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On Wings Of A Dragon
By Cora Taylor
Fitzhenry & Whiteside
251 p.p., $ 19.95
Review by
Ruth Froitzheim, Writers' Circle chair,
Canadian Authors' Association- Alberta Branch
Writers should read this book. Granted, Cora Taylor has presented
us with a smashing tale
of adventure, mystery, fantasy and magic, and her story appeals
to the young and the
not-so-young-anymore adults. But my objective in this review is
aimed at deconstruction
of the text, using references to the plot, settings and characters
to highlight the devices this accomplished author uses to create
clarity. I want to illustrate how she combats the
puzzlement which sometimes creeps into a novel and confuses a reader.
Analyzing how this book is put together is as interesting to writers
as the story is to readers.
Plot:
Cora has a well-constructed plot. She uses a standard rising action
structure and a promise
of a hopeful future as a skeleton upon which to hang her vivid descriptions
and interesting
events with just the right number of twists.
Kour’el is a maiden-in-distress who gets out of her tower
prison , goes through fire, threats
of poisoning and evil magic spells. She manages to switch from maiden–in-distress
to heroine. With the help of her partner, Api’Naga (a trusty
dragon), she rescues the good guys and
renders the baddies helpless in defeat. The rightful ruler is restored
to the throne after being
kept bedridden for many years through magic spells and evil potions
administered by the
wicked queen.
Three village girls, Maighdlin, Marika and Mala, have been taken
from their homes to serve
as slaves in the castle. Their own and their families’ efforts
to save them bring more exciting complications and surprises which
don’t show up until the last chapter.
Cora’s images are sharp; not muddied by vague description.
Her story has many elements,
but is not so convoluted that readers are bombarded. They can follow
the storyline because
it is not overshadowed by frenetic activity. The complexities are
made easier to follow through her deft use of setting as a mechanism
to advance the story.
Setting:
Every change of scene ushers in a new chapter. The first line always
contains the name of a character, so the reader doesn’t have
any troubling minutes trying to follow the action. It consistently
matches the setting where the plot resumes. In her sure-footed way
Cora lets us know where we are, because we knew where we were when
we last left that character. She
is consistent in her use of this method throughout the book.
Although they are not shown in the book, Cora draws maps for her
own use as she prepares
to do her writing. She visualizes the areas where the action is
taking place. She paces out the steps, and looks at the objects
from different perspectives. This helps her to see what
surrounds the characters. In On Wings Of A Dragon the story covers
a mountain village,
the road to the castle city, the castle itself, the prison tower,
passageways, courtyard and
secret tunnels. The reader doesn’t see Cora’s maps,
and is unaware that she is referring to
them often, but both benefit from the guidance they provide. Since
Cora is never lost or confused, she is free to see the plot unfold
and describe what she is seeing so she can
ultimately create that landscape for the reader. This precision
is one of the best tips on
how to write an easily-read story. Sometimes, as the story tumbles
out of their imaginations, authors lose track of themselves. If
the author is sure of her ground, the reader doesn’t
have to struggle through a maze.
Characters:
There are two simple devices Cora employs to follow the characters
in the readers’ minds.
The first is her use of names.
It is usually inadvisable to have the names of the characters begin
with the same letter,
but Cora chooses Maighdlin, Marika and Mala as the three village
girls. How do we
tell them apart? First, look at the lengths of the names. One is
long, one is medium and
Mala is short. Second, the outlines of the shapes of the names are
very different from one another. The reader’s eye helps the
mind retain which person is which so it’s easier to keep enjoying
the story instead of having to go back and re-read to keep the characters
straight.
The second of the devices is her use of print formatting: Cora
is a master of the use of text
to distinguish the characters from each other. Kour’el and
Api Naga, being fantasy creatures, are well-versed in telepathy
and have thought conversations. This could prove confusing, but
Cora makes it clear. As the story opens, Api Naga is about the size
of an egg. His dialogue appears as tiny words,
but in bold face type. As his size increases, so does the size of
the print,
until he reaches full size, his print shouts
from the page, still in bold face.
Kour’el’s dreams appear in italics. This difference
in print ensures the reader of a clear understanding of the action.
On Wings Of A Dragon is a fine example of a clearly written story.
I enjoyed discovering
the ways Cora uses to lead her readers to an understanding of a
thoroughly enjoyable tale. I suggest that aspiring writers get a
copy of On Wings Of A Dragon to find other devices
used to create clarity.
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