Deitz, Tom 1952-

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DEITZ, Tom 1952-

PERSONAL: Born Thomas Franklin Deitz, 1952; raised in Young Harris, Georgia. Education: University of Georgia, B.A. and M.A. in medieval literature.

ADDRESSES: Home—Georgia. Agent—c/o Author Mail, Avon Books, 1350 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10019. E-mail—[email protected].

CAREER: Writer.

MEMBER: Society for Creative Anachronism (cofounder of local chapter).

WRITINGS:

FANTASY NOVELS; "DAVID SULLIVAN" SERIES

Windmaster's Bane, Avon (New York, NY), 1986.

Fireshaper's Doom, Avon (New York, NY), 1987.

Darkthunder's Way, Avon (New York, NY), 1989.

Sunshaker's War, Avon (New York, NY), 1990.

Stoneskin's Revenge, Avon (New York, NY), 1991.

Ghostcountry's Wrath, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1995.

Dreamseeker's Road, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1995.

Landslayer's Law, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1997.

Warstalker's Track, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1999.

FANTASY NOVELS; "SOULSMITH SERIES"

Soulsmith, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1991.

Dreambuilder, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1992.

Wordwright, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1993.

FANTASY NOVELS; "TALES OF ERON"

Bloodwinter: A Tale of Eron, Bantam Spectra (New York, NY), 1999.

Springwar: A Tale of Eron, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2000.

Summerblood: A Tale of Eron, Bantam Books (New York, NY), 2001.

Warautumn, Bantam Spectra (New York, NY), 2002.

FANTASY NOVELS

The Gryphon King, Avon (New York, NY), 1989.

Above the Lower Sky, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1994.

The Demons in the Green, AvoNova (New York, NY), 1996.

SIDELIGHTS: Tom Deitz grew up in the mountains of northern Georgia, which also happens to be the setting for most of his fantasy novels. He received his master's degree in medieval literature, the closest, he has said, that he could come to majoring in J. R. R. Tolkien, the author of the Lord of the Rings. Deitz has written several novels, most of which are based on either Celtic or Native American mythology, especially those stories told by southeastern U.S. tribes. Many of his books have recurring characters and are published in a particular sequence, such as his "David Sullivan" series, which includes nine separate novels and his first four published books. Deitz continues to live in the mountains and has also stated, in a brief biography on the Dragon Con Web site, that he would like to build a small castle some day.

The character David Sullivan first appears in the initial novel of a nine-book series, with the title Windmaster's Bane, written in 1986. Teenaged Sullivan is somewhat alienated from his peers because he is not impressed with pop culture and would rather spend his time reading books, especially those that are based on ancient legends. One day, to his surprise, he finds that he has been gifted with Second Sight and is able to peer into an overlapping reality, that of the Faerie from Tir-Nan-Og. When the faeries discover that a mortal is watching them, Sullivan's real adventures begin as he and two of his friends are brought into the other world and into the faeries' battles between the Light and the Dark masters. Sullivan is the protagonist of these stories, but he is not a one-sided hero. He often makes mistakes, and he not incapable of crumpling into an emotional mess of tears throughout the entire nine novels. The series ends with Warstalker's Track, published in 1999, and in which Sullivan finds himself in the middle of a war. He must help rescue the deposed Faerie king in order to save not only Tir-Nan-Og but also his own land in his own reality.

Deitz has written another sequential collection of books referred to as the "Soulsmith" Series, which includes the titles Soulsmith, Dreambuilder, and Wordwright. These three novels are also set in the woods of Georgia, but the protagonist this time is Ronny Dillon, a young man who finds himself welcomed into the mysterious family that lives in a magnificent estate called Cardalba. The family has roots in Wales and reportedly also has the gift of magic. In the first of the series, Dillon's foster parents die, and the master of Cardalba takes the young protagonist under his care. Once inside the confines of the estate, Dillon learns of the dark secrets and powers of the Welch family.

The second book begins with Dillon far from Cardalba. He has left that part of his life behind. But his half-brother suddenly appears and urges him to return home. Dillon finally relents, and thus begins yet another adventure of magic and illusion in which Dillon faces the challenges of both love and loss. He leaves, once again, but in the third book, after being told of his half-brother's death, Dillon must once again return to Cardalba in an attempt to reclaim his legacy, the power of magic.

Deitz's next series, "The Tales of Eron," includes the titles Bloodwinter: A Tale of Eron, Springwar: A Tale of Eron, Summerblood: A Tale of Eron, and Warautumn. This collection is based in what Library Journal contributor Jackie Cassada described as "an exotic world ruled by rituals and steeped in ancient traditions." Eron has been all but destroyed by a plague and in the first book is just starting to recover. One of the main characters of this series, Avail, a metalsmith, discovers a magical gem that contains the power, as related by a Publishers Weekly reviewer, "to link minds across distances," when those minds are focused on the magical stone. In the next book, the gem takes Eron to the brink of war as jealousies and schemes of revenge ravage the land. Cassada praised the writing of this tale for its "intelligent, realistic characters." And Booklist reviewer Roland Green wrote that Deitz upholds his "reputation for intelligent, action-packed fantasy."

In Summerblood, the war continues with Avail, who has become the king. Avail is intensely focused on mastering the powers of the gems, but his enemies have other plans. Booklist reviewer Roland Green stated that Deitz keeps his readers' interest because of his well-developed characters who must face "compelling internal and external dilemmas," while Cassada found that it was Deitz's ability to put "a fresh look at how magic works" that enlivened this series.

The fourth book in this series, Warautumn, features the culmination of the war in Eron. A cult-like religious group has taken over Eron, but King Avail prevails. Once again, critics wrote of Deitz's ability to create realistic and complex characters. More fantasy writers should follow Deitz's writing style, Green stated in his review of Summerblood. "There aren't enough fantasy writers like him."

BIOGRAPHICAL AND CRITICAL SOURCES:

PERIODICALS

Booklist, July, 2000, Roland Green, review of Springwar: A Tale of Eron, p. 2015; March 1, 2001, Roland Green, review of Summerblood: A Tale of Eron, p. 1232; August, 2002, Roland Green, review of Warautumn, p. 1936.

Kirkus Reviews, February 1, 1999, review of Bloodwinter: A Tale of Eron, p. 182; February 1, 2001, review of Summerblood, p. 149.

Library Journal, March 15, 1999, Jackie Cassada, review of Bloodwinter, p. 112; July, 2000, Jackie Cassada, review of Springwar, p. 147; April 15, 2001, Jackie Cassada, review of Summerblood, p. 137; August, 2002, Jackie Cassada, review of Warautumn, p. 152.

Publishers Weekly, March 29, 1999, review of Bloodwinter, p. 96; April 2, 2001, review of Summerblood, p. 45.

Science Fiction Chronicle, April, 2001, review of Summerblood, p.36.

Voice of Youth Advocates, October, 2001, review of Summerblood, p. 288.