Hi there and welcome to my website.
I am Julian Cheek, author of "The Ethereal Series”, of which “The War of the Snakes” is book two.
For many years I have wanted to explore a scenario where the “the good guy” doesn’t always win. By this I mean that we are all often hit by obstacles that cause us to react, sometimes with frustration, rage or despair. Often, we carry this burden by ourselves, too afraid to share with others.
In The Ethereal Series, I have tried to unpick the various and numerous layers of the “onion skin” that Sam, the main character, has built up around himself over the years, due to a tragedy he is unable to cope with. It is, hopefully, a story that a great many readers will associate themselves with, either from personal experience, or through friends who have gone through deep valleys, or may still be in them. However, of greatest importance is always to remember, "ultimately, things are OK" and, perhaps, Dreams can be true.
Look out for the thrilling conclusion to the Ethereal Series in "The end of all things", Book Three, due out in 2021.
The War of the Snakes
Book Two in the Etheral Series
“Dreams can’t be real, can they?”
Such is the gnawing question reverberating through Sam’s head as he battles with a dilemma, which refuses to be ignored.
In his dreams, he is always confronted by one simple point: Muanga-Atua exists! And for some un-asked for and un-wanted reason, he - Sam - is expected to save this place from the calamity that engulfs the people of the Turangai. Not only that, but he is also supposed to have some sort of incredible power by which he is expected to destroy both the Bjarke and their leader, Lord Elim, the Turangai’s oppressors.
“But that is ridiculous! Right?”
Determined to ignore all that occurs in this so-called ‘dream world’, he does nothing. That is until one cold, grey, autumn morning a TV news flash captures a shocking series of events, which leads to one undeniable truth; what he has tried to ignore all along in Muanga-Atua has somehow incredibly exploded into his world and it is searching... Searching for him.
His do-nothing approach is just not good enough. Not now. He will have to go back to Muanga-Atua to seek out this power he was supposed to have obtained. Find the power, accept what it can do through him, and go out into that awful place to do battle with someone, or something that makes his very blood run cold.
But how? How can he go into this world and be all that the Turangai think he is, when he still cannot accept the truth? That he is ‘The One’. Sam, Wielder of the Staff of the Ethereals and saviour of their world. And now, apparently, of his own as well.
The Awakened - Book 1
My name is Sam. I am nothing special but apparently if I don’t wake up, both this world and that other one will be destroyed. Nice One! All I wanted was to disappear into my own world and be left alone. But, No! Even THAT was taken away from me. Well just wait. You want me to fight? I’ll show you “fight.” You took the most important thing in my life away from me, and now I am coming for you. Hidden away in your mountain stronghold, even the rocks around you will not stop me getting to you. You started this war. I am going to finish it! Seventeen year old Sam just wants to be left alone! He has enough to cope with in his invisible, suburban, existence without having some fantastic and, frankly, unasked-for, alternate reality drop into his life asserting that he has powers beyond his wildest dreams. And that unless he does something, both his world, and that of Muanga-Atua, will come to a horrible end. A terrifying episode one blustery night may be enough to start to erode the impregnable shell he thought he had built up around himself. A shell, not to keep others out, but to keep the rage in. Could he afford, as was the norm now, just to do nothing? Julian Cheek’s captivating debut novel is a compulsive read for all those who battle every day with the simple task of just wanting to be heard.
Julian Cheek
Julian Cheek has worked for over thirty years as an architect working on several major projects including Mercedes World, Brooklands, NikeTown and most recently a high rise, Versace branded residential building in London. When not designing he is embracing his other creative interests, writing. His first book, You should not wake a hibernating Puff-Adder (2011) was a series of short stories inspired by his childhood grown up in South Africa.
