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LYSKARION: The Song of the Wind

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by J. A. Cullum

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Trade Paperback ISBN 10: 1-894063-02-3 ISBN 13: 978-1-894063-02-9 6" X 9" Four color cover $13.95 US (free shipping in North America) 340 pages AMAZON.COM AMAZON.CA

Can a world of many races exist without racism? Fantasy author J. A. Cullum doesn’t believe so! In her new release, Lyskarion: The Song of the Wind, the author’s story unfolds against a backdrop of racial and religious tensions, which are a curious reflection of our modern society. Hundreds of years before the story takes place, the Great Wizards created the Karionin, eight living crystals which substantially increase the bearer’s power. When a conflict breaks out among the great wizards, this increased power results in mass destruction and death. Now people fear the wizard’s potential for destruction, and few children train to become wizards. Plagued by racial and religious hatred, Tamar is home to nine races-humans live side by side with races who have the ability to shift their shape from human to animal form, including dolphins (Ingvalar), tigers (Linlar), and lizards (Isklar). The dolphins and humans get along; yet prejudices exist. The tigers and lizards have been attacking human settlements, and a devastating war seems inevitable. Cormor, the last of the great wizards, knows that the only chance for peace is for a legion of powerful wizards to reign once again. The fate of Tamar falls upon three youths - each with great potential, each with a reason for resistance. These young wizards-in-training must learn to overcome their differences and restore peace once again or humanity will be destroyed.

Humanity's last hope? The fate of Tamar falls upon three youths, each with great potential, each with a reason for resistance Jerevan: A young nobleman who distrusts wizards and refuses to alter his life, pending a curse which he can only vanquish by developing his wizard abilities. Errin: A dolphin shape-shifter who is in love with a woman he was mind-linked to as a child, but who has been taught to despise his kind. Elise: A human who, as a lonely child, played with the forbidden children of the sea-folk and, as an adult, must learn to set aside her prejudices.

Preview Chapter Five of this exciting new fantasy, or check out these testimonials.

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Reviews and Interviews have appeared in:
Publishers Weekly, The Midwest Book Review, Booklist, Library Journal, VOYA, Talebones, Dead Trees Review, Fabulous Fantasy, Small Press Bookwatch, The Trinity Journal, Solaris; on CJSF radio and; on the SFRevu site, Gotta Write (interview), The Monthly Aspectarian, Amazon.com (readers reviews), BayArea.com, Yet Another Book Review site; and in other places that we are yet to discover!

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Online Reviews:

Dead Trees Review Yet Another Book Review Site

Amazon.com

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Testimonials:

"I've read enough fantasy over the years that characters and events in the stories don't often surprise me anymore. Not so with Lyskarion. Janice A. Cullum displays some truly original ideas. There's sensitive animal-lover Del who can sway hive mentality to his own designs. I hope to see this character used more in the next book. I loved Errin, part ingvalar, were-folk who shape shift into dolphins so frequently that they live on the beach and don't bother with clothes. Living crystals are intriguing, especially when realizing they have their own agenda and can bind or reject their keeper. Lord Jerevan mentally plants information on his crystal so he can access it later. There are travels to different lands, contact with different races, exploration of different gods and religions, and purely despicable villains."

-faerydragon from Eureka, CA United States

"Lyskarion is a fantasy, a family saga in a world where humans, shape-changers of different types, wizards and gods meeting on a playing field rather more level than the one we enjoy. It's a saga, and those who like the slow bringing together it intertwining lives (and plot lines) together with intelligent writing about an alternate world should like this one."

-D Jason Cooper

"This is a fantasy with high ideals that takes a close look at the social conscience of our real world.... so there's no excuse not to attack this ambitious work."

-Robert Boyer, reviewer

"I just loved your book Lyskarion. I do hope that it is the first in a series. I must know whether Elise and Errin reach their full potential and how Jerevan gets on. The world you created was a place I'd like to visit and the people took on lives of their own as I read... I read a lot of science fiction and fantasy and your voice is a truly enjoyable reading experience. Thanks so much for sharing your story."

-Rhané Vennes

"J.A. Cullum doesn't have the reputation of Sawyer or Salvatore, but "Lyskarion" (Edge, $13.95, 331 pages) works much better. It takes a while for the book to get going, but Cullum eventually gets the lengthy cast of characters and complex plot -- which involves nine different humanoid races on a planet without much technology -- all marching steadily in the same direction."

-Clay Kallam, Worlds Beyond Book Review

"Cullum takes a hard look at the results and the high price of ignorance, bigotry, and ethnocentrism in a thoughtful novel with an unusual piece of magic at the center of its story-a curse...placed on the protagonist to "help" him see reason. Great fantasy with a conscience."   

-Paula Luedtke, Booklist review

"...a fantasy world rich in detail, with a large population of interesting creatures interacting with lifelike complexity."

-Poul Anderson

"J. A. Cullum is a byline to watch carefully."

-Jacqueline Lichtenberg

"A rich and intelligent fantasy with well-realized characters and an ingenious twist on how to get a reluctant lord to turn wizard, marred slightly by a lack of discipline in plotting. I have long hoped for the sequel to continue the story of Jerevan, in particular: the whale-sized wizard who must master magic to overcome a curse of gluttony."

-Lynda Williams, author of The Courtesan Prince, Righteous Anger, Throne Price

MORE TESTIMONIALS

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