In the summer of 1982, a year after the assassination
of President Ronald Reagan, Philip almost runs over a beautiful but mysterious
young woman named Silana living in the forests of Oregon. Silana is worried her
presence may have caused ripples that have disrupted this timeline. But what
can she do about it? And how is she related to the stranger who discovers a
body hidden by the side of the road when he suddenly appears on the planet
Piral one bright spring morning? As the stranger, who calls himself Vilam,
attempts to investigate the murder, he finds himself wrapped up in events that
threaten to destroy the Neo-Victorian society he finds himself in.
Nova, an acolyte of the Selanian Order and chief of the staff of a former High Priestess, is tasked with finding out more about the
stranger and helping him solve the crime. But her best friend Catyana's powers
are growing at an immense rate, and she doesn't know how she'll be able to
protect her from their enemies when they find out what she can do. Catyana's sister
is having horrific visions about a sinister figure she calls the Goddess of
Death, and tensions between the eastern and western provinces are about to
escalate. On this strange world populated by such fantastical
beings as enchantresses, mermaids, unicorns, and dragons, and in this difficult
time in which everything seems to be coming to a head, can Nova, Catyana, and
Vilam find the answers they so desperately need before their society descends
into the chaos and violence of a civil war? Find out by reading the first
volume of the Selanian Chronicles, The Emissary.
REVIEW
Fantasy and Science Fiction come together uniquely in The
Emissary: The Selanian Chronicles Volume 1.
We open to find ourselves on another planet in the
middle of what seems like a battle. Afterward, it seems their sole hope is to
craft a unique bow that will lead their savior the Emissary to reunite peace.
Time warp we jump to earth 1982 where we meet Phillip Brannon. Philip tells his
tale of how he falls in love with a free-spirited woman named Silana he almost
hits with his jeep. As Silana and Phillip grow closer, we learn Silana may be
more than she appears to be. When tragedy strikes Phillip is led to something
of astronomical proportions. Time warp again as now the tale of The Emissary
precisely begins.
Mysterious lights have appeared on the horizon where
the appearance of a mysterious stranger and a slain body appear. We are on the Neo-Victorian
style planet Piral. The Selanian Order is called in the form of Nova who is
asked to help investigate the murder and this mysterious stranger. Calling
himself Vilam he seems to of been sent help investigate as well. People wonder though could he be what the
prophets have ordained thousands of years ago? Could he be the coming Emissary?
Could he be Phillip? Is the slain body related to building tension between that
the east and west provinces? What do Nova’s friend Catyana and her golden locks
family have to do with it all?
The Emissary is a thought-provoking read. The book
really didn't click in my head till I got to the end. I then went back to the
beginning, and it was "Poof" it all came together. My mind went,
“ahhh.” It was subsequently then I gained a new appreciation for the book. I am
seriously looking forward to reading the next installment.
4 out of 5 Stars. ****
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Peter Krausche was born in Garmisch-Partenkirchen,
Germany, to an enlisted officer of the US Air Force and grew up in Kettering,
Ohio. After his parents divorced, his German mother remarried a Swiss citizen,
and they moved to Switzerland when he was 13. He has always enjoyed reading and
watching science fiction and fantasy, although he doesn't mind a good romance,
some drama or mystery, or even a thriller. The influence of authors such as
C.S. Lewis, J.R.R. Tolkien, Frank Herbert, Isaac Asimov, Stephen Lawhead, and
Karl May are still noticeable in his work. The first drafts of The Rose and The
Alley (the preludes to The Emissary and The High Priestess) were actually
written in 1991 when he returned to Switzerland after a stay in Central Oregon.
But life happens, and he turned aside from his attempts at serious writing for
more than a decade. In the fall of 2003, he dug up his old manuscripts and
started working on the Selanian Chronicles, a labor of love that has continued
off and on to the present day. As with the creations of other visionary
artists, it's his desire to bring light into the darkness and to suggest more
uplifting and spiritual possibilities of life by placing the eternal values of
love, hope, and faith at the center of his message. His personal experience has
been that transcendence to higher ideals is often accompanied by the refining
pain inherent to the process of transformation, and he attempts to incorporate
these experiences into his writing. Last but not least, he considers himself a
hopeless romantic who doesn't mind losing himself in the beauty of a flaming
sunset. This personality trait naturally colors everything he writes, but he
believes it enriches rather than diminishes his stories, and he hopes his
readers agree.
