Gillian Bronte Adams

YA Epic Fantasy Author

Fantasy Reflections: Sage Advice

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Righto, me lads and lassies, pull out your thinking caps for another fantasy reflection. It’s the best way to start your day and end your week with a mind-boggled headache … and still have a fantastic time!

Our question for the day is …

Wise old sages. Gotta love ’em. They serve such a necessary yet so often under-appreciated role in a hero’s journey. And quite often die tragically before the end.

They don’t have to be particularly old – contrary to common perception, a long gray beard is not a requirement – and may not even be considered especially wise by their peers, but I think it’s safe to say that most heroes wouldn’t get far on their epic journeys without the help of a wise old sage of some shape or form.

I have to say … I would choose Gandalf. In a heart beat. He can be a bit tough and crotchety. Fool of a Took! But as long as I refrain from touching things that shouldn’t be touched, or throwing things that shouldn’t be thrown, or staring into things that shouldn’t be stared into, or putting on things that shouldn’t be put on … I think we’d get along just grand.

How about you? Which wise old (or not so old) sage would you choose for your mentor?

As always, answer in the comments! If you’d like, feel free to copy the image to your blog and continue the discussion there. Please just link back to my original post. Thanks!

Fantasy Reflections: Lost … Villains Style

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Thanks to everyone who offered suggestions for the Fantasy Reflections posts last week. Y’all had some great ideas. I’ve added them to my top secret file.
Several of the ideas had to do with villains … which set the nefarious side of my brain to whirling … and I came up with this question. Pray excuse an evil chuckle. I’m just so excited about this one. :) 
Fantasy Reflections, Gillian Bronte Adams, Of Battles Dragons and Swords of Adamant

Lost … on a desert island … with only a notorious villain for company. Sounds thrilling, doesn’t it? Actually, not really. I’m fairly certain I would never want to really be in this position.

Especially armed with just a knife. Excuse me? A knife? Couldn’t we have some better weaponry over here? Like a grenade launcher … or a celestial bronze sword … or a horde of angry dwarves at my beck and call.

Okay, okay, on to the question. Who is the villain … and how do you survive? Do you defeat/outwit/make an ally out of the villain?


The problem with fantasy villains is they’re so terribly terrifying! You wouldn’t want to get within five feet of most of them, let alone be trapped with them on a desert island!

I could see myself crash landing on a desert island with Gollum/Smeagol. (Because we all know Smeagol is there all the time. Gollum has just smothered him.) To survive, I’d suggest a game of riddles (with the understanding that no mention be made of pockets … or handses … or rings, precious!). I would treat Gollum as a hobbit, not a monster, to bring out the Smeagol side, and use the lembas bread as a deterrent if the Gollum side starts to win out.

Of course, I would need to take care at night, lest Gollum throttle me in my sleep. (Not very nice, precious.) But so long as there is plenty of fish for Smeagol to catch, and I can sleep with one eye open, I should be good until rescue can arrive.

And what with all that riddling, not sleeping, and fishing, I certainly won’t get bored.

As always, you can answer the question in the comments! Feel free to share this post or copy the picture to your blog and continue the discussion there. Please just link back to my original post!

Fantasy Reflections: Seeing Doubles?

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I must admit, I get so fiendishly excited when Friday rolls around and I realize it’s time for another Fantasy Reflections post. Nothing like a good mind-bending exercise to strengthen your imagination muscles. This question may not be quite so much of a poser as last time, and perhaps not quite so wild and crazy, but it does requires a bit more inner-reflection.
Fantasy Reflections

The question: Is there a fantasy character that could serve as your double, either in personality, temperament, or appearance?

Evil twins. Doppelgangers. Clones. Kindred spirits. Any or all of the above would serve to answer this question.

This question does require a good bit of thought. I hesitate to put down the first answer that comes to mind, because – let’s be honest – this character is scads cooler than I am. We have some similarities, to be sure – personality and temperament. And I like to think that if I were to be written as a character, and painted with a very kindly brush of medieval epicness, we just might be mistaken for sisters, if not doubles.

Who is it, you ask?

I am talking of Eoywn, daughter of Eomund, Shield-Maiden of Rohan.

Sigh.

I knew I shouldn’t have said that out loud. Pray stop your snickering. Did no one tell you how rude that is? If nothing else, one can dream!

How about you? Which fantasy character could serve as your double?

As always, answer in the comments and please feel free to chat back and forth amongst yourselves! That’s what makes the Fantasy Reflections so much fun! If you like, you can copy the image or idea to your blog and carry the conversation over there as well. Please just link back to my post. Thanks!

