The Mazer

A lonely island. An ancient manuscript. And a lust for power.

Twenty years have passed since the disappearance of Silva's father, Zossimo. When Silva visits her mother's vault at the sanctuary in Yewlith, she becomes convinced there is more to her father's demise than she knows.

Meanwhile, at the Albatorium in Southernwood City, Legator Wystan calls an emergency meeting of the Session. For evil stirs on this island, where man and tree have lived in harmony for centuries. Challenged by his brother, Bassan, Wystan is ousted from power and the Session vote for a new Legator. But the election result comes as a shock to everyone.

Silva's quest to solve the mystery of her father's fate unravels a tale of thwarted ambition, murderous betrayal - and loyal friendship - among humans and trees alike.

Escape to the fascinating world of Southernwood in this unforgettable fantasy adventure!

If there was a place on earth where people and trees could communicate, what would it be like? And how would such a place have come to be?

When beginning The Mazer, I had no such profound thoughts running through my mind. Instead, I had a glorious vision of a beautiful island growing out of the sea. A small place; one large town; few roads to speak of. But rivers, fast and blue, fields of yellow and green, forests of darkness and depth, and coastlines of silvery gray.

Populating my little island brought a few surprises. The citizens of Southernwood, for example, are a practical lot. They've never wondered, as you or I might, why a tree should go out of its way to compose a poem or two now and again. They would certainly never think twice about idly scribbling on a leaf with a treequill, or researching their family history on the leaves in the Albatorium library, where Marchus, the archivist, would leap out of a dusty corner to help out if need be. In other ways, our islanders are very much like us, for I know nobody who would refuse an invitation to the Albatorium halls to sample some the delicacies of Winifred's kitchen!

An island and its people. And their story? Yes, this was the most fascinating part of writing - asking myself questions, pinning down reasons and motives, weaving the past into the "now" of the tale, slowly but surely understanding more about the world I was creating. It's been an incredible adventure, but that adventure is only mine. The fruit of that adventure, however -  the story of The Mazer - belongs to you.