Tag Archives: epic

The Redemption of Erâth: History of Erâth – The Second Age (Part IV)

(iv) The Corruption of East and West

So the lands of Aélûr and Cathaï were corrupted by the Duithèn, under the deathly watch of the Namirèn. Eight kingdoms of Men were under the influence of darkness, and tended less to their own, and instead turned to their neighbors and sought to conquer them. Each kingdom saw itself as the one true ruler of their land, and tension began to mount between each realm.

The Duithèn, of course, encouraged this hostility, for it was in their plan in the conquering of Erâth that the kingdoms of the West and the East should mount a unified assault against the lands of Thaeìn. So divided, each kingdom would do nothing more than squabble among themselves; should one kingdom arise dominant, however, that ruler would have the power of an entire continent at their hand. The Duithèn were certain of their success.

The Exile of the Illuèn

Before the dark peoples of Men could be united, though, the Duithèn perceived one force that could yet bar their way. As long as the power of the Illuèn was felt in the realms of Men, the full influence could not be realized, and the beasts of […]

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The Redemption of Erâth: History of Erâth – The Second Age (Part III)

(iii) The Spread of Darkness

It took one and a half thousand years for the new kingdoms of Men to be founded, and become settled into the rebuilt lands of Erâth. By this time, memory of the First Age was but a legend, and all that remained was the knowledge that there had once been a great disaster, and the world was forever changed. The great wars of Men were forgotten, but what Men now found themselves contending with was the darkness.

The two great manifestations of darkness were, of course, the Duithèn and the Namiren, the races of Darkness and Death. Through them, though, grew terrible and twisted forms of life, and became the creatures of darkness. The Duithèn spread far and wide over the lands, quietly inhabiting Aélûr, and seeking always to spread to Thaeìn and Cathaï. Where they lived, trees grew crooked, and beasts wild-eyed and terrible. The Namirèn, passing from place to place in ghost-like form, took the threads of the Duithèn with them, and brought death wherever they went.

Creatures of Darkness

The creatures of Darkness themselves were many and varied, and only the few that were directly involved in the battles to […]

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Thought of the Week: Dinotopia

As a child, I loved to read; perhaps even more then than now. Even at a young age, my obsessive nature was evident: I was incessantly hooked on vast series, reading one after another after another. I believe I read nearly every Hardy Boys book that has ever been written; a guilty pleasure (even now) were Star Trek novels, from all four series (yes, four; I refuse to acknowledge Star Trek: Enterprise as viable Star Trek material).

But sometimes, here and there, I would come across books of a different breed: books that were, in their very essence, magical. Books that engaged my young mind, books that opened my eyes to the realities and fantasies of many other worlds, and many other lives. Some of these I have spoken of  already in these pages; books like Jonathan Livingston Seagull, The Trumpet of the Swan, Goodnight, Mr. Tom, and even a little book called The Whipping Boy. These were tales of inspiration, tales of darkness, of danger and excitement, filled with emotion and sharp characters. They encouraged beautiful visions in my mind, and fueled my imagination.

However, there was one book, one I discovered quite a bit later, that stood out apart from any other tale I had ever read. A book that, to this day, I read with reverence and awe. That book is Dinotopia.

What an utterly beautiful cover.

Dinotopia is a tale of shipwreck, mystery and lost worlds. Arthur Denison, and his young son Will, find themselves cast upon an uncharted island when their ship is brought down during a terrible storm. In their immediate quest for food and survival, they begin to happen upon very odd, strange things: creatures, like giant lizards, of an era long-extinct.

To their further astonishment, they discover that, living in harmony beside these ancient creatures is a great civilization of humans, men and women who are able even to communicate with the beasts.

Arthur, being a scientist, begins in ernest to interact and document all he can on this astonishing and impossible island. His son, however, is much more taken by the folk of Dinotopia, and begins rapidly to become one with the men and women of the lost world.

As time goes on, Will befriends humans and dinosaurs alike, and even becomes one of an elite troop of skybax riders, flying in symbiosis with the free-soaring flighted dinosaurs of the island.

However, whilst the tale itself is indeed wondrous, far more astonishing – breathtaking, even – are the incredibly detailed and vivid illustrations that fill each page of the book, bringing to the utmost life the world of Dinotopia. James Gurney, who both wrote and illustrated the book, is certainly one of the most talented artists of our time. The striking watercolors that fill the book depict the majesty and grandeur of the civilizations of the land in astonishing and graphic detail. From the simple homes of the small villages to the sweeping beauty of the landscapes and the glorious cities that mark the centers of culture and learning, every place of this world is realized, leaving the reader breathless as they read the words that are as beautiful as the art that accompanies them.

Eventually, James went on to create several sequels to the first book, which later became known as A Land Apart from Time. However, none of them manage to quite live up to the splendor of that first, groundbreaking and inimitable style of the first book, Dinotopia.

The Forbidden Mountains.

The soaring heights and fathomless gorges of the Skybax’s domain.

The first sight we have of Waterfall City is by far my favorite illustration of the whole book. I could stare at this painting for hours, so vivid and beautiful.