“Well-paced and often exciting… Wilborn’s tale deserves high marks for its compelling, purposeful prose.” – The BookLife Prize
“One Word: AWESOME!” – T. Cartwright
“Magic, miracles, witches, knights and fantastic creatures; what’s not to love? The Treasure of Capric is layered with battles in the physical realm as well as the inner spiritual realm, mirroring the struggles we all face in life.If you love Tolkien then Wilborn will quickly become a new favorite.” – Kendra Lowry, ARC Reviewer
“Terry Brooks style with CS Lewis allegory.” – Kevin Nishinaga, ARC Reviewer
An interview with the author:
If you had to explain this book in one sentence, what would you say?
It’s about three young warrior monks who lose their sacred treasure and must go on a quest to retrieve it, while an ambitious noble uses all of his power to find it first.Where did you get the idea for this book?
It’s been wandering through my mind for so long, I don’t really remember. So many of my story ideas just stick in my mind like an earwig.I do remember that this one revolved around the concept of a group of warrior monks protecting a sacred treasure that they didn’t understand. And then, part of the quest was learning what they had been protecting and having that reorient everything for them.What other authors or books influenced you to write this one?
J.R.R. Tolkien and C.S. Lewis are big influences. I tried to walk the line between the tone and atmosphere of Tolkien, and the allegory of Lewis. John Bunyan had a bit of influence, as well as stories about King David and the prophets of the Bible. There are other fantasy authors who probably snuck into my thinking, but nothing consciously added.
What are some of the major ideas that you integrate into this book or your life in general?
One of the concepts I wanted to explore was the difference between magic and miracle. The book’s system of magic centers around what we can do of ourselves through manipulation and willpower compared to those times when the task is too much for us, and we must rely on outside help. I think we all face times in our lives when the struggle is too great, and it’s comforting and hopeful to know help is available.
Good and evil is one of the major themes, but more specifically how we interact with those concepts through our decisions. In some sense, good tries to draw us, through our consciences and other means, but we can choose to reject that option. The consequences aren’t always lined up as rosy outcomes for good choices and problems for bad choices–just like in real life.
In one sense, this is a coming of age story amid loss and grief. One difference is that it the concepts of purpose and calling also enter that theme. Kurian isn’t just finding out who he is, he is discovering a lifelong pursuit greater than himself. Part of that involves the struggle of character and becoming a man, friendships, and the challenges of competing goals among allies.
Finally, there is a fair amount of tension between faith and religious order in the book. I’ll let the reader see where that lands.
How do you get inspired to write?
For The Treasure of Capric, music was a big factor. My wife was part of a community symphony while I was beginning the book and in one season, they performed The Moldau (Vltava) by Smetana. It immediately linked with what I was writing, especially the parts about the river, and became an instant motivator to write those scenes. When writing the villains, I often listened to The Water Goblin by Dvorak.
If you could not use your current book title, what would be another choice?
I originally wanted to use The King of the Caves for the book title, but that was an overarching plot point for the series. Other potential options would have been, The King’s Calling, or perhaps The Princely Son, or Land of Shadow.
