The carver and the carousel : a novel

Abstract

The following honors thesis is a full-length draft of a novel delving into a creation myth surrounding the carving of the first ever carousel. It is a young adult novel set in medieval Celtic times and surrounds a young carpenter's apprentice, Felic, who struggles to get by in ordinary society due to his crippled leg. His life is twisted upside down when he finds a surprising group of companions; a leprechaun, a brownie, and other mystical species of Fey, in the forest surrounding his village. The Fey contract him to build them a construct they call a carousel in exchange for giving him a new leg. As he begins his work, however, he realizes that they require the carousel for reasons greater than their own enjoyment, and begins to see that he's fallen right into the middle of a war between the light and dark Fey in the middle of the forest. This is the first of a series of four young adult novels planned to surround the group as they encounter ancient lands and creatures of Celtic mythology from both the light side and dark side of magic. The series will focus on retellings of Celtic mythology and ancient tales, yet it will also bring into play the emotional struggle surrounding Felic and the group of misfit creatures as they work to find themselves and bring relative peace and normality to their lives.