The annoying, frustrating, kind-of-smart cliffhanger that leaves you to decide for yourself whether Janner Igiby Wingfeather comes back to life, or stays with the Maker. Theres not a lot of interest in the world itself, where things come from, where characters come from. So Scripture was the epic that I was [], Your email address will not be published. YES, THE WINGFEATHER SAGA!!!!!!!!! Jake Meador: Hmm. In fact, he and his family are at the center of a great mystery that will change their lives forever. So Im curious to hear what authors and books helped shape you and shape this series. Or Be Eaten, The Monster in the Hollows, and The Warden and the Wolf King.The series chronicles the adventures and transformations of a family . In his autobiography, Adorning the Dark, Peterson reflects on his conversion from a fantasy world escapist into a born-again Christian. Culture, politics, and religion for those who love words. To hear more of Andrew Petersons thoughts on making, read his autobiography, Adorning the Dark: Thoughts of Community, Calling and the Mystery of Making. They are in your cinemas and streaming services. Peterson likes to mix things up in his stories and his career. AUUUUUUUUUUUGGGH! The animal forces the two boys to find refuge in a tree: Only when Tink sticks a "gloop fruit" on an arrow and shoots it into the forest do they find the space to escape. The thing that I loved about fantasy was always a kind of a private thing. Yay YouTube! He said, Your child is intuiting something about the universe thats true, in that moment, and so you shouldnt be afraid of talking to them about real sin, and real darkness, and I sense the same kind of approach to how you wrote Wingfeather. You are listening to Reading and Readers, not Watching and Watchers. Andrew Peterson: Man, can I just thank you for caring about the stories and reading them? Hes an even better poet. The whole movie felt like a cardboard cutout of a story that was an excuse for a whole bunch of cool special effects and concepts. The author talks about how in Narnia, we can see that people are eating, but you never see any evidence of where they get their food. Andrew Peterson: Man, thats a good question. But his father is gone. Okay, I just had one other question because were almost out of time. Kudos: 3 Hits: 58 The restoring by Ellie_the_Throne_Warden Without spoiling the book, a big part of Janners journey is seeing his role in the bigger story. And as long as they bore no weapons, and they didnt complain when their fellow Skreeans were occasionally taken away across the sea, never to be seen again. If you eat from a tree that is poisonous, then you become poisoned. While there, she was put in a torture chamber called The Coffin at least once. Andrew Peterson: Christopher Nolan movie. The first book was first published in 2008 and in 2020 all the books were re-released in a special edition hardcover. Were over halfway through the fourth book, and Im already dreading the ending, which I will not be able to get through without coming unglued. Hes Tink in the first two books, and hes Kalmar in the last two. *now sneaks away without reading anything else because I havent finished the series and dont want to read spoilers.*. And theres certainly an aesthetic, at a sentence level, in the King James. Andrew Peterson: There is also this hope that God is making me into something, Im being conformed to Christs likeness, and in the new creation, there is this sense in scripture that we will receive this new name, this completed identity, or something. Also, they had tails. The Dragon Day Festival. And he started out as a human being who kind of like Tom Riddle, just partook of the wrong fruit for so long that he lost his humanity. And to hear the rest of his note, visit www.wingfeathersaga.com. There you go. But then I realized, This is not the end of the story. It couldnt be the end of the story; there were too many practical considerations. Janner's death is so moving but so, so, SO devastating. If hes got matches, does that mean there are cannons in this world? And so I had to figure out what kind of world it was, so that it felt to the kids like they were dealing with a real place, with real human beings, who they could know and love. Aside from the inconceivably clean humour and family-friendly message that oozes from every page, there is a bigger reason, the biggest reason really, for you to get the Wingfeather Saga for your children and for yourself. Part 1 of Wars of the worlds Language: English Words: 755 Chapters: 4 /? Andrew Peterson: Thats whats great about Breaking Bad, right? They could probably put together the stories in a way that kids these days probably arent capable of. By the end of it he feels he would give anything to have his life back the way it was (or almost: without the fangs of Dang would be nice). Or Be Eaten, then The Monster in the Hollows and the last book is The Warden and the Wolf King. Its good literature, and its great fantasy. There are no angels. Fork Factory Janner was