Description
Shadows of Sylvaheim is not just a coming-of-age mythic fantasy novel, it also acts as a Jungian guide to life.
Story Synopsis
Following a family trauma and the discovery of a huge family secret, sixteen-year-old Jack and his sister Emily (14) are catapulted into a world of pain, and fantasy. In a symbolic exploration of the character’s unconscious mind, Jack battles an ogre, converses with a riddle-talking tree, falls in love with a sea nymph and visits Faerieland. His ultimate battle is to defeat Lord Batu Glass…a physical representation of a potential drug addiction ‘chasing’ Jack as he learns how to cope.
Separated from her brother by a huge hedge of silver, Jack’s sister, Emily, is simultaneously stuck in an Estonian bog whilst pursued by the new trickster goddess, Morgana. Emily’s character also gets her shadow ‘cut’ in a symbolic acknowledgement of confronting and integrating our own shadow in Jungian psychology, and she escapes from a cave of magic with a Valkyrie from Norse mythology.
While the reader is absorbed in the story, they are exposed to Jungian themes, Stoic philosophy, literary prose and historical characters such as King Henry VIII and Marcus Aurelius. Upon reflection, they can also learn effective ways of coping with grief and loss, poverty, trauma and overcoming drug and alcohol addictions. The novel is a window and mirror, with a Jungian lens, for the young or even older adult reader.
Review by Marianne Curley
There is something special about Shadows of Sylvaheim that lifts it out of the realms of ordinary fiction and into the unique world of books that heal. By using Jung philosophy, of which Toula Gordillo is knowledgeable, she has created a young adult fantasy where the reader relates to a character that struggles with behavioral and mental health problems. When the reader steps into the fantasy world, and into the heroic character’s life, they see their own health issues and learn how to heal themselves.
Shadows of Sylvaheim is about a struggling family, Bruce, and his wife Lucy, who have two children, sixteen-year-old Jack, and fourteen-year-old Emily. From the start you understand this is no regular family. In the fantasy realm of Sylvaheim, Bruce is a god who lost his soul to the evil Lord