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Neils Knudsen was born in 1948 in Honolulu, Hawaii. He moved a lot during his childhood and early adulthood. Each location had its own traditions and ways of life. He tended to adopt many of those nuances and in each new micro-culture he became a little more fanciful. As a result his foundation as a writer of fantasy fiction was under construction.
A six year stint in the U.S. Navy followed by 24 years working for the U.S. Army distracted him from any thought of writing.
After he retired his son challenged him to write a book.
At that point his primary experience with writing dealt with SOP’s (standard operating procedures), regulations and reports—all very boring. Newsletters and a few editorial cartoons in small town newspapers were the extent of his published artistic endeavors.
Online writing sites, like critiquecircle.com, helped hone his creative writing skills. He also had the help of a wife with an English degree, a brother-in-law with several novels to his name and plenty of time on his hands. Almost five years later he finished the first novel and entered a state-wide contest sponsored by the League of Utah Writers.
In 2013 he won first place for the first chapter in The Singing Stones of Rendor. With that award, and some fine tuning of the novel, he delayed publishing to enter it in the “Novel” category the following year. One of the requirements was the work had to be unpublished. In 2014 the book won second place. Not bad.
The critique from the judges led to further refinements of the story.
Neils now reside in Utah and writes under the gentle guidance of his wife and hard-nosed muse, and the encouragement of a much admired brother-in-law. The only pets he lives with are his peeves.
Reviewed by Michelle Stanley for Readers' Favorite
The Singing Stones of Rendor is Book 1 from the Eidolon Trilogy by Neils Knudsen. When K’Las was born to tinkers, Willim and B’Tris Campanill, his aunt Haegatess transferred her potent magical powers to him before dying. His parents also possess this magic known as weaving, and can perform spells using their tuning forks that respond to music. The family go into hiding when Inquisitors of the Great Henge, who want to control weaving for their own selfish purposes, send Enforcers to kill them. An evil wizard covets B’Tris’ valuable fork to assert his authority over the Henge, but needs B’Tris’ melodious voice to make the fork work. However, one Enforcer decides to take matters into his own hands while some villagers form an alliance with the Campanills to stop the wizard. K’Las’ parents soon realize his weaving skills are greater than theirs, but his stubbornness and impatience to prove his worth often makes him act recklessly.
Neils Knudsen’s novel, The Singing Stones of Rendor, is a pleasant young adult fantasy. It is Book 1 from the Eidolon Trilogy with an eye-catching beginning. The author does not readily define a weaver or other magical terms used in the story, preferring to enlighten readers while the drama unfolds. The unique plot blends music into the magic to make spells work. A selection of interesting characters who display assorted personalities and intelligence levels make the story more entertaining. I think the story ended too abruptly, but nonetheless, it is a nicely written novel.