captured by an old lady and taken to the Fork Factory, the place where children were forced to make weapons and armor for the Fangs. Its already true, but were still growing into it, in some sense. Andrew Peterson: We call it The Warren. It begs questions that can only be resolved in Christ. Andrew Peterson: You add it to the story of your community, and of the world in general. Footnote. Or my Logos Book of the Month reviews like A Walk with God by R.C. Youre not straw-manning evil, but also even your darkest characters are not just dark. Andrew Peterson: There doesnt have to be an adversarial relationship between parents and kids; they can actually be on the same team. Well, in the text, one of the first things it means is that they get to name the rest of creation, and so that was kind of where I was thinking with that theme. Janner. After helping free Janner, she was put in the coffin again. Andrew Peterson: I had temptations that I struggled with from a very young age, lust and anger among other things. Find many great new & used options and get the best deals for On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness: The Wingfeather Saga Book 1 at the best online prices at eBay! Or I think about, you mentioned Berry earlier, theres not a super-sympathetic account of Troy Chatham in Jayber Crow. Jake Meador: Thanks so much for doing this, Andrew. I love names anyway. But the point is I read any story that felt like it would take me out of where I was, and allowed me to explore some other place. Janner sighed and looked back at her with a heavy sadness. It should be considered Christian literature. With gods on the screen, havent you wondered how many pastors get the question, Can a Christian watch Marvel movies? Andrew Peterson: So, in this story, I wanted to make the parents actual parents, who actually loved and liked their kids. This I think is the first time Ive read of a death more of a sacrifice that mirrors the cross. If you know someone who likes fantasy novels, recommend this review. And today, its a special Dragon Day Festival because for once, he is allowed to go to town to see the festival without adult supervision. He had known that it would have to come, but now, sitting in the ruins of Castle Rysen with his family gathered about him it was so much worse than he had imagined. If our kids came to us and said, I need to talk to you about something, we dont go, Oh, Im paying the bills right now. That feels like a cardboard thing to me. But then the other side of it is that Tolkien and Lewis were students of the classics. And you get both of those things with Podo and with Nia, especially in the fourth book, I think. I think thats the difference between Narnia and Tolkien is that earthiness of The Lord of the Rings. Some of my favorite parts of the whole story are like, Okay, what happens next?. He doesnt have a degree, but he knows George MacDonald about as well as anybody I know, and is just this really wise, wise man, and I remember at the time I was going through a lot of things, struggling with a lot of shame and self-loathing, and Id have a breakdown, and I remember one night in particular for some reason calling him, at midnight, and kind of weeping into the phone, and he just soothed me with the gospel, reminded me what was true, and he talked a lot about names in that conversation in a way I hadnt heard before. It begins like this: I have three kids, and they devour books like crazy people. Since the publication of the series opener, On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness in 2008, the Wingfeather books have followed the adventures of the Igiby siblings -Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli . answer choices . When Im watching Marvel movies, and the cities are getting blown up, Im always like, Who cleans this up? Im always just kind of like, My goodness, all the work that they put into that building, and its just rubble now. If there are real consequences to our decisions, then it begins to smack of the real world in a way that is more moving than otherwise. His song Dont You Want to Thank Someone is a thing of beauty. (We now have the audio books as well and my almost eight-year-old listens to them somewhat obsessively.) But when the Fangs make the first move and invade Ban Rona, the children are separated. But even when I was a kid, I was way more interested in stories that demonstrated that the evils not just out there, theres also a brokenness thats in us; that something outside of us has to overcome. But on one condition, Janner has to keep a watchful eye over his brother, Tink, and sister, Leeli. All right, well, this has been fun, so thank you so much for-. I found a wing-ibbythread! Also, may I just say that Andrew Petersons music is better than Wingfeather, go ahead, disagree, but its just my thought. Jake Meador: So I want to circle back to the thing about figuring out why Gnag the Nameless wanted to destroy the world, because I had questions about that too, but before we get there, I wanted to continue