The Keys of Wisdom — Linda Williams

The Saga of Nova Septima, the first installment of a new trilogy by Linda Williams, follows in the footsteps of many great classics of the fantasy genre. From The Well at the World?s End by William Morris over a century ago, to the spellbinding classics of C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Ursula Le Guin, George R. Martin, J.K. Rowling, and now Linda Williams, the literary landscape of the fantasy has served as a magnet for the imagination inspired longing within all of us. It attracts us, calling us forth upon an heroic quest whereby we can hope to be magically transformed and restored to the tranquility and order which lie at the very center of every human soul. In that sense the world of fantasy is the world of myth still among us, updated by centuries of narrative tradition and the marvels of modern science. George Bernard Shaw, a great playwright of the last century, once suggested that immature artists are those who are merely influenced by their predecessors, whereas it is the sure mark of the mature artist to be able to selectively steal from the riches of the past. Linda Williams is a great literary artist of this century who aptly balances novelty with tradition in creating a story that will delight both the young and the young at heart alike. Join Asha and her band of young companions, which also includes a delightful dog named Nog and a marvelous mule named Heggo, as they make their way from their home in Teletsos to a far off land in the north. This is where salvation lies, both for themselves and their world. On their way to their ultimate destination they encounter many marvels and must overcome many hardships. Their battle however is more than just an epic struggle between Davidic youth and goodness and the ancient evil of a Goliath who would prey upon all weakness in its unrelenting pursuit of power. As in all good fantasy stories victory must be accompanied by mastery over the self within as well as the enemy without. Through all sorts of fa