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NEWS — The Wingfeather Saga

"And that's final."

Here we are—Aerwiar!—at the end of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. I have loved reading with you all these last two months, and knowing that we've still got three books to go makes me gladder than glad. Thank you all for chiming in with your favorite quotes, and for your wonderful input in the forums. We've had some great discussion, and I'm looking forward to more questions, more speculation, more fun, more heart-responses, and more friendship-building as we continue.Picking a favorite excerpt each week can be tricky. This week, selecting from chapters 45-51, I had to pick between the scene that made me cry (but is pretty spoiler-heavy) and the scene that made me bounce in my seat and cheer. I'm going with the latter. (But for the record, the scene that made me cry is in the last chapter.)Thanks for reading, everyone.

“We’ll tell you all about it tonight,” Podo said, turning toward the road, “once we find a safe place to rest.” The old man tossed the bundle over his shoulder and took a deep, glad breath of salty air. “Follow old Podo!” he then roared with gusto, and marched off in a southwesterly direction, away from the forest.“Papa,” Nia said.“Eh?” Podo said, stopping several paces away.“I think we should go to Peet’s tree house. He has food and—”“Food?” Tink said.Peet the Sock Man perked up and looked at Nia with a twinkle of hope in his eyes.“We ain’t goin’ there,” Podo said, his bushy eyebrows bunched together. “We’re heading to Torrboro then up the North Road until we find safe passage to the Ice Prairies.” He whipped his head around and set out again, but Nia didn’t move. Podo turned again, his face red. “Come on, I say!”“No.” Nia’s back straightened.“What?” Podo took a step back toward his daughter.“I said no.” Nia took a step forward. “You’ve held on to your anger long enough, Papa, and now that anger is becoming a burden you no longer bear alone. It’s causing us to suffer with you—you stubborn old fool.”Podo was dumbfounded.“Peet saved all of our lives,” Nia said, “yours most recently. You may feel fine now, but not half an hour ago death was lapping at your toes. And do you know who you should be thanking for the breath in your lungs?”Peet was backing away sheepishly, but Nia grabbed his arm and pulled him forward. “This man,” she said. “He’s got provisions and shelter in the forest, where no Fang will want to venture for a long time after what happened here. Now I love you, Papa, but I’m the mother of these children, and I’ve a mind to put food in their bellies and pillows under their heads. We’re going to Peet’s tree house and that’s final.”Combined looks of bewilderment, embarrassment, and anger flashed over Podo’s face. Janner wanted to laugh. Podo sputtered and formed the beginnings of words with his mouth but came up with nothing to say.“Peet, lead the way,” Nia said.—From chapter 47, "Old Wounds."
What passage did you love best from your reading this week? Or, what was your favorite moment in the whole book? Post it in the comments!This coming week is Holy Week—the traditional time to reflect on the days leading up to Christ's crucifixion and resurrection. We'll take a break from reading and start North! Or Be Eaten on April 6. No fear, though; we'll still be here during the break. Be sure to come by throughout the week for forum discussion and a few Holy Week posts.

