Fathom Five Launch

Once again Ottawa had the pleasure of hosting author, blogger, reader and all-round swell chap James Bow, for the launch of “Fathom Five”, the second installment in his “Unwritten Books” trilogy. Both sides of blogdom’s political spectrum were represented, as was appropriate for an appearance by James, a thoughtful centrist. Here is the author flanked to the left (of course) by Stageleft, and to the right by Ottawa’s elusive Phantom Observer.

James gave an excellent (and generous!) reading to an attentive crowd, ending with a literal cliffhanger-our two protagonists are plunging from a cliff into Georgian Bay in pursuit of…well, something rich and strange. There was a moment of silence after James put down the book, then one visitor plaintively asked…”Well, what happens NEXT?” Perhaps thanks to James’ canny choice of endpoint, the store sold out its entire stock following the reading.

“Fathom Five” picks up the story of Rosemarie and Peter a couple of years after “The Unwritten Girl”. Like all classic fantasy stories, it begins with a mysterious encounter and a terrible revelation that sends the hero on a quest for self-discovery…this time beneath the dark and haunted waters of Georgian Bay, in pursuit of what may or may be a…well, that’s enough. Buy the book.

Like DeLint, James is building an eerily convincing fictional landscape that links Faerie with modern Canadian characters and places. A great read for anyone who loves contemporary fantasy, and a terrific introduction to the genre for any younger friends or readers in your family.