Fantasy Epics Aren’t a Boys Club Anymore

Author promotes female friendly fantasy fiction in new book

PORT ORFORD, Ore.- As far back as the Knights of the Roundtable, medieval and fantasy-themed tales have idealized the heroic male. With more and more women becoming interested in fantasy fiction and role-playing games, as seen in the World of Warcraft phenomenon, it’s time the genre moved past the macho heroes and featured strong female characters.

Author Jayel Gibson continues to promote a new era of video game inspired fantasy fiction from an uncompromisingly feminine point of view with Dragon Queen: An Ancient Mirrors Tale (Synergy Books, May 2007, ISBN 1-933538-46-4, $14.95), a prequel to last year's popular release The Wrekening. Gibson was driven to create this platform for fearless females in fantasy because of her own past frustrations with the genre.

“The love of magic, legend and mythos fostered by my grandmother is a very powerful influence in what I write,” says Gibson. “I was raised on Celtic folklore and the belief that a female could rival a male in the realm of legendary heroes. Strong female characters are difficult to find within the fantasy genre. It’s time to provide women with more dynamic female characters in fantasy books, films and role-play games.”

Dragon Queen’s main character is the abandoned young heroine, Yavie. Betrayed by her lover, her siblings, and even her father, she must rely on her own strength and determination. She soon discovers she is the rightful heir of the throne of Aedracmorae and sets out on a treacherous adventure to claim her role and reunite the shattered worlds of her land.

Unlike most fantasy epics, women drive the storylines and hold positions of power in Gibson’s writing. Gibson says she draws the inspiration for these powerful women from inside herself and the role-play game characters she creates.

Although some believe online role-play games are leading to addictive and compulsive behavior, with players neglecting their real lives for their virtual ones. However, Gibson says she once played online role-playing games for up to eight hours per day. It was characters created for these games that led her to write the "Ancient Mirrors Tales."  Rather than sucking the energy from her real life, online fantasy games were an inspiration for Gibson, who stresses the beneficial and educational aspects of role-playing games for children and adults alike.

A former teacher with a Masters in multi-cultural studies, Gibson’s research of medieval weaponry and Celtic folklore is evident in the historical detail she weaves throughout her stories. She currently resides in Port Orford, Ore., with her husband, Ken, and five pet sugar gliders—a small type of marsupial. She often speaks at conferences, including BookExpo America and the South Coast Writers Conference, and will be appearing at Wordstock and OryCon29  in November 2007. For more information, visit the Click here, or contact Amy Currie, Publicist at Phenix & Phenix Literary Publicists.

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