Immortal Writers by Jill Bowers

I really like the unique plot of this novel. When an author's words stretch beyond the page, when their words are etched into the fabric of reality, the writer becomes immortal. That's what happened to Liz, a young award winning fantasy writer. She thought she was being kidnapped but she was just being taken to the castle where Shakespeare, Poe, Austen, Tolkien and scores of other authors were in residence. She meets many of the brave characters she created in her novels. They have come over to this world. But so has the nemesis she created. Liz is the only one who can keep him from his goal of taking over the world.

Besides being a rather well written novel with good character development and lots of action, there are many issues explored in it. Liz had designed the evil character after her own dark side. She designed another character to be the loving mother Liz never had. I wonder how many authors craft their characters after parts of themselves or others they know well. Another issue that features in the plot is child sexual abuse. The experiences Liz had when young have profound effects on her now.

I liked the fact that Liz had to face the characters she had created and the attributes she had given them. Shakespeare makes the observation, “Many authors get along with their characters; many do not. Some people find that they do not like their minds as much as they thought they did.” (Loc 871/4871)

Though not a Christian novel, there are religious overtones in it. There is the idea of forgiveness and that of sacrificing a life for the lives of others. Liz struggles with wanting to know where God was when she was being so horribly mistreated as a child.

I recommend this novel to fantasy lovers. You'll have some good battles with dragons and magic and special powers. I also recommend this novel to readers who enjoy an interesting and thought provoking plot.

My rating: 4/5 stars.

Jill Bowers is a technical writer by day and a fantasy author by night. She is one of to composers-in-residence for the Westminster Bell Choir. She has written for and hosted an award winning radio show and has dabbled in stage play writing. She lives in Utah. You can find out more at http://www.immortalauthor.com.

Blue Moon Publishers, 302 pages.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.