag, you actually realize theres this wound there, that has caused him to be the way he is. But they should save it for the wedding. By putting Wingfeather together with Marvel and DC, this might make it kosher for Christians. All truth is from God; and consequently, if wicked men have said anything that is true and just, we ought not to reject it; for it has come from God. I remember in North! But the point is I read any story that felt like it would take me out of where I was, and allowed me to explore some other place. He had lain in wait for the perfect moment to spring: the perfect song at the perfect hour of the day, the contrition of my hungry heart, the intricate staging of the beauty that had led me to that dewy lawn, and his holy, brooding spirit draped over the valley like a mist. Not only have my tastes changed (the quality of the writing left something to be desired), but they strike me as a way to pass the time rather than enrich it. Monsters and Fangs and villains lie between the children and their only hope of victory in the epic conclusion of The Wingfeather Saga. Im going to first make a broad argument, then the narrow one. And to hear the rest of his note, visit www.wingfeathersaga.com. Spoiler warning: This interview discusses the entireWingfeather Saga. There is a Creation story. Martins Game of Thrones, Dragonlance, Forgotten Realms, Warhammer are pagan or godless worlds. A Christian Guide to Reading Books. And you get both of those things with Podo and with Nia, especially in the fourth book, I think. Andrew Peterson: Lay scholar, I should say. He isnt wanting you to sympathize with him. She and the other children helped the Kimeran rebels retake Dugtown from the fangs. Your kids will never admit it but Wingfeather helps readers see family clearer, not dimmer and homework brighter, not duller. While there, she was put in a torture chamber called The Coffin at least once. Afterwards they reassembled the lodging in the cellar that was still necessary until at least some part of the castle could be reconstructed, and Kalmar hung the flagon of First Well water in a safe place in case of further emergency. The whole movie felt like a cardboard cutout of a story that was an excuse for a whole bunch of cool special effects and concepts. What was the water that could heal and bring people back from the dead? S. Poythress and God, Technology and the Christian Life by Tony Reinke. And life would have turned back to normal. End Footnote. But theres a good reason for that, from a practical standpoint. when kal howled it should have been me I realized Petersons true meaning. Its like a cheap version of conflict. At the hint of the jewels presence, the evil powers strike for sleepy town Glipwood. Andrew Peterson: Yeah,I think thats a big one. And so it kind of makes the parents look like knuckleheads. There are no angels. Sara and Janner, Kalmar and whatever-her-name-is-that-used-to-be-nuzzard Rudrick and Nia Leevi and Thorn Kelvey and Maraly Artham and Alma. (in which i /properly/ end it, of course). The Lord of the Rings didnt come till college, I think, and I didnt reread the Narnia books until college either. Amazon.The Nonicles of Chrania by C.S. Jake Meador: Dickerson, Matthew Dickerson. (both with InterVarsity Press), "A Protestant Christendom?" *now sneaks away without reading anything else because I havent finished the series and dont want to read spoilers.*. But then I was listening to some of your music last night, as I was just getting ready for this, and you have a line in Dancing in the Minefields that says, when I forget my name, remind me. So it seems like its a very central concern, not just in Wingfeather, but with your art more generally. Andrew Peterson: Which is in my mind kind of like The Scouring of the Shire, when Frodo and Sam come back home. But he cant. To me, its like asking whether Abraham was a Christian. After watching it, some went to read the books. So I guess Im just curious about how you can retain this gentleness even as you do practice a kind of prophetic speech. It was this little world that I didnt know how to talk about. Andrew Peterson: And it really does change the way you think about your place. For the launch of the Reading and Readers Podcast, I review the first four free books of 2021: (Jan) Deep Church by Richard Mouw and Jim Belcher, (Feb) Count It All Joy by David Jeremiah, (Mar) Tempted and Tried: Temptation and the Triumph of Christ by Russell Moore and (Apr) XXX by XXX. Ollister Pembricks seminal work on the woeful and wonderful creatures of Skree. https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ACmjZb4GsKDWRadYKYIMxvaJyxN_lE2GJTKSvfZjuoQ/edit?usp=sharing You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Calvin understands what we discovered in the last chapter: a cohesive biblical worldview makes it possible for us to perceive and cherish the truth we read in non-Christian books. Hes Tink in the first two books, and hes Kalmar in the last two. I have a