with the question about whats driving these characters, what do they care about. it struck me so hard I sat upright on the couch and cried No! while my family stared at me. It was this little world that I didnt know how to talk about. The day before, Janner and Tink find themselves threatened by one of the region's most fearsome animals, the carnivorous "toothy cow.". I read the full trilogy. Andrew Peterson: If I compare that to that scene in Return of the Jedi when the Emperor and Luke are having their final showdown, and Luke is looking out the window and he sees the battle happening a long way away, and you know that Han Solo and Lando and theyre all fighting, and you love these characters. You see people working and celebrating and having a beer at the pub. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me! Water from the First Well. He could have chosen a non de plume, a pen name, but instead he prefers to answer the same question, every where he goes, Are you Andrew Peterson, the songwriter and musician extraordinaire?. Andrew Peterson: When youre a little older, youll get it. Anyway, I remember hearing someone, Pullman I think, say that you have to kill the parents. If you think about how in many stories, kids stories, the kids are orphans. A podcast where I review Christian books for you. They Saw the Horrific Aftermath of a Mass Shooting. Theater kid. But I have always, I dont know what it is about me, but I tend, if Im watching a detective series on Netflix, I tend toward the grittier things. Mere Orthodoxy | Christianity, Politics, and Culture. Wingfeather War On the day of the Dragon Day Festival in Glipwood, Nugget (Leeli's dog) ran away. Theres none of that artificial bickering, I dont think. The sadness in the ending is the beauty. Andrew Peterson: So I think that the deepest layer of dirt beneath the leaf-mold was the fact that Id grown up taking the Bible stories for granted. The true love the sacrificial love. And so the characters in the story cant see a good end to their story, and then you as the reader are in the same boat, because youre reading it and going, How in the world is this going to work out?. Andrew Peterson: In his essay on fairy stories, he lays out his theology of storytelling, a particular kind of storytelling. Janner and his family pray. No, because there was no Christ. At small Ohio parish, evangelization starts with a candle, The Family of God in a World Without Families, REVIEW: The Children of Men, by P.D. I mean, he has to. In the meantime, we read Wingfeather and reflect on what that world there has to teach us of this world here. I had this sense that Kalmar was going to make some bad choices, and that he was going to turn into a Fang, while I was writing book one. But today that influence is just lost on us because people dont have that level of rootedness in shared texts. Artham P. Wingfeather ( AR-thum [1]) is the Throne Warden, of the royal Wingfeather family of Anniera. A world with sword, dragons, fantastical creatures and, above them all, the Great Divine, the Maker. I think Philip Pullman said it. I think thats utterly delightful. Janner, you're hurt, so I want you in the middle. And even if that means changing our lives, thats what were called to do. Jake Meador: Well and even after Gnag is gone, theres Fangs that are like, We dont know what were supposed to do now., Jake Meador: Weve just been evil for so long, and, Jake Meador: When I was reading that to Davy Joy my wife was in the kitchen and overheard the part where one of the one Fangs is like, What if we like being evil?. All would be normal except the Jewels of Anniera appeared. @zoe-wingfeather @anne-of-lothlorien @christi-eaton I was also reading some Stephen King stuff, against my parents wishes, and I would literally crawl under my bed to read Stephen King novels, in order to get away with it. "Janner." Sara looked at him, concerned. Not a half-boy half-animal. But those are few and far between, in my experience. When Janner discovers who his father is and where he is from, his journey home is fraught with peril and loss and sadness. If we meet any Fangs, I want you women to be safe. Jake Meador: Okay, so this is circling back around to the Gnag thing, a little bit. its probably cringey, i should read over it haha, I KNOW RIIIGGGHHHTTT ARTHAM IS A PRECIOUS CINNIMON BUN WHO SHOULD BE PROTECTED AT ALL COSTS, i cried when janner died and im still sad over his death okay like [small sobs]. Andrew Peterson: Yeah. Amazon.The Nonicles of Chrania by C.S. Jake Meador: Ive not read that one, but Ive read some of his other books. So the easy way out is to make the parents oblivious. It was said that he shone with Eremund's Fire, and was much renowned for his swordsmanship, bravery, and protection of the kingdom of Annieria. BEEP. Andrew Peterson: The irony is that my pastor is a Dungeon Master now, and he leads campaigns with some friends of mine. But there were some good things about it, but the bad guy, Kenneth Branaghs character, at no point did I ever believe