Dean publishes first fantasy novel: 'The Darobin'
By Bobby Moore
[email protected]
Staff Writer
After over two years of hard work, Georgia Highlands College student Crystal Dean published her first fantasy novel in December 2003.
Dean, an art major, wrote and illustrated the fantasy novel �The Darobin: The Legend of the Mysterious Warriors.� The story is the end result of years of drawing characters and daydreaming.
The story tells of a magical world called Windrealm. It is a land inhabited by a wide array of humans, dragons, and the mysterious Darobins.
The story began with a map and a few sketches of characters. As an accomplished artist, Dean has been able to paint a world through both illustrations and words.
Dean said, �I want my readers to have an intimate glimpse into the world I have created, so I provide detailed illustrations of the main characters and of Windrealm.�
The main character bears a striking resemblance to Dean in both appearance and attitude. According to Trina Dean, the author's older sister and fellow FC student, �Anyone who knows Crystal will think the story is about her when they start reading the book.�
Dean admits that she did base some of the character's traits on her own personality.
According to the author's new website, www.thedarobin.com, the story is �an amazing adventure filled with unforgettable characters that will win your heart and pull you right into their breathtaking world.�
Dean sites legendary �Lord of the Rings� author J.R.R. Tolkien as a source of inspiration. According to Dean, �I like how Tolkien added immense detail to his works, and that is how I would like my stories to be as well.�
Just like her literary hero, Dean is able to inject some moral lessons into her story. �If the readers pay attention, they will discover a lot of underlying themes based on Christian philosophy,� she says.
When asked about the possibility of a sequel to �The Darobin,� Dean revealed that a sequel will definitely be written to provide an ending to the story that begins in the first book.
However, Dean says, �I wrote the story so that it would not be overwhelmingly long to read like 'The Lord of the Rings.' The first book can stand alone with a good ending and so will the second book, but the main story is finished in the second book.�
The self-promoting and self-publishing young author has a lot of work ahead, but she has found time to plan towards a possible dream come true. If she is not too busy promoting her book, she may very well be studying at Oxford University in Oxford, England, next year.
�Tolkien studied and taught at Oxford for years,� says Dean, �so it would be incredible to follow in his footsteps.�
�The Darobin: The Legend of the Mysterious Warriors� is currently available online at Iuniverse, Books a Million and Amazon.com. Once promotion of the book begins, it will start appearing in bookstores.
With another �Darobin� book in the works, as well as a story about pirates and another about vampires on the way, fans of Dean's first book will have more action-packed adventures and illustrations to look forward to in the future.
The book will be promoted at the FC main campus through some fliers Dean has designed and posted as well as a possible on-campus book signing in the near furture.
For more details about the book, Dean may be contacted at [email protected].
|
