The thing that I loved about fantasy was always a kind of a private thing. Sara Cobbler was one of the children taken away by the Black Carriage. And you are right. So the first thing I was curious to ask you about, and I think I probably know some of the answers, because I think weve read a lot of the same things, but theres this quote Ive always liked from Tolkien, who said that his stories grew out of the leaf mould of his mind; his idea being its almost like a compost bin that youre just constantly throwing things into, and the stories grow out of it. I had this sense that Kalmar was going to make some bad choices, and that he was going to turn into a Fang, while I was writing book one. By way of explanation, let me read from Petersons introduction to the land of Skree: In the nine years after Skrees king and all his lordsin fact, everyone with a claim to the thronehad been executed, the people of Skree had learned to survive under the occupation of the Fangs of Dang. It's set in the world of Aerwiar where Gnag the Nameless and his evil Fangs have taken over. Jake Meador: Yeah. Rabbit Room Exclusive - Preorder through the Rabbit Room Store and receive a 11x17 Map of Aerwiar. Andrew Peterson: Right. An Interview with Andrew Peterson About "The Wingfeather Saga" Jake Meador on October 12, 2020 One of the few highlights of 2020 for me has been getting to read the Wingfeather Saga to my kids. If not, you will be mighty happy as the Wingfeather Animated Tales are coming smoothly underway, seriously, the poster is awesome. The Wingfeather Saga is coming to life as a breathtaking, multi-season TV show, thanks to the 8,000+ Angel Investors helping us raise five million dollars. Jake Meador: So this was another thing, and you kind of touched on it a little bit in your letter to parents on the website, but it struck me as I was reading that theres a lot of darkness and evil and pain in these stories. The hope that Janner had revived Sara, and sparked a revolution as she was determined to lead a rebellion that would escape the factory. It actually reminded me of a thing I read by Russ Moore years ago though, where he talked about parents talking with their kids when theyre scared at night, or when theyre worried about monsters or something. Andrew Peterson: Well, there are two answers to that question. Theyre horrifying. Also, may I just say that Andrew Petersons music is better than Wingfeather, go ahead, disagree, but its just my thought. When Im watching Marvel movies, and the cities are getting blown up, Im always like, Who cleans this up? Im always just kind of like, My goodness, all the work that they put into that building, and its just rubble now. If there are real consequences to our decisions, then it begins to smack of the real world in a way that is more moving than otherwise. And the way that that gets expressed is a little bit different for the parents, because I mean you show it really beautifully I think with Podo at the end of North! The Dragon Day Festival. How were you wanting to present it? I also noticed that name changes seem to be happening at really pivotal moments in a characters life. BEEP. Your kids will never admit it but Wingfeather helps readers see family clearer, not dimmer and homework brighter, not duller. Frankles cute! But the Maker seems to be an absent God. It begs questions that can only be resolved in Christ. The true love the sacrificial love. Thanks! Have you read that book? It has that we-are-in-the-joke, laugh-together-with-me humour. I hadnt thought about the Revelation text, so thats interesting. But those are, in many ways, fantasy novels, too. Which one is Janner Wingfeather? Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! @zoe-wingfeather @anne-of-lothlorien @christi-eaton (with Davenant Press), and "Telling the Stories Right" (with the Front Porch Republic Press). There is a Creation story. But then the other side of it is that Tolkien and Lewis were students of the classics. Wingfeather War On the day of the Dragon Day Festival in Glipwood, Nugget (Leeli's dog) ran away. I mean, he has to. Gnag the Nameless sent an army of Fangs across the Sea of Darkness, to conquer Skree but Skree itself was not the main goal. Required fields are marked *. Lewis. That was the leaf mould. The day before, Janner and Tink find themselves threatened by one of the region's most fearsome animals, the carnivorous "toothy cow.". Names are a huge deal in the series, and the sense I get is that especially from the way that its set up in the first book, theres a kind of playfulness to Gnag the Nameless, in the beginning, but then as you spend more time there, you realize this is actually a really central theme. Hes Tink in the first two books, and hes Kalmar in the last two. But in the Wingfeather books, even with Gnag, you actually realize theres this wound there, that has caused him to be the way he is. . He can't go out to see the world so he enjoys the next best thing, being there when the world comes to him. Because its hard to write a story where the main character