their reasons for why he was so bad, and at no point did I ever understand why he wanted to destroy the world. All truth is from God; and consequently, if wicked men have said anything that is true and just, we ought not to reject it; for it has come from God. Which I think a lot of moralistic Christian literature does sometimes. BEEP. But the Maker seems to be an absent God. And thats what makes that show feel so real, you feel the weight of it. We are working hard on the show and would love to share our journey with you. Janner, the eldest, is about to discover that the ordinary little town where they live is anything but ordinary. Sara was very sad and wept about the news of Janner's death, and is adopted by Nia Igiby, Janner's mother. The hope that Janner had revived Sara, and sparked a revolution as she was determined to lead a rebellion that would escape the factory. No dreams and visions of God or from God. But when the story of our life ends, we will know. "I love you." He whispered to her. What was the name of the girl that Buzzard Willie stole right out from under the nose of Podo Helmar in their young days? One of the few highlights of 2020 for me has been getting to read the Wingfeather Saga to my kids. It had to be a boy to turn the Fangs back. And so, I think that happens at a deeper theological level, when it comes to naming humans. Some time afterwards, he re-reads the Chronicles of Narnia and something happens: The reintroduction of fairy tales to my redeemed imagination helped me to see the Maker, his Word, and the abounding human (but sometimes Spirit-commandeered) tales as interconnected. Then, while we wait for the release of the next free deal, I review another piece of Christian literature. Amazon.The Rord of the Lings by T.R.R. Sacrifice? T.H.A.G.S. Parents, I want to warn you that this is a subversive story you have here. North! The children set up an orphanage at an abandoned factory called Thimble Thumb's Threads. I must be an annoyance to them, and blah blah. It was just two weeks after they had returned to Anniera. YAY! So I wanted to let you know, in case youre wary of these books, Im not one of those writers churning out stories for money, or to push a political agenda, and Im not writing fantasy just because I have a thing for swords and dragons, and I dont want to corrupt your kids with shady philosophy or trick them into practicing witchcraft. And the way that that gets expressed is a little bit different for the parents, because I mean you show it really beautifully I think with Podo at the end of North! We try to take it seriously. Andrew Peterson: And it really does change the way you think about your place. Thanks! I like the other characters, but that Podo is horrible! Instead of being fanged, she was forced to work in the Fork Factory. Janner has this wanderlust, a yearning to see the world beyond his tiny backward village. Its interesting to me youre citing Revelation, because when I think about names in scripture, where my mind goes is the creation account. At the hint of the jewels presence, the evil powers strike for sleepy town Glipwood. I hope youll get your hands on a copy of the books and join the adventure. Tony Reinke is the host of the popular Ask Pastor John podcast. Yeah. He can't go out to see the world so he enjoys the next best thing, being there when the world comes to him. Andrew Peterson: Well, I think I could say this: I grew up watching the original Star Wars trilogy, and loving it. I know a lot of people have read this amazing book series, and I was wondering: What are your thoughts on the ending of The Wingfeather Saga? I couldnt cry. Donita K. Paul, author of The Vanishing Sculptor "In a genre overrun by the gory and the grim, Peterson's bite-sized chapters taste more like a stew of Gorey (Edward) and Grimm (the Brothers). Janner tells himself he is just looking out for Tink but he enjoys every bit of the adventure. An Interview with Andrew Peterson About "The Wingfeather Saga" Jake Meador on October 12, 2020 One of the few highlights of 2020 for me has been getting to read the Wingfeather Saga to my kids. (in which i /properly/ end it, of course). But then I remember reading in the second book, when Kalmar is transformed. If you have not read the whole series, you may want to save this until you have finished it. The most popular anti-book is YouTube. Or Be Eaten is the winner of the 2009 Christy Award for Young Adult fiction. If I cant appeal to the creative part of your brain, then Ill appeal to the theological reasoning part of your brain. I realize now what he really meant. S. Poythress and God, Technology and the Christian Life by Tony Reinke. Janner and his family hope to find refuge in the last safe place in the world: the Green Hollowsa land of warriors feared even by Fangs of Dang. The Wingfeather Saga is coming to life as a breathtaking, multi-season TV show, thanks to the 8,000+ Angel Investors helping us raise five million dollars. Andrew Peterson: So I care about The Shire more, or in a different