Fantasy Reflections: Many Meetings

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I’m just a tad nervous about this question. It requires an earth shattering blend of colliding worlds, realms, cultures, and eras. Be prepared to stretch your imagination muscles. Stretching — it’s good for you, right?
Don’t think I can’t hear you groan! It’s actually a fun one to answer … I promise … until you wind up with double the correct amount on your list and have to start eliminating them. *shudders* Talk about painful.
Here’s the crack team I narrowed it down to in the end:
1. Kaladin
(Way of Kings, Brandon Sanderson)

He’d make a great leader for the Fellowship. He’s an expert spearman, knows how to motivate his followers, and cares for those under his charge, not to mention his training as a surgeon which lets him double as team medic!
2. Fflewddur Fflam
(Chronicles of Prydain, Lloyd Alexander)
Whether you’re in need of a companion to lighten the mood or fight like mad, Fflewddur Fflam would be an excellent choice. His harp provides an endless source of entertainment — both when he’s actually playing it and when the strings react to his flamboyant tongue and tendency to exaggerate.
3. Eanrin the Bard
(Tales of Goldstone Wood, Anne Elisabeth Stengl)
Because let’s just admit it, watching Fflewddur Fflam and Eanrin facing off would be hilarious! Not to mention the fact that both Eanrin the Bard and Eanrin the cat would be a tremendous asset to the quest.
4. Artham P. Wingeather/Peet the Sock Man
(Wingfeather Saga, Andrew Peterson)
Who could resist an offer of assistance from the winged Throne Warden of Anneira? And Peet the Sock Man is well worth his weight in a fight.
5. Waxillium Ladrian
(The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson)
Wax may be from a slightly different era than the others, but I feel like he could hold his own on the quest. (Especially if he’s allowed to time/realm travel with his Sterrion revolvers!)
6. Wayne
(The Alloy of Law, Brandon Sanderson)
Wayne and Wax are a bit of a package deal. They work well together, and Wayne’s unique ability to disguise himself and become other people would be most useful!
7. Reepicheep
(Chronicles of Narnia, C.S. Lewis)
There are few knights I’d rather have by my side, than this noble knight of Narnia. Stalwart. Courageous. Faithful to the end. I’d trust Reepicheep to travel to Mount Doom and back with me.
8. Lochlan Stormgarden
(The Errant King, Wayne Thomas Batson)
Loch is just an interesting young character. He’s a bit impetuous, tends to shrink a bit from too much responsibility. But he’s highly talented and just the sort of fighter who would come in handy.
9. Taran Wanderer, Assistant Pig Keeper
(The Chronicles of Prydain, Lloyd Alexander)
Taran is a young fellow and he certainly has a lot to learn. But he’s a loyal companion and he has a stout heart.
How about you? Who would you select for your Fellowship of the Ring?

Fantasy Reflections: Identity Theft

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I’m quite excited about today’s Fantasy Reflection question. (Excuse me a maniacal laugh) Put on your thinking caps, ladies and gents. This one is a real poser.
Fantasy Reflections: Identity Theft

Tough one, isn’t it?

Fantasy characters tend to have it pretty rough. Rarely is life all sunshine and daisies. It generally leans more toward battle and bloodshed and good versus evil and some pretty nasty dark lords. There is a cruel class of people out there – commonly known as authors – who take a disturbing level of pleasure in subjecting their characters (and readers’ hearts) to trials and torments that would drive any sane man bonkers.

Answering this question is like choosing your own form of torture.

You could choose to be the really cool character … but generally the more special abilities you have, and the higher you rank on the boring to awesome scale, the worse villains you have to face.

Caution aside, I would have to choose Vin from The Final Empire series by Brandon Sanderson. True, her life is a wee bit miserable at the start. And she is fighting a hopelessly losing battle. And well … it can be a bit depressing. But those are minor details! Her Mistborn abilities totally make up for it! ;)

How about you? Who would you choose to become?

As always, you can answer in the comments and please feel free to chat in and amongst yourselves! That’s what makes this whole reflections series fun! If you’d like, you can copy the image to your blog and carry the conversation over there as well. Please just link back to my post. Thanks!

Fantasy Reflections: Pack Your Bag, It’s Moving Day!

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Here’s a Fantasy Reflection question to start off your morning.

If you could pick any fantasy world to live in, where would you move?

I always have a hard time answering these right off the bat. So I like to think of the question like coffee. You have to let it percolate for a bit, stewing in the back of your mind, until you can come up with an answer.

Now picking a fantasy world to visit wouldn’t be that tough. There’s scads of places I’d love to visit. But picking one to move to is a wee bit more difficult. So many pros and cons to consider. I mean, there’s usually some sort of major disturbance happening in the fantasy world at the time of the novel, so they’re not always the sort of place you’d want to move a family.

My first thought was the world of Roshar from Brandon Sanderson’s Way of Kings, since I’m reading it right now. It’s a fascinating world, really. Such a unique place, full of interesting people, and the magics of Surgebinding and Shardwielding. Until you get to the part where you discover it’s a world decimated by high storms with hints of a terrible devastation approaching.

Perhaps I’d better not move there.

I’m afraid my answer to this question will have to be a tie between Middle Earth and Narnia. I visited Middle Earth first of all and Narnia soon after, so for me, moving to either Middle Earth or Narnia would feel like returning home after a long absence.

Perhaps I’ll have a winter home in one and a vacation home in the other?

We’re dreaming, so anything is possible. :)

How about you? Where would you like to move most of all?

Answer in the comments! Or if you’d like, you can copy the picture to your blog and start the discussion over there as well. All I ask is that you link back to my blog in your post. Thanks! :)

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