In recent years, I have read many a Fantasy stories but none of them have been like The Living Waters by Dan Fitzgerald. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice started a bit of a chain reaction in what I have wanted from the worlds that I visit. One of those attributes is a grounding in nature, to be in the present and experience what is really going on rather than fixating on the past or future or having a deadline to accomplish something to avoid doom. The Living Waters gave me the feel I was looking for!
Wonder swirls beneath murky water.
When two painted-faced nobles take a guided raft trip on a muddy river, they expect to rough it for a few weeks before returning to their life of sheltered ease. But when mysterious swirls start appearing in the water, even their seasoned guides get rattled.
The mystery of the swirls lures them on to the mythical wetlands known as the Living Waters. They discover a world beyond their imagining, but stranger still are the worlds they find inside their own minds as they are drawn deep into the troubles of this hidden place.
The Living Waters is a sword-free fantasy novel featuring an ethereal love story, meditation magic, and an ancient book with cryptic marginalia. It is the first book in the Weirdwater Confluence duology; the second book, The Isle of a Thousand Worlds, comes out January 15 2022.
My Thoughts on The Living Waters
Reading The Living Waters was like being on a boat, going on a journey, but also being on the journey that is led by the current and motions of the waters.
The face painted nobles in the story went out to explore the world and I went with them. I felt like I was a face painted noble myself because I knew nothing. I loved the characters that Dan portrayed in this book! I gravitated towards Sylvan as a scholar and connected deeply with his passion to understand the life around him. I was the starry-eyed person who wanted to devour the book front to back and figure out the cryptic messages in its margin, while adding my own notes to the book I was reading.
I also felt a connection to Temi. While she may have more privileges than some in the world, she isn’t one to live completely by the rules and roles set by society. She has a thirst for exploration, a need to be her own person, a compassionate heart and a loving nature. She is observant and a hard worker and, as Gilea and Leo find out as they take Temi and Sylvan on the roundabout, she makes people rethink what they know about nobles.
On Meditative Magic
Hands down my favourite part of The Living Waters was the meditative magic in this book. I find Fantasy very hard to read sometimes because the magic systems can be quite complex and the character arcs can be deeply rooted in history that only gets revealed later. The Living Waters isn’t like that. The Living Waters is a book in the present. Don’t get me wrong. Of course the characters have a past and their own missions in life, but at the same time, they are present in what is happening to them on this journey. They are curious. They are open to new experiences and they have grown to care about each other. While it might have been money that would have brought them together originally – Gilea and Leo being hired to take Sylvan and Temi on the roundabout – they are people who believe in building relationships and want the best for everyone in the group.
Coming back to meditative magic – I loved looking at meditation as a way to access and share magic! It is one of the most liberating concepts I have read because it is an exercise of the mind. We can all do it if we put our minds to it! While I am not much of a meditator, I see the appeal in it and I am very excited to learn more about this magic system in the following book, and other worlds that Dan has created. It reminds me a bit of how the One Power is portrayed in the Wheel of Time Amazon adaptation.
She felt how Gilea tended her memories like a garden, pulling unwanted thoughts and pruning excess growth.
Pg 188, The Living Waters
I love this line about Gilea! Recently, I have been noticing the thoughts that I have and journaling them. Acknowledging something, I believe, is the first step to changing it if change is warranted. Memories and thoughts can indeed be tended to like a garden! Working through the stuff that needs to be confronted and adjusted and keeping the wonderful things that bring us joy. 🙂
The Living Waters is a wonderful book I hope to revisit again. It is a prized possession for me because it is a signed copy from Dan! The ethereal and grounding feel of the world is like none other I have experienced. The relationships that the characters form are beautifully written and I enjoyed the exploration of liking someone and then realizing that you have fallen in love.
Do you plan to pick up this book? It is not long and if you are looking for a Sword-free Fantasy that you ride along, The Living Waters is the one to read!
The image in the banner area and graphics was taken by Dan. Many thanks to him for letting me use it.
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