The Novice (Hardback or Cased Book)

The Wizard's Sign trilogy explores what it means to be a human being whose life is expected to matter?

In Part One: Ghorlund, a fourteen-year-old farm boy with the odd but prophetic name, Hairpin, finds himself called through a prediction in lore to begin a dangerous quest. He and his widowed father are pulled from their sheltered existence to go to Ghorlund, the vast, walled capital of Ghormanswold. There they learn Hairpin must help save the World of Things-but from what? The ancient Omen of the Wizard Elderon foretells the imminent appearance of the one who will serve as an agent of the Tenth Wizard. But who? Hairpin must find out what it all means, but the Omen's prophecy carries a threat.

Hairpin hopes his quest will lead to magic and glory, but instead he is rapidly hurtled against powerful forces seeking to keep the Omen from fulfillment. Hairpin and his new companions, Curtain and Wheel, begin to uncover the faint outlines of a terrible, dark mystery. From the origins of the World of Things, some unimaginable, secret horror is still weaving threads of fear and violence. Challenging him with both his first love and with life-threatening danger, the quest leads Hairpin to discover not magic-but himself.

In Part Two: The Novice, Hairpin's evolving world takes shape. He begins training under his mentor, Dibble, only to have everything around him start to unravel. An argument, a death and an Outlander rebellion leave him to struggle through three years of uncertainty before a direction begins to pull him forward. He meets the wizard at last only to find his emerging life, once more, disintegrates around him. He can return to the capital and a long-hoped-for reunion with Curtain and Wheel, but will it be the end of everything he has ever known? The awaiting answer carries him forward into Part Three: The Well of Voices where the unraveling of an ancient plot brings hope for the transformation of the World of Things.

After forty years creating stories, camps, and small group experiences with youth and adults Earl W. Guy is publishing his work for the first time with The Wizard's Sign Trilogy. With his work in secular non-profit and religious organizations he has had a long fascination with human awareness and the cultural influences on our universal search for meaning.

The Wizard's Sign Trilogy represents Earl's contribution to the dialogs of historic and human transformation that mark our own time. His playful approach, reimagining the pretensions of our language and rituals, reflects his own humor and optimism, while his introspective and spiritual side finds sacredness in our ordinary stories and in our often fear-disoriented efforts to share the longing for love to matter in our lives.

When not writing, Earl enjoys spending time with his loving wife and three wonderfully accomplished and imaginative adult children. He is, as this is being written, on the staff of two cats, who have helped greatly in his writing by persistently occupying his computer keyboard. He is a life-long United Methodist and retired, ordained Christian educator, as well as an avid gardener and plant collector; he often finds a delightful sense of enchanted wisdom in the community of soil, water, plants and wild creatures.