Aizai the Forgotten by Mary-Jean Harris Pages: 295
Published by Muse it Up Publishing on 20 June 2014
Series: The Soul Wanderers #1
Genres: Coming of Age, Fantasy & Magic, Historical, Time Travel, Young Adult
With an otherworldly horse borrowed from an astrologer, and armed with a strange magical device, seventeen-year-old Wolfdon Pellegrin sets off through seventeenth-century France and Spain to fulfill his dream of finding the forgotten realm of Aizai.
One obscure book, by the philosopher Paulo de la Costa Santamiguero, has given him a lead to start his journey—go to the northern coast of Spain, where a portal to Aizai supposedly exists.
Though death and danger loom ever near, nothing can dim the longing for Aizai kindling within Wolfdon’s heart. Yet even as he strives to discover the mysterious realm’s secrets and fate, a frightening truth becomes clear—one that may cost Wolfdon everything, including the future.
Today I have Mary- Jean here for an interview about her book, Aizai the Forgotten and then a giveaway of an ecopy of her book!
1. Describe Aizai the Forgotten in a tweet.
Aizai the Forgotten follows seventeen-year-old Wolfdon as he tries to find the lost world of Aizai in France and Spain of the seventeenth century. With a beautiful horse he borrows from an astrologer, Wolfdon meets many peculiar people and eventually discovers the portal to Aizai with the aid of a mysterious girl he believes to be a goddess. Once in Aizai, Wolfdon witnesses magic beyond his imagination, but also realizes that there is a deadly secret, something that may involve him more than he could have guessed, and takes him even further on a dangerous mission.
2. What is one thing that we would be surprised to learn about Wolfdon Pellegrin?
He has a strange mix of loyalty and disloyalty to his character. You find this out in the book, but he’ll be perfectly alright with ‘borrowing’ books and never returning them, and ‘borrowing’ a horse and not keeping his promises. But then he’ll go off on an adventure to follow a goddess’s wishes who he imagines speaks with him, and be unshaking on his mission to save Aizai. For him, if something is important enough, he’ll strive on until the end, but try to get him to do some common or something without magic and adventure and, well, you’d be better off asking someone else.
3. What was the hardest part about writing about a main character that is male? What is your favorite part?
The hardest part was probably making it believable, because I usually make characters think the same way as I do, even if their personality is different. Would a boy character think differently to me? I tried to take this into account, and I think it worked out. One fun thing was getting into someone else’s shoes and trying to see the world as they do. There were also more possibilities of what a boy could do in the seventeenth century instead of a girl, because the customs were much more different then, so Wolfdon would have access to books and things that girl’s might not.
4. Where did you get the inspiration for Aizai the Forgotten?
I just started speculating about a lost world that had come into existence and then had vanished, so I decided to write about it. It wasn’t well planned at first at all! I added a boy who had read about this world and was trying to discover what it was and if he could get to it. I was also trying to discover what Aizai was, but after a while, I figured it out, and at that point, I started plotting the story instead of just writing it.
I was also inspired by ancient esoteric philosophies and secret societies, which I have read some books about. For example, I have a few things about the Kabbalah, talismans, and ideas about New Atlantis, which are all part of old magic traditions around the world.
5. What are some trends in Young Adult that you are loving right now? What are some that you have seen enough of?
I like young adult fantasy, which has become quite popular recently. One series I recently read was The Infernal Devices by Cassandra Clare, which was awesome. I like most fantasy genres, and there have been a lot of really imaginative and fun young adult fantasy series in the past few years. I’m not fond of vampire books—I’m sure there are some good ones, but I’m not into the intense romance elements that usually comes with them.
6. Where is your favorite spot to write?
Outside, in my backyard, on the garden swing. Or by the river if I can find a nice place to sit and if there are no bugs. I love being outside, and writing is no exception!
7. If we had an author talent show, what would your talent be?
Probably creating neat magical things. I like to make up new worlds, new magical objects, creatures, and just different kinds of magic that characters can do. It’s a lot of fun, and I incorporate fantasy elements into most of my stories. Dreaming up things is what I like most about writing—the trick is then to incorporate them into a fully-fledged story.
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kindlemom1
This sounds like a really interesting series!
Linda romer
Aizai the forgotten sounds like a interesting story. I would like to read this.
Sarah Bauman
The book sounds great! Thanks for the giveaway!