We credit Harry Potter and Twilight with popularizing supernatural elements in young-adult novels. Both of these books would be pretty darn boring without the magic and mayhem within them. One of those books would be about a girl falling over a lot, and the other would be about an orphan locked under the stairs by his abusive guardians. Yikes, that's just depressing.
Magic and the supernatural do one major thing for these stories: they give our characters hope, whether it's the hope for a better life, or the hope to find their one true love and live forever. In The Paladin Prophecy, Will manifests strange supernatural powers that give him the ability to be the very best. If he had all the power, though, things would be out of balance. And boring. So there are hordes of supernatural beasties on the other side to give Will trouble—and to give us something exciting to read about.
Questions About The Supernatural
- What familiar supernatural elements do you see in The Paladin Prophecy? What is new to you?
- How do Will's powers fit his personality? What powers do other characters have, and how do those powers fit in with their personalities?
- What do you think is the source of Will's powers? Do you think he will develop more powers as the series continues?