Kevin J. Anderson and E. F. Benson in Rye England

In his forthcoming novel, The Spine of the Dragon, Kevin J. Anderson introduces us to young Adan Starfall. He's the king of Suderra, one of three countries that make up the Commonwealth. He lives in Bannriya Castle, which sits atop the hill overlooking the capital city of Bannriya. Adan's mind is troubled, for a sandstorm is approaching. He watches as shopkeepers close their shops, and residents prepare their homes for what could prove a particularly violent storm.

Kevin J. Anderson's description of the Bannriya Castle initially reminded me of one described in the novel Eragon by Christopher Paolini. Not only are both High Fantasy novels, but both reference a dragon in the title. In fact, Kevin's novel is the first in a series called Wake The Dragon, so dragon-lovers have a lot to look forward to. 

As for Bannriya Castle, and how it is situated in the town, I realized it reminded me of another town I had visited. Although the remains of a castle lie on the marshland along the coast, the English town of Rye sits of a hill, and another castle sits atop the hill. Just like Bannira, Rye is rich in history. In its time, it was a center for fishing in England. Even people in faraway London depended on Rye for the Cod and other seafood the ships regularly brought into harbor. 

Unlike Bannriya, Rye doesn't sit on the edge of a vast desert, so thankfully, it's unlikely to suffer from sandstorms any time soon.

As a cowriter of the popular Dune novels with Brian Herbert, sandstorms are something Kevin J. Anderson is familiar with. We follow Adan as he hunkers down inside his castle to wait through the storm. Adan's father-in-law is a former desert nomad, so he knows how to fortify the windows and doors against the windblown sand. Nonetheless, one little diamond-shaped pane in a window breaks, and the storm rushes in. Everyone rushes to help, as that broken window could allow the storm's violence to sweep through the entire castle.

It's always interesting to me to think of England's rich history. It's a country that measures time in thousands of years, as opposed to hundreds. Like England, Suderra's history goes back millennia. Once, a race called the Wreth devastated Commonwealth lands with their wars. They created Humans to be their slaves, then disappeared over two thousand years ago. 

After the sandstorm, a party of travelers arrives outside the city gates. King Adan rides down to meet them. To his astonishment, he discovers that they are Wreth.

I felt for Adan as he met these god-like beings. With their vast powers, Adan suspects he could not stop them if they stormed his city. Although they've ridden across the desert, they are not covered in sand. In fact, it appears they summoned the storm. When they ask to enter his city, as they wish to converse with him, how can he refuse them?

I imagined the Wreth walking up the narrow streets of Bannriya, heading toward Adan's castle. I felt his wonder and fear as the Wreth summoned controlled bursts of wind that blew the streets free of sand as they walked. For I too walked those streets, up and down the hill, many times during the weekend I stayed in Rye. Only for me, the town was imbued with magic even more powerful than that of the Wreth. 

One of my all-time favorite authors lived in Rye. His name is E. F. Benson, and he set four novels in his Mapp And Lucia series there. Through those novels, I came to love Rye as much as E. F. Benson did. I guess that's why Rye came to mind when I started reading Kevin J. Anderson's new novel Spine of the Dragon. Rye is a great little town on the south coast of England, and fills up with visitors every weekend. Even if few people today have heard of E. F. Benson, the author's power, like that of the Wreth in Bannriya, remains in Rye.

I can't wait to delve further into Kevin J. Anderson's new novel, and see what other associations it brings to mind. 

Dragon Dave

Spine of the Dragon, by Kevin J. Anderson, will be available for purchase on June 4, 2019.

Lady Jane Felsham's House

Lovejoy wasn't like Agatha Christie's Poirot or Sherlock Holmes, even if the A&E channel in America played all three TV series in the early 1990s. Lovejoy primarily investigated antiques: where they came from, who had made them, and why people wanted to buy or sell them. His love for these authentic artistic creations of the past often clashed with his ability to operate a profitable business. Unlike Poirot or Holmes, Lovejoy was a slippery character, a lovable rogue. Hard to define but easy to like. Impossible to trust, yet with a heart of gold. 

His friend, Lady Jane Felsham, was someone you could always relate to. She might have married into an aristocratic family, and live in a mansion, yet she was an ordinary woman, and ran a successful interior design firm. Lovejoy's antics infuriated her at times, both for personal and professional reasons. Her husband Lord Felsham never approved of their friendship. Still, her loyalty to Lovejoy was unshakable.

When her husband abandoned her to live in another country with another woman, Lady Jane remained in Felsham Hall. Her marriage might be over in spirit, if not in actuality. Still, was a principled woman who believed in doing the best with what she had been given. So she continued to reside there, and lent her time, money, and title to civic and charitable causes. 

Lovejoy helped her carry on with running the affairs of the old and important house, as well as aiding her business and charitable efforts. Their friendship matured, and might have become something more. But then her husband returned, and told her that he had lost all his money and his ancestral home. Left without a choice, and little more money than she had brought to the marriage, Lady Jane departed Felsham Hall to pursue a new life elsewhere. 

