FarWorld by J. Scott Savage

"Other people may see 13-year-old Marcus Kanenas as an outcast and a nobody, but he sees himself as a survivor and a dreamer. In fact, his favorite dream is of a world far away, a world where magic is as common as air, where animals tell jokes and trees beg people to pick their fruit. He even as a name for this place -- Farworld. When Marcus magically travels to Farworld, he meets Kyja, a girl without magic in a world where spells, charms and potions are everywhere, and Master Therapass, a master wizard who has kept a secret hidden for 13years, a secret that could change the fate of two worlds. But the Dark Circle has learned of Master Therapass's secret and their evil influence and power are growing. Farworld's only hope is for Marcus and Kyja to find the mythical Elementals--water, land, air and fire--and convince them to open a drift between the worlds. As Kyja and Marcus travel to Water Keep, they must face the worst evil the Dark Circle can throw at them--Summoners, who can command the living and the dead; Unmakers, invisible creates that can destroy both body and soul; and dark mages known as Thrathkin S'Bae. Along the way, Marcus and Kyja will discover the truth about their own heritage, the strength of their friendship, and the depths of their unique powers. "

The Queen's review of the YA/Fantasy novel FarWorld:Water Keep-

Reading this book with my 11 year old son was such a delight! It captured both our interests. The unique characters have interesting names and each character is quickly loved. This book moves at a good enough pace- I didn't feel like there was too much description but enough to capture the authors imagination.

From a parents point of view I enjoyed the subtle lessons taught that help make this book a great read-such as believing in yourself, individual worth and helping others out.

My son and I look forward to reading the rest of this series as they come out!

Interview questions with J. Scott Savage-

Though Farworld: Water Keep is your first young adult novel, you’ve published other novels in a variety of genres. What made you turn to two new genres: YA lit and fantasy?

"When my family was much younger, my wife and I used to play a game where we’d ask each other, “If someone told you a year ago that we’d be [fill in the blank] would you have believed them? It might have been because of a move, a child, a new job. Whatever. Well if you had suggested to me three years ago that I would be publishing a five book YA fantasy series, I would have said you were nuts. I loved reading fantasy. But just because you love eating chocolate mousse, doesn’t mean you will become a French dessert chef. I will just say that I didn’t chose to write YA Fantasy. This book just grabbed me by the ears and screamed, “Write me!” I think I got beat into submission by my muse."


Your descriptions of Marcus’s physical limitations were very realistic. How did you research writing from a physically-challenged point of view, especially in a novel with a lot of action?

"I tried a lot of the things myself. But my best advice came from people with those very disabilities. It was a person who uses a wheelchair that explained to me how a one armed person can turn a chair. Neat trick."


You've done a good job of writing a book that appeals to a wide range of ages. Was this a conscious effort on your part? What target age range did you have in mind as you wrote?

"Yes. Definitely. I think books like Harry Potter, and Twilight have succeeded so well because they appeal to adults and kids. My ideal is a situation where a 12 year-old and her mother both read the book, then compare notes afterward."


How long did it take you to write Farworld: Water Keep?

"Less than three months to write the first draft. The story had been in my head for several years, but once I started writing it, it was like a waterfall. Fastest book I’ve ever written. Book two is coming just as fast."


This book has some very unusual names - Mr and Mrs Goodnuff, Galespinner, the Unmakers, Thrathkin S'Bae. Where do you find names like these?

"Sometimes they come easily. Sometimes I really struggle to find them. Occasionally I come a cross a name that is so cool, I write it down and save it. Like I was in New York recently, and we drove across the Throggsneck bridge. I immediately knew I wanted throggs in my next book."


Is there anything from when you were a kid that influenced the story or the way you write?

"I think my best writing is when I go back to being a kid and just having fun. I had a pretty crazy imagination as a kid. It actually got me into quite a bit of trouble as a kid. But now I tell my parents, “See it finally paid off!”


Are there any questions you've been dying to answer, but no one has asked them yet?

"I'm surprised no one has asked about why I went with two full blown protagonists and whether or not that was hard to write. The answer is that I didn't want this to be a boy book or a girl book. I wanted Kyja and Marcus to each rise and fall, so to be a sidekick to the other. I tried to write very carefully so that no one would feel Marcus or Kyja was the "main" character."


We know that there will probably be four books - one for each element. Are the others already outlined, or written? Was there a special reason you had them go to Water Keep first?

"There will actually be five books. The entire series is outlined to some extent. For example, I know the most about books 2 and 5 right now. But I know some basics about 3 and 4 too. I definitely had an order to the books. Some of it is because of flow—the way things will interrelate. The rest of it is just building up the suspense/ excitement. Each group of elementals has very unique abilities and personalities. Some are much less human than the Fontasians (water elementals.) "
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It's been a joy for me to read this advanced readers copy of Savages' first YA novel.
You can pre-order this fascinating book here. Or you can try to win a personal signed copy of this book by playing along in a contest I will post later!