Project and content management for Contemporary Authors volumes
WORK TITLE: The Magus
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NATIONALITY: American
https://www.tenebraypress.com/authors/
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Male.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Novelist, educator, health professional, activist, journalist.
AWARDS:New York Big Book Award, 2017, Independent Press Award for Best Multicultural Novel and Distinguished Favorite for Science Fiction Novel, 2018, all for The Selah Branch.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Ted Neill writes both fantasy fiction and novels that address science, religion, class, and social justice concerns. A world traveler, he has been a journalist, educator, health professional, and activist. He wrote the five-book “Elk Riders” fantasy series in which he explores issues of ethics, morality, and belief. His science fiction book City on a Hill delves into religious conflict, and his The Selah Branch deals with racism and political divide in America.
City on a Hill
Collected into four volumes, Neill’s debut book, City on a Hill, contributes to a debate about the value of religion in society. In the future, after a religious war sets off a nuclear cataclysm, the twin cities of Fortinbras and Lysander are home to the last of humanity. Their governments outlaw religion and rule by logic and reason. Cop Sabrina Sabryia, niece of Head Administrator Angelo D’Agosta, enforces the strict laws against religion and superstition, yet is best friends with artist Lindsey Mehdina, whom Sabrina later learns is an occultist and spiritual leader. When Sabrina and Lindsey discover that the story the cities’ leaders have been telling them are false, they escape but become embroiled in a religious uprising.
In an interview on the Indie Reader Website, Neill explained why he wrote the book: “I think a story has an obligation to capture the reader, to offer entertainment and escape. The best stories, I believe, also give us reason to think and challenge us to be different people.” Online at Readers’ Favorite, Caitlin Lyle commented: “While the themes provide much for the reader to contemplate in terms of both religious and atheist zealotry, there’s also plenty of exciting action scenes.” Lyle added that Neill peels back the story’s layers to reveal plot twists, and themes that deal with volatile subject matter in a thoughtful and impartial way. In Neill’s immersive world, “the saga is well-plotted, its characters well-drawn, with a thoughtful philosophy framing the events. The four volumes taken together read like a miniepic. A notable, impressive debut for sci-fi fans,” according to a Kirkus Reviews writer.
In the Darkness Visible and Voyage of the Elawn
Neill’s 2016 In the Darkness Visible starts the “Elk Riders” series about a group of unlikely allies who gather at the request of an elk to battle dark forces in a fantasy world. The village of teenager Gabriella Carlyle is invaded by evil warlord Sade and his brother Vondales who belong to the dark order of sorcerers known as Servior. To defeat the invasion, Gabriella joins with her shy younger brother Dameon, hermit Omanuju, mystical talking elk Adamantus, ship pilot Ghede, and others to search for the forbidden treasure of Nicomedes which might destroy Sade. A writer in Kirkus Reviews praised the book as a promising start to a tumultuous and visionary new fantasy series. The writer declared: “Neill delivers an epic that’s as grand as it is brief. Episodic brilliance characterizes Gabriella and Omanuju’s adventures… Alongside frequent scenes of brutality, there are dear instances of wisdom.”
Book two in the series, Voyage of the Elawn, finds the group sailing the ship Elawn on their adventure to find the treasure. They possess a map that will help them through the City of Dis which contains knowledge about the location of the treasure. They also encounter dual personality Princess Sybil/Libys. As dangers mount, the unity of the group may be in peril. Bestowing the book with a star rating, a Kirkus Reviews contributor praised Neill’s writing saying: “Amid the fabulous ruins and creature battles is the imperishable wisdom” and message of love and devotion to others. The writer concluded: “A fantasy built on divine, chaotic action and written with immense heart.”
The Font of Jasmeen and The Journey to Karrith
The Font of Jasmeen, book three, diverts to focus on new characters. Fourteen-year-old Prince Haille Hillbourne has suffered from seizures his whole life. His father, the king, is planning to send him to a home for the diseased. In the library, Haille learns of the Font of Jasmeen which has a statue that bestows cures for sicknesses. To find the font, he brings along his classmate Katlyn Barnes. Along the way they dodge vigilantes, child slavers, and sorcerers. “A darker, more grounded entry—with a royal hero—that approaches this strong saga from a new angle,” noted a contributor to Kirkus Reviews. Online at Readers’ Favorite, Grant Leishman noted: “I loved the rollicking style of this adventure, as Haille and Katlyn lurched from one crisis to another.”