can always be let off the hook by some grownup presence; by a parent who can always kind of swoop in and save them. Before I get to that reason, I need to address the dragon in the room. I really need that ending. Home Page Forums Fiction Writing Book Discussions Wingfeather Saga. Really fantastic interview. Thats the way that God works, of course, and so the story of scripture is a eucatastrophe. BEEP. But the people pray to the Maker in a world occupied by evil Fangs, where children are carried off in the Black Carriage and Janners father, a good man, dies. Or is it okay if I just dont watch the ones with Thor?. If you havent read them, GO AWAY! Sara Cobbler was born in Torrborro. Jake Meador: And so we had read Prisoner of Azkaban three times in a row, and so when we got Wingfeather I was thinking, This is a good way to give them something else that theyll be into for awhile instead of that. So thats kind of what I was expectingadventurous kids fantasy, basically. Youve been warned. What will Janner do when Leeli stands between her dog and a Fang of Dang? Its not just a generalized pride or ambition. The Lord of the Rings didnt come till college, I think, and I didnt reread the Narnia books until college either. BEEP. You see people working and celebrating and having a beer at the pub. He sat down, and leaned against the wall while Sara grabbed the bandages. @anne-of-lothlorien,@zoe-wingfeather,@christi-eaton,@gretald. She helped him escape the factory and later lead a rebellion to escape the factory along with all of the other captured children. The Maker is good and the people trust in Him. Janners death is so moving but so, so, SO devastating. I too though was devastated at the end of the saga when Janner died and wanted to rewrite the ending but the second time I read it I realized what the ending truly means. I thought even the voice of the narrator in these books is distinctive. Their mother insists they do their THAGS. Andrew Peterson: Thank you. You dont want to miss my review Jacob Abbotts 200 year old book, The Young Christian; Or a Familiar Illustration of the Principles of Christian Duty. And so it kind of makes the parents look like knuckleheads. James, What a Democracy Can Lose without Christianity | National Review. The Wingfeather Saga Concludes in The Wolf King Some stories tend toand theres a place for thisthey tend to write about heroes, and theres this nobility, these aspirational characters, and I dont think thats a terrible thing to make characters that kids who read them want to be like. honestly, im kind of sad that rudrick diednia needed to be happy!!! This happens most obviously with the Fangs, when they get a new name after theyre Fanged. So I was thinking about someone like Bonifer. Help. I Just Don't Get the Appeal of the Wingfeather Saga The first book, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness is the 2008 Christy Award Nominee for Young Adult Fiction. Its hard to sympathize with Saruman. Its already true, but were still growing into it, in some sense. What was the water that could heal and bring people back from the dead? Loyalty? The annoying, frustrating, kind-of-smart cliffhanger that leaves you to decide for yourself whether Janner Igiby Wingfeather comes back to life, or stays with the Maker. If you eat from a tree that is poisonous, then you become poisoned. Forum - Fantasy Writers - Story Embers I was also reading some Stephen King stuff, against my parents wishes, and I would literally crawl under my bed to read Stephen King novels, in order to get away with it. Sara Cobbler | Wingfeather Saga Wiki | Fandom Wingfeather Saga - Kingdom Pen You treat it differently if its got a name. Impulsive, he drags Janner into tunnels and what-not to explore. Sara and Janner, Kalmar and whatever-her-name-is-that-used-to-be-nuzzard Rudrick and Nia Leevi and Thorn Kelvey and Maraly Artham and Alma. At the hint of the jewels presence, the evil powers strike for sleepy town Glipwood. Well what does that actually mean? The problem was theyre also filthy. Reading them as a Christian he evaluates: A few years ago I dug out a few of the fantasy novels I loved and found them mostly empty. Its funny, there never really was any doubt in my mind that Janner was healedbut maybe thats just me. The Wingfeather Saga - Andrew Peterson - Works | Archive of Our Own Please? Jake Meador: Well and even after Gnag is gone, theres Fangs that are like, We dont know what were supposed to do now., Jake Meador: Weve just been evil for so long, and, Jake Meador: When I was reading that to Davy Joy my wife was in the kitchen and overheard the part where one of the one Fangs is like, What if we like being evil?. And so, Im not going to get into it, because it will get dark and Ill overshare, but the point is, I think shame is a way of allowing the enemy to name you, as opposed to clinging with all your hope to this other name that God gives you. And then to chase those choices to their logical conclusions. Its interesting to me youre citing Revelation, because when I think about