Byrd Nash
asked
Byrd Nash:
Why doesn't A Spell of Rowans "explain the magic?" It's a fantasy and should have a magic system, right?
Byrd Nash
For those unfamiliar with the genre of Magical Realism, it might confuse you why the magic is not explained in A Spell of Rowans like you find in other fantasy books.
That is because the intent of Magical Realism is to portray supernatural abilities in realistic tones and use it as part of the everyday world.
Something "to strange to be believed" happens along the mundane such as shopping for groceries or dining out at a restaurant. It is a matter-of-fact presentation of fantasy along realism which allows the author to place even a greater focus upon the main story of adults who are dealing with complex relationships.
Readers might be more familiar of this concept with the book/move Like Water for Chocolate or One Hundred Years of Solitude. Magical Realism often has an element of social or political points, and in Rowans, I wanted to use it to explore how a parent's narcissism impacts the mother-child relationship.
From the beta and ARC readers, they felt a lot of emotions and I think the genre plays into why. Because Magical Realism takes place in the "real world" it makes the reader let go of pre-conceptions like "I am reading a fantasy and the characters are not real" and gives an intimate and heightened reading experience for the reader. You are IN the moment!
All three of Rachel Rowan's children possess a talent: empathy, psychometry, and glamour. However, while I do not explain where these powers come from, how the characters use them is consistent throughout the book and makes logical sense.
That is because the intent of Magical Realism is to portray supernatural abilities in realistic tones and use it as part of the everyday world.
Something "to strange to be believed" happens along the mundane such as shopping for groceries or dining out at a restaurant. It is a matter-of-fact presentation of fantasy along realism which allows the author to place even a greater focus upon the main story of adults who are dealing with complex relationships.
Readers might be more familiar of this concept with the book/move Like Water for Chocolate or One Hundred Years of Solitude. Magical Realism often has an element of social or political points, and in Rowans, I wanted to use it to explore how a parent's narcissism impacts the mother-child relationship.
From the beta and ARC readers, they felt a lot of emotions and I think the genre plays into why. Because Magical Realism takes place in the "real world" it makes the reader let go of pre-conceptions like "I am reading a fantasy and the characters are not real" and gives an intimate and heightened reading experience for the reader. You are IN the moment!
All three of Rachel Rowan's children possess a talent: empathy, psychometry, and glamour. However, while I do not explain where these powers come from, how the characters use them is consistent throughout the book and makes logical sense.
More Answered Questions
About Goodreads Q&A
Ask and answer questions about books!
You can pose questions to the Goodreads community with Reader Q&A, or ask your favorite author a question with Ask the Author.
See Featured Authors Answering Questions
Learn more