Book four, The Journey to Karrith, finds Prince Haille and Katlyn, along with Captain Mandaly and swashbuckler Cody Youngblood, in the middle of the war in Anthor. They are joined by talking elk Adamantus who helps them thwart an assassination attempt and rescue Haille’s father, King Talamar. Writing in Kirkus Reviews, a reviewer said: “Neill leans on numerous fantasy tropes in apparent homage to towering genre figures such as Lord Dunsany and J.R.R. Tolkien….Another unique, stakes-raising entry in a formidable saga.”
The Magus and The Selah Branch
In the final volume, The Magus, Prince Haille is accused of murdering his father, King Talamar and is shipped off to become the servant of mage-in-training Twiceborn Gregor Lachnor. Meanwhile, Katlyn and a former slave search for the missing elk, Adamantus, and learn of a mysterious cloaked mastermind, known as Magus. Elements from all the series’ volumes are at play in the last book. “A finale that delivers on the series’ promised action and emotional grandeur,” said a writer in Kirkus Reviews.
In 2017, Neill published The Selah Branch: A Novel of Time Travel and Race in America. Black college intern Kenia Dezy is researching nutrition in poor communities in the rural West Virginia town of Selah Branch. The town was once a utopia of racial and gender harmony, but something went wrong. Today it has poverty, unemployment, and drug addiction. When she is mysteriously transported to pre-civil rights 1953, Kenia learns about racial tension, class, privilege, and a community struggling with its identity. Writing on the Readers’ Favorite Website, K.S. Marsden commented: “This story is very current and up to date with the politics and racial tension occurring in the U.S.” Online at Indie Reader, Suneé Jones said: “The character’s personal growth, combined with an action-packed and satisfying ending, makes for a novel that, if edited with a sensitive touch, could become a very important read.”
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Kirkus Reviews, April 1, 2015, review of City on a Hill; April 15, 2017, review of Voyage of the Elawn; June 15, 2017, review of The Font of Jasmeen.
ONLINE
Indie Reader, https://indiereader.com/ (October 27, 2016), review of City on a Hill; (November 6, 2017), Suneé Jones, review of The Selah Branch.
Kirkus Reviews, https://www.kirkusreviews.com/ (December 16, 2016), review of In the Darkness Visible; (July 6, 2017), review of The Journey to Karrith.
Readers’ Favorite, https://readersfavorite.com/ (December 4, 2017), K.S. Marsden, review of The Selah Branch; (December 12, 2017), Grant Leishman, review of The Font of Jasmeen; (May 1, 2018), Caitlin Lyle, author interview.
TED NEILL
Globetrotter and fiction writer Ted Neill has worked on five continents as an educator, health professional, and journalist. He is the founder and executive editor of Tenebray Press. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post and he has published a number of novels exploring issues related to science, religion, class, and social justice. His latest novel, The Selah Branch, attempts to confront issues of racism and the divided political environment of the US today and the 1950s. His debut novel, City on a Hill, examines the fault lines of religious conflict in the Middle East. His 5 book series, Elk Riders, wrestles with issues of ethics, morality, and belief against an epic fantasy backdrop. Follow him on Facebook and Instagram @therealauthortedneill
Globetrotter and fiction writer Ted Neill has worked on five continents as an educator, health professional, and journalist. His writing has appeared in The Washington Post and he has published a number of novels exploring issues related to science, religion, class, and social justice. His latest novel, The Selah Branch, attempts to confront issues of racism and the divided political environment of the US today and the 1950s. His debut novel, City on a Hill, examines the fault lines of religious conflict in the Middle East. His 5 book series, Elk Riders, wrestles with issues of ethics, morality, and belief against an epic fantasy backdrop. See his upcoming work at www.tenebraypress.com
Ted Neill on bearing witness to the violent conflicts that take place as a result of religious belief
October 27, 2016/in All About the Book, Interviews, IR Staff /by IR Staff
IR Sticker IR ApprovedCity on a Hill received a 4+ star review, making it an IndieReader Approved title.
Following find an interview with author Ted Neill.
What is the name of the book and when was it published?
The name of the book is City on a Hill. It was first published in 4 installments in October 2014: Volume 1-The City; Volume 2-Light of the World; Volume 3-Rememberancer; Volume 4-A Dream of Kali. An omnibus version became available in paperback and electronically in 2016.
What’s the book’s first line?
“Lindsey has beetles crawling on her!”
What’s the book about? Give us the “pitch”.
