I am pleased to welcome George Mellar, author of Odyssey of the Last Calderian in today's post. Scroll down to read about the book and read the guest post! Enjoy!
About the book
“I fear for mankind. This is not who we are. Something is wrong, something has changed.
“This is not the way… it is not the answer… they can’t do it, they mustn’t!”
The insular and isolated world of Braak has come to an end. The tragedy and mystery that triggers his journey for vengeance will be completely overshadowed by the catastrophic event that he will witness at the beginning of his quest for justice. His brief encounter with a stranger will be the catalyst that propels him on an odyssey that will take him across the known world, following a trail left by an ancient, clandestine 'order' known only as the Caretakers. The chase will bring him ever closer to the reason why man's future and destiny is now in peril, and why the answers and means to end this intended devastation can only be found in the arid and barren lands of Melankurion.
Guest Post by Author
All is possible. Nothing is too fantastical or imaginary. Nothing is too inconceivable or incredible for your mind to accept as plausible. Yet, ‘Odyssey of the Last Calderian’—an historical vision based in a fictional world—is written as a fantasy novel. The world depicted is trustworthy and sound, though names, places, societies, and cultures are fused into a make-believe world of mystery and secrecy. All is seen through the eyes of a traveller who is compelled to journey through its lands, and though what is laid before you is not of this world, its setting and surroundings are all too familiar with a past age we have no difficulty in relating to ‘The middle-ages’.
Writing a fantasy novel with invented creatures such as dragons, trolls, elves, giants, hydras, and demons is all well and good; the imagination can run wild and all kinds of creatures can be conjured up to enthrall the booklover. But my personal challenge was to write a story of an invented place where a reader can—without much difficulty—place themselves within a setting and feel comfortable within its environment. It is important that you believe this new world to be tangible and realistic.
With this realism in mind, the story will move forward; there are no invented creatures or monsters, no wizards or necromancers, no mystical powers or supernatural forces; just a storyline that is imaginative and compelling for those who love mystery, intrigue, action, and conspiracy.
The main protagonist of this saga is a young man who is compelled to do what he must because he has little choice. A personal tragedy is the catalyst that sends him on a quest which at first seems straightforward and just, though the circumstances that expire after a chance encounter with a ‘stranger’ propel him on a journey he could never had envisioned. He is compelled to pursue a clandestine brotherhood of wanderers known as the ‘Caretakers’ to prevent them from committing atrocities against an established world.
The irony discovered by the reader of this story is that both the pursuer and those being pursued believe what they are doing is just and right; each judging their actions to be acceptable and necessary. One is following his conscience and ethical morals, whilst the other is following a faith, a cause deemed righteous for the greater good of mankind; two approaches for doing what they believe is right; yet the method of executing said beliefs is what we have to question. You have to ask, “How many atrocities throughout history have been committed against our own kind for the—so-called—greater good of humanity!?”
Accompanying the main character through this story takes you through several countries, cultures, terrain, climates, and mode of transport; sharing calamities, misfortunes, and giving you a taste of what he has to endure. These ordeals bring you to an understanding of how this world functions. My goal is to reflect our present world with its existing prejudice, bias, social divisions, and discrimination, to a world that is still—for the most part—innocent and free from present-day bigotry. You have to ask yourself ‘is human frailty an inherent characteristic we carry no matter what our surroundings? Are we ‘what we are’ and will never change? Or is there a chance that things could be different? Is a new way of thinking possible?
‘Odyssey of the Last Calderian’ is the first book of a trilogy which compares a ‘make-believe world’ to present day society. My goal is to show comparisons of what we have done and are doing today and equate it to what may happen. The second book ‘Ankh the City of Domes’ is finished, and the third book is well on its way to completion. My only hope is that the full trilogy will accomplish a ‘wake-up call’ that is so desperately needed in this ‘age of intolerance’. Isn’t it sad that the only way I feel this awakening can be accomplished is through the genre of FANTASY!?
George J. Mellar
About the Author
George Mellar, the only son of an Austrian mother and Hungarian father, lived his formative years with his five sisters in Derbyshire, England. His love of history, particularly that of ancient civilizations, was cultivated through his studies at South East Derbyshire College, which, in turn, motivated him to visit ancient sites all over Europe, the Middle East, and Southeast Asia. Before his retirement, he had worked for over twenty years as a correctional officer with the British civil service. He now lives in Thailand with his wife, Au, where he is devoting most of his time to writing.
