One of the characters in the Realm Rift Saga is Dank, a boy covered in bizarre tattoos who has a Faerie sprite living in his skin. This fay can push its way in and out of his body, at great pain to Dank, but whilst it’s within him he’s connected to the fay. He can share their thoughts, their memories and knowledge. And that character wouldn’t exist if not for Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time.
Anyone who’s played Ocarina of Time will already know that the playable character is a boy named Link, who is accompanied by a little fairy called Navi. Navi is a game mechanic to provide hints, reminders, and to demand that you listen. Generally Navi floats around objects of interest or provides hints as to what to do next. But, when you are at rest, she will sometimes disappear under Link’s clothing. You can see it below in the animated GIF my brother made for me (thanks Chris!)
Anyway, one day, I wondered if she wasn’t actually disappearing under Link’s skin.
I know. My thoughts worry me too, sometimes.
But this thought actually became key, not just to Dank, but to the very nature of the fay in the Realm Rift Saga.
It seemed a given that Navi’s body wouldn’t remain intact inside Link. She’d have to dissipate inside him. And if her body was dissipated, so were her thoughts. A fairy wouldn’t endow the boy with any physical benefits by existing inside him. But mental benefits? Sharing thoughts? That made sense.
And that’s what made me think that maybe all fay shared thoughts. Because sharing thoughts with a single fay didn’t seem enough of a benefit to me. But if the fay all shared thoughts? Then linking to one would get you access to thousands of immortal memories. That sort of knowledge might be worth pain, mental intrusion, and a sacrifice of your own personality to something greater. Or, at least, something you were told would be greater.
So that blink-and-you’ll-miss-it moment in Ocarina of Time turned out to be pretty important for the Realm Rift Saga. Without it, there would have been no Dank, and the fay would not have shared a mind, which is pivotal to the plot in so many different places. In fact, you could argue that, if Navi hadn’t disappeared into Link’s clothes, there would be no Realm Rift Saga at all.
A land plagued by dragons. A sword only he can wield. A quest that could save his realm or doom it forever.
Thomas Rymour is the prophet who cannot lie, in service to a powerful duke. But when an elf lord hatches a plot to steal a legendary sword, Tom is forced to break his oath in order to save the world.
On the run from armies and dragons, Tom discovers the sword is the only thing that can stop the oncoming war, and he is the only one who can wield it. But while terrifying dragons scorch the skies, the immortal creatures of Faerie hatch their own dark plans for the mortal realm.
Can Tom find a way to save the mortal realm? Or will he fall foul of Faerie plots?
“The Fey Man immerses the reader in a compellingly conceived alternative realm created with a powerful sense of character and place.” – Brian Sibley, writer of The Lord of the Rings BBC Radio Drama
The Fey Man is the first book in the epic Realm Rift Saga. Download your copy today.
★★★★★ “This is one of the best epic fantasy books that I have read.”
★★★★ “As a study of a man in the throes of addiction, or maybe withdrawal…[Thomas Rymour] was particularly well drawn.”
★★★★★ “I smashed through this quickly as it's a real page turner and enjoyed it thoroughly. The setting is familiar enough that entering it is enjoyable and welcoming and at the same time novel enough that you care about the characters and the plot.”
