THE LANDThe first part of the trilogy 'Hope' tells of the arrival of Squire in Thorland and 'The Quest for the Teeth of the Upper Jaw'. THE PROPHECY After many centuries, Squire has returned to Thorland, summoned there by the good Wizard Tobin in order to fulfil an ancient prophecy.
THE PEOPLE As the quest begins, the other members of the company described in the prophecy join Squire. They also encounter many friends who assist them on the quest.
THE MAGIC Tobin gives Squire a shield to protect him in times of great danger, but warns that whenever he uses it he will also get a glimpse of his own world - an unpleasant experience.
THE QUEST Their quest takes the company to every part of West Thorland. Every time they locate one of the teeth, they also receive instructions for finding the next tooth. Throughout the quest, the wicked Wizard Gordeve tries to abduct Squire, destroy his friends, and thwart the quest.
Les Bill Gates, masterminded adventurer, takes his readers on an unforgettable journey through the The story unfolds as Squire, declared shield-bearer, arrives unexplained into Hanlin Forest in West Despite his protests, Squire is convinced to join the expedition, as the shield-bearer, his acquiesced title, proves capable of his calling, despite a few lax moments, which bring lightness into the story to relieve its ferocious tensions as the quest for ‘gold’ and ‘hope’ surges forward.
Crammed with adventure, puzzles to solve, adversaries to defeat and with the Luchorpans’ (they are nice and small) help, the mission is wild, juxtaposed by Vinny, the joker, challenged by Gordeve, wicked ‘war monger’ and her Kobalos, aided by Tobin, the Wizard, who swoops into the scene at inopportune moments. A beautiful queen and a sweet touch of romance complete the plot; a light desert following a hearty meal, Gates has contemplated every moment superbly.
A work by Gates; master adventurer in his own realm, who deserves every success forthcoming with a breathtaking journey for readers, a sequel to follow. This story is akin to Lord of the Rings and the reviewer can see it becoming a ‘block buster’ movie in due season.
Congratulations to Penrose Publishing for a splendid edition. I highly recommend readers take this opportunity to purchase a copy or download a digital edition from this publisher.
I found ‘Hope (Windows on Our Word) Book I’ by Les Bill Gates, to be a fantastic fantasy read. The author did a superb job in creating the characters. Each one is well-rounded and of full benefit to the unlikely group of characters sent on a quest.
Les Bill Gates writes with great clarity and descriptions, which hold the reader spellbound. ‘Hope’ pulls the reader in and sends them down many lanes, with many twists and turns, keeping the reader Of course, there is a prophecy that will keep readers looking forward to the next book, and the next in this trilogy.
Personally, I loved ‘Hope’ and am looking forward to the next book in the trilogy
I recommend ‘Hope’ to fantasy lovers, young and old.
I received a PDF copy of this book to read and give an honest review..
“Hope” is a classic fantasy. It is the first in a trilogy, known as Windows on Our World.
The classic quest begins as a man wakes from a dream to find himself delivered by an eagle into a strange world, and into the centre of a prophecy. Apparently he is the long-awaited Squire who will fulfil an ancient prophecy, guided by the Wizard Tobin. On a quest to find each of the teeth that must be returned to an ancient skull, Squire and his group of friends move from one scenario to another, through Thorland, to combat the evil Gordeve with her plans to rule the land.
The story is full of wonders. Stories that reveal a world, piece by piece, are always fascinating. The names of the places within the world and the names of the characters echo the names in our own world and the worlds of other stories and other fantasies. They conjure up images and the echoes of scenarios. The themes of good versus evil, and of camaraderie against a shared evil are also reassuringly familiar.
The plot moves reasonably quickly. There are references to veiled, mystical undercurrents which keep the story intriguing, and strong plot twists. And there is no shortage of creatures and landscapes both fearsome and friendly. The narrative is reasonably sparse, emotionally. Imbued as I am with the writings of the likes of JRR Tolkien and David Eddings, I missed the emotional intensity of plot conflict points. But then, if Gates had built each of his climaxes to that extent for each tooth, the story would have gone for thousands of pages. Maybe there needed to be a different set of objects to find, with less of them, than the number of teeth in a mouth! Or maybe the plot is fine as it is and it moves quickly and succinctly from point to point with just the necessary build to make sense and excitement. I certainly felt myself drawn back to it, as each chapter heralded the next.
Originally I found the dialogue rather strange, perhaps stilted. But then it fits with the style of writing which, itself, seems to be setting a more formal atmosphere of ‘old-world tale’ and continues throughout the book.
I grew to like each of the characters, despite the fact that, again, they are described only sufficiently to make the plot work. But by the end of the book, I found myself glad for each of them as they participated in the final gathering, sad at not meeting them all again in another piece of the adventure and quite relieved that there was to be a sequel so that I could join them on the next part of their quest.
This is a book that an advanced primary school reader could read. It really is a kind of fairy tale. That did not, in any way, reduce the pleasure I had in reading it. It simply indicates that this book will reach a wide audience, who will enjoy it for what it is – an intriguing, exciting, easy-to-read fantasy.