Faith, religion, godliness—these things have caused more pain, suffering, and death than all the plagues of history combined. In Fortinbras, a city built in the aftermath of a religious war that nearly ended all life on the planet, religion is considered a disease. The residents are taught that they are all that is left of humanity and the cold law of logic and reason rule their lives. Sabrina Sabryia, a young police cadet, is a resolute enforcer of the law until her loyalties are torn between her best friend Lindsey Mehdina, a charismatic spiritual leader, and her uncle Angelo D’Agosta, the head administrator of the city.
The conflict drives Sabrina and Lindsey across a radioactive wasteland pursued by cyborg bounty hunters. They quickly learn that what they took for truth in Fortinbras was not all that it seemed. Meanwhile terrorists plot a religious uprising that threatens millions of innocent lives and Sabrina and Lindsey must choose sides. Their choice pits friendship against family, war against peace, and eventually, faith against doubt.
What inspired you to write the book? A particular person? An event?
Bearing witness to so many of the violent conflicts that take place as a result of religious belief was the driving force to write the book and explore these topics.
What’s the main reason someone should really read this book?
I think a story has an obligation to capture the reader, to offer entertainment and escape. The best stories, I believe, also give us reason to think and challenge us to be different people. I wrote City on a Hill to be a page turner, to succeed on the former. I hope it also succeeds on the latter and gives its readers something to think about long after they have read the last sentence.
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Print Marked Items
Neill, Ted: BUNNY MAN'S BRIDGE
Kirkus Reviews.
(Oct. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Neill, Ted BUNNY MAN'S BRIDGE Tenebray (Indie Fiction) $12.95 7, 27 ISBN: 978-1-5469-5034-9
A collection features a mix of fantasy and coming-of-age stories.
In his introduction, Neill (The Magus, 2016, etc.) explains a legend from his childhood about the Bunny
Man, an asylum patient who'd been abandoned in the nearby woods when the institution closed. The
episode evolved among teens to describe a crazy hermit who hoarded rabbits and lured kids to their deaths.
This imagery draws readers into a series of elegiac tales, half of which star one of two young men, Sidney
and Daniel. In stories like "Vespers," about a fishing trip that forces Daniel to trespass on a supposedly
haunted island, and "Quarry," in which Sidney decides to jump a car into a lake, boyhood is left behind for
the harder realities of manhood. "Verities" and "Tyra's Story," about the impermanence and unpredictability
of love, further explore manhood while addressing religion (specifically Roman Catholicism) and death.
Fantasy-tinged entries that offer levity include "Oral Composition," about a young man whose penchant for
biting celebrated artworks makes him famous, and "The Houseguest," featuring the devil himself as he
crashes on a hedge fund manager's couch. The strangest vignette, "Milk Money," describes a milk drinking
contest in all its gross-out glory. Neill frequently wears his cynicism on his sleeve, as when perfect student
Maria Lofton "killed herself with Prozac and a bottle of champagne" while wearing her homecoming dress,
leaving a note saying, "Isn't it obvious." Yet at the collection's core are the same themes that make his Elk
Riders fantasy novels so rewarding, albeit presented through the greasy lens of young adulthood. The author
is deeply fond of outcasts--like David Palmer, war enthusiast--and the sanctity of nature, seen in the passage
"Vesper Island...loomed large in my imagination. I could picture the trees, with their cobwebbed branches
disturbed by the occasional breeze, which carried the stench of carrion." Neill's humor is far left of center,
as when God appears in court looking not like "George Burns, Morgan Freeman, or Alanis Morissette" but
"a vagrant" who's been picking through the trash.
Addictive tales that read smoothly while aiming for the gut.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Neill, Ted: BUNNY MAN'S BRIDGE." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Oct. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A509243965/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=c7bdd4d0.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
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Neill, Ted: THE MAGUS
Kirkus Reviews.