On Starting the First Book

No, not that First Book.I mean the first book of the Wingfeather Saga, also known as On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, which might be one of the longest, silliest book titles ever. For the record, it was my wonderful editor Jeanette Thompson who suggested it.People are always interested in beginnings. When it comes to superheroes, origin stories are the best. Even if you never read the Bible, chances are you've flipped to Genesis 1:1 just to see what it says about how things got started. Whenever I'm in Oxford I can't help but visit one of the pubs where Tolkien and Lewis read aloud early drafts of their books. Yearbook pictures are always good for a laugh. I've read a few books about Pixar Animation and find it almost painfully interesting to read about early versions of some of my favorite films.Not to presume too much, but I thought you guys might be interested in how this story began.Back in 2004 my sons were five and six years old, which was just old enough for me to inflict the Chronicles of Narnia on them. I had loved them when I was a kid and couldn't wait till they were old enough to encounter that magical place (and especially Aslan) with me. As it turns out, not all of those books are great read-alouds for kids that young, so while Aedan mostly stayed awake, Asher mostly slept. Still, it was the first time I had read them aloud, the first time I had experienced the story with someone, which was a tremendous thing for my 30-year-old self. More than once in each of the Narnia books I had to swallow tears as my little boys looked on in confusion.Like many of you, I'm sure, I had dreamed of writing books when I was young, and had even made several false starts as an adult, but alas, nothing took. Meanwhile I was busy writing songs, making records, and touring, which was another dream I nursed when I was young. The book thing was definitely on my list of Things to Do Before I Die, but it wasn't until that read-aloud experience that I finally dug in and decided to really do it. To finish something. And I must say, though I'm getting ahead of myself here, finishing is the thing. I'll say it again to any of you would-be writers out there: FINISHING IS THE THING. The only real difference (the ability to put coherent sentences together notwithstanding) between Real Writers and People Who Only Ever Talk About Writing is the persistence and discipline required to cross the finish line. Having had some real world experience bringing songs to completion, and then bringing albums to completion, and then bringing long and grueling tours to completion, I had been unwittingly prepared by my musical day job to keep my hand to the plough with On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness.(One quick side note. I've said this before and I'll say it again: I don't care what C. S. Lewis said in some random letter to a kid, the most enjoyable way to experience the Narnia books is to read them in the order of publication. The way they bounce around chronologically is wonderful. So for the love of Pete, don't read them in chronological order! You might as well be watching the loathsome Star Wars episodes 1-3 before the wonderful episodes 4-6. And while I'm waxing opinionated, we might as well just chuck episodes 1-3 out the window altogether. They're just awful, and you should protect your brain from them at all costs. And I'm not just complaining about the annoying Jar-Jar Binks or the terrible writing and acting and directing (though the visuals were pretty cool at times, and if that's the best you can say about a film, it ain't a very good one). As my friend Ben pointed out, the "hero" of first three episodes is an arrogant kid who becomes not just a murderer of children but a destroyer of worlds--basically, a young Hitler--and I can't think of a single thing about him worth emulating. Anakin makes for a great villain, not a great hero.)Where was I?Ah, yes. The Igibys. When the day came to really--and I mean really--start writing, I realized right away that I couldn't tell a fantasy story without doing my research. What I mean is, I had to do some serious world building before I could populate that world with the characters in this tale. If you were writing a novel set in Victorian London you'd have to do some work learning about how things worked back then--what kind of money they used, how people got around, who was in charge, what the political atmosphere was like--and only then could your characters move about in that setting in a convincing way. Details matter. Since this story would happen in another world I needed to know how it got there. I needed to know, for example, how Janner Igiby would purchase honeybuns at the Dragon Day festival. I needed to know not just who the villains were, but why they were villains at all. (Which is what George Lucas was doing when he wrote Vader's backstory, I'll give him that.) And where did they come from? And why on Aerwiar would Gnag have wanted to destroy Anniera?So you see, before I could get to Janner, Kal, and Leeli, I had to take care of business. So I started with a map. In fact, it wasn't until I had drawn the map that I had the slightest inkling who the main characters would be. They sprang up from the soil, right there in my sketchbook when I labeled a little town "Glipwood" on the edge of an ocean I goofily named "The Dark Sea of Darkness." The next step was writing little faux histories of Anniera, and Gnag, and the making of the world. That took me weeks, and to be honest, it was a delightful process. The more I imagined about the world, the clearer the Igiby children's conflict became, and once I had that down the story began.I outlined a few things, but the ending--other than the revelation regarding the Jewels of Anniera--was hazy and embryonic. Part of the joy of writing is that the author gets to discover the twists and turns with almost as much surprise as the reader.So what about you? If you've written an otherworldly tale, did you write the backstory first? Did you find, as I did, that the history of your world shaped the story you ended up telling? Tolkien talked a lot about this in his essay "On Fairy Stories," which you must read if you plan to drive a book like this across the finish line. 

