Blog Tour (Guest Post): In the Land of Magnanthia by B.R. Maul

In the Land of Magnanthia Tour Schedule



Title: In the Land of Magnanthia (Portals, Passages & Pathways #1)
Author: B.R. Maul
Publisher: Amazon Digital Services
Tour Organizer: JKS Communications
Release Date: December 11, 2013
When a portal to another world cracks open just outside the small town of Riverside, it sets off a series of events forever changing the lives of two boys; one boy is chosen to lead a world to peace while the other one is chosen to tear it apart.

Simon Whittaker lives an ordinary teenage life until his best friend, Jessica Wells, and her family takes him on a last-minute camping trip. There, amongst towering pines, Jessica confesses a secret; her family has been watching over Simon his entire life because he is the key to another world’s salvation, and now someone has come from that world to kill him. Amidst a whirlwind of unanswered questions, doubt, and curiosity, Simon is given the Ring of Affinity and then is led through a magic portal into the land of Magnanthia.

In the faraway land that’s in the midst of a brutal war, Simon must place his life in the hands of a swordsman, ranger, cleric, and wizard sent to teach him how to wield the power in the Ring of Affinity and to help him become the next guardian of Magnanthia. The ring, Simon is told, has chosen him, a rare and honorable event. But no one knows why he was chosen.

Meanwhile, the once peaceable king of Magnanthia, King Elderten, has ordered death to Magnanthia’s nine guardians, the nine he helped to assemble and now believes is responsible for the death of his queen and the kingdom’s devastation. If he can stay alive long enough, Simon will become the first guardian of Magnanthia to be chosen by the Ring of Affinity, instead of appointed by mere men. Simon remains the only hope for those who believe the guardians are innocent.

Jak Jakobsin, another teenager from Earth, has been pulled through a portal by two of Bedlam’s demented soul seers sent to capture Simon. The soul seers were impressed with what they saw in Jak, so they offer him up to the overlord. Jak is given the ultimatum, do or die. Obsessed with his discovery of magic spells, power, and control, Jak quickly acclimates to his new environment. Bedlam’s overlord plans to use Jak, along with Bedlam’s undead army, to build a force so powerful that the great King Elderten will perish and Magnanthia will be his forever.

Guest Post

Allow me to take a moment to say, thank you. I appreciate both the time you took showing an interest in my work and the chance to say a little about Magnanthia, the magical world in Portals, Passages & Pathways book 1: In the Land of Magnanthia, on BibliophiliaPlease.com.

What’s it like?

The land of Magnanthia is an astonishing place to see…and live. I would pack my family up and move there in a heartbeat. Its mountains are majestic; its rivers and valleys are grand. The indigenous shiftwood trees can rival our skyscrapers here on Earth. And the spiritwood trees are so vibrant they almost shine. The scenery is breathtaking.

The kingdom, like the land, is enormous and rich in resources. The royal army is strong, well organized, and well trained. The military has always kept order within the kingdom’s borders, and is more than commendable keeping chaos outside its borders.

As for the citizens of Magnanthia…well, there’s not too much to say at this point. But, from what I hear, they are much like their feudalistic government. They are resourceful, frugal, and passionate for peace.

A Reflection

When I look back to when I was a young boy, I usually took stories for their face value. To me, Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was nothing more than a story about a girl who goes on a very weird adventure. I didn’t see that it was also about life, death, and the pains and discomforts in between. However, as my reading evolved, so did my writing. My writing is, without a doubt, allegorical. And Magnanthia is no exception. I have also acquired a taste for double meanings (as you will see from these two paragraphs…if you pay close attention).

The more you get to know Magnanthia and its kingdom therein, the easier it is to see the reflection of the fundamental similarities it shares with our own societies, families, and even personal relationships. (Did you catch it? The double meaning? I know…I can’t help it.) So familiar is the undesired result of well-intentioned efforts and toil to maintain order and peace. Like weeds in a garden, corruption, greed, jealousy, and hatred spawn from the hearts of the very people who took comfort in that society or relationship.

A Reaction

In Portals, Passages & Pathways we follow two teenage boys down two distinct paths into Magnanthia. Not only are their paths different, but how they react to circumstances are also different. Simon Whittaker and Jak Jakobsin are polar opposites in so many ways. Simon makes decisions based primarily on how his actions may affect others; whereas Jak looks out for number one. No benefit for Jak, no way he’ll do it. Simon strives to help those who need him. Jak strives to exploit those around him. Simon works hard to learn and grow. Jak cuts corners every chance he gets.

Simon and Jak are alike in some ways. They both have a history of being bullied. They both feel like they don’t fit into the norm. They both long for something better in life. And they both receive a great amount of power… (Hmm, I better stop there). However, they are worlds apart in how they cope with these similarities.

Portals, Passages & Pathways book 1: In the Land of Magnanthia is the beginning of an epic story following Simon and Jak down the greatest journey in life, to discover one’s destiny. I can’t help shaking my head along the way as the consequences of the choices they make unfold before me. I guess we are all alike in some ways.

Buy your copy on Amazon!


About the Author

A fan of fantasy fiction since he was a child, B.R. Maul has always enjoyed a good story, whether it came in the form of books or role playing games like Dungeons and Dragons.

Maul has lived in the heart of the Red River Valley for most of his life. He was born in Fargo, N.D. in 1974. A house fire changed his family’s course when he was a child, and in the early '80s, his parents took over a small family business in Moorhead, MN, where he remained for his school years.

Maul holds an undergraduate degree in secondary English education with an emphasis in creative writing. He spent a few years working as a substitute teacher, and since fall 2013, he has dedicated all of his time to writing.

Maul’s first novel, “Portals, Passages & Pathways Part 1: In the Land of Magnanthia” debuts March 25. The book is the first installment in a fantasy series.

Maul lives in Fargo with his wife and two kids. The couple is expecting their third child in March.

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