The Wayhouse at Weedle Incidents — John Edgell

This thought provoking book is medieval fantasy with somewhat of a western flare that will delight. The two features meld flawlessly into powerful episodes that will grab and hold your attention. The Wayhouse at Weedle Incidents are either loosely or directly connected with the Wayhouse at Weedle, an inn in the Morse Mountain Country. They are powerful, thought provoking stories encompassing the struggle between light and darkness, and most involve Kadizrek, the Wandering Wizard. In The Hostler, “Scar,” is an apparently principled man of quiet dignity. He knows who he is and what he stands for, and feels no need to defend himself or prove anything to anyone. Yet throughout the story he does prove himself over and over. But will he prove to be the hero young Brenae needs and we all love? In Purgatory, Jyke is about to graduate to “death warrior” status after his life-long training. But when he witnesses a diabolic alteration ritual he panics. Dare he attempt to escape purgatory? Enter a strange man, Zoraketus, who takes Jyke on a journey like no other you've ever read. Join them as they encounter supernatural beings driven to destroy everything that opposes their evil intents -- the ending will surprise! In all six stories human frailties are highlighted, along with virtue, humility, treachery, deceit, and at times a healthy portion of heroism that is refreshing to experience. Life brings out the best and the worst in us, and so it is with the colorful characters of the stories of in Wayhouse. We may see ourselves in some of the tales, and will likely see others we have known portrayed in them as well. Whether you're a fan of stories with a flavor of the Old West, fantasy, science fiction, medieval drama, wartime, or tales with a dark, religious twist, as in Purgatory, you are bound to find your favorite in this book. The author is more than a writer -- he is an artist who deftly paints a portrait that will stay in your mind for years to come. You will find something in these stories that you seldom find in current literary offerings -- characters with integrity, strength of character, wisdom, and men and women who reflect a deep seated faith….yet the author is not preachy. There are honest to goodness heroes here that everyone wishes there were more of in life! You will also see scoundrels of every shade and hue who will rock your sensibilities to the core! The writer's imagination is on full display as you get to know each character. His descriptive genius makes it so you feel you “know” everyone in these stories, and you find yourself thinking, this is indeed the world we find ourselves in today -- and you'll wish the make-believe heroes of the stories would just step out in real life and rescue us! And yet, in subtle ways the author also makes it clear that our “heroes” are still fallible humans, and unless we rely on our Creator to transform us, we could easily end up in the unfortunate state as some we dare not emulate! All in all, Wayhouse at Weedle is diverse enough to satisfy the palette of most any reader and is bound to find a permanent place on your bookshelf -- a thought provoking book you will read more than once. This fantasy fiction author writes captivating stories while subtly dealing with issues of the heart and mind.