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Outcast
While visiting his ailing mother in the secure wing of a psychiatric hospital, Luke Boyle eavesdrops on a delirious patient, Sye, who is desperate to return to his world of outlandish beasts, magic and gods. Sye’s mutterings are so fantastic that Luke befriends him and records Sye's story, with a view to stealing ideas to enrich his own fantasy manuscript.
In Sye’s other world, from the day he saw his own reflection in a pail of water, he knew that he was different. If only he had known just how different, perhaps he would not so easily have rejected the horned people of Westwinds Castle, who put aside their prejudices to follow him. Or rejected their ancient prophecy as superstition. Maybe he would not have sworn revenge on his childhood friend, Salm, who was ready to go to any lengths to become a goddess, or scoured the world for clues to his origin and a place he could call home. It would have saved so many lives.
As it was, an inquisitive mind and a passion for logic proved poor weapons against myth and monsters. Not that Sye failed to find what he was looking for. It was just that he did not realise the sacrifice he would have to make or the extent to which his fate and that of the world was connected. Until it was too late, and everything, even the safety of Luke’s world, was at stake.
Official book Reviews
“Reminiscent of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels in terms of unbridled creativity … The narrative’s structure is brilliant, and Sye’s fantastical wanderings keeps readers turning pages. A potent work of fantasy storytelling.”
blueink Review, August, 2021
The Worlds Apart duology takes the reader on a journey of epic proportions - a storyline that bridges two worlds and a plot rich in twists and revelations. While fantastic events stretch the reader’s imagination, many of the choices and issues the characters face - equality, indecision, the need to belong, disease, climate change - are common to us all.
In Sye’s other world, from the day he saw his own reflection in a pail of water, he knew that he was different. If only he had known just how different, perhaps he would not so easily have rejected the horned people of Westwinds Castle, who put aside their prejudices to follow him. Or rejected their ancient prophecy as superstition. Maybe he would not have sworn revenge on his childhood friend, Salm, who was ready to go to any lengths to become a goddess, or scoured the world for clues to his origin and a place he could call home. It would have saved so many lives.
As it was, an inquisitive mind and a passion for logic proved poor weapons against myth and monsters. Not that Sye failed to find what he was looking for. It was just that he did not realise the sacrifice he would have to make or the extent to which his fate and that of the world was connected. Until it was too late, and everything, even the safety of Luke’s world, was at stake.
Official book Reviews
“Reminiscent of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels in terms of unbridled creativity … The narrative’s structure is brilliant, and Sye’s fantastical wanderings keeps readers turning pages. A potent work of fantasy storytelling.”
blueink Review, August, 2021
The Worlds Apart duology takes the reader on a journey of epic proportions - a storyline that bridges two worlds and a plot rich in twists and revelations. While fantastic events stretch the reader’s imagination, many of the choices and issues the characters face - equality, indecision, the need to belong, disease, climate change - are common to us all.
655 pages, Paperback
Published July 1, 2021
About the author
D.J. Stoneham
7 books5 followersHaving journeyed down my own personal rabbit hole at the tail end of a career in corporate communications and sustainability, I am now pursuing a lifelong dream writing fantasy stories. Rather like the proverbial Alice, I find myself drawn to the curious, the fantastic and the peculiar. So it made sense to make Alice Falls Again my first novel to reach the finishing line. Revamped in a new edition in 2023, Alice Falls Again is joined by a stand-alone book two, Once upon a Wonderland, also published in 2023
Created over several decades, my epic fantasy duology - Worlds Apart - acted as an outlet for an over-active imagination and contrast to my career – escapism and therapy rolled into one. The two books - Outcast and Havoc - were published in 2021.
In the past, I have co-authored a best-selling series of schoolbooks and co-produced Future Histories, a collection of science fiction stories (forward by Arthur C Clarke and Nicholas Negroponte) for limited distribution.
Born in London, I grew up on the south coast of England and, apart from a few years in China and back in the UK, I have spent the second half of my life in Finland with my family.
Reviews for Alice Falls Again:
"An ideal fantasy for Carroll fans...Stoneham imbues his prose with a wit and poetry that do ample justice to his source material...."
- blueink
"...A brilliant and amusing reinvention..."
