Barbra Hesson

By Mike Wilks

Mike Wilks is an award-winning artist.  His paintings are extremely detailed and mind-bending.

Life in Nem is not easy for Mel and his family.  They are simple weavers who only have enough money for basic survival.   When Mel, who is a good artist, gets a chance to work as an apprentice for master painter Ambrosius Blenk, he is very excited.

Mel is amazed at the master’s richly colored and vividly detailed paintings. He is particularly entrnced by the colors, because there are no colors back home. To have color in your life, you have to buy the Pleasure, owned by a group called the Fifth Mystery.

Soon, Mel and his new friends Ludo and Wren find themselves caught in a struggle with the Mystery. One that involves stepping through paintings into a world where the bizarre is commonplace and all logic is gone. A world where angels, pyramid mazes, imaginary monsters, talking houses and – most importantly – the simple paintbrush all combine to form a hugely original and deeply compelling fantasy.

This is a thrilling adventure filled with fantastical creatures in an incredibly visual secret world.

Good readers be prepared for a story of 549 pages. It is a little complicated at times but well worth the journey.  The end of the book has a glossary of terms used in the Seven Kingdoms and Artist terms used in the story.

The next book is Mirrorstorm, then Mirrorshade.