(Sept. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Neill, Ted THE MAGUS Tenebray (Indie Fiction) $9.95 12, 13 ISBN: 978-1-5394-2643-1
The final installment of Neill's (The Journey to Karrith, 2016, etc.) baroque fantasy series. After the
disastrous battle in Karrith, in which dark elks slayed King Talamar, Prince Haille Hillbourne is a ruined
man. Haunted by memories of his father and by the city's carnage, he runs through an empty Karrith at night
to try to cope. Eventually, the new king, Oean, arrests him for regicide and for conspiring with the invading
Maurvant tribesmen. It doesn't help Haille's case that he rode into battle on Adamantus, an ally elk, hoping
to thwart the dark elks. While clutching an odd, blue stone around his neck, King Oean sentences Haille to
exile. Meanwhile, Katlyn, the prince's classmate; and Avenger Red, a former child slaver, search for
Adamantus, who's fled. They meet Tallia Senkar, a Maurvant girl who describes a cloaked being called the
Magus, who convinced the Maurvants' Chief Kiruna that Karrith was to blame for failing crops, enabling a
war. At the same time, Haille travels by filthy slave cart to the west coast, where he's shipped to Castle
Drahlstrom. There, he becomes the servant and secret confidant of Twiceborn Gregor Lachnor, a mage-intraining
with secrets of his own. All the while, warrior sorcerers work to open the Seal of Dormain to
release immortals called the Kryen. In this fifth Elk Riders novel, Neill continues to cut a unique swath
through the epic-fantasy genre. Although so much has happened (and continues to happen) in the saga, the
lush depictions of nature allow readers to pause and remain grounded. Along the Rimcur Mountains, for
instance, "one could witness all varieties of weather: slanting slopes of rain draining from clouds, patches of
brassy sunlight, rainbows slung over rainbows in-between." Events from previous volumes continue to have
importance in this one; the curative Font of Jasmeen, for example, failed to fix Avenger Red's dwarfish
height--and yet the woman is determined to atone for past sins, as if the font treated some other aspect of
herself. Neill's philosophical tone remains sharp, as when one character tells Haille, "Life does not owe you
happiness, just purpose." A finale that delivers on the series' promised action and emotional grandeur.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Neill, Ted: THE MAGUS." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Sept. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A504217557/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=6874b5d3.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
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Neill, Ted: THE FONT OF JASMEEN
Kirkus Reviews.
(June 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Neill, Ted THE FONT OF JASMEEN CreateSpace (Indie Fiction) $10.95 11, 9 ISBN: 978-1-5391-6566-8
This third volume of Neill's (The Voyage of the Elawn, 2016, etc.) fantasy series focuses on a young prince
desperate to heal the malady that makes him an outsider. Queen Airre' Soliegh of Antas died giving birth to
Prince Haille Hillbourne. Also known as the King's Woe, the child suffers seizures and must be bound in his
crib. When Yana Yansalyl, a newly appointed member of the King's Council, arrives at the castle, she
soothes a crying Haille while storms rage outside. Eleven years later, the young prince considers Yana his
foster mother, but the curse of his seizures has left him taunted and guilt-ridden. After an incident involving
Katlyn Barnes, a classmate from the Academy House, Haille must work in the library as punishment. He
encounters a folio that mentions the Font of Jasmeen, "a boon to those afflicted with sicknesses and
maladied from birth. For those who touch its waters will be granted any wish." He also runs into Katlyn
again, who convinces him to steal the page naming the Font's location on Morbright Mountain. Later, Haille
finds his father's letter requesting that the prince be accommodated at Master Chambridge's home for the
afflicted. Rather than face this fate, Haille and Katlyn escape Antas and journey east to find the miraculous
Font. In this third Elk Riders adventure, Neill turns from his heroine Gabriella and explores the wider realm
of Anthor, where armies mobilize and the legendary vigilante Avenger Red proves "the bane of child
slavers." Fans accustomed to the author's lilting, evocative prose won't be disappointed: "the wind made a
soft whistle in the branches and summer fattened spiders spun shining webs in the windows of crypts." This
volume revels in more swordsmanship than sorcery, giving Haille's allies Cody Youngblood, Valateen
Mandaly, and the elk Adamantus a workout. The line "Man is not measured by his brawn only but how he
can love and be loved by others" appears early, hinting at the tender finale. A darker, more grounded entry--
with a royal hero--that approaches this strong saga from a new angle.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Neill, Ted: THE FONT OF JASMEEN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 June 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A495427386/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=45a987e4.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
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Neill, Ted: VOYAGE OF THE ELAWN
Kirkus Reviews.
(Apr. 15, 2017):
COPYRIGHT 2017 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Neill, Ted VOYAGE OF THE ELAWN CreateSpace (Indie Fiction) $10.95 11, 11 ISBN: 978-1-5376-0792-
4
A sequel sees a ragtag band of heroes seek forbidden treasure to thwart encroaching militants. A prophecy
spoken by the dead has sent 14-year-old Gabriella Carlyle away from her people on the island of Harkness.
She must find the treasure of Nicomedes, which may help turn back a dangerous manipulator named Sade.
