Book Blurb:
This first story in the Welcome to Wendtmurhoefen Series, titled “Long Days, Short Knights”, introduces you to its most celebrated hero in the kingdom’s history, Sir Gilderlilly. Sir Gilderlilly dons an enchanted set of armor given to him by the royal advisor and resident wizard, Alaburton, after it is discovered that he is the hero foretold in a prophecy to rescue the missing princess. However, the armor’s enchantment comes with a heavy price and Sir Gilderlilly must cope with this while on his quest.
He eventually meets Horace, a unicorn unlike anything anyone has ever seen, with magical abilities that would boggle even the keenest of minds on the subject and a penchant for blunt honesty. Horace joins him on his quest, and the two eventually share an unbreakable bond of friendship.
Along the way, the two will encounter a variety of magical creatures, to include dragons (which also have a unique twist of their own)! The finale of the story sees our heroes making a case breaking discovery while being dealt a most painful blow in the form of treachery from one of their companions. But, this traitor is redeemed in the end by doing the right thing and helping the duo solve the mystery, while paying for their crime.
This story serves as the origin for our hero, and is the first of several possible entries in the series. More than anything, this story is about change and how we react to it. Our hero goes from a Blacksmith’s son who has never been beyond his village to an explorer and adventurer that goes on to see many things beyond that scope of possibility. As he experiences all of these new things for the first time, he realizes how much his life is changing going forward, and becomes comfortable with the small inconveniences he is dealing with on the way. He also learns valuable lessons in trust and true friendship, one of the most powerful forms of magic.
Adaptation Pitch:
I think this series would be best adapted as an animated feature or kid’s series, as it is meant to entertain through means of adventure and humor. It focuses mostly on the journey and development of the characters while keeping the violence toa staggering minimum. It’s an adventure very much inspired by authors such as Terry Pratchett, Lloyd Alexander, and J.R.R. Tolkien (without taking as long to read). In terms of movies, it would be similar to the style of Shrek- with some juvenile humor, but avoiding the violence in this story. Book Two, on the other hand (currently in development with eleven chapters finished), does have some violence in it, but it’s very minor. Once Book Two is complete, I do intend on starting Book Three, which will be the most revealing of the series in ways of the secrets of the Island of Wendtmurhoefen.
