Title: Warrior of the WayAuthor: Nathan Chandler
Publisher: iUniverse
Pages: 376
Genre: Fantasy
Format: Ebook
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Civil war is a curse that touches everyone, including King Tashdar of the Mulamar. When he is ordered by a powerful and mysterious stranger to send warriors toward Kanai and Kadisha to slaughter everyone, Tashdar has no choice but to obey. As the Hebari emperor’s palace is invaded, only one man escapes—a captain of the guard to whom the emperor has entrusted the safety of his remaining two children. Moments later, the emperor’s legacy is erased from the face of the earth. More than forty years later, Pasha Nuvahli of the Sashramans tribe, greatest of the king’s warriors, is devastated when his wife is murdered and his son is kidnapped. Overcome with despair as war and a dangerous sorcerer threaten the southern tribes, Pasha soon finds himself in a crisis of faith as he ponders why Daiyu has allowed such sorrow to befall him. But after he learns of an ancient prophecy and his hidden connection to the last emperor of the south, Pasha is sent by King Juktan to seek an alliance with the five other Hebari tribes and lead them against an ancient enemy from the north. Suddenly, his life takes on a new meaning. In this compelling story, a worried king looks to his greatest warrior to unify the south with the hope the young soldier can save his people before all is lost forever.
Can you please tell us about your book and why you wrote it?
'Warrior of the Way' is a story set in a mystical Eastern and Africanesque setting full of diverse characters. The story depicts tribes that are in perpetual conflict, who must rise up to confront a challenge that affects them all. The story centers on the warrior Pasha Nuvahli of the Sashraman tribe who by his connection to the last emperor of the South must try to unite these tribes while confronting spiritual problems concerning his faith in the god of his people. Pasha is a very vulnerable character with deep emotional damage which is a result of violent family tragedies and murders which he witnessed as a child and later as a man. Pasha has to reconcile these deep fissures in his emotional health while mustering the courage to lead his people against an ancient enemy who challenges them and could destroy them all. Its a very diverse story with a lot of character introspection concerning the role of faith and spirituality in one's life.
I wrote this book for many reasons. The first has to do with providing more diverse content to the world of Fantasy. My second reason was using Pasha's spiritual introspection as part of my own reflection my relationship with my faith and the needs I had and the challenges I was facing. I wrote the story for those who like stories with spiritual/mystical elements set in diverse far off worlds with complicated characters who we love and hate all at the same time. I wrote the story for men, women. I included strong female characters in the story who are compassionate yet strong willed and serene. I wrote the story people who are spiritual or religious and I wrote it for people who are skeptical or questioning the role of faith and spirituality in their own lives.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced writing it?
The hardest part was learning how to structure my story, how to make it flow right and how to set the tone of the tale. I had to learn how to consider the needs of my readers while reconciling their needs with my need to create. That is something my brother Andrew helped me with.
Do you plan subsequent books?
Yes I plan on writing more books. I hope to make my 'Warrior of the Way' story into a series later on. Right now I'm working on another story that I hope to publish.
When and why did you begin writing?
I started writing when I was 13. I always wanted to create and writing provided me with the best method for doing so.
What is your greatest strength as an author?
My greatest strength as an author is that I'm always reconsidering how I tell the story and figuring better ways to tell it. I never look at what I've writen and remained content with it. I always search for better ways to tell my story until I can't find any. I have a strong imagination and alot of ideas, sometimes I have writer's block but it never lasts more than a day.
Did writing this book teach you anything?
Writing this book taught me how a story should flow in order for your reader to best follow it and understand it. When I started writing I only thought of myself and getting everything in my mind down on paper. That's important but I learned that I needed to respect the needs of the reader as well.