names in scripture, where my mind goes is the creation account. Another influence for me as I was writing is that I think one of my most persistent spiritual struggles is my imagination. Notice that Leeli is 8 and Janner is 12 which coincidentally is the reading age of this book, 8-12 years old. She also befriended Janner. Every little bit helps! Every month I review Faithlifes Free Book of the Month. through all the books he learns to put others before himself, coming to that COMPLETELY UNNEEDED PART AT THE END ANDREW I WILL FIND YOU AND MAKE YOU REWRITE IT, now that youre finished *slides you $20* would you be interested in reading my fanfic? I know that the world is a mess, and I know that I am a mess, and so what I need is to see the triumph of beauty over darkness. You might not recognise his name but you might recognise his voice. "Come on!" Janner said, pulling Tink to his feet. Instead of being fanged, she was forced to work in the Fork Factory. And they end up seeing this world brighter, not duller, you have introduced a Christian love of story in their lives. Andrew Peterson: And it doesnt mean that they dont misunderstand each other, but theyre also present. The Green Ember, Green Ember Archer and Tales of Old Natalia by S.D. The scariest sound in the Wingfeather series is Moo. But there were some good things about it, but the bad guy, Kenneth Branaghs character, at no point did I ever believe their reasons for why he was so bad, and at no point did I ever understand why he wanted to destroy the world. A Christian Guide to Reading Books. Jake Meador: Ive not read that one, but Ive read some of his other books. I think that thats something that America could learn from the UK. Sorry if Im being exclusive, but I really do not want to spoil this for people. I cried, laughed so hard my stomach hurt, and know a bunch of random facts about it that no one else in my family can remember. It just felt like this world that was nurturing to me, because I was growing up in a, I wouldnt say fundamentalist, but pretty conservative evangelical situation, and my imagination was potent, and I didnt really like where I was. Coincidentally, 8000+ angel investors raised five million dollars to turn the story into a multi-season animation series. The Fangs arent that way, because the Fangs have mostly given up their humanity. And yet, youre able to convey aspects of what drives them and what motivates them through their actions, and we do get these glimmers into what theyre afraid of, what they care about. The Wingfeather Saga tells the story of the Igiby family and especially their three children: Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli. The anti-book is a dangerous mind-bending weapon because it can backfire. Arriving back at the ruins of Castle Rysen, the family again gave thanks to the Maker for restoring Janner. Water from the Dark sea of Darkness. I also didnt want to make the bad guy so sympathetic that you were sad that he got what was coming to him. I cannot stress that enough. Theres not a lot of interest in the world itself, where things come from, where characters come from. Jake Meador: The greatest pain in his life. Andrew Peterson: Man, thats a good question. Terry Pratchetts Discworld. Theres a lot of well silliness, especially in the early parts the sort of stuff that makes little boys cackle (which worked out, as all I had were little boys). In fact, he and his family are at the center of a great mystery that will . It's also kind of a Heartwarming Moment, because after reflecting on how selfish he's been throughout his adventures, he finally sacrifices himself to save his brother and many others. And then theres what Tolkien calls the sudden joyous turn., Andrew Peterson: The moment where the author lifts the curtain and shows you that he had some amazing surprise in mind all along. Andrew Peterson: There doesnt have to be an adversarial relationship between parents and kids; they can actually be on the same team. At the beginning of the story Janner is twelve, Kalmar (whose nickname is Tink) is eleven, and their little sister Leeli is nine. IF YOU DO NOT KNOW THESE BOOKS AND HAVE NEVER READ THEM DO NOT READ THIS! And since Mr. Andrew Peterson *Throws a very, very, annoyed look in his direction* is not going to tell us if Janner Igiby Wingfeather lives or not (I believe he does. : Notes on Ideology and Enemies, Meritocracy, the Wingfeather Saga, and Civility - Front Porch Republic, New animated series 'The Wingfeather Saga' teaches Christian values in an epic fantasy world - FISM TV, New animated series The Wingfeather Saga teaches Christian values in an epic fantasy world ReviewLocate : Books , Book Reviews And More, Navigating the Scylla and Charybdis: Paul Ramsey and Contemporary Political Theology. Im going to first make a broad argument, then the narrow one. It was this little world that I didnt know how to talk about. So I guess maybe youve kind of already answered it, but a lot of fantasy is driven by the world the author creates, and plot twists, and the characters