Three Fugitives, the exciting first book in the Six Stones Trilogy is available for purchase from Tate Publishing. Click on the following link:

Three Fugitives in Book Store

I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Three Fugitives fantasy novel and cannot wait to read the next novel. The characters seemed real, as like some people that I have known in my life. From a boy growing into a man, a Zhiv from having no confidence to feeling to having a sense of worth, to the haughty all knowing woman, who always knows best.  My favourite part of the book is when Orren stands up to his two friends and tells them to behave themselves.

The book flowed easily and was well paced. It has left me wanting more.  Where is book number two?  I want to know who the Lady is that Lord Berthus meets and what powers the other stones have.

Paul

Perth, Australia

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When I see pictures of this old vehicle, which ended up literally falling apart, I become nostalgic.  Our lives in it were Spartan, but it reminds me of the love and warmth of my childhood.  It also represents how my parents made the most of what they had, reserving much of the space inside the caravan for foodstuffs (There was a refrigerator, but it wasn’t always in use.), medicines, and books and learning materials for Joyce and I.  The theme of having to create something out of hardly anything, which my parents had to do, and which the poor people of Africa still have to do, is one that carries through to my books, for my characters have to do it too.

In this photograph, I find all the elements that make up the complexity of life.  On the one hand, you see the exquisite beauty of the surroundings and of the African bush, as well as the idyllic innocence of rural life.  On the other hand, there’s a certain bleakness about it, and a sense of grinding poverty and despair.  The people who live in villages like this one have to live with that tension every single day.  Their lives are difficult, but they find comfort in family, community, and tradition.

Though my books may be fantasy, in them I try to portray a world very much like this one.  It is a world of primeval forests, pastoral farmland, and colourful people, but on the other hand, it is also full of threats.  Orren, Haxel, and Marett simultaneously experience both sides of their world as they travel through it.  The combination of good and bad, of beauty and suffering, also influences their relationships, as each one tries to make sense of his or her place in the world, and why he or she is on their quest.

Because my parents were in such a state, Zetta and Joyce were as well, and it made me angry.   It was a time in my life devoid of humor, beauty, affection, and any meaningful companionship, and besides, the suffering around me was all pervasive.  These are not easy things for a boy of 14 to have to experience.  I was angry with God and the world, and felt alienated from my family and from life in general.  It is fortunate that there were no addictive drugs in the refugee camps or I might have experimented with them (Well, there probably were, but I was too naive to know about them.).

My father’s closest friend, Richard Freund, was also in Ethiopia at that time.   Like us, he was involved in bringing food and medical aid to starving people.   The memories of the intense human tragedies he witnessed, haunted him for years.  He finally found an outlet for his emotions in art, and produced this painting of a group of destitute and starving people, making their way through a famine-blasted and dusty landscape, toward a relief camp.  He captures the despair and suffering that was ubiquitous at that time.   This work of art captures my own experience as well.

This dark time also influenced my writing, because in it, my characters have to confront the dark spaces that exist within them, which result partially from the injustices and suffering of the world around them, and partially from having to deal with their own personal demons.

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Having not read many novels in the genre of the Three Fugitives, it was a rather interesting journey for me. I found the book to be reminiscent of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, in that the characters reminded me of some Tolkein’s famous protagonists. Nat Howler writes in intricate detail, his characters delicately crafted – almost three-dimensional. I gained a true sense of who they were in the opening chapters.

My favourite part of the book was when Richard spoke to Orren on the old man’s deathbed. It showed clearly the type of young man Orren was, a man who hadn’t lost his will to live and who showed his deep sense of loss at the passing of Richard, even though he was forced to live in a pig-sty for most of his life and could very easily have lost all sense of humanness during this torturous time. I believe the author shows a great deal of promise, and readers who liked the Lord of the Rings (of which there are millions, obviously) will do well to take a look at the Three Fugitives by Nat Howler.

Heidi Baugh – Cardiff, Wales

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The six gwellen are ancient magical stones that were hidden centuries ago in the vast wilderness.  The ruthless Lord Berthus Randolphus has found one of them and has discovered that he possesses the rare ability to use its powers.  His despised thirteen-year-old half brother, Orren, has the same ability.  Berthus desires the gwellen for his own purposes, and sets off on a quest to find them.  Orren embarks on a similar mission, intending thereby to foil his brother’s nefarious plans.

Book Two – Everywhere Foes Lurk by Nat howler

Here is a quick introduction to Book Two in the Six Stones Trilogy

Young Orren Randolphus and his friends, Haxel the goblin and Marett the heiress, have escaped into the Forest of Doom and, by doing so have foiled Lord Berthus’s pursuit of them.  They have gone from one bad situation to another, however, because the forest is full of terrifying monsters from the evil past.  Should they make it out alive, their quest for the fabled gwellen will still be fraught with peril.

Ahead lies the land of Rivulein, which is full of human enemies, including Berthus’s new allies.  Beyond that, are enormous mountains that seem to be impassable, but which the trio has to cross.

Two unusual allies aid Orren and his friends, but one only intends to stay with them long enough to fulfill a single duty, and the other one has unclear intentions.

Most disturbing of all, however, is a message imparted to Orren in a dream that, unless he can find a safe refuge for the six gwellen, there will always be the danger of their powers being abused.

Book Two is now completely written and just waiting for the publisher. We’ll let you know as soon as it is available in the stores.

Nat Howler.

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Three Fugitives

The Three Fugitives, by Nat Howler is a great read, a fantasy adventure book for all ages …

A  teenage boy, Orren, terrorized and kept in a pig sty by his older half-brother, Lord Berthus, finally escapes from his childhood cage, together with the fabled gwell stone that Lord Berthus treasures.  Enraged, Lord Berthus raises an army of thugs to pursue the boy and k ill him, take the stone back , and abuse its power to become the evil master of all . . .
Will Orren get away?  He unexpectedly finds himself together with two unlikely companions, a clumsy goblin and a pompous girl from an ancient bloodline.  Together they flee for their lives through dangerous territory, facing wild beasts, terrifyingly active thorn bushes, and a cult with a sinister reputation.  Meanwhile, Lord Berthus is always hot on their tail. . .
Praise for Nat Howler’s Three Fugitives
Three Fugitives  pulls readers into a fantasy realm with action, adventure, and characters that are easy to love.  Even though Howler has created a world full of monsters, mayhem, heroes, and heroines, the novel is also a mirror of our own disturbing reality where the borders of good and evil are not clearly defined.  – Review from ForeWord Magazine

It moved through an imaginative but credible world at a rattling good pace.  The three fugitive characters are a delight.  I would call it a howling good read.  – Kathie Bundock

An uplifting and insightful tale about extreme alienation and the tumultuous path to redemption experienced by an abused boy, an orphan girl and a pitifully clumsy and self-doubting goblin.  – Malcolm Monussen

Three Fugitives  kept me hooked.  The pace of my reading met the pace of the chase of Orren and his little posse.  This is a classical tale of friendship, love, mystery, and enchantment with an unpredictable and intricate plot.  –  D r. C. Rael

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This is where Book One starts, and in the book you can also find how the Corcadine Peninsula links ups with the mainland of South West LeFain.
The Three Fugitives fantasy book is available for sale online at Amazon.com and through additional wholesale and retail channels worldwide. Buy it for only $15 at Amazon click here
Also available as an electronic book for instant download to your smartphone, PC, Mac or e-book reader. Download it for only $9.99 at Kindle click here

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If you’ve been keeping up with my blog posts lately you’ll know I’ve come to adding a few news posts from around the web on this subject. I’ve got a couple more today that are new and updated, so let me know what you think of em…

Fantasy Blogosphere: December 27, 2010 | Fantasy Book News

Reviews of The White Luck Warrior, The Lost Gate, A Mage in the Making, Warcraft: Of Blood and Honor, and The Knife of Never Letting Go. New HBO Game of Thrones Artisans video.

Photoshop Learning Create an Awesome Magical Fantasy Book …

Learn how to create an awesome magical fantasy book manipulation in Photoshop and learn how to make the composition as realistic as possible.

2 Die 4 by Nigel Hinton | Fantasy Book Review

We have many titles awaiting review as it takes a considerable time to read and review books. If there is a title in our pending list that takes your fancy and you would be willing to review it for inclusion on Fantasy Book Review then …

Hope you enjoy the read as much as I did and please if you have something to say, use the comments form below to let everyone know your thoughts.

Have a great day!

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