Adventure, Italy and Epic Fantasy

I have always believed that life should be an adventure. A true Sagittarian, from as early as I remember I dreamed of escaping the everyday. I remember at the age of fourteen, poring of the world atlas at school and planning my itinerary through Africa. All the way through university I dreamed of the day I would be able to jump on a plane and fly away from the quiet (and some would say, boring) town in New Zealand where I grew up. Two days after graduating from university and a day after my twenty-second birthday, I did just that. A year and a half later, I was working in Rome, Italy, and finally living my dreams. 

Rome was a real adventure. There was so much to learn as I threw myself into my new job as an English Language teacher and struggled with a new language and culture. Rome was noisy, hot and loud, and every day was an exploration. Just stepping out my door was an adventure and I never knew where Rome would take me. My Italian adventure lasted many years, but it sadly did end. 

Due to my love of adventure, it’s not surprising that when choosing to write a fiction genre, I chose epic fantasy. Epic fantasy involves the kind of adventure even I could only dream of. Never mind moving to Rome, I can't save the world or rid it of evil (although I would like to try). I certainly don’t want to lose everything, trek across great continents with only a loaf of stale bread for sustenance and put myself in physical peril in great battles. I wouldn’t mind learning how to wield a sword like a corsair fight like a ninja, but I certainly wouldn’t want to be put to the test in mortal combat! However, I love writing and reading about it. 

Maybe that’s why epic fantasy is such an enduring genre. Epic fantasy stories take place in a world that is no longer accessible to us; a land ruled by magic, superstition and mysticism rather than technology. Life has a slower pace but every day survival is a big issue. 

My love of history, and of bygone eras, not only drew me to epic fantasy but to Italy. Despite being very much part of the industrialised world, Italy still manages to retain something of its past in its daily life and rhythms; something that many Western countries lost decades ago. There were moments during my decade in Rome that I felt as if I had stepped back in time. I'll never forget visiting the priory of the Knights of Malta on the Aventine Hill in Rome. The Knights Templar themselves belong in an epic fantasy. These famous warrior monks played a significant part in medieval history, until Pope Clement V had them massacred in 1312. I visited the priory on a sultry summer’s night, stood before the priory’s heavy wooden door and peeked through the keyhole. There, framed by an avenue of trees and illuminated silver by the moon, was the dome of the Vatican. Magical – someone actually designed the keyhole, and trimmed the trees, just to create that view! For a few seconds that magical sight transported me out of the twenty-first century and into another world. Then, a scooter backfired on the street behind me and the moment shattered.

 

Writing helps keep my adventures alive. I wrote Rome for Beginners to give those dreaming of moving to Rome that nudge they need – and I wrote The Children of Isador  to give myself, and my readers, a nail-biting adventure in a land of darkness, hope and courage. Long may the adventures continue!