He wants to purchase sacred Harkness land--next to the Tower of the Dead. Alongside Gabriella is her
mentor, Omanuju; her withdrawn 11-year-old brother, Dameon; a village outcast and hunter, Mortimer
Creedly; and an enchanted elk who can speak, Adamantus. They fly east on a haunted ship, Elawn, powered
by a special magnetic stone. In their possession is a map that should help navigate the labyrinthine City of
Dis, where the knowledge-obsessed Nicomedes stored his legacy. Along the way, the group faces wyverns,
dehydration, and the mad Princess Sybil (whose own spell split her into two brats, the other named Libys).
Alliances within the group, however, are fragile. Not everyone believes in the prophecy, and the promise of
untold treasure can warp minds. Gabriella must also return to Harkness before the new moon, but her
chances of success dwindle with each new adversary. The second volume of Neill's (In the Darkness
Visible, 2016, etc.) Elk Riders series is yet another blueprint for writing taut, exhilarating fantasy.
Everything that can go wrong for the heroes does, and the author's crafty twists seem to come from an
endless supply. The characters' emotional honesty is likewise riveting. Gabriella's brother suffers from an
ailment that enamors him more to numbers than people. She admits that, instead of saving him from
drowning, "I wanted him to die." Elsewhere, the prose is gorgeous, like a line about the moon being "a
marble rolling in a puddle of ink." Yet amid the fabulous ruins and creature battles is the imperishable
wisdom that "if we treated others with the love and devotion we usually reserve for the gods...the world
would be a much better place." By the end, Gabriella, stripped of her companions, has learned this lesson
well. A fantasy built on divine, chaotic action and written with immense heart.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Neill, Ted: VOYAGE OF THE ELAWN." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Apr. 2017. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A489268381/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=d208c005.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A489268381
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Neill, Ted: CITY ON A HILL
Kirkus Reviews.
(Apr. 1, 2015):
COPYRIGHT 2015 Kirkus Media LLC
http://www.kirkusreviews.com/
Full Text:
Neill, Ted CITY ON A HILL Tenebray (Indie Fiction) $0.99 10, 2
Neill's debut novel is a sci-fi tale, spanning four short volumes, about a future society that outlaws religion
and all things supernatural after a near apocalypse. According to the official history of the Twin Cities,
Fortinbras and Lysander, a nuclear holocaust left all but a few hundred people on the planet dead in an event
known as the "Cataclysm." Those remaining few rebuilt society, shunning the things that they believed
caused the division and strife that led mankind to destroy itself. In this environment, two girls meet and
become lifelong friends: Sabrina Sabryia, niece of Head Minister D'Agosta; and artist Lindsey Mehdina,
who has episodes in which she can see the future. Sabrina becomes a cadet in the society's militaristic police
force, responsible for stomping out all symbols and practice of religion and superstition and making sure
everyone follows the strict rule of law. She often deals with Lindsey, who's much more of a free spirit,
painting public murals in colors not sanctioned by the Head Ministry. Their friendship is jeopardized when
Sabrina finds out that Lindsey is involved with the very occultists that she's been trying to bring down. This
leads them both to journey outside the Twin Cities, where they find another world they didn't know existed.
It causes them to examine their faith, friendship, and everything they think they know about their society.
Neill has created an immersive world--one that readers can see, hear, and smell ("The desert yawned open
around them, red light from the setting sun streaking across the hardpan").The characters even have their
own profanity, somewhat in the style of the Battlestar Galactica reboot; meanwhile, a refrigerator is a "cold
box," while carlike vehicles are "roll pods." The jargon seems like overkill in spots, but it's effective at
reminding readers that they are indeed in another world, familiar but still alien. The technology is also
inventive, and the large birdlike machines that the ministry uses to hunt down the occultists are terrifyingly
effective. Overall, the saga is well-plotted, its characters well-drawn, with a thoughtful philosophy framing
the events. The four volumes taken together read like a miniepic. A notable, impressive debut for sci-fi fans.
Source Citation (MLA 8th
Edition)
"Neill, Ted: CITY ON A HILL." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Apr. 2015. General OneFile,
http://link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/A407413087/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=ITOF&xid=91e296db.
Accessed 23 Apr. 2018.
Gale Document Number: GALE|A407413087
IN THE DARKNESS VISIBLE
From the "Elk Riders" series, volume 1
by Ted Neill
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KIRKUS REVIEW
Neill’s (City on a Hill, 2014) fantasy features a teenage girl on a quest to save her island tribe from the designs of a militant fleet.
