-- from The VCHS
Warrior newspaper -- May 25, 2006 --
Valley Senior
Debuts Novel!!!
By Ryan Eshoff
Tolkien had The
Silmarillion. Eddings had High Hunt.
Stanek had At Dream's End. And Blake Garret
Anderson had The Dragonheroes. What do all the aforementioned
pieces of literature have in common? Each work was the
first by their respective author, including The
Dragonheroes, by Valley Christian's own senior, Blake
Anderson. Anderson, who began the novel seven years
ago, originally composed a 700-page manuscript before dividing
it into separate novels.
In The Dragonheroes,
Anderson elegantly weaves a tale of five young, seemingly
unrelated youths, each approaching their sixteenth birthday in
the land of Terralax. The balance of this very land has
fallen into shadow in the last decade, as the Darian invaders
from the North have covered all in a black shroud.
However, hope springs eternal, as the connections between the
five young heroes gradually become more and more clear.
Although the beginning
chapters are at the very worst a tad scattered, due to the numerous
points of view that Anderson incorporates, the storylines of
the characters soon become intertwined in an extravagant
tapestry of treachery, friendship, heroism and intrigue.
In gorgeous detail Anderson describes the magical world of
Terralax, the legendary land of grand battles and magnificent
beings. Many times throughout the reading, it was
difficult to remember that this was the first work of a high
school student. Anderson's ability to develop his
characters and plot is captivating.
Anderson will continue with
the subsequent two books in his trilogy, The Birth of
Terralax. He will look to further enhance his
already superb talent when he majors in Creative Writing at Chapman
University. My friend, your summer is not complete
without The Dragonheroes, available at www.Terralax.com.
