TEASER TUESDAY - THE LURE OF FOOLS BY JASON KING

Today, for my Teaser Tuesday I am hosting Jason King and his new release - The Lure of Fools
A New Adult Fantasy
Release Date - 8/10/2013
Below my Teaser from The Lure of Fools, Jason has put together a piece on his ruminations on the emergence 
of the dark fantasy genre. 
I hope you join me and welcome Jason to my site 
and I hope you also enjoy his article.
Welcome Jason and good luck with your new release!

Teaser Tuesdays is a weekly bookish meme, hosted by

http://shouldbereading.wordpress.com/

of Should Be Reading.

Anyone can play along!

Just do the following

• Grab your current read
• Open to a random page
• Share two (2) "teaser" sentences from somewhere on that page

BE CAREFUL NOT TO INCLUDE ANY SPOILERS!
Make sure that what you share doesn't give too much away!

You don't want to ruin the book for others!

The Lure of Fools

by

Jason King

www.authorjasonking.com

Blurb: 

“Adventure is the lure of fools, and excitement glamour to the gullible. The siren song of the world is as music to the wanderer’s feet, but that dance leads only to the soul-less grave.”

So Jekaran’s uncle has warned him. But that doesn’t stop him from leaping at the exhilarating chance to single-handedly rescue a beautiful woman from a gang of lecherous thieves.

But the bored farm boy quickly finds that he is no match for the group of angry street thugs, and only escapes death by bonding a magical sword that grants him the strength and skill of a master swordsman. Unfortunately, a peasant wielding such magic is forbidden and punishable by death.

Thus Jekaran finds himself a fugitive with his fate tied to that of the exotic and mysterious, Kairah; a fey woman who must deliver a dire warning to the king that, if heeded, could prevent the very extinction of humanity.

MY TEASER:

That’s when Jove saw something that gave him pause; a perfect trail of dead grass behind him, running all the way back from where he left the road. He looked down to his feet and found the grass upon which he stood dried and brown, while all around him it remained healthy and green. He took an experimental step forward and drew in a sharp breath as the patch of meadow withered before his eyes. I’ve changed, he concluded. The power that came over me in Almott changed me.

King, Jason. The Lure of Fools (Kindle Locations 68-71). Curiosity Quills Press. Kindle Edition.

                

Fantasy Comes of Age

What does your mind conjure when someone says “fantasy” in relation to books? Is it a wizard in a grey robe with a pointy hat? Or is it a knight in shiny, silver armor hiding behind his shield while a gigantic red dragon tries to roast him with a cone of fire? Both seem to be a common idea of the definition of fantasy fiction, and that was how the genre began, but it’s expanded to include a lot more as those who regularly read fantasy know. Now it is not uncommon for fantasy fiction to deal with themes of deep philosophical questions, complex moral dilemmas, exploration of  gritty true crime elements, or commentaries on real-world politics. 

Gone are the days of the valiant knight saving the virtuous princess from the malevolent red dragon. Now our fantasy-fiction is not so simple. Take George R.R. Martin’s Song of Ice and Fire series for instance. This is a very dark story full of political intrigue, brutal violence, and lots of sex.—FULL DISCLOSURE: I am not a fan of this series. My Mormon sensitivities prevented me from even finishing the first book, but I have read other novels like it.—Of course, this has led to the coining of a sub-genre called “Dark Fantasy,” which has become increasingly popular in the last few years. Even young adult novels have become darker.

Now please don’t misunderstand. My writing also contains some of these dark elements—the prime protagonist in my new novel, The Lure of Fools, is a serial killer who gains magical powers. But something definitely has changed over the years. What happened? Well, I could launch into a theoretical commentary on society and world view, but I think the answer is simpler. Fantasy is a wonderful medium for analyzing real-life issues. I know that sounds strange, but if you think about it, it makes sense.

We live in a day and age in which we receive a steady media diet of bad news; graphic reports of the most horrendous crimes, political scandals, wars, and large scale natural disasters. I often feel powerless to change these things, which is where my imagination kicks in. What if someone could stop that child murder by seeing the future? What if the rebellion in Egypt was instigated by the machinations of a dark wizard? What if elemental magic let someone challenge the might of an oncoming hurricane? Take just about any real-world theme and you can find a place for it in fantasy fiction. For me it’s become a kind of therapy, a creative way for dealing with the real darkness in our world. Which in the end is what I think is really at the heart of what it means to express one’s self through writing.