Fourteen-year-old Gabriella Carlyle is from the island of Harkness. Her 11-year-old brother, Dameon, is fluent with numbers but a social outcast due to his inward nature. One day, he’s counting grains of sand while Gabriella and her friend, Eloise, are harvesting mussels by the shore. They witness the arrival of a formidable-looking vessel, and the cloaked men who disembark seem rough and ready for battle. The leader of the island, Chief Salinger, greets one of the men, Sade, who’s part of a group called the Servior. Sade explains that the visitors hope to purchase land next to the Tower of the Dead, which stands as a portal between life and the afterlife. When the villagers perform a ritual to consult with their ancestors, the dead speak through Gabriella and reveal that “the Servior...those whom they serve are treacherous.” A loner named Omanuju Ant decides to help Gabriella find the treasure of Nicomedes on the far-flung Eastern Continent, which may thwart Sade and his men; in return, perhaps the dead will heal Dameon. In this opening installment of a vigorously imagined series, Neill delivers an epic that’s as grand as it is brief. Episodic brilliance characterizes Gabriella and Omanuju’s adventures, such as when they befriend Ghede, who pilots the floating ship Elawn—and a dragon race ensues. Alternating chapters flash back to Sade and his younger brother, Vondales, growing up as orphans on the island of Illicaine and later becoming teenage savages on a sharp rise to power. Neill’s prose is often beautiful, as when Gabriella “could make out the shape of undulating hills and ridges silhouetted against the spray of stars.” Alongside frequent scenes of brutality, there are dear instances of wisdom, as when Omanuju says, “Sometimes when we find a person hard to love, the failure is in us, rather than them.” A finale featuring deft, magical weirdness only elevates the narrative further.
The start of what promises to be a tumultuous, visionary fantasy series.
Pub Date: Aug. 10th, 2016
Page count: 187pp
Publisher: Tenebray
Program: Kirkus Indie
Review Posted Online: Dec. 16th, 2016
The Selah Branch
A Novel of Time Travel and Race in America
by Ted Neill
Fiction - Science Fiction 300 Pages Reviewed on 12/04/2017Buy on Amazon
This author participates in our Review Exchange and Book Donation Program. Click here to learn more.
BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by K S Marsden for Readers' Favorite
In The Selah Branch: A Novel of Time Travel and Race in America by Ted Neill, when Kenia's summer intern plans fall through, she thinks that spending months in Selah Branch, researching poor diets in poor communities, will be a frustrating waste of time. She has to research the usability of a new app, designed to help the average American create a more nutritious diet. Kenia doubts the usefulness of the app itself in a Trump state with vast unemployment, alcohol and drug addiction, and where people can't afford or can't source fresh food. What she doesn't know is that maybe fate brought her there to change everything. Kenia is black, and a woman. This is more than enough to make her feel threatened by the way the world is going. Kenia maintains a professional air and quickly becomes interested in the town's history. Selah Branch had once been a forward-thinking utopia where races and genders were equal, and Kenia starts to dig into where it all went wrong.
This story is very current and up to date with the politics and racial tension occurring in the US. It is well-written, and you stand beside Kenia as she goes through the struggles and prejudices that are very real for many people. The story takes on a sci-fi twist, as Kenia learns that she has inherited a time-traveling gene from her African roots. In increasingly long and dangerous jumps, Kenia is shot back to 1953, to the time of the disaster which destroyed Selah. The Selah Branch has a very scientific voice. The first half, in particular, could have been a university essay condemning the political machinations that gave rise to a new wave of racism. There were a few info dumps as a way to give a full and immediate description of the place. The second half is smoother as Kenia starts to make friends with some of the townsfolk, and the mystery of Selah Branch is slowly uncovered. Then the adventure really starts to kick off. In the end, I really enjoyed this book.
Racial tension jumps through time in THE SELAH BRANCH
by Ted Neill
November 6, 2017/in Fiction, Indie Book Reviews, New Adult, Science Fiction /by IR Staff
Verdict: Racial tension in small-town America combines with time-travel in THE SELAH BRANCH to deliver a worthwhile message for the modern age, albeit one that could benefit from the pruning skills of a good editor.
