Today I have an awesome Guest post to share with you from the author of The Brotherhood of Dwarves series, D.A. Adams. I want to thank him for sharing this post with us and I must say I love this topic.
As a child, I remember reading The Chronicles of Narnia, The Lord of the Rings, The Shannara Series, and many other fantasy-based works that told compelling stories without relying on gratuitous sex and foul language to keep the reader’s attention. However, over the years, there’s been a trend in entertainment of chasing shock value for the sake of drawing in an audience. Books, TV shows, and movies continue to push the envelope, ramping up sexual content, profanity, and graphic violence. When I began pondering the concept of The Brotherhood of Dwarves, the “hole in the market” to me was a lack of sophisticated, compelling, heroic tales that could be read by 10 years olds yet still appeal to adults. The works I saw geared to young adults seemed condescending and cartoonish, dumbed-down to the point of absurdity. Everything else seemed to be chasing the shock factor.
So before I ever wrote the first word, I committed myself to writing the complete series without one utterance of profanity and without more than a subtle hint of sexuality.
To me, there’s still a place in this world for heroic fiction, and good storytellers don’t need cheap gimmicks to keep people’s attention. The plot and characters are what should matter, not heaving bosoms and f-bombs and blood splatter. I wrote my series for readers who are tired of paper-thin storylines and two-dimensional characters. I wrote it for readers who are sick of slick hooks but terrible follows-through. I wrote it for readers who crave deeply personal journeys of self-discovery. In The Brotherhood of Dwarves, the heroes are flawed beings who must overcome their own obstacles and limitations to defeat tyranny. Throughout the series, they grow and change, each based on their own circumstances, and to date, the feedback on the series consistently states that each book becomes more compelling than the previous one. To me, that’s the greatest compliment I can receive as a novelist.
For those who haven’t read the series, here’s my appeal to you. If you start book one, please be patient for the first four or five pages as the table is set. I’m an old-fashioned storyteller who believes in laying the foundation first and building the tension as it goes. Yes, that contradicts every contemporary convention that espouses dropping readers straight into the action. My rebellion against this approach is that action without backstory lacks emotional depth. I’ve read too many stories and seen too many movies that start with a bang and fade to whimper, and I always feel cheated by those stories. I much prefer the tales that, like a pressure cooker, build slowly and then never let up. That’s my approach and my belief, so if you’re looking for an old-fashioned action-adventure, a story that grows and evolves and builds in intensity as it goes, please, check out my series. If you’re tired of the cheap gimmicks, please give The Brotherhood of Dwarves a try.
About the Author
D.A. Adams was born in Florida but was raised in East Tennessee. He received a Master of Arts in Writing from the University of Memphis in 1999 and has taught college English for over a decade. His first novel, The Brotherhood of Dwarves, was released in 2005 and has been described as a solid, honest work about camaraderie, bravery, and sacrifice, a very personal journey, more interested in the ways that a person is changed by life's events than in epic battles and high magic. In 2008, the sequel, Red Sky at Dawn, was released to the exaltation that this novel thunders along, at times with dizzying speed. The action is visceral and imaginative without being gratuitous. Book three, The Fall of Dorkhun, came out in 2011, followed by book four, Between Dark and Light, in 2012. In terms of writing style, Adams exhibits an effortless narrative voice and a masterful balance between richly detailed descriptions and tightly worded minimalism. The pacing of his stories is breathtaking, with relentless action and captivating plot twists that keep readers riveted page after page. But his true talent as a writer lies in character development. Readers find themselves empathizing with, fearing for, and cheering on the characters as they overcome their personal shortcomings and grow as fully rendered individuals. Adams is also the father of two wonderful sons and, despite his professional accomplishments, maintains that they are his greatest achievement in life. He resides in East Tennessee.
About the Book
The dwarven saga begins... Roskin, heir to the throne of a remote, peaceful kingdom of dwarves, craves excitement and adventure. Outside his own kingdom, in search of fortune and glory, he finds a much different world, one divided by racial strife and overrun by war. The orcs to the south want to conquer all dwarves and sell them as slaves. The humans to the east want to control the world's resources. Caught in the middle, Roskin finds himself chased by slave traders and soldiers alike as he discovers that friendship is the best fortune of all. Just when he thinks he has triumphed, an act of betrayal sends him into bondage. His only hope of escape is the faltering courage of a disgraced warrior whose best days are behind him...
I hope you all enjoyed this great post and will make sure you check out his books. Thanks again D.A. Adams for sharing today with us.
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