The Grand Chieftain

The Grand Chieftain
Author: Don Bourque
Publisher: FriesenPress
Total Pages: 194
Release: 2023-02-13
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1039165095

The vicious Water Sprite War has ended, and the Forest Elves have returned home. Drisandel, who led the Forest Elves in the war, succeeds his deceased father as village Chieftain. Garnidel, Drisandel’s son and talented apprentice smith to his mother, Shaelesse, begins to prepare as the heir to his father as Chieftain by travelling through the Forest Elf Nation, learning of its history and the legends of so-called “Fire Sprites,” and searching for a potential wife (even as he staves off feelings for the betrothed of a beloved friend). He also encounters the enigmatic Desert Elves, neighbours of the Forest Elves who were once a unified people with them. Garnidel’s education is cut shorter than expected when Humans bearing arms suddenly begin encroaching into the territory of the Forest Elves. As the battle to defend the Forest Elf territory begins, Garnidel now must quickly grow into his role as a battlefield leader and develop a plan to stave off the superior numbers of the Human invasion. Can the new weapons and tools he developed in the forge allow the Forest Elves some advantage? And can the Forest Elves count the Desert Elves as allies? The Grand Chieftain is the continuation of the fantasy epic begun in Willow: Awakened, Ascended, Avenged, and volume 2 of the Willow’s Wake trilogy. With thrilling battles and the exploration of fascinating new frontiers in an already rich fantasy world, The Grand Chieftain will captivate fans of the series, readers just journeying into it, and lovers of fantasy new and old.

Willow

Willow
Author: Don Bourque
Publisher: FriesenPress
Total Pages: 200
Release: 2021-10-26
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1039113850

Wood Sprites, Night Elves, and Forest Elves have lived largely secluded from one another for generations. Willow, a willful young half-Wood Sprite, half-Night Elf, is unusual for being of mixed blood, but lives a normal life among the Wood Sprites. At least, she does until she is suddenly kidnapped by Night Elves and learns the shocking truth behind her parentage. Though a captive, Willow soon becomes embroiled in escalating political conflicts within and between the races—including a fight between those who accept relationships between the races, and those who don’t. Her survival depends on her learning to fight, reading those around her, and finding allies wherever she can. Faced with numerous battles, tension between old beliefs and new, and the mystery of the long-vanished Water Sprites, can Willow and her companions emerge victorious and bring about a more peaceful, accepting society? With a rich and original fantasy setting, epic battle scenes, shocking twists, and important themes such as confronting racial intolerance, Willow: Awakened, Ascended, Avenged will enthrall both longtime fans of the fantasy genre and those new to it.

The High Priestess

The High Priestess
Author: Don Bourque
Publisher: FriesenPress
Total Pages: 210
Release: 2023-10-30
Genre: Young Adult Fiction
ISBN: 1039188079

When Lauren, a priestess of the Sky Gods in the human land of Fenery, is suddenly summoned before the High Priest, she is expecting to be chastised, or worse. Instead, she learns her studies in ancient texts on the “elementals” wasn’t wasted. Not only do the elementals—elves and sprites—really exist, they’re at war with the colony of New Fenery. With neither side gaining ground, the colony’s expansion has been halted. The colony, desperate to break out of the stalemate, hopes Lauren’s knowledge of elementals can give them a much-needed advantage. Thus, Lauren finds herself shipped off to New Fenery in the company of Daudra, the strangest page Lauren has ever met. She is skilled in fighting, flirtatious among men and women, and eager to drink and gamble, but also displays knowledge and expertise beyond her station. Added to the mystery of her page is the unknown voice that begins speaking directly into Lauren’s mind: We can help you. Unsure if she can trust this strange voice and what to make of her page, in unfamiliar surroundings, and uncertain if her knowledge will allow her to foster peace or only lead to more bloodshed, Lauren begins her adventure. Little does she know it will bring her into contact with figures thought lost—some allies, some enemies. Conflict may be inevitable, but resolution can be found in more ways than battle. The High Priestess is the enthralling conclusion to the Willow’s Wake trilogy, providing the coda to a war spanning across three novels and filled with rousing adventure, fascinating characters, and themes of unification and diversity.