Tuesday, November 13, 2007

"The best new fantasy novel you've never heard of"



"Overstreet's writing is precise and beautiful,
and the story is masterfully told."
- Publisher's Weekly on Auralia's Colors


The powerful, lyrical Auralia's Colors, by Jeffrey Overstreet

Although I count the Chronicles of Narnia among my favorite books, and I enjoyed the Lord of the Rings books--the truth is, as an adult, I've never been a huge fan of the fantasy genre. However, I've been proven wrong about this not once, but twice in recent months.

The first was in the instance of Sharon Hinck's fascinating The Restorer. More recently, I've been happily surprised by Jeffrey Overstreet's Auralia's Colors.



I was able to interview Jeffrey Overstreet today for my radio show, and I thoroughly enjoyed it. Even in conversation, Overstreet is a wordsmith, words flowing eloquently and effortlessly to articulate the thought he wants to get across.

The title of my post is actually from a review of Auralia's Colors, and the quote from Publisher's Weekly? My thoughts exactly.

The book hooked me immediately, and throughout the book I marveled at Overstreet's gift for weaving a story as compellingly as his heroine weaves her magical colors.

The story is about a land where colors have been outlawed. Everyone must dress in drab and neutral browns and grays. Into this world comes a strange child who was found abandoned as a baby. Auralia is one of the most interesting fictional characters I've come across in a while, and Overstreet imagines her world and his characters in complex, vivid detail.

In this soundclip from out interview, Jeffrey Overstreet gives us an overview of the book:



Yes, there are spiritual parallels in Auralia's Colors, but they're not heavyhanded or cliched. Like the prince's mentor in this richly-imagined story, they simply draw the reader to truth and light.

After reading Auralia's Colors, you'll be pleased, as I am, that there are three more books coming in this series. You can find out more about Jeffrey Overstreet and his books here, and more about Auralia's Colors here.

Tomorrow, I talk with Jeffrey Overstreet about the controversial new movie, "The Golden Compass."

2 comments:

Juliet said...

Did you happen to see on TV a program about diabetes. They now have a pill with a small amount of insulin they can give to children who might become a diabetic. It sure must be encouraging to parent who think that their child may become one.

Let all pray for Pullman..were we not all an enemy of God also?
In Christian Love, Juliet

Sherry said...

Would you like to nominate this book for the Cybil Award for Fantasy/SciFi?

http://www.cybils.com

I've already nominated a book, but you could do it if you think it would qualify.

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