“But as the days wore on, the counselors grew fearful, for though they dearly loved their Sovereign and his Lady, and as much as they cherished Niamh—who could be brought to marry her? There were no nobles’ sons good enough to withstand her radiance, nor were there any other princes—for this was before the kingdoms split, and Gavron had no male heir. Even among the honest burghers, the mayors’ sons, or the chandlers’, none were found to even withstand an hour in Niamh’s company."
| About the book:
The daughter of a
king and a fairy, the Princess Niamh is
glorious fair—perhaps overly so. Her
incredible beauty proves a curse for no man
can withstand even a moment in her presence
without running mad. Suitor after suitor is
turned away, since no one regardless of family
name or credentials, is able to approach the
Princess without
suffering intense burning. The kingdom’s only
hope rests upon a most unusual bridegroom: the
Hermit. With the claws and wings of an eagle,
and the head and tail of a lion, the mystery
of a magician, and the piety of a saint, he
alone may hold her—that is, if he can find his
bride before she is led to perdition by the
wicked Count and his shadowy minions. Written in the evocative lyric style of Lord Dunsany, Niamh and the Hermit is an exploration and exultation of the classic fairy tale, blended seamlessly with all the imaginative complexity of a Tolkien-esque subcreated world. The author weaves fantasy and fable together in a beautifully written tale of love and deception, valor and weakness, hope and fury. About the author: Emily C. A. Snyder, a graduate of Franciscan University of Steubenville, has been inventing stories since she was old enough to babble. Her love for fantasy was initially inspired by the Brothers Grimm and Hans Christian Anderson and expanded to J. R. R. Tolkien and others. Ms. Snyder also teaches English and acting, and has directed plays ranging from Shakespeare to original comedies. |
2003 ~
288 pp.
3 maps ~ 21 illustrations paperback ISBN: 978-1-889758-36-7 $14.95 with 10% discount: $13.45 To order the paperback edition with a 10% discount click the button below. $9.99 on Kindle Order Now $9.99 on Google Play Order Now For a free preview
of this book, click here:  |
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"Emily Snyder takes us through
the Celtic mist to a world of mystic wonder.
Imagine Tolkien's true north sailing west.
Imagine Gandalf wandering in the legendary
footsteps of St. Patrick. Imagine the Númenorean
Faithful sailing in the wake of St. Brendan.
Imagine ripples of Rivendell flowing into the
living waters of Tara. Imagine Lothlorien fading
into the faerie fogs of Erin. Imagine Middle
Earth coloured in forty shades of green. Imagine
yourself in the world of the Princess Niamh.
Imagine..." |
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"Niamh
and the Hermit is a rich narrative of
various subplots which intertwine to offer the
reader a vivid look at author Snyder's gift for
world-building....The influences of Eddings,
Lewis, and other writers of the genre are evident
in Synder's style, though Niamh is uniquely her
own—an ambitious debut and highly recommended to
fans of fanciful tales." Rating: 10/10. —Kathryn Lively, author of Little
Flowers and editor of
The Write Stuff E-Letter of Catholic Writing |
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"Niamh
and the Hermit a beautifully written,
morally sound, thoughtful, compelling and
entertaining book. Emily Snyder ... has created
the world of the "Twelve Kingdoms", shadowed in
Celtic mythology, but guided by Christian morals
and traditions, in which to novelize one of the
world's great fairy tales. It's difficult to do
justice to this sort of book after only one
reading, but I was very impressed with the
beautiful writing, rich vocabulary, subtleties
of humor and truth and the thoughtful lessons,
characters and trials that make up the plot."
—Alicia van Hecke,
Favorite Resources for
Catholic Homeschoolers http://www.love2learn.net
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"When I
first saw this book, I feared that it might be
just another effort to hook on to the Tolkien
wagon. It is not. Very far from that. It is
wholly original, and all I can say is that it is
beautiful, beautiful, beautiful. The author is
entirely in control of her narrative, and,
drawing on the tradition of ancient Celtic
tales, gives us something genuinely new. What we
have here is a very noble achievement."
—Thomas Howard, author of C. S.
Lewis: Man of Letters
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"Fantasy-lover
will
embrace this opportunity to glance into another
world, alive and complicated. Catholics will find
many familiar themes. It is not only an exciting
adventure through a new fantastical world, but a
literary jewel worthy to stand beside the likes of
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis." —The Arlington Catholic Herald
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"Emily C. A.
Snyder expands the classic style of the fairy tale
into a delightful novel brimming with believable
impossibilities....Niamh and the Hermit is
an immensely creative work, infusing the truths of
the Gospel into a complex world of myth and
magic." Rating: 4 1/2 stars out of 5. —Jill Elizabeth Nelson,
Senior Inspirational
Reviewer,
Romantic Times BookClub Magazine |
| |
"This gentle
story is equal parts traditional fairy tale and
morality play. Niamh and the Hermit has all the
fantastical elements of a fairy tale....There are
stories aplenty—small, traditional stories and
ballads woven into the text—as well as the
background story involving the king and the queen
that gives the main tale a rich, timeless
feel....People have compared Snyder's work to
Tolkien and Dunsany. I'd like to throw C. S. Lewis
into the pile. —Cyndy Lynn Speer, SF Site
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"Niamh
and the Hermit is beautifully written, an
elegant and artistic addition to Christian
literature....Themes of sacrificial love recur
throughout the story, as well as other themes of
Christian faith such as humility and forgiveness
and right usese of power....The book represents an
artistic achievement on another level as well: It
includes numerous illustrations by the author of
key characters, and sheet music for the melody
line of four songs related to the story. For the
literary-minded reader, Niamh and the Hermit
offers a delightful tale of heroism and romance,
well worth the read. —Cheryl Bader, Edenstar
Books & Games
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"Niamh and the Hermit is
highly recommended for fans of 'high fantasy' as
being an original, captivating, and thoroughly
enticing fable." —Midwest
Book Review
|
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"This story is only slightly
less beautiful than the title character, which
is fortunate since otherwise readers would be
driven insane by picking up the pages. With a
subtly inspirational message combined with mists
and myth, this novel enchants the youthful
spirit that lives within us all." —Amanda
Killgore, Huntress Reviews
|
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"There's a lot of tripe that is
coming from fly-by-night presses, but if one
sifts through all of it, one can find quality
fantasy that blows away the stuff being written
for the large houses. And I'm pleased to
announce that Arx Publishing has just published
one such novel, Niamh and the Hermit....
[Emily Snyder] has ... created a world that
resonates with the reader. It is vaguely
medieval, vaguely renaissance, and thoroughly
enjoyable." —Matthew Winslow,
Deep
Magic Looks at Books
|
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"The book is written by a
Christian author and defintely contains
allegorical content, including elements
reminiscent of the sacraments, spiritual
warfare, Christ's death and resurrection, and a
sort of 'Hound of Heaven' motif. The book is not
in the least preachy, and the allegorical
elements are for the most part veiled and
unassuming.... [I]t is an enjoyable read." |
| |
"If the Brothers Grimm had been
raised in Ireland, they probably would have
written tales like this one.... Blending Celtic
mythology with a classic fairy tale structure
and throwing in a dask of Tolkien, Snyder's book
provides a full banquet for your starving inner
child." |
Also available by
Emily C. A. Snyder
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Order Niamh and the Hermit and Charming the Moon by Emily Snyder together and save even more!
Charming the Moon + Niamh and the Hermit = $21.00