way than I do about Narnia. Monsters and Fangs and villains lie between the children and their only hope of victory in the epic conclusion of The Wingfeather Saga. The problem was theyre also filthy. It can echo spiritual truth and edify the soul. Part I of his book is titled, A Theology of Books and Reading. Summary. Andrew Peterson: Yeah. I cried so hard. One of the most frustrating moves that I see in stories is when the kids are trying to tell the parents, Hey, theres this crazy thing happening, and the parents arent listening, they arent paying attention. What were you wanting readers to take away from them? None of the above <p>Song Maiden</p> alternatives . I swear its as bad as Watership Down. And so Janner runs away with his brother Tink, the one who doesnt think, and his sister Leeli and her dog, and their mother, Nia and their grandfather, Podo. He is a 2010 graduate of the University of Nebraska-Lincoln where he studied English and History. Theres a lot of well silliness, especially in the early parts the sort of stuff that makes little boys cackle (which worked out, as all I had were little boys). Thats a big part of The Warden and the Wolf King. Janners death is so moving but so, so, SO devastating. Manage all your favorite fandoms in one place! Coincidentally, 8000+ angel investors raised five million dollars to turn the story into a multi-season animation series. These characters have a very well-developed interior life, in ways that Narnia sometimes gestures toward, like with the roots of Edmunds meanness or Eustaces general unpleasantness, but I think you spent more time working on that. So Scripture was the epic that I was reading. Thanks for that interview, Jake. There is an epic story. Janner, the eldest, is about to discover that the ordinary little town where they live is anything but ordinary. And Im sure scripture was part of that, because they both grew up in a Christian culture. "But now that everyone's healed, hopefully there won't be a need for me to do that again." Kalmar smiled back, but Janner noticed a hint of something like guilt in his blue eyes. Andrew Peterson: The Lord of the Rings to me is a combination of the two. This is a Reading and Readers review of the four book series: Singfeather Waga by Peter Anderson, I mean, Wingfeather Saga by Andrew Peterson. The remaining orphans traveled to Anniera, which had just been restored. Janner remembers that sometime before the series, his mother had been crying because Sara had been taken away by the Black Carriage. Your kids will never admit it but Wingfeather helps readers see family clearer, not dimmer and homework brighter, not duller. The writer of the Wingfeather Saga is not a recovering fantasy nerd, he is a redeemed fantasy nerd. Janner joined the hug, but quickly backed out of it, his bandage being soaked in blood. You must be logged in to reply to this topic. The Maker of this beautiful, broken world ambushed me. After watching it, some went to read the books. *sighs* I can't convince myself it's not the most serious thing in the world. There is no Christ in Wingfeather and no allusion to a transcendent all-powerful, all-good being. *quietly sneaks in* I love these books, I actually wrote a book review on them, its around here somewhere on the website, if you havent checked it out, please do. Its like the long defeat idea that the Elves talk about in Lord of the Rings; that okay, even if the bad guys win, that doesnt let me off the hook; I still fight for what is right. The narrow argument is more complicated. Below is the way I described it to another wingfeather friend of mine. Janner was emptied of life and fell to the ground. For more book reviews, go to www.readingandreaders.com. We all have it in us by virtue of the choices that we make, whether we choose to partake of the fruit of the tree of life, or the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. I remember feeling like the story found its legs, like something was really happening, because now Janner is isolated, hes got to make his own decisions. But at no point did I care about the characters. Or Be Eaten is a welcome feast of levity--and clearly a labor of love. Nope. i love those books so much. Their mother insists they do their THAGS. Lets listen to todays book review. More on that later. Youre beloved. Its funny, there never really was any doubt in my mind that Janner was healedbut maybe thats just me. Artham P. Wingfeather, Throne Warden of Anniera--brother to Esben Wingfeather, High King of Anniera. Reinke lists seven benefits of reading non-Christian books. I identify to Jannerso much it hurts[sobbing], Im gonna like, LIVE in this thread for a while. Jake Meador: Yeah. And then theres what Tolkien calls the sudden joyous turn., Andrew Peterson: The moment where the author lifts the curtain and shows you that he had some amazing surprise in mind all along. Thor is the God of Thunder. Im sure there are a lot of loose ends. If you want to get a peek, you can watch a 15 minute animated short in YouTube or