Tathea

I have a love/hate relationship with books. I absolutely love good fantasy, and generally devour it in a matter of days, if not hours. Off the top of my head, I can't think of another genre that captures my interest nearly as completely.

Sadly, good fantasy is supremely difficult to find. I have a few series that I would recommend: The Wheel of Time, the Chronicles of Narnia, the Deathgate Cycle, Dealing with Dragons, the Mistborn Trilogy, and the Kingkiller Chronicles, to name- well, most* of them, really. Quite sadly, much of fantasy is gore or sex, in varying degrees. I don't mind reading some violence, as long as the whole of the book is not geared toward the next battle. I don't like -at all!- reading about sex. But there is so much more that could be had in these books! I want good characters, characters who grow and develop and deal with battles that are as much internal as they are external. So much of the time, I go to the bookstore or the library and struggle for an hour or more to try to find one good book. It has gotten so that I don't go to the bookstore if I can help it, simply because there is so much to choose from, so little to recommend itself, and everything is so expensive!

However, as I said before, I devour books. When I find a good one, putting it down becomes the most difficult thing in the world to me. So, the other day, we went to the library in search of something for me to read while feeding Cara. (Nursing gives one a lot of down time...)

I searched the aisles for several minutes before finding a book called Tathea written by Anne Perry. Right next to it (delightfully) was the sequel, called Come Armageddon. I picked up the first one and read the inside cover. The writing was interesting, and the concept fresh and new. A tiny thrill went down my spine as I realized that maybe, just maybe, this book was something I was looking for! I pulled the sequel off the shelf without reading the cover and brought them both home.

As I delved into its pages, I realized that Tathea was the fantastical story of the Gospel. Essentially, it seeks to discover how the Gospel might be presented on another world, one in which the Atonement had not taken place, but was still in effect (as the nature of it is eternal). How might the teachings of the Lord come forth in a world where the Savior would never walk as mortal man? What methods would be used? What organization would be formed? Who would be the messenger?

The only information given about the author is that she generally writes Victorian novels, and that this book is, in her estimation, her most important work so far. As a member of the LDS faith and an aspiring author, I can understand why. I am certain she is also a member. There are, essentially, verses straight out of Nephi. So many philosophies presented are the teachings we receive every week in Church. She even paints a picture of what the council in heaven may have been like, with the two plans presented and the Savior's chosen.

It is interesting seeing the various representations of good and evil, and the relative innocence with which the characters are portrayed. It is not as though their struggles are small- in many ways they are much bigger than anything I have ever faced. Yet, their struggle with evil, because it is so new to them, seems so unsophisticated compared to the things we see today. It is also interesting, given the way the book is written, to see the gospel in a different light. It is almost as if, in reading through this book, I could better understand what it would be like to hear the gospel for the first time. I wouldn't say it was my favorite book of all time, but it is a good read- not only because it sparks new ideas but also because the writing and the characters are genuinely interesting. I would recommend it, although I don't know to whom.

Is that weird?

Anyway, so read it... or don't. If you do, I'd be curious to know your thoughts. Email me at missjedi@gmail.com when you're done. :)

P.S. I am really long-winded. Sorry about that.

*There are also a couple of scifi series that I would recommend, but in my opinion scifi and fantasy are blurred together way too often. Also- in case you were wondering, I did not forget either Harry Potter or Twilight. I love Twilight, but with reservations. I don't like Harry Potter at all.