The Ian's Realm Saga

Three books in one, this saga follows the adventures of Ian Wilson through the portal and into a magical land called the Realm. From slave boy to warrior, Ian encounters the dragon worshiping village, Menek; their enemies the Kaemperns; and the all powerful fire-breathing dragon Old Stenhjaert.

The books included in this volume are

    Deception Peak (Part I)

The first book of a trilogy, Deception Peak is a young adult adventure fantasy about a teenager, Ian Wilson, who follows his father through a portal that magically appears on their computer screen.

    Dragon Shield (Part II)

Now a young man, Ian returns to the magical Realm to fight against the tyranny that has befallen his friends. But the Realm is a different place, the forest is dying, the Kaemperns have lost the shield that protected them from the dragon, and Ian has a hard time proving his allegiance when trouble follows him through the portal. His struggle to do right buries him in confusion, and he must fight his own will to prove his integrity.

    Rubies and Robbers. (Part III)

Ian has proven his abilities as a warrior and now the most dangerous battle begins, the battle against the power of evil. Ian must unravel the secrets of the mountain and discern whom his real enemy is, the enemy both without and within. He tackles with the twelve-year-old boy who seems to hold the fate of the entire Realm in his hands, and yet the pressing Songs of Wisdom call for compassion in his dealings. Ian leads his men in the fight against the powers of darkness. But he must also be willing to sacrifice everything he ever hoped to have in order to save those he loves.

The Story Behind This Book

It would be nice (perhaps) if writing a book only meant one was to sit at a computer and type out a story. That might even be possible sometimes. I was able to write my most recent short story in one sitting. But then, the story was only 3,000 words, and didn’t entail any more than looking up a few words and some current event issues. But when you are writing 60K-150K words, the novel requires more time, and subsequently, more research. And it seems like you never really know what kind of investigating you’ll have to do. It’s almost like being a private eye! I’m a firm believer that even if I’m writing fantasy, I need to make my story believable. I want my reader to think the worlds I take them to can and do exist. So I write about places I’ve been, and experiences I’ve had. The magic part happens. The dragon flies overhead but you can hear the wind whistle in his wings, and you can smell sulfur on his breath—both very real experiences. Of course, I’ve never really seen or heard (or smelled) a dragon before so I’m making all that up. But there are some things in my Ian’s Realm Saga stories that I don’t want to invent. Things like the groan of a moored ship, or the sound of wind in its sails. That’s why I took an educational trip with my daughter on a tall ship this summer in the waters of Puget Sound, WA where I not only experienced first hand the hoisting of the main sail but also learned how sixteenth century sailors judged the speed of their ship, measured depth, read the stars, and scanned the surface of the bottom of the ocean. My main character, Ian and his friends spend some time in the caves of Deception Peak, so I too took a trip this summer to a place called Ape Cave, a mile long lava tube that burrows far under the mountain. Talk about inspiration! We walked the mile. Had we no lantern it would have been pitch black. A perfect dragon’s lair. Since most of the tribal people in the Realm live in yurts, and I have SCA (Society for Creative Anarchronism) friends that reenact any and all eras, I was most fortunate to partake in the erecting of a Mongolian yurt. In fact, the lady owns the yurt is of Mongolian descent. She even posed for me in her traditional clothing. All these experiences have been recorded on my blog and I’d love for you to take a look. So you see, the writer doesn’t always have to sit in front of the screen writing. There are some very exciting ways to make your story come to life! I hope this post is an inspiration to you!

Praise and Reviews

et against the backdrop of the Realm, a magical place where computer-generated characters become real and a ferocious fire-breathing dragon that scours the countryside, we find a now eighteen-year old Ian struggling to deal with the changes in his life following the first book in the series, Deception Peak. Without offering up too many spoilers, I found this young adult novel to hit all the right notes and reminded me of the many of the challenges I faced as teenager.

Ian must deal with the revelation his good friend Abby, who is more like a sister to him, wants more out of their relationship than he may be willing to give. He must deal with the loss of his father and decide what his future holds. Should he stay in the “real world” and study graphic design and lead a “normal life” or return to the Realm and find out what happened to his father?

Well, as it would make a pretty dull novel otherwise, I’m sure you can guess what choice he makes. But the choice is not without consequences. The age of eighteen is filled with enough doubt as it is, but Gardner captures the tug and pull Ian feels with every decision.

Though this definitely a book geared towards the guys, it is a book I would love for my girls to read. I recommend all who enjoy a good YA fantasy adventure to give the book a try.

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