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I've been dabbling with writing in general, and working on the world of Maladine specifically, in some form or fashion for decades. Unfortunately for me, the path to that world was blocked by my own insecurities. Well, that and the real world. I served for nearly twelve years in the U.S. Air Force, and that lifestyle didn't particularly lend itself to developing creative writing skills.
Shortly after leaving the Air Force in 2007, I dove into my decades-long dream of Maladine the Great, the once mighty kingdom that collapsed under the weight of her own iniquities. The first novel was to be Shadows and Bones, the first in a series of books that detailed the climax of a millennium-long struggle between good and evil. Yet as I wrote Shadows, I constantly found it necessary to develop some recent history. After all, the novel starts in the aftermath of the most recent war with the Necromancer Kings. So as I pieced together this history, I was struck with the notion to develop this into its own complete narrative. Longer than a short story, but shorter than a novel, The Prince of Graves emerged. I am now working on Shadows and Bones, and hope to see it published in 2012.
Reviewed by Stephanie Dagg for Readers' Favorite
"The Prince of Graves" by W. E. Linde is an exciting fantasy novella that plunges us into the long-raging conflict between the Necromancer Kings and the remaining humans in the Remnant Kingdoms. Ever since the demise of the realm of Maladine a millennium ago, nations have been falling one by one to the evil enemy, the Dagir Xethu, and their populations have been enslaved. Valeot is the only one remaining now. Frey and his three brothers advance on the enemy with their armies to defend Valeot but they are not prepared for what they are about to encounter. They have never met a creature like Xethicor before, a truly terrifying spectacle. There seems to be no hope left. This will become the time of the Prince of Graves. However, there is one thing Frey can try, as advised by his companion, the wizard Dayhoral. There is a helmet he can wear to fight Xethicor which will give him special powers, but which exacts a price.
Linde creates a terrifying dystopian universe teetering on the brink of despair. He sets the scene for us efficiently and clearly, and then works on developing the key characters. They steadily emerge before us with their strengths and weaknesses and we begin to understand the rules they live by and the challenges they face. In typical fantasy style we have physical and spiritual journeys, a unique lexicon, magic, different races of beings, and also the fight of good against evil. This is a very tightly constructed book and absorbing novella, which is hard to put down once you have started it. I look forward to more books by this talented author.
