Author Description

In the frozen North, a land of deadly weather and unforgiving spirits, the shaman is all that stands in the way of disaster... Ulruk, a twelve-year-old Inuit boy, is thrust into the uncertain and frightening world of Inuit mysticism when Sila, an imposing Wind spirit, calls upon him to become a shaman among the Anatatook people. Ulruk discovers a kaleidoscopic world where everything is alive, where the tent skins whisper at night and even the soapstone cooking pot has a tale to tell. His teacher is a man of many secrets who cannot let his true nature be known to anyone. He enlists the aid of Nunavik, a golden walrus spirit with an acerbic wit, and Weyahok, a naive but loyal lump of soapstone to help teach Ulruk. Over the course of a series of adventures Ulruk discovers the spirit world's many wonders and horrors. He faces vengeful ghosts, an insatiable fever demon, a wily rival shaman and, worst of all, self-doubt as he travels the dangerous path to becoming a shaman. "The secret to flying," his grandfather's ghost tells him," is simple. It is the same as the secret to everything else. You mustn't be afraid." KEN ALTABEF's short fiction has twice appeared in "The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction," most recently with the novelette The Lost Elephants of Kenyisha in the July 2010 issue. Touching the Mystery is the first of an epic 5-part fantasy series that takes a grand tour of Inuit mythology and sees Ulruk fulfilling a destiny that ultimately involves the fate of the entire world beyond the Arctic Circle. Both teens and adults enjoy this adventure, offering something new for even the most jaded fantasy reader.