IR Rating
2.9
IR Rating
Kenia Dezy, the protagonist of Ted Neill’s book, THE SELAH BRANCH, is a young woman of color who, in a case of reverse racism, seems only able to see the worst in anyone not sharing her skin tone. This would have been more palatable if the author had not used this character as a proxy for preaching to the reader about the social injustices that have been perpetrated since the first Europeans set foot on American soil, up to and including his opinions of the current Trump administration, gender equality, LGBTQ issues and healthy nutrition. While much of the message the author is trying to convey is important and needs to be heard, the way in which it is delivered can be vastly improved upon. This is where the novel would benefit from a good editor who could advise on what to keep, what to discard and how best to convey the message without beating the reader over the head with it.
It’s only once Kenia gets to know the inhabitants and her own prejudices start to give way to understanding, the words of her parents that “no one is just one thing” dawning upon her, that the story truly takes off and becomes interesting. Among others, we meet a recovering drug addict, two brothers who take pride in their town’s history and still has hope for the future, a young alcoholic who has lost all hope and his long-suffering mother, and a family of entrepreneurial siblings who rise above their limited circumstances.
At first, Kenia’s unusual ability to jump through time seemed like an unnecessary plot contrivance, one that takes much too long to develop. However, as the story progresses the relevance of the disaster that occurred in the early 1950s becomes clearer, and the devastating connection to Kenia’s own family comes to light. As Kenia races to correct the past wrong, the story finally picks up pace and becomes an enjoyable read.
THE SELAH BRANCH suffers from a few unfortunate proofreading errors, the inclusion of enlightening yet irrelevant information and a heavy-handed dose of moralizing, but is a story worth reading. The character’s personal growth, combined with an action-packed and satisfying ending, makes for a novel that, if edited with a sensitive touch, could become a very important read.
~ Suneé Jones for IndieReader
VIEW
Reviewed by Caitlin Lyle Farley for Readers' Favorite
Jaw-dropping plot twists combine with thoughtful themes to produce an unforgettable read in Ted Neill’s debut novel, City on a Hill. Religious war turned the world to nuclear dust and desert. The remnants of humanity live in the walled cities of Lysander and Fortinbras. Religion is illegal, a form of insanity, and the root of division and discord. Lindsey and Sabrina have been friends since Sabrina beat up a girl bullying Lindsey on the playground. Now women, Lindsey hopes to study art while Sabrina pursues a career in law enforcement. As part of a routine investigation, Sabrina and her supervisor discover religious pendants in a workshop. Following their only surviving suspect leads Sabrina to an abandoned warehouse filled with cultists, Lindsey among them. Torn between her best friend and her duty, Sabrina is forced onto a path where terrible secrets will shake the foundations of everything she knows.
City on a Hill is a fast-paced read that tackles potentially volatile subject matter in a manner that’s both thoughtful and impartial. While the themes provide much for the reader to contemplate in terms of both religious and atheist zealotry, there’s also plenty of exciting action scenes. This provides a good balance to the narrative. The relationship between Lindsey and Sabrina is as complex as you’d expect from two people with such differing personalities. I loved that Neill kept a tight focus on Lindsey and Sabrina’s friendship, even though there were various opportunities to develop romance between these women and the men in their lives. The plot twists in City on a Hill caught me off guard more than once. Just when you think you understand the bigger picture, Ted Neill peels back the layers to reveal shocking facts that force the reader to reexamine everything.
THE JOURNEY TO KARRITH
From the "Elk Riders" series, volume 4
by Ted Neill
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KIRKUS REVIEW
This fourth Elk Riders fantasy novel sees Neill’s (The Font of Jasmeen, 2016, etc.) heroes caught in the war for the land of Anthor.
After using the miraculous healing waters from the Font of Jasmeen, Prince Haille Hillbourne, his classmate Katlyn, Capt. Valateen “Val” Mandaly, and swashbuckler Cody Youngblood find themselves hunted in the eastern wilds of Anthor. The High Council of Carasans has hired the dauntless Victor Twenge to eliminate Val and Cody, the last of the Order of Oban. With the prince is Adamantus, a sage elk who helps the foursome survive after they plunge off a bridge and into a river. From there, they head for the majestic but cursed woods of Sidon, hoping to meet Haille’s father, King Talamar, in the realm of Karrith. A prophecy says that Haille will save the king during a battle with marauding tribes. On the way, the heroes find the farmhouse of legendary swordsmith Pathus Sumberland. He gives the prince a blade called Elk Heart, which proves essential to survival in the steamy, exotic world of Sidon. The group eventually runs into a cadre of foul creatures called Vaurgs, who’ve captured a wily young woman who isn’t what she seems. In this installment, Neill leans on numerous fantasy tropes in apparent homage to towering genre figures such as Lord Dunsany and J.R.R. Tolkien. That said, even seasoned genre fans may feel like Sidon is their first passage through an enchanted wood, as Neill’s prose is stately and hypnotic, telling readers, for instance, that the heroes hear “Clicks, songs, even throbbing, which was something like distant thunder, but with the regularity of a fading heartbeat.” But like Sidon, where “Emotion was the most powerful current,” this narrative is strongest when examining the movements of love, no matter how swift or hesitant they may be; Haille’s connection with Veolin Crossborn, the scarred elf girl, is achingly portrayed. Readers also revisit Gail, formerly the villainous Avenger Red, who struggles to atone for her past. This penultimate chapter of the series offers nobility and disaster, as Neill’s fans have come to expect.
