By Edward Willett
Published by Coteau Books
$14.95 ISBN 978-1-55050-654-9
Door into Faerie is the fifth and final title in Regina writer Edward Willett鈥檚 The Shards of Excalibur series, and I read it without reading its predecessors, and also, admittedly, with a bit of a bias against the fantasy genre. 鈥淢agic shmagic.鈥� I鈥檝e often said what I really value in literature is contemporary realism. Stories I can connect with via details from the here and now, geography and language I can relate to because I recognize it, I speak it; the old 鈥渉olding a mirror to the world鈥� thing. Well surprise, surprise: I loved this young adult fantasy.
Willett wields his well-honed writing skills from page one, and my interest was maintained until the final word.
In the opening we learn teens Wally Knight (heir to King Arthur) and his girlfriend Ariane (鈥渢he fricking Lady of the Lake鈥�), have been on a global quest to 鈥渞eunite the scattered shards of the great sword Excalibur鈥� and they鈥檙e currently at a bed and breakfast in the Cypress Hills. Cypress Hills! This ingenious juxtaposition of old and contemporary (ie: 鈥渇ricking鈥�), of information delivered in earlier books melded with new goings on, and the inclusion of relatable issues like family dysfunction 鈥� Knight鈥檚 sister is teamed with the Jaguar-driving sorcerer Merlin, aka 鈥淩ex Major, billionaire computer magnate,鈥� and she is 鈥渓iving it up鈥� in a Toronto condo, and Wally has no idea where his film-making mother is 鈥� had me immediately hooked.聽 Wally wants to find his mother and celebrate Mother鈥檚 Day together.
I鈥檓 impressed with Willett鈥檚 ability to draw readers into the complex existing story, and can appreciate the authorial balancing act required in structuring this novel. The man knows how to write. He has, in fact, written more than 50 books, and won the 2009 Prix Aurora Award. And I鈥檓 learning that, hey, I actually do like fantasy. It鈥檚 fun to imagine 鈥渕agic.鈥� Ariane has the power to 鈥渢ransport them around the world via fresh water and clouds.鈥�
The book is delightfully saturated with humour, as well as magic. Regarding Ariane鈥檚 magical prowess, 鈥渢he whole dissolving-into-water-and materializing somewhere else thing still freaked [Wally] out.鈥�
Regarding the family angle, at one point Ariane says, 鈥淢agical quests are easy; family is hard.鈥�
While the young pair search for the famous sword鈥檚 hilt, they land in places ranging from a Weyburn swimming pool to a 鈥渄ime-a-dozen鈥� Scottish castle and the shoreline of Regina鈥檚 Wascana Lake. There鈥檚 romance too. Ariane notices that Wally鈥檚 ears 鈥渆ven seemed to fit his head better than they used to.鈥� And broken romance. Wally鈥檚 mom delivers a monologue regarding her own marriage break-up, complete with the 鈥渂londe bimbo鈥� who replaced her. There鈥檚 a long history of inter-marrying and bloodshed here.
The story is told through different perspectives. Merlin maligns the fact King Arthur had been reduced even beyond legend 鈥渢o a fit subject for musical theatre.鈥� Hilarious. I can鈥檛 imagine teens not enjoying this entertaining story, perhaps especially if they鈥檝e read the books that have preceded it. This adult enjoyed it, too, magic and all.
鈥� This book is available at your local bookstore or from the Saskatchewan publishers group www.skbooks.com