friend who was an English student at Vanderbilt, which is a very liberal school, but he had a professor, who was not a Christian, who spent the first semester of their English class studying the Bible. The narrow argument is more complicated. Without Christ, can anything be Christian? But in any event, thats the character. And if they dont do any of that, there is a greater not-so-obvious prize. Janner and his family hope to find refuge in the last safe place in the world: the Green Hollowsa land of warriors feared even by Fangs of Dang. How did you approach that challenge of kind of writing adult characters, for kids, while still giving them that kind of depth, even when you cant show it, in the way you could with Janner? If you have not read the whole series, you may want to save this until you have finished it. I actually (*ahem*) read ahead by accident (its a bad habit) and found out that Janner died, but even knowing beforehand didnt prepare me for it. The bedrock of what those guys were writing from was Norse mythology, and the classics; that was kind of the stuff that underlies what they were writing. There is no Aslan. Rabbit Room Exclusive - Preorder through the Rabbit Room Store and receive a 11x17 Map of Aerwiar. Janners brother, Tink, discovers a map that shows the location of the Jewels of Anniera. They live in a world called Aerwiar, which is exactly like our worldexcept they dont have electricity or gunpowder, and there are all sorts of creepy animals, like sea dragonsand toothy cows. She also befriended Janner. Andrew Peterson: But at the same time, I didnt want the bad guys to come from nowhere, for there to be no explanation for how they went bad. But what I think is different about your work is that even in your prophetic moments, theres also still a gentleness you have about you. The hope that Janner had revived Sara, and sparked a revolution as she was determined to lead a rebellion that would escape the factory. The most popular anti-book is YouTube. So I was thinking about someone like Bonifer. Hes an even better poet. Andrew Peterson: When youre a little older, youll get it. She might give Wingfeather a try. Artham P. Wingfeather ( AR-thum [1]) is the Throne Warden, of the royal Wingfeather family of Anniera. Its good literature, and its great fantasy. It's set in the world of Aerwiar where Gnag the Nameless and his evil Fangs have taken over. And he started out as a human being who kind of like Tom Riddle, just partook of the wrong fruit for so long that he lost his humanity. The first to join her was Borley, a boy from the Linnard Woodlands. So, those who have read it, do you like the fact that Rudrick died or not? My goal was for a kid to finish the last page of The Wingfeather Saga, and to know in a way that they didnt know before that there is something stronger than the darkness. But those are few and far between, in my experience. Currently depressed because I can't stop listening to sad musicals. Every month, I review Faithlifes Free Book of the Month and while waiting for the next free book, I pick a book that tickles my fancy. A redeemed fantasy nerd sees, through gospel lens, the story of another world. The Wingfeather Saga tells the story of the Igiby family and especially their three children: Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli. Song Maiden. It doesnt do anybody any good to make a straw man out of evil. There is no running away from home in this book. I was so enchanted by the story, the characters, the fights, the jokes, the challengesI feel so much like Janner. Andrew Peterson: Hes basically a George MacDonald scholar. I only read the first of the Golden Compass books, and I liked it until the end and then I hated it. Tozer, A Ransom for Many: Mark 10:45 as a Key to the Gospel by John Lee and Daniel Brueske, Pauls Thorn in the Flesh: New Clues for an Old Problem by Kenneth Berding, Dad Tired and Loving It: Stumbling Your Way to Spiritual Leadership by Jerrad Lopes. Andrew Peterson: The irony is that my pastor is a Dungeon Master now, and he leads campaigns with some friends of mine. Its a pretty potent imagination, and has been as long as I can remember, which can be good if youre a songwriter, or a novel writer, whatever. Click the button. And since Mr. Andrew Peterson *Throws a very, very, annoyed look in his direction* is not going to tell us if Janner Igiby Wingfeather lives or not (I believe he does. A Christian Guide to Leading by Tony Reinke. I bear the Makers image, and one of the ways that plays out is that I delight in making. BEEP. Even when it seems Leeli raughable, really laughable, to do so. Hes Peet in the first two books, and hes Artham in the last two. If our kids came to us and said, I need to talk to you about something, we dont go, Oh, Im paying the bills right now. That feels like a cardboard thing to me. The remaining orphans traveled to Anniera, which had just been restored. All right, well, this has been fun, so thank you so much for-. Read Tony Reinkes