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Albert Camus

Don't walk behind me; I may not lead. Don't walk in front of me; I may not follow. Just walk beside me and be my friend.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Those who seek control are not to be trusted - Henge (Le Fay, #1) by Realm Lovejoy

Published: November 11th, 2014

Description:

Modern-day Camelot. Where knights no longer carry swords. Magic is dangerous. And those who seek control are not to be trusted.

Sixteen-year-old Morgan le Fay is a fire user. An ordinary girl with an extraordinary skill, she has the ability to create and command fire at will. Her dream is to become the Maven—the right hand of the future King Arthur. In the chance of a lifetime, Morgan is selected to join Arthur’s Round, an elite group of young magic users from which the new Maven will be chosen.

Along with the other fire, water, and wind users in Arthur’s Round, Morgan is rigorously trained and tested. The handsome Merlin, a brilliant water user, takes a particular interest in her. Is his friendship to be trusted, or is Merlin simply trying to win the position of Maven for himself? Among the many rivals Morgan faces is the current Maven, Mordred, who seems determined to see her fail.

But Morgan has a secret—years ago, her mother was executed for using fire magic, and Morgan’s desire for justice makes her more than ready to take on the challenge before her. Can she prevail in Camelot’s tests of survival and magic? Only time—and Morgan’s powerful fire—will tell.

Realm Lovejoy’s modern Arthurian series features one of literature’s most complicated and powerful female figures. Henge is the first book in the LE FAY series, and—like Morgan le Fay’s magic—it is sure to dazzle and amaze.
MB's INTERVIEW
Thank you, Mrs. Realm Lovejoy
What is the significance of King Arthur’s Legend and how much of it did you keep in Le Fay Series?
I changed a lot of things about the legend such as making it modern, making the characters teens, changing their relationships with one another, and overall plot focus. However I really wanted to honor the legend since I’m a fan of it. I incorporated as many of the iconic aspects as possible: Prince Arthur needing guidance, Merlin being a genius, Morgan le Fay being dark and complex, and keeping the settings such as Camelot and Avalon, and other key elements such as Excalibur. The Arthurian legend is full of drama, so I definitely wanted Henge to be full of drama, adventure, and action too. 

You transpose Arthur’ stories in our modern world. How difficult was to do it and how different are the people of our day from the ones of the old times?
The idea of modernizing the Arthurian legends came naturally to me since I didn't want to set the story up the same way it's been done many times. As a writer, I wanted to write something that I'd have fun with so I wanted the story to be fresh for me and to create something I can believe and relate to. 

In terms of difference between modern versus old, I imagined Morgan with present day clothes instead of a sorceress robe. Merlin being a dashing young man wearing a suit rather than an old man with a pointy hat. Lancelot wearing uniform and combat boots instead of armor and carrying a gun rather than a sword. I also formulated dialogues in my mind that would translate to the modern world: worrying about obtaining a license to use magic, arguments about magical politics such as what would happen if you used magic in self defense against an attacker. 

You grew up in Japan. Do Japanese have similar stories, at least in what regards the messages, with the Arthurian legend? What is their opinion about Merlin and Morgan?
Yes, I grew up in Japan for a portion of my childhood. I can’t really think of a similar Japanese story off the top of my head and can’t think of their Arthurian retellings. However as a child I do remember watching a lot of evil sorceresses on TV—though not specifically Morgan le Fay—and I’ve always taken in interest in the villainous witches with crazy thoughts, power, and ambitions.

How is your Morgan and what do you think about the “original” one?
I’m not sure which Morgan is the “original” one. There are so many versions. My Morgan le Fay is kind of a mix of all the variations—she’s got a evil/good duality which I think is fascinating, though some may not like to see a hero with dark and impulsive thoughts. It’s a risk I’m taking as a storyteller. 

A reviewer said: “Camelot meets Hogwarts meets Panem” – was this your intention? How good is to received such an appreciation?
My intent as a writer is always to create my own unique world. I was surprised to see the Kirkus review and am very flattered and honored to be compared to such epic books. 


About the author:

Realm Lovejoy is an American writer and an artist. She grew up in both Washington State and the Japanese Alps of Nagano, Japan. Currently, she lives in Seattle and works as an artist in the video game industry. CLAN is her first book. You can find out more about her and her book at:

Website ** Blog ** Goodreads ** Facebook ** Twitter ** Tumblr

9 comments:

NoraA said...

I'm a fan of the various and sundry Camelot realms that are out there. I'd love to add this one to my list and my home library.

Unknown said...

this actually looks really good :)) thanks for the giveaway :)

Candace said...

Thank you so much for hosting a tour stop! This book is excellent and I love her unique take on the Arthurian Legend. I felt like she did it about perfect. All the characters were recognizable while still be different and unique.

Unknown said...

This sounds so good, I look forward to reading it. I also really like the cover.thank you for the giveaway also

Kenzie Smith said...

What an awesome giveaway!!

Realm Lovejoy said...

Thank you so much for interviewing me! I enjoyed the questions. And thank you for hosting me on your awesome blog! Love the way you put the post together with illustrations.

Joseph Hawkshaw said...

Awesome cover book looks very good.

Unknown said...

Wonderful books! Thanks for the giveaway!

Ally Swanson said...

I really enjoyed reading the interview! This sounds like such an interesting read!