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The Alfar's Gift - Diane Wright
The Alfar’s Gift
Diane Wright
ISBN: 9781424172528
PublishAmerica
Reviewed By Chelsea Perry
Official Apex Reviews
Rating: 
Fourteen-year-old Danny is the unlikeliest of heroes…
Despite his rather active imagination, Danny could not
possibly dream of the amazing – and daunting – adventure upon which he will
soon embark. Drawn directly into the midst of a burgeoning war in a wondrous
different dimension, Danny is understandably confused regarding the purpose he
has been summoned to fulfill; nonetheless, he is steadfastly reminded that he
is the “Chosen One” and that without his courage, resolve, and tenacity, the
fairy nation of King Ivaldi will no doubt be destroyed. Ahrim, a nefarious,
vindictive being from the dark nether regions, has sworn to spread his dark
influence all across the land, and he relentlessly puts forth every effort to
make good on his vow.
For his part, Danny is not left to his own devices to
fulfill his prophesied task of quashing Ahrim’s efforts. He is joined by two
trusted companions, the brave Eric the Red and the beautiful Nirala – and, most
importantly, he is given an all-powerful sword against whose unchecked might
Ahrim stands no chance. In the face of such incredible adversity, though,
victory is all but assured, and the ultimate survival of the fairy nation depends
solely on Danny’s ability to summon the courage to tap into the commanding
strength that lies within us all.
The Alfar’s Gift is a wonderfully written, imaginative
tale. In it, Diane Wright has crafted a compelling story of bravery and
selflessness to which readers of all ages can relate. Though her narrative is
ostensibly geared towards a younger audience, the spiritual undertones of her
story make it quite the effective teaching tool, not to mention an engaging
morality tale. Throughout the course of his perilous journey, the internal
conflict that plagues Danny is no different than the various dilemmas that
confront us every day: we are all subject to difficult decisions from which we
cannot escape responsibility, and we must all come to realize that the true
measure of our success lies less in the ultimate outcome of our struggles and
more in the courage with which we face them.
Skillfully crafted and presented, The Alfar’s Gift is a
promising debut from a talented new literary voice. Recommended for fans of intriguing
Fantasy/Sci-Fi tales.
Official Apex Reviews Interview: Diane Wright (The Alfar's Gift)
Apex Reviews: Diane, thanks for joining us for this interview. We're looking very much forward to learning more about your book.
At only 14 years-old, Danny is quite young to be the key figure in an intra-dimensional spiritual clash. How is it that he's designated to be the "Chosen One" at such an early age?
Diane Wright: I am a
fan of the youth. Early teens not only are very capable but they still believe
in themselves. At that age they listen to their hearts and do what they feel is
right. Due to the fact that I was involved in other activities, the book took
me several years to write. I sort of wrote itself. At the time I began my son
was 12 and so was the main character. I made Danny a little older later on. The
plot evolved out of my heart rather than my head. He is not left to do
everything by himself, however, wiser help was found along the way.
AR: How did you decide upon elves and fairies to be the protagonists of the story?
DW: I used
mythology because man has used it to define himself throughout history. The
type that is used tells a lot about the people. Elves and fairies have most
often been used on the side of good. I tried to stay true to their use in
history. Some of the characters are out of mythology and some, like wortles and
the gargatua, are out of my head.
AR: What inspired you to make the legacy of the fairy nation's rulers matriarchal in nature?
DW: I made the fairy nation matriarchal because of the nature of the calling. I believe strongly in the balance of nature. Part of the balance of nature is in accepting who we are. Men and women are different and although (and if I do not say this correctly I will receive a ton of flack) we can do all of the same things. However we have different capabilities because of who we are. A female does not have to try to be like a male to be equal to him. So many young girls are getting mixed up, feeling they need to be like boys to be equal in this world. They don’t. We have our own gifts. Our own abilities. That is what this book is all about. Finding your calling. Every body has a place in the universe. Nobody can do what you can do.
AR: The names of the characters in the story are quite imaginative. How did you come up with them?
DW: Some of the names of the characters came out of mythology and other names just sort of popped out of my head—don’t ask me how!
AR: Our reviewer mentioned that you interweave not-so-subtle spiritual undertones throughout the fabric of the overall tale. What is your primary aim for doing so?
DW: I did not intend to weave the religious tones into the book any more than I intended anything else in the book. I just wrote. Sometimes I would sit at the computer and my fingers would fly and I would start to see pictures in my head. I had no idea what I was writing. My message would be what my heart has to say to everyone and I suppose that is why it came out in my writing. It was two fold: 1. Evil is cowardly. Have the courage to stand up against it and it will fall. It loves company and will not stand alone. Sometimes you will have to, but be strong and you will find it is easy to fight against; 2. The reason that you could never see Red’s sacred object is that it was symbolic of all sacred objects of all religions everywhere. The symbolism was that all people and all religions need to stop fighting and stop bickering and unite together to fight against Ahrim or Satan or evil or whatever you want to call around us.
AR: The Alfar's Gift is your first published work (congratulations!). How does it feel to finally see the fruits of your labor in print?
DW: As I wrote “The Alfar’s Gift” I never saw myself as a writer. I don’t know why I kept writing it. I just did. It was the encouragement of a friend that kept me writing it and the encouragement of another that had me send it to the publisher. Without my husband’s help and hundreds of endless hours of editing I would have given up. I never expected it to be printed when it was accepted. Cloud 5,699 fits.
AR: What kinds of reactions have you gotten to the book thus far?
DW: So far
the reactions, although they have not been many seem to have been positive. It
is hard to tell the real verdict, though when they are all your friends and
family.
AR: What are your future writing/publishing plans?
DW: I must
admit I like being a writer. I have recently sent in a play “The Mouse
Princess” to the publisher and am currently working on a poetry book “Elan”. I have also started the sequel “The Wambeen’s
Delgue”. Other than that I am planning to see how things go. I have promised to
finish those works, so I will.
AR: Do you have a website where people can learn more about you and your writing efforts?
DW: Being almost computer illiterate, the complexities of a website have been eluded. For now the answer remains no
AR: How can they contact you directly?
DW: Anyone
wishing to contact me directly may do so by using my email address DianeSteve@centurytel.net. I would
love to hear from them.
AR: Any final thoughts you'd like to share with our readers?
DW: Believe
in yourself and who you are. Everyone has a place in this universe. Don’t
change who you are for anyone.
AR: Thanks again, Diane, and best of continued success to you in all your endeavors!