can often end up basically being these props the author uses for his world-building. I love names anyway. Janner, you're hurt, so I want you in the middle. At all. He failed his mother and his grandfather. Some time afterwards, he re-reads the Chronicles of Narnia and something happens: The reintroduction of fairy tales to my redeemed imagination helped me to see the Maker, his Word, and the abounding human (but sometimes Spirit-commandeered) tales as interconnected. Andrew Peterson: It was just a spaceship flying around, with these cardboard characters in them. I identify to Jannerso much it hurts[sobbing], Im gonna like, LIVE in this thread for a while. Peterson, our redeemed fantasy nerd, draws us into the world of the Wingfeather Saga. Wonder Woman is the daughter of the Gods of Olympus. I cried when they found each other, and then Artham realized they were flying and spinning in the air. Amazon.The Rord of the Lings by T.R.R. Do you know what this reminds me of? The remaining orphans traveled to Anniera, which had just been restored. They live in a world called Aerwiar, which is exactly like our worldexcept they dont have electricity or gunpowder, and there are all sorts of creepy animals, like sea dragonsand toothy cows. Then, while we wait for the release of the next free deal, I review another piece of Christian literature. Andrew Peterson: There is also this hope that God is making me into something, Im being conformed to Christs likeness, and in the new creation, there is this sense in scripture that we will receive this new name, this completed identity, or something. But I never did Dungeons & Dragons. If you have not read the whole series, you may want to save this until you have finished it. Jannars death has me sobbing. Not a drop of water leaked in. Whether its a commentary or a childrens story, from Christology to eschatology, the Reading and Readers Podcast has a book for you. It can describe the world, how it functions and how to subdue it. The Wingfeather Saga is a series of four books that follow the lives of Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli Wingfeather along with their mother, grandfather, uncle, and some friends they meet along the way. They are in your cinemas and streaming services. What was the building Maraly Weaver jumped from when she tried to help Gammon Felda in Dug town, when he was being chased by the fangs? So, for example, I went and saw Tenet last night. She and the other captives discreetly gathered weapons that they were paring. He doesnt have a degree, but he knows George MacDonald about as well as anybody I know, and is just this really wise, wise man, and I remember at the time I was going through a lot of things, struggling with a lot of shame and self-loathing, and Id have a breakdown, and I remember one night in particular for some reason calling him, at midnight, and kind of weeping into the phone, and he just soothed me with the gospel, reminded me what was true, and he talked a lot about names in that conversation in a way I hadnt heard before. Janner, Tink, and Leeli all have surface traits and some attempts to have anything deeper. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. Can you talk a bit about names and about what made that such a central theme for you? Limner. Smith. Jake Meador: Thats helpful. Truth-telling with a capital T. I recommend Wingfeather because of what it reveals of God and his ways. The Wingfeather Saga Andrew Peterson Andrew Peterson: Well, I think I could say this: I grew up watching the original Star Wars trilogy, and loving it. Wingfeather Saga Wiki is a FANDOM Books Community. And thats what makes that show feel so real, you feel the weight of it. The hope that Janner had revived Sara, and sparked a revolution as she was determined to lead a rebellion that would escape the factory. Tolkien and C.S. So buckle up and listen to how they save Sara and Janner! He did it to find the jewels. When taken by the Black Carriage most children are taken to Fort Lamendron and then to the Phoob Islands or Castle Throg to be fanged, but when Janner was captured, he discovered that some children are instead traded in a business that enslaves children to forge weapons for the Fang Army called the Fork Factory, run by the cruel Overseer, which is what had happened to Sara. Without Christ, can anything be Christian? The books, not the movies. And theres certainly an aesthetic, at a sentence level, in the King James. Hes got to figure this thing out. The children set up an orphanage at an abandoned factory called Thimble Thumb's Threads. Since you still struggle to walk properly, Sara can help you." Sara went and stood by Janner. When we come home from the library, each of them has five or ten books under each arm. In that message, Peterson has a note to parents. Andrew Peterson: So, in this story, I wanted to make the parents actual parents, who actually loved and liked their kids. Also, they had tails. Janner ran away from home and the home ran away with him. And today, its a special Dragon Day Festival