Nevertheless, the house, and Lord Felsham's ancestral grounds, remained a part of the series, even after his uncaring, irresponsible actions forced Lady Jane to pursue a new life elsewhere. Lovejoy's old rival Charles Gimbert returned to make Felsham Hall his home. Gimbert was a nefarious character, who loved antiques for the money and power they could give him. Lovejoy never really liked Charles, but he remained nearby, somehow unable to leave the manor house--and his link to Lady Jane--behind. 

In the final season, Charles Gimbert inexplicably vanished. After awhile, Lovejoy realized that, like Lady Jane's husband, Gimbert had also lost the manor through financial mismanagement. So once again, the antiques dealer again lingered, continuing to look after Felsham Hall.

At the beginning of the series, Felsham Hall was just another old house, and Lady Jane merely another beautiful woman. By the series' end, Felsham Hall had become a beloved place, the center of Lovejoy's existence. Just as it tore at Lovejoy's heart to leave the house and grounds, it hurt us too. For Lady Jane and Lovejoy's spirits had seeped into the bricks and mortar, the rooms and passageways, the gravel drive, and the manicured grounds.

The locals may know the mansion as Belchamp Hall, but for fans of the series, it will always be Lady Felsham's house. We met one such local walking her dogs, cute little Norfolk terriers, the morning we visited Felsham Hall. She said the hall, located in her little village of Belchamp Walter, sees few visitors these days. Still, over twenty years after the series ended, Lovejoy fans still come. Many, like us, from overseas.

It was just a moment in time, a brief visit. A walk along the familiar drive, an attempt to capture via photographs the house and the grounds. A moment to inhale the spirits of Lovejoy and Lady Jane. 

And then, all too soon, it was time to leave. Time to turn my back on the manor, and depart through those gates. Lady Jane rode through those gates in a taxi when her husband's actions finally forced her to leave.  Lovejoy packed up his business and drove through them in his little pickup truck at the end of the final episode. So I wasn't doing anything my friends hadn't done. Still, having just arrived, and knowing I would never return--it was hard to Felsham Hall.

Like so many people, I lack an ancestral home. But for a brief moment, I was able to return to a beloved house where I had been a frequent and welcome visitor. I finally saw with my own eyes, not just through the TV screen, a place inhabited by friends I had cared for, and people I loved. People who had made the place special, even if they, and their traditions, had been entirely fictional.

Farewell, Felsham Hall. Thanks so much for allowing me to visit.

Dragon Dave

An Italian In Panaca Part 2

Norfolk Broads, England

Sitting around a big table, at the B&B in Panaca, my wife and I enjoyed chatting with the Italian couple seated across from us. The man in particular seemed to drive the discussion. He clearly enjoyed engaging with us, and we discovered a mutual interest in England. 

We told him about the places we had visited in England, and he told us of the places they had visited. Freshest in our mind were memories of our 2017 trip, when we had explored the university town of Cambridge, toured the Norfolk Broads, and seen Norwich Cathedral. Yet we shared experiences from our other trips as well.

As Europeans, the Italian couple's way of life seemed closer to that of people in England than ourselves. Yet we discovered that they loved many of the same things we liked about England, and disliked the things that bothered us as well. We had visited some of the same places, and were able to compare notes on our stays in those areas.

He and his wife lived halfway around the world from us. They didn't even share the same first language. Yet in this man and his wife, we had found a kindred spirit, someone with mutual interests, and a similar, while still different, point of view.

That's incredibly rare, in my experience.

Norwich Cathedral, England

After awhile, the woman brought out breakfast. She had never asked anyone what they wanted, and gave everyone the same thing: a flour tortilla filled with eggs, cheese, hash browns, bacon, and sausage. We probably wouldn't have ordered it, but we enjoyed our breakfast burrito. Still, it was a far cry from most of the B&Bs we visited in England, where you're given a menu to order from, and they prepare your food exactly like you want it.

The one part of the conversation with our Italian friends that stuck with me was the man's description of Brexit. In America, Brexit is an afterthought, given little or no real attention. Many people may not even know what it means. 

I had viewed the Brexit process as a change in regulations that businesses and ordinary people in England and throughout the European Union would adapt to with a modicum of discomfort. But the Italian gentleman told us about people living in his country who had lost their jobs because of it. He spoke about Italian businesses that had shut down because they would no longer be able to do business with England as readily as before. He talked about the people living in nearby towns and villages suffering because local companies had ceased operation. 

He spoke about families that were being broken up because of it. Britain's membership in the European Union had made it easier for citizens of different countries to marry and live together. Britain's withdrawal from the EU meant family members would have to physically move from one country or another, either for work, or to raise their children.

Thus, Britain's withdrawal from the EU represented a tragedy for his friends and neighbors. Yes, they would find a way to navigate the legal and regulatory changes, to adapt, and to move on with their lives. But in the meantime, they were separated from their loved ones, struggling to get by, and wondering how they would put the broken pieces of their lives back together. 

Despite having visited England five times, and talked with many Brits on each of those trips, I never understood the full implications of Britain's desire to leave the European Union. I may not understand why Brexit is occurring, any more than I understand why the United States seems to be retreating from processes and structures that have historically led to greater international cooperation. At least now I better understand how Brexit will affect people living in England and European Union countries in significant ways. And that's all because I took a less-traveled road on our vacation, and stayed in a little town called Panaca.

Dragon Dave