the website, www.wingfeathersaga.com. We were outsiders; we moved there when I was 10, and it was a Southern rural town, so everybody was related, and friends, and old families, and I was just this kid with an Illinois lack of accent who didnt belong, and so fantasy novels for me were a way to escape Florida. I know that the world is a mess, and I know that I am a mess, and so what I need is to see the triumph of beauty over darkness. But those stories tend to paint the world to look like there is some great evil out there, and our heros there to vanquish the evil. They live in a world called Aerwiar, which is exactly like our worldexcept they dont have electricity or gunpowder, and there are all sorts of creepy animals, like sea dragonsand toothy cows. A Christian Guide to Reading Books by Tony Reinke. It's also kind of a Heartwarming Moment, because after reflecting on how selfish he's been throughout his adventures, he finally sacrifices himself to save his brother and many others. So that was part of what I was going for. But these days, when my oldest zips through a Hardy Boys book in one afternoon? Talk about having an agenda. That idea of inheriting this new name from Jesus is pretty powerful. Can you talk a bit about how you wanted to approach some really dark themes as youre writing these books? And so I read constantly, I read all those books, tons of sci-fi stuff. . The anti-book is a dangerous mind-bending weapon because it can backfire. Avengers and Superman are god-like men. I quote: But that morning when I was nineteen on the hillside in East Tennessee, things were different. Listen to my review of Faithlifes Free Book of the Month featuring titles like Cultivating the Fruit of the Spirit by Chris Wright and Alive: A Cold-Case Approach to the Resurrection by J. Warner Wallace. But other than that, yes!!!!!!!!! If you think about what prophetic speech is doing well, it is trying to kind of catch people, get their attention, help them to see this thing thats happening that is wrong, and we need to repent of it. And that was very common for most of the history of western literature. Hogwarts is a goofy name for a school. Nia would bake maggotloaf for the Fangs of Dang. I wish The Warden and the Wolf King finished the story and showed whether Janner comes back or not. Gnag the Nameless sent an army of Fangs across the Sea of Darkness, to conquer Skree but Skree itself was not the main goal. Jake Meador: I think when we started reading, we were gifted the first two books by a friend, and we were actually just trying to get Davy onto something other than Harry Potter. "You know I can't promise that, Mama." After a pause, he glanced at Kalmar with a hint of a smile. Im reading aloud the Wingfeather Saga to my kids (again). Andrew Peterson: Im a four on the Enneagram, if that helps. Andrew Peterson: This is why we named our property too. So buckle up and listen to how they save Sara and Janner! Im still in shock. There is a Creation story. Which one is Janner Wingfeather? Whereas in Tolkien, in The Shire, you actually get the sense that this is a real place. Jannars death has me sobbing. I tried, I really did, but nothing came. Another influence for me as I was writing is that I think one of my most persistent spiritual struggles is my imagination. But thats not my experience as a parent. After the Wingfeather War ends, many of the members of her crew were able to return to their homes, but Sara was not one of them. Notice that Leeli is 8 and Janner is 12 which coincidentally is the reading age of this book, 8-12 years old. *scowls*. Andrew Peterson: So I think thats what I was going for; was to have Podo and Nia be these characters that actually were present, and were in as much danger as the kids were. He wants rest. The first book is titled, On the Edge of the Sea of Darkness, followed by North! So I thought you handled it in a really true-to-life way, where youre a parent and you kind of have to push things to the side sometimes for your kids. They pray to the Maker. If divinity is mentioned, the gods are more like Greek, Roman, Norse, or Egyptian gods: Gods who worship their stomachs. Lewis, being Christians. After helping free Janner, she was put in the coffin again. Andrew Peterson: What the voice of the enemy is doing in my head in those moments is hes naming me. They gobble them up like sugar cereal. Below is a lightly edited transcription of our conversation. It doesnt do anybody any good to make a straw man out of evil. So, those who have read it, do you like the fact that Rudrick died or not? I really need that ending. While I see traces of Pratchett-like humour, Peterson claims a more honourable lineage, the Princess Bride by William Goldman. Andrew Peterson: I have been feeling that, but then when I think about it in terms of eucatastrophe, I get this glimmer of hope, and I go, Oh man, the author of the story has this amazing ending in mind. And whether or not we see it in our generation, or it happens later, we trust that the author of the story is good.