Similar to the epics Mahabharata and Ramayana, the classics of Indian literature, Windows on Our World. Part I: Hope is a purely imaginative blockbuster in the tradition of fantasy novels of recent era created by Les Bill Gates, the pen name of Leslie William Gates. He is a teacher by profession but by passion a fantasy writer. Hope is the first part and the remaining parts, Faith and Love will eventually appear, so says the author. The story of Hope is told in twenty chapters. Squire, the legendary Savior of mankind and the Expected One, arrives on the wings of a giant eagle in Hanilin Forest in West Thorland. He helps the good wizard Tobin to find out the lost teeth of a golden skull that has magical powers to bring in peace and prosperity for the people of the land. Gordeve, the wicked wizard, sister of Tobin and the antagonist in the novel is also after the golden teeth. Hence conflicts and confrontations between Squire and Gordeve are inevitable. The Expected savior with his team has to arrest the evil wizard and also overcome the odds of unfriendly nature. Fighting scenes are aplenty in the book. The fat and flesh of the book are the numerous adventures of Squire and his friends well equipped with suitable weapons of the that time just as the characters of the serial film 'A Team.' After having encountered with the evil forces of Gordeve, the Squire’s team redeems the teeth of upper jaw one by one. The bone of the story is the eternal conflict between the good and the evil. The story ends happily and beautifully. But the readers may ask for: 'where are the teeth of lower jaw?' That is the magical effect of this volume. The readers are induced to look for the remaining parts in the following volumes! The book has all the elements of an interesting book such as an ideal theme, fascinating storyline, beautiful sceneries, life-full characters, fantastic events, fighting and stunts, magical scenes, humorous dialogues, simple and common language studded with elegant phrases and idioms, route maps, happy ending etc. Careful and colorful crafting of those components makes the book wholesome, handsome and worthy of reading J.K.Rowling's Harry Potter series, it is alleged, have unnatural, irrational and abnormal fantasies; Les Bill Gates has bridled his imagination and has kept it within the boundaries of logic, reason and decorum. Les has made even an animal, mule, the Faithful a lively character very unlike of JKR’s creations. The book is a pleasant reading for the readers - children, adults and the aged - having leisurely time at hand. While reading the saga of Squire and his company we are reminded of the internationally acclaimed films like 'Connan the Barbarian', 'Red Sonja', 'Ladies of Amazon', 'Death Stalker.' The book has the potential for being made unto a fantastic thriller film. We did not feel quite happy with the main title Windows on the World and the sub title Hope. Title given to a book must be crisp, catchy of onlooker's eyes and compassing to the content of the book. Squire as a hero needed little more virility and vitality. The book is brought out beautifully – nice cover, and printed like library edition. The price of the book seemed little high.
Reviewer: Joseph Kaval - Editor and publisher of the international literary journal Katha Kshetre.
JK (The above review appeared in KK.Vol.09.N0.01. Jan-Feb-Mar 2008)
Windows on our World, Part 1: Hope by Les Bill Gates
In the first part of the fantasy trilogy, Windows on our World,Hope, is set in the fictitious Thorland. It is an easy read where Lord of the Rings meets National Treasure with vocabulary not above the average English reader.
Squire finds himself in Thorland after being summoned by the wizard Tobin to fulfil an ancient prophecy. Together with a company, selected by the prophecy, he set off in search for the teeth of the upper jaw which belong to the golden skull. The quest leads the company through beautiful descriptive scenes of the country by means of clues hidden with every tooth. But like all quests, there is a villain in the form of Gordeve, the evil wizard sister of Tobin, who does everything in her power to overthrow the company.
There is a strong universal theme of good and evil, camaraderie, and trust. At times the dialogue seems unnatural, but does not deflect attention from the story line. There is enough intrigue to keep you turning the pages.
The characters are interesting, although, except for Squire and Jippers, they do not have any body to them. Descriptions are done with precision, but they lack a certain humanity and you find it difficult to relate to them.
My final conclusion is that the first part of the trilogy, Windows on our World, is an entertaining read and I will recommend it to anyone who would like to sit back and relax for a few hours. I am waiting, with baited breath, the next book.
Yolande du Plessis
Title: WINDOWS ON OUR WORLD, PART 1: HOPE
Author: Les Bill Gates
The ancient prophecy of Thorland is about to be fulfilled as a man known only as the Squire arrives by way of a giant eagle. Though the man does not remember who he is or where he comes from, he accepts the explanation of Helge, the woman who has been tasked with helping him on an important quest. With the help of the wizard Tobin, his apprentices, an archer, and three Luchorpans, Helge and Squire must locate the teeth that belong to the golden skull in order to reinstate its magical powers and protect Thorland from the evil Gordeve.
Numerous obstacles stand in their way, for Gordeve has begun breeding a terrible cougar, which carries malicious intentions toward Squire and his friends. She has spies in even the safest of places, and she holds a secret capable of corrupting even the most loyal of men. But even beyond Gordeve's schemes there are dangers, for someone is stalking Squire and his band, and their travels take them into remote, sometimes unfriendly, lands where the threat of war overshadows their quest.
Windows on Our World enters into the familiar fantasy realm of quests and wizards and curious creatures. No time is wasted in getting the heroes underway, and by the second chapter, Squire and Helge have already set out to find the rest of their party. In some cases, the action almost seems to move a little too quickly, putting expediency above the development of situational tension or character evolution. Very little is known about the characters themselves other than their present occupation, and their feelings are sometimes lost within the shared point of view structure.
The style of writing might be a little spare for some readers, but others will be pleased by the clarity of unembellished prose. There is no need to search for meaning within the words, as the author's intention is made clear through his choice of phrasing. This helps drive the story forward and, though we reach the ending with many questions, we know that the story will be continued in the next volume, where Squire's party will continue searching for the golden teeth.
Les Bill Gates is a teacher, and former principal, at King George VI National Secondary School in the Solomon Islands. He holds a mathematics degree from Oxford University and a Certificate in Education from Exeter University. He has traveled extensively and plans to pursue a career as an author, continuing the Windows on Our World series with the second book, Faith.