book, Lit! Andrew Peterson: You add it to the story of your community, and of the world in general. I want to start by asking about some of the stories that were contributing to the leaf mould for you, as you were writing and coming up with characters and the plot line. Free shipping for many products! Whos Your Authority? But it also works in terms of this is a book about these kids, and often kids, they dont perceive the inner lives of their parents, and their caregivers. North! Drink, he told me, and thirst no more.. Donita K. Paul, author of The Vanishing Sculptor "In a genre overrun by the gory and the grim, Peterson's bite-sized chapters taste more like a stew of Gorey (Edward) and Grimm (the Brothers). They are in your cinemas and streaming services. So could you talk about how you tried to explain them, first to yourself, and then as youre writing the story? And so the characters in the story cant see a good end to their story, and then you as the reader are in the same boat, because youre reading it and going, How in the world is this going to work out?. I think thats utterly delightful. I read the full trilogy. But is Wingfeather a Christian book? They tell stories of the Maker. Impulsive, he drags Janner into tunnels and what-not to explore. Janner, the eldest, is about to discover that the ordinary little town where they live is anything but ordinary. The anti-book is a dangerous mind-bending weapon because it can backfire. But he can't. He is stuck in this backward village called Glipwood. I hear it to this day. He failed his mother and his grandfather. But when the story of our life ends, we will know. The sadness in the ending is the beauty. I think that thats something that America could learn from the UK. Peterson likes to mix things up in his stories and his career. In answer to that question, I want to introduce you to Lit! I know a lot of people have read this amazing book series, and I was wondering: What are your thoughts on the ending of The Wingfeather Saga? They dont know that they are reading a story about family, taking care of siblings, respecting elders and most important of all, doing your homework. Well what does that actually mean? I actually like some of his movies a lot, but it was just too much whatever. Hes just had to kind of compartmentalize that, almost. Which I think a lot of moralistic Christian literature does sometimes. I cant remember the author now. This I think is the first time Ive read of a death more of a sacrifice that mirrors the cross. Which one is Janner Wingfeather? Do you like free ebooks? Frodos ring. Jake Meador: One of my best friends is a pastor, who is also a Dungeon Master for some people. honestly, im kind of sad that rudrick diednia needed to be happy!!! So getting to the bottom of why? was part of the joy of writing the story, and the why always comes down to the human heart. (We always call it Igiby, even after we found out it was really Wingfeather) Such as. A recovering fantasy nerd, like a recovering alcoholic, struggles with wanting what he is not supposed to want. Tony Reinke is the host of the popular Ask Pastor John podcast. Janner, like the other Igibys, drifted off to sleep, thanking the Maker they were safe and dry in Peet's castle. But that moment, where I was like, Ooh, their story isnt over yet led to what I love the most about the whole story, which was the ending, the last-last part. Thats a big part of The Warden and the Wolf King. That was one of the first moments where I was like, This is not what I thought I was picking up. And it really is all building up to the final pages of the story, which felt like the way that story had to end. It begins like this: I have three kids, and they devour books like crazy people. No theophanies. And Im sure scripture was part of that, because they both grew up in a Christian culture. He said, Your child is intuiting something about the universe thats true, in that moment, and so you shouldnt be afraid of talking to them about real sin, and real darkness, and I sense the same kind of approach to how you wrote Wingfeather. Tolkien started with a map, so I took a cue from him, and thats how I startedwith sketching the map of the world of Aerwiar, and then filling in the towns and the rivers and so on. I hadnt thought about the Revelation text, so thats interesting. You might not recognise his name but you might recognise his voice. Peterson was trying to show the fight of good and evil and the hope for a cure that one day we will all have new forms and names. If I cant appeal to either the creative or the theological reasoning part of your brain, then my last resort, the big guns is the anti-book. Jake Meador: Hmm. And then when the new ones came out, not the Disney sequels but the prequels, the space battles were much more impressive, more amazing than the ones in the original trilogy, but it didnt work because nobody cared about who was flying the spaceship.
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