An elf afraid of opening his heart, and a human who is heir to an awesome power:
Only by embracing their shared
destiny can they save
Iceland...and each other.
FalconSaga
by Robert Winter
Genre: Epic Fantasy
In modern-day Iceland, a place of glaciers, volcanoes, and
legends, the Norns have foretold a sorcerous invasion that could destroy
everything.
Magnús, an elf of the huldufólk, is driven by the murder of his human lover a
century ago to save those humans he can, and to figure out what is behind
recent troll attacks on tourists. But the Norns have spoken. He must protect
Altair, a young human from Boston, who is bringing a dangerous magical force to
Iceland. If Magnús fails to keep Altair safe, the country will fall to a
sorcerer called the Black Priest. Yet if Altair lives, Magnús will meet his
doom.
For his part, Altair is a graduate student bullied to visit Iceland by mentors
who seem to have their own agenda. He knows nothing of elves, sorcerers or
prophecies. Suddenly, the handsome, mysterious Magnús is guiding Altair around
Reykjavik and into danger. A witch, a berserker, and more elves are along for
the quest across Iceland’s forbidding landscape. And why does everyone keeps
calling Altair “the Falcon”?
An elf and a human with a shared destiny. Will they solve the mystery linking
their fates before it is too late for all Iceland?
Robert Winter is a recovering lawyer who likes writing about
love and adventure much more than drafting a legal brief. Once upon a time, he
went to Georgetown University law school. Upon graduation, he moved to New York
to work in a large law firm, but later returned to Washington, DC. The legal
work was entertaining and Robert spent a lot of time in bankruptcy court,
usually representing either groups of creditor or the debtors themselves. But
legal work didn’t satisfy the urge Robert felt to tell stories.
When he turned 50, Robert left behind the (allegedly)
glamorous world of international law firms and bankruptcy court to pursue his
real passion. Now he lives in Montreal with his husband, studying French
between trips to exotic locations.
When Robert isn’t
writing, he loves to cook Indian food. The
aromas of the spice blends excite and challenge him. Although he’s never been
to India, the food seems comforting and home-like. Add a trip to the Golden
Triangle to the bucket list!
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GUEST POST
My Travels in Iceland
Falconsaga is based upon the folktales and legends of Iceland. The first time I visited the country was in December 2018. It was a short trip that promised a glimpse of the Northern Lights. Unfortunately, a brief glimpse is all we got that time! Plenty of snow and ice, though, including a glacier hike that awed me. I was in Iceland long enough to notice the country’s love of its own folktales, and to begin research them.
I returned in June 2021 because Iceland was the first country during the pandemic to allow tourism to resume. A volcano on the Reykanses Peninsula had recently erupted, so I was lucky enough to see the still-glowing lava field and to peer down at rivers of molten stone.
The contrast of those two visits – ice and fire – hooked me on the country. I delved more deeply into the Icelandic sagas and began reading all the folktales I could get my hands on. From those experiences, the initial idea of Falconsaga arose.
I knew I needed more context for the story I had in mind, though, so I went back to Iceland in 2023 by myself and spent a month driving around the perimeter of the country on what is called the Ring Road. That was an amazing journey, complete with nights of gazing up at the Northern Lights, driving past herds of wild horses, taking a ferry to an island that survived a volcanic eruption in the 1970s, exploring a lava tunnel filled with stalagmites made of ice, and trips to many hot springs and thermal baths. Along the way I amassed local legends, and visited towns and locations reputed to be the home of the huldufólk, or Hidden Folk.
These legends and locations all factor into my stories in different ways. But beneath all my prose and feeble attempts to weave ancient folktales into a modern fantasy, lies my desire to capture the magic of this strange landscape.
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