Drawing strength

Behold the following excerpt, my favorite from chapters 39-44 of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. The situation is dire, and Janner's worries are legitimate, but he's not alone. Is there anyone who gives you strength when you're afraid? Who makes you feel like you can be more than you are?We're almost finished with book 1! Only one more week, and then we'll pause to celebrate Christ's resurrection before diving into book 2. I'm so enjoying reading with you. :-)

With a fierce look in his eyes, Podo threw the bundle into the back of the wagon and mounted it without waiting for the boys. They scrambled in as Podo said, “Hya!” to Danny the carthorse, who whinnied and tore toward Glipwood.Janner’s eyes watered in the wind as he watched the sweeping boughs of glipwood trees whiz by. He prayed to the Maker that Leeli and Nia were still safe. He wondered how they possibly would escape with Nia and Leeli, if indeed the Fangs had overrun the town. He looked up at Podo, at the white hair flying out behind him, bluish now in the moonlight, and felt better. Maybe Podo didn’t have a plan, but knowing that his grandfather was with him, even in the face of the Fangs of Dang, made Janner feel like he could be more than he was. He drew strength from the old man, like water from a well, and rested in it. And he looked admiringly at Tink, who had found a Fang sword among the remains in the wagon and was holding it in two fists, clenching his jaw.—From chapter 40, "Betrayal."
What stood out to you in your reading this week? Whether you're keeping pace with us or are somewhere else in the series, post your favorite excerpt in the comments!How have you been enjoying our forum? This week's discussions included Leeli, the melding process, and more. We'd love to hear your voice. Grab a friend and come on over. 

Taking Flight with the Wingfeather Saga

Check out this enthusiastic and kind Fangirl Initiative review of the Wingfeather Saga by Rica Wiersema. Here's a snippet:

Peterson enchants the most mundane of objects, sometimes by doing little more than renaming them; you have to admit that a dinner of cheesy chowder with totatoes on the side and sugarberry pie for dessert sounds heavenly. He’s taken to heart what C.S. Lewis once said about writing for children (or indeed people of all ages): “[One] does not despise real woods because he has read of enchanted woods; the reading makes all real woods a little enchanted.”

For the full review, click here. Thanks, Rica!

This week: Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 39-44 of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share what you’ve been reading!

Introducing Madame Sidler

Greetings, Dear Readers!Andrew here, writing from my favorite little afternoon writing spot in Nashville. I don't want to give away my (very) secret location, but I can tell you it's the sort of place Jack and Tollers might have hung out in the afternoons in the Old Country--and it smells really good in here.I'm writing to introduce you to someone who's been hanging about at WingfeatherSaga.com for a few weeks now: Madame Sidler, whom you may remember appearing from nowhere from time to time in the Great Library in Ban Rona. The real Madame Sidler is named Laure Hittle, and she's an actual librarian from Colorado whose enthusiasm for the Wingfeather books led to my inviting her to help curate this esteemed website. She took the toothy cow by the horns, so to speak, and started the Ban Rona Book Club, and has also done an amazing job of updating the website--a website which I hope is a fun place for you to poke around and possibly get lost. Not only has she started the forum, she's hard at work uploading some of the wonderful artwork you guys have emailed me over the last few years. We're also slowly adding Ollister B. Pembrick's drawings from the Creaturepedia, so check back often to see some of the more hideous and mysterious critters that haunt the continent of Skree.So be sure and make her feel welcome! And be sure and check out the "Book Club" link (above) and join in the conversation. I love reading your reactions to the book.Beware the stealthy daggerfish,AP

Talons vs. Fangs

This week your librarian read chapters 35-38 of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness, and once again, my favorite passage featured Peet the Sock Man. If you've not already read this far in the book on your own, I'd encourage you to catch up before reading this excerpt. If you read it here first, it might ruin a surprise!

Running faster than Janner believed possible, Peet the Sock Man bore down on them, mouth open in a vicious cry, wildness in his eyes.The Fangs watched him come, unable to understand what they were seeing, too shocked to react. Peet leapt into the air with an animal-like grace and spread his socked arms wide, his screech still filling their ears, the crows scattering before him.Peet fell on three of the Fangs nearest to him in a fury of talons and shrieks. The talons, Janner saw, were Peet’s— three long talons, in fact, that tore from within the socks on both arms and shredded them to pieces. The remains of the stockings floated to the ground like feathers. The Fang company stood motionless as their fellow soldiers crumpled to the ground, sliced and bleeding from a hundred wounds. Peet wasted no time. Slashing and spinning , his talons now covered in green blood, he felled two more Fangs before any of them had the sense to draw a weapon....Podo’s growl, Peet’s screech, and the snarls of the Fangs mixed with the racket of clashing steel.In a matter of moments, only Peet and Podo were left standing— the pirate and the Sock Man, covered in green blood and gasping for breath, knee deep in a pile of scaly corpses.—From chapter 37, "Talons and a Sling."
If you've got a favorite few lines from this week's reading, I'd love to hear them—just post them in the comments. If you're somewhere else in the series, you may still feel free to post something you read this week. All quotes are welcome here!Before you go, check out our forum. This week, there's been a great conversation about names (Igiby and Wingfeather in particular). You can also find some help with pronunciations! Not sure where to start? Here are a few ideas:

Designs from a Wingfeather reader

Sam, a young graphic designer, made these awesome images. I love that they look just a little crumply—like they were made on parchment. And the image from The Far Country is a great complement to the dream of Anniera. Thanks, Sam!WingfeatherSagaREDGoldWingfeather

This week: Madame Sidler will be reading chapters 35-38 of On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness. Check back on Friday for an excerpt, and to share what you’ve been reading!

A visit to Peet's castle

This excerpt (from chapters 31-34) is a bit long, so let's jump right in. Follow me, Patee-tee-teeee!

Another rope ladder on the other side of the trunk led up to a trap door in the floor of the tree house through which Peet was already helping Leeli. The boys scrambled up and into Peet’s castle in the trees.Peet was humming as he tore the diggle carcass into pieces and dropped them into a pot.Leeli made herself at home and sat cross-legged on the floor against the wall.“Come in, young men, come in. Diggle cooking, rumple eating, diggle diggle rump food,” he said in a singsong voice.Tink and Janner climbed into the tree house and sat next to Leeli, who wore a very satisfied expression on her face. She looked up at Peet and gestured to her brothers. “Mister Peet, these are my broth—”“Janner and Tink, Tanner and Jink, Jinker and Tan, Janker and Teeeeen,” Peet said without looking up from the pot.“But— how did you know our names?” Janner asked.“Small town, boys. Crazy people hear lots of things, Wigiby,” Peet said.“It’s Igiby,” Tink said.Peet shrugged and lit a small bundle of sticks and moss that sat in a crude fireplace beneath the pot. The fireplace was lined with stones, and above it he had fashioned a chimney of sorts from some kind of hide sewn together to make a tube.Janner was impressed by Peet’s ingenuity—that is, until the tree house filled with smoke. Peet didn’t seem to notice.Tink coughed. “Mister, uh, Peet the Sock Man, sir, aren’t you worried that your house will catch fire?”Peet fished a leather pouch from a small box beside him and sprinkled some of its contents into the pot. A delicious smell rose from the pot and mingled with the smoke.“Worried? Not at all, young Wingiby.” He pointed through the nearest window and the children could see three nearby trees whose branches were charred and leafless in places. “I’ve burned down my castle three times before, and I’ve always survived. I’m not borried a wit. Worried a bit.” He went back to stirring the pot. “But this time I think I figured out the problem, see, problem, see, problem, see,” he sang with a wink. “ Rocks. See these rocks? They don’t catch fire. Nope.” He coughed and for the first time noticed the smoke filling the room. “Eeep!” he cried. Peet tugged on a piece of twine that dangled from the chimney tube, and the smoke slowly cleared. “Open the flue, open the flue, open the flue for me and for you.”Janner began to rethink his opinion of Peet. He was as crazy as a moonbird.—From chapter 34, "Peet's Castle."
Are you reading along? I’d love to hear what lines grabbed you (possibly literally!) from your own reading. And if you're at another spot in the books, that's fine, too. :-)There are some great conversations happening in the forum this week! We’ve been talking about our favorite Oskar quotes, Leeli's compassion, and what to do when we can't feel the Maker's presence. There's also a brand-new thread about the feeling of homesickness. Come join us!

The stories are true.