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Book Review: The Ranger’s Apprentice
I first heard of this book when I submitted a short story to my critique group and someone commented on my title. I had never heard of the Ranger’s Apprentice series so I was curious after my own story’s title, “The Mountain Ranger”, was compared to it. I’m very grateful I let my curiosity win and got this book! Here’s a short blurb about the book: The Ranger’s Apprentice by John Flanagan follows the story of Will, a boy who was orphaned and taken in as the castle’s ward. Upon his fifteenth birthday, he must be chosen by one of the Craftmasters to become an apprentice. Will dreams of becoming…
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Why We Love Magic: A Christian Perspective on Fantasy
“If I find in myself desires which nothing in this world can satisfy, the only logical explanation is that I was made for another world.” – C.S. Lewis, Mere Christianity This popular quotation by C. S. Lewis echoes a thought I’ve recently had on our draw as humans towards stories containing magical or fantastical elements. The fantasy genre is widely popular and it is made unique because of all the varieties of magical elements it contains. Lord of the Rings, The Chronicles of Narnia, even Disney movies are full of magic. This made me wonder, why are we so drawn to stories with the fantastical? Magic is widely controversial within…
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What If Your Favorite Fantasy Trope is Actually True?
Royalty is among the most popular tropes in fantasy. It may be because of the high stakes, the character development, the surprises and secret identities, even the dramatic battles to take the throne and wrestle the power away from a tyrant. This trope has been resonating with young and old for years, as proved by works such as The Chronicles of Narnia and The Lord of the Rings. There is something in each of us that is drawn to a normal human discovering they were meant for greatness. In fact, I believe we all have the desire for royalty echoing deep within ourselves. This begs the question: why does the…
