Literary fiction with fantasy elements
In a mediaeval world where time carves scars upon the soul, Divine Tragicomedy traces the lives of ordinary folk, their fates flickering flames in a tempest of the Universe. Here, no heroes stride, only flawed hearts—some clad in shame, others chasing fleeting hope—wending through a slow-burn tale, etched in rich prose with psychological depth.
Our Craft and Intent
I, Nathaniel Wonderful, have woven this series since 2019, with counsel from my wife, Raine Stonewall. Our tale does not springs from the dice-rolling chaos of Dungeons & Dragons but a game we reshaped, shunning dice casting and tallies of damage or defence. Grounded in logic, psychology, and the laws of the physical world, our narrative takes root not in mere role-playing, but in years of study and lived experience.
We are no mere scribes of fantasy, nor do we pen tales for fleeting amusement. Our work drinks from a vast well: poetry, history, mythology, and philosophy—and our lived knowledge of fencing, archery, and mediaeval craft. Where others chase dragons or chosen ones, we carve a path for literary adults and deep thinkers, those who cherish prose that lingers and dilemmas that gnaw.
Divine Tragicomedy is middle fantasy, evoking the nostalgia of classic literature, yet sharpened by a satirical eye on modernity, where magic is but a spice, not the feast. This is not a tale for young adults or sensitive readers nor for those craving swift battles, dark romance, or gory thrills.
It demands patience, rewarding the discerning with depth and multiple story-lines, often revealed upon a second or third reading. Although written by a transgender couple, LGBTQ+ identity and feminism are not the main pillar but delicate threads, woven subtly into the broader cloth of universal struggles.
Three volumes stand published in Czech; now, I rewrite the first, the Inscrutable Ways of Fate, its English dawn, for literary souls who savour deliberate tales, and undeterred by British English.
A Glimpse of the Realm
Jordan, one soul, bears the scars of time’s neglect:
“Jordan wore his failure like a sodden cloak, its weight bowing his shoulders, regret left a bitter tang on his tongue. Shame gnawed at him relentlessly. He tipped the flask again, the burn of juniper spirits a fleeting balm against memories of wasted years, of potential left to rot—like a tapestry half-woven, abandoned to dust.”
This excerpt from The Inscrutable Ways of Fate unveils our craft:
Characters, unchosen and unadorned, who grapple with choice and consequence. The mediaeval stage, rich with the clink of coin and scent of manure, mirrors the heart’s quiet struggles, its truths revealed slowly, like a scroll gently unrolled.
Our Pledge to the Discerning
Divine Tragicomedy shuns the glut of generic fantasy. It is no refuge for those enamoured of dragons or heroic quests, nor a lure for those who seek another Harry Potter, Throne of Glass or The First Law. It is a sanctuary for literary souls who cherish the likes of Ursula K. Le Guin, Gene Wolfe, or Susanna Clarke.
As I shape this saga for English readers, I bid you join me. Share your thoughts beneath this article or follow my path via the social links above. Your reflections, as deep thinkers, are the spark to our quill, the unfolding of this literary pilgrimage.
Yours Truly,
Nathaniel Wonderful
Author
nathanielwonderful@gmail.com
Beyond Trends: The Enduring Art of The Divine Tragicomedy
How Nathaniel Wonderful and Raine Stonewall Building a Legacy Literature is a vast landscape, branching into countless genres, subgenres, and niche fields. The restless currents of time carry these branches through the ages, washing some ashore to decay while new ones take their place. This endless cycle entwines with society...
On the Nature of the Elf Who Lived
Fantasy series by Nathaniel Wonderful This article discusses the second chapter of the book the Inscrutable Ways of Fate, which serves as the introduction to our literary fantasy series, Divine Tragicomedy. While the book itself has not yet been released, the series originated in our native language and is part...
On the Nature of the Girls’ Fate
Fantasy Divine Tragicomedy It feels like a decade has passed, though it’s been less than a year since I completed the first chapter of the Inscrutable Ways of Fate. At first, I was unsure if I could write a book in English without compromising my standards or finding my unique...
On the Nature of Our Prologue
Fantasy Divine Tragicomedy For some time now, I have been sharing the prologue to the Inscrutable Ways of Fate across social media, and though this may seem like retreading old ground, I’d like to delve into this latest version and explain the intentions that shape the story’s beginning. First, I...
The Inscrutable Ways of Fate
Fantasy series Divine Tragicomedy Allow me to introduce the Inscrutable Ways of Fate, the first volume of our fantasy series, the Divine Tragicomedy. We originally self-published a book by the same title for the Czech market in April 2020. However, after extensive discussions with a professional editor from the UK,...
Greetings from the Faraway Realm
Nathaniel Wonderful’s new website Hail, wanderers of words, and welcome to my humble abode, where imagination entwines with the stark truths of existence. I am Nathaniel Wonderful, a transgender author and translator, born in the Czech Republic, where my first tales took root. My path has wound through three continents,...
1 comment