because for once, he is allowed to go to town to see the festival without adult supervision. Just like the orphaned farmboy in Belgariad, to live a lonely life like Drizzt, always caught between two worlds like Tanis Half-Elven. And if they dont do any of that, there is a greater not-so-obvious prize. Kudos: 3 Hits: 58 The restoring by Ellie_the_Throne_Warden Even when it seems Leeli raughable, really laughable, to do so. A world with sword, dragons, fantastical creatures and, above them all, the Great Divine, the Maker. @gretald You should read the alternate ending zoe wrote. "I love you . Why? Or I think about, you mentioned Berry earlier, theres not a super-sympathetic account of Troy Chatham in Jayber Crow. Janner and his family pray. Andrew Peterson: I mostly hated it. The writer of the Wingfeather Saga is not a recovering fantasy nerd, he is a redeemed fantasy nerd. It is hard to make a case that Wingfeather, or any work of fiction, is Christian but Wingfeather has a Christian theological core unlike J.K. Rowlings Harry Potter or Philip Pullmans His Dark Materials. And so Janner runs away with his brother Tink, the one who doesnt think, and his sister Leeli and her dog, and their mother, Nia and their grandfather, Podo. Honestly, I loved the ending. Some silly people believe that theres a fourth Honored and Great Subject, but those mathematicians are woefully mistaken. End Footnote. We all have it in us by virtue of the choices that we make, whether we choose to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, or the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. i actually agree about the kissingkinda wanna go back over it and make it better. "I love you." He whispered to her. I will wholeheartedly agree! If you know someone who hates fantasy novels, recommend this review. Reinke lists seven benefits of reading non-Christian books. Listen to my in-depth review of the latest titles like Redeeming Our Thinking About History by Vern. Im zipping and picking bits from Petersons autobiography to show you the writers journey from fantasy and back again. Andrew Peterson: The irony is that my pastor is a Dungeon Master now, and he leads campaigns with some friends of mine. And then I heard it. I dont want to expose them to words or situations I wouldnt want my own children exposed to. "But now that everyone's healed, hopefully there won't be a need for me to do that again." Kalmar smiled back, but Janner noticed a hint of something like guilt in his blue eyes. We are working hard on the show and would love to share our journey with you. The truth is hard to hear but so beautiful. An Interview with Andrew Peterson About "The Wingfeather Saga" And then when the new ones came out, not the Disney sequels but the prequels, the space battles were much more impressive, more amazing than the ones in the original trilogy, but it didnt work because nobody cared about who was flying the spaceship. For a longer conversation about this remarkable fantasy series, seethis exchangebetween Peterson and Jake []. Hes an even better poet. Tolkien started with a map, so I took a cue from him, and thats how I startedwith sketching the map of the world of Aerwiar, and then filling in the towns and the rivers and so on. Janner Wingfeather | Wingfeather Saga Wiki | Fandom But then I was listening to some of your music last night, as I was just getting ready for this, and you have a line in Dancing in the Minefields that says, when I forget my name, remind me. So it seems like its a very central concern, not just in Wingfeather, but with your art more generally. In his autobiography, Adorning the Dark, Peterson reflects on his conversion from a fantasy world escapist into a born-again Christian. But when the story of our life ends, we will know. *now sneaks away without reading anything else because I havent finished the series and dont want to read spoilers.*. Eustace, Janner, and the True Story Wingfeather Book - Wordingplace When the children are not fighting Fangs, or running from giant roaches or hiding from toothy cows BEEP footnote: Wingfeather is known to induce moo-phobia, a fear of the sound of cows, in readers. You know what I mean? You construct a story where the reader and the characters in the book have stopped believing that their story can end well. I actually like some of his movies a lot, but it was just too much whatever. I couldnt cry. Frodos ring. Andrew Peterson: And thats what the gospel tells us, of course: We cant pull ourselves up by our bootstraps; there has to be some outside grace that invades us, that changes things, and so thats what I was going for, was to show that yes, the world is evil, but also these characters have some deep problems that theyre going to have to work out, over the course of the story. The food sometimes just magically appears, but theres no evidence of farming implements or vineyards or anything; everybodys just kind of hanging out in this world and theyve got food. He does it in an almost mechanical way.
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