Another unique, stakes-raising entry in a formidable saga.
Pub Date: Nov. 16th, 2016
ISBN: 978-1-5393-0950-5
Page count: 264pp
Publisher: CreateSpace
Program: Kirkus Indie
Review Posted Online: July 6th, 2017
The Font of Jasmeen
Elk Riders Volume Three
by Ted Neill
Young Adult - Fantasy - Epic 248 Pages Reviewed on 12/12/2017Buy on Amazon
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BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite
Prince Haille had always been made to feel responsible for the death of his beloved mother and queen, since she died giving birth to him. Coupled with the stigma of his mother’s death, he is considered a cripple, an invalid, even a freak, because of his “shaking sickness” (I'm assuming this is probably epilepsy). When Haille discovers his father, the king, plans to send him away to an orphanage for afflicted children, he determines to seek out and find the legendary Font of Jasmeen, where it is said the enchanted statue can cure and heal any afflicted child. Along with his classmate, Katlyn, the two fourteen-year-olds head out into a land beset by the threat of war and ruled by duplicitous and self-serving lords, only loyal to Haille’s father when it suits their purposes. So begins Ted Neill’s young adult adventure, The Font of Jasmeen.
I’m certainly not a young adult, The Font of Jasmeen’s target market, but I’m happy to say this book is suitable for all ages. This is the first book of Ted Neill’s that I’ve read, but I hazard a guess it won’t be the last. I loved the rollicking style of this adventure, as Haille and Katlyn lurched from one crisis to another, never sure who their allies and friends really were. The two principal characters were easily relatable, both mercilessly bullied at school for varying reasons. One thing I particularly liked about the story was that Neill allowed his “hero” (Haille) to be exactly what he was; a fourteen-year-old boy, full of angst, self-doubt and often making the wrong decisions for what seemed the right reasons to his teenage mind. This book is a fantastic read and will appeal to anyone who likes epic fantasy and certainly not just to its intended target market of young adults. I am excited that The Font of Jasmeen is part of a series and a quick glance at its companion volumes on Amazon tells me the other stories in the series focus on some of the bit-players in this book. Excellent – on my TBR list now.
Bunny Man's Bridge
A Short Story Collection
by Ted Neill
Fiction - General 270 Pages Reviewed on 12/19/2017Buy on Amazon
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BOOK REVIEW
Reviewed by Arya Fomonyuy for Readers' Favorite
Bunny Man's Bridge: A Short Story Collection by Ted Neill is a gorgeous collection of stories that forces the reader to confront the realities of humanity, starting with an introduction that makes powerful references to an asylum. The author then quickly moves on to offer fascinating and moving memories of childhood. In this collection, the reader witnesses strong moments of coming of age, the pain of being human, of growing up with dreams ... only to find out that dreams do not always get us to where we want to be and that justice doesn’t always prevail. Readers are introduced to compelling characters like Sidney and Daniel, strong characters with depth, each facing their own challenges. It is also interesting to notice the dichotomy the author creates between the world of adolescents and adults.
As one reads from chapter to chapter and from one story to the next, one is painfully aware of the joys and pains of their youth, of the fragility of life, and of the fact that life sometimes surprises us in ways we could never imagine. Ted Neill recreates a world that most adult readers have known and that young readers are familiar with, the world we long to inhabit and that scares us at the same time, and it takes a lot of skill to evoke the kinds of sentiments that this book arouses in readers. The style is unique and the economy of prose and precision is impeccable. Bunny Man's Bridge: A Short Story Collection features great storytelling skills, great themes, and plot structures that keep readers turning the pages from story to story. It is a work that both entertains readers and reminds them of their humanity.