By: Quinton Wood
An AVC music professor, Gordon Lazarus, has written an excellent fantasy novel! The novel follows dragons and warring empires throughout a magical world with varying themes and intricacies. Through many years of work, Lazarus is very proud of his book and was happy to answer some questions for audiences. He claimed that the next book is on its way and told us that his favorite character in the novel is Lorgi, because of the themes developed around him. The book makes for a great read in-between classes and could even help increase one’s reading level. The book can be found on Amazon.com as a physical copy or a digital copy.
Although Gordon Lazarus is an excellent music teacher at AVC, he has another hidden talent. He has a knack for writing amazing fantasy novels, and Chasing Fate: A Snowdragon’s Odyssey is no exception. Written over the past few years, the book wields a wondrous story with excellent writing that makes for a great read. If you need something to do when all of the homework is done, consider this wonderful book.
Chasing Fate follows the story of Lorgi, a young “snowdragon” made of rocky substance with obsidian claws, and those he meets as he travels across a mystical continent. We follow Lorgi as he is captured by a vile sorcerer, controlling a vast array of arachnid beasts. After, we see Lorgi move from captor to captor as an exotic pet, befriending the likes of generals, monks, warriors, and slaves. We witness a rebellious plight against an empire, and the establishment of a new realm across the continent. The plot was excellently written, with many twists and turns, and an extremely precarious diction and syntax. Lazarus was very careful to avoid dragging on his descriptions, by using a perfect balance between description and action. Fight scenes were brilliantly executed, with a fairly detailed layout of each battle, allowing us to imagine the action as though it were occuring in front of us. Despite the action, the book also developed complex themes, such as where true luck comes from, as we travel across a multitude of fantasy cultures. The book has few errors; those that were found could be attributed to the digital conversion. And, the only deficiency I found in the book, if any, was the lack of reference of size. The creature’s sizes were hard to imagine based on the descriptions. But, this is likely due to reader error, as I was somewhat rushed in my initial reading of the novel, and might have missed some details about the exact size references.
What inspired you to write Chasing Fate?
“ I always wanted to write something from the dragons’ perspective, with them being more civilized than the humans they encounter. I needed creatures quite different from the “stock” or “central casting” generic dragons. (Vegetarian, beer-drinking snowdragons!) The mystery of the Yeti and Bigfoot inspired them. Are they real, or just myth? I’m also fascinated by the Middle Ages. Even though the medieval world has been done to death in fantasy fiction, I hope to put a new spin on it. ”
How long did the book take to write, did you enjoy writing it?
“ I spent a year mulling over ideas—while building the snowdragons’ language. My Álukop/English dictionary has over 6,000 words! Then I needed maps of my fantasy world. Serious writing didn’t start until 2005. To be honest, the whole thing took eight years. And I loved every minute of it!”
Who is your favorite character in the story?
“ This is hard. I’m tied between Lorgi, Kibak and Wenji. OK, let’s say Lorgi. Why? His mother told him he has the power to create good luck. He believes it, and it starts to happen. A self-fulfilling prophecy in a good way! Kibak brings his personality and Wenji her heroic spirit.”
When can we expect the next installment in the story?
“ Early next year. I’ve completed a draft (160,000 words) but there’s so much more to do.”
What advice would you give to new authors?
“ Read, write, and ignore “trends” because they become stale overnight. Be yourself and bring your original ideas, twists and perspectives to whatever you write. And don’t be afraid of history. I’ve picked up some of my most outlandish ideas from reading history. Often truth is far stranger than fiction. (The “You can’t make this stuff up dept.”) ”
If you are looking for a good read, try out this book, you’re sure to have an Alokoi of a time. The book can be found both virtually and physically on Amazon.com and the book has its own website at snowdragontale.com Gansi!
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