- Kirkus
"Fantastical wonders and head-over-heels adventures abound ... just enough sarcasm and joviality to keep it from becoming saccharine..." - Foreword Clarion
Reviews for Once upon a Wonderland:
“A celebration of what made this original story so great, coupled with surreal elements and twists and turns that make it one of the finest releases of 2023.” - Nerdection
"Captivating, iconic, and engaging ... a must-read folklore and fantasy-driven fairytale novel.” - Anthony Avina
5-star rating. "Once upon a Wonderland is a noteworthy fantasy like no other … a beautiful blend of a beloved classic with a unique creative enhancement for today's audiences.” - Reader Views
“Laugh-out-loud sequences, a fanciful tone throughout as well as stellar illustrations that perfectly complement the narrative.” - blueink
"… a satisfying read that captures the whimsy and imagination of Carroll’s classic.” - The Creative Muggle.
"As inventive and immersive as all of Alice's previous trips. The author’s masterful dexterity with language is an impressive homage to Lewis Carroll’s own whimsical pen, and the wordplay throughout the novel is rich, clever, and unpredictable. Engaging, entertaining, and wickedly smart, Once Upon a Wonderland feels like a classic in its own right." - Self-Publishing Review
Reviews for Outcast, Book One of the Worlds Apart series:
“A rewarding fantasy novel … worlds are fleshed out in an enthralling, stylized manner … an intriguing introductory volume.”
- Foreword Clarion, August, 2021
“Reminiscent of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels in terms of unbridled creativity … the narrative’s structure is brilliant ... Sye’s fantastical wanderings keeps readers turning pages ... a potent work of fantasy storytelling.” - blueink, August, 2021
"The characters are brilliantly developed and elevate the story with their individuality ... I hope this goes out to become a bestseller as it deserves!" Grace Jackson, August, 2021
Created over several decades, my epic fantasy duology - Worlds Apart - acted as an outlet for an over-active imagination and contrast to my career – escapism and therapy rolled into one. The two books - Outcast and Havoc - were published in 2021.
In the past, I have co-authored a best-selling series of schoolbooks and co-produced Future Histories, a collection of science fiction stories (forward by Arthur C Clarke and Nicholas Negroponte) for limited distribution.
Born in London, I grew up on the south coast of England and, apart from a few years in China and back in the UK, I have spent the second half of my life in Finland with my family.
Reviews for Alice Falls Again:
"An ideal fantasy for Carroll fans...Stoneham imbues his prose with a wit and poetry that do ample justice to his source material...."
- blueink
"...A brilliant and amusing reinvention..."
- Kirkus
"Fantastical wonders and head-over-heels adventures abound ... just enough sarcasm and joviality to keep it from becoming saccharine..." - Foreword Clarion
Reviews for Once upon a Wonderland:
“A celebration of what made this original story so great, coupled with surreal elements and twists and turns that make it one of the finest releases of 2023.” - Nerdection
"Captivating, iconic, and engaging ... a must-read folklore and fantasy-driven fairytale novel.” - Anthony Avina
5-star rating. "Once upon a Wonderland is a noteworthy fantasy like no other … a beautiful blend of a beloved classic with a unique creative enhancement for today's audiences.” - Reader Views
“Laugh-out-loud sequences, a fanciful tone throughout as well as stellar illustrations that perfectly complement the narrative.” - blueink
"… a satisfying read that captures the whimsy and imagination of Carroll’s classic.” - The Creative Muggle.
"As inventive and immersive as all of Alice's previous trips. The author’s masterful dexterity with language is an impressive homage to Lewis Carroll’s own whimsical pen, and the wordplay throughout the novel is rich, clever, and unpredictable. Engaging, entertaining, and wickedly smart, Once Upon a Wonderland feels like a classic in its own right." - Self-Publishing Review
Reviews for Outcast, Book One of the Worlds Apart series:
“A rewarding fantasy novel … worlds are fleshed out in an enthralling, stylized manner … an intriguing introductory volume.”
- Foreword Clarion, August, 2021
“Reminiscent of Swift’s Gulliver’s Travels in terms of unbridled creativity … the narrative’s structure is brilliant ... Sye’s fantastical wanderings keeps readers turning pages ... a potent work of fantasy storytelling.” - blueink, August, 2021
"The characters are brilliantly developed and elevate the story with their individuality ... I hope this goes out to become a bestseller as it deserves!" Grace Jackson, August, 2021
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May 4, 2024
Beautifully written and easy to read. Love it!
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