“To see the spirit and will of everything is the path of the Shaman. “Way of the Shaman” is a novel of young Ulruk, an Inuit boy charged with the path of Shamanism for his Anatatook people. His path to earning the title will be long, and he’s unsure of his journey, especially when everyone seems out to end it! “Way of the Shaman” is well worth considering for fans of the Inuit cultures and mythology, highly recommended for teens and adults.” —Midwest Book Review
In the frozen North, a land of deadly weather and unforgiving spirits, the shaman is all that stands in the way of disaster.
Ulruk, a twelve-year-old Inuit boy, is thrust into the uncertain and frightening realm of Inuit mysticism when Sila, an imposing Wind spirit, calls upon him to become a shaman among the Anatatook people. Ulruk discovers a kaleidoscopic world where everything is alive, where the tent skins whisper at night and even the soapstone cooking pot has a tale to tell.
His teacher is a man of many secrets who cannot let his true nature be known to anyone. He enlists the aid of Nunavik, a golden walrus spirit with an acerbic wit, and Weyahok, a naive but loyal lump of soapstone to help teach Ulruk.
Over the course of a series of adventures Ulruk discovers the spirit world’s many wonders and horrors. He faces vengeful ghosts, an insatiable fever demon, a wily rival shaman and, worst of all, self-doubt as he travels the dangerous path to becoming a shaman.
“The secret to flying,” his grandfather’s ghost tells him, “is simple. It is the same as the secret to everything else. You mustn’t be afraid.”
Ken Altabef’s short fiction has twice appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, most recently with the novelette The Lost Elephants of Kenyisha in the July 2010 issue. Touching the Mystery is the first of an epic 5-part fantasy series that takes a grand tour of Inuit mythology and sees Ulruk fulfilling a destiny that ultimately involves the fate of the entire world beyond the Arctic Circle.
This book will be enjoyed by both teens and adults, with the exotic setting and Inuit mythology offering something new for even the most jaded fantasy reader.
As a child, I was hopelessly traumatized when I witnessed a man actually walking on the surface of the Moon! I’ve been writing fantasy and science fiction ever since.
A Science Fiction Writers of America member, my short fiction has been published in various magazines and anthologies. I have twice appeared in The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction, most recently with the novelette The Lost Elephants of Kenyisha in the July 2010 issue. I was an editor on the mixed-genre short story anthology “Drastic Measures” and its recently-released sequel “Wash the Spider Out”, which also features two of my stories.
WAY OF THE SHAMAN, my 5-part series of epic fantasy novels is published by Blueberry Lane Books. Described as “Cutting-edge fantasy at the Top of the World” this series takes a grand tour of Inuit mythology and sees its shamanic hero Ulruk fulfilling a destiny that ultimately involves the fate of the entire world beyond the Arctic Circle. You can preview this work, and read some of my stories and other fun stuff at my website: www.wayoftheshamanONLINE.com.