Of projects undertaken during my adolescent and teenage years, Tovar’s Enchantment was the most intellectually formative. More than a labor of love, it was a gateway to a universe that was mine to build and shape—a place to concretize and dramatize my budding understanding of the real world. It also provided my greatest education in writing and language. The experience taught me that writing is not about leaving ink marks on a page. It is about thinking. To write a sentence is to put one’s brain on paper. To write is to think.
When I was six, my mother, father, and grandmother introduced me to the wonders of Europe. Our destinations included Mont-Saint-Michel in Normandy, the Hallein Salt Mine near Salzburg, Neuschwanstein Castle in southwest Bavaria, Furka Pass through the Swiss Alps, and other fantastic sites that fired my imagination. During that trip, I drew my first fantasy map. At eight, I wrote one chapter per day of a story that took place in the world of that map. The story was called Wizards, Wayfarers, and Water Nymphs. It featured the kidnap of a benevolent king and the pilgrimage of a group of forest creatures who travel to rescue him.
The pilgrimage to rescue a good king became the premise of both Tovar’s Enchantment books. I wrote the first manuscript between the ages of ten and twelve. Upon completion of The First Chronicle, I decided I had learned so much about writing that I must rewrite the story and expand its scope. While the name of the main hero and the essence of his quest remained the same, the second book followed a new cast of characters along a new journey through a new land. The rewrite took four years. I finished The Hunt for the King at sixteen.
Here's a brief synopsis of The First Chronicle.
The kingdom of Aldronad enjoys peace and prosperity under the rule of King Tovar. But one fateful night, in the middle of a thunderstorm, the king vanishes without a trace—and leaves his warlike brother, Lord Zulgen, a seat at the throne.
Deep in the heart of Oakwood Forest, a crew of woodland creatures discovers Tovar to be alive but in danger, his soul preserved within an ancient gemstone, protected by a spell that will expire after the third full moon. Accompanied by a young half-wizard, the woodlanders embark on a journey to visit the Oracle of the Vines, an enchantress whose wisdom and magic may hold the secret to their true king’s freedom.
The trail is perilous. Stone giants, ogres, dragons, and other strange beasts roam the lands. Zulgen has soldiers and spies throughout the kingdom; he even has eyes in the sky. Soon, the woodlanders must split up to stay alive. What’s worse, they may have a traitor in their midst. Please check out the map of Aldronad, illustrated by the talented Jared Blando.
Other Books
Nonfiction (Math/Philosophy/Physics)
Post-WW2 Spy Thriller
Adventure Thriller
Nonfiction (Business)
Sleight of Mind
Good Little Marauder
Sabotage
The Startup Star
BY Matt Cook
BY Matt Cook
BY Matt Cook
BY Matt Cook & Jon Zhang
Fiction
Fiction
Nonfiction (Math/Philosophy/Physics)
Nonfiction (Math/Philosophy/Physics)
Braveship
Mr. 2
Sleight of Mind
Sleight of Mind
Japanese Edition in Two Parts
Russian Edition
BY Matt Cook (Forthcoming)
BY Matt Cook (Forthcoming)
BY Matt Cook
BY Matt Cook
Early Novel
Early Nonfiction
The Hunt for the King
Fearless
Tovar's Enchantment
BY Matt Cook
BY Matt Cook
Blog
Contact
Dear readers, comments and questions are welcome. I look forward to hearing from you and will try my hardest to personally answer all emails.
For composer and general artistic inquiries, please contact Matt's artistic manager, Katherine Womer Benjamin and visit Arts28. For film inquiries, please contact entertainment attorney Scott Schwimer. With literary questions, please contact Victoria Skurnick at Levine Greenberg Literary Agency. For corporate speaking engagements, book club discussions, and bookstore/other events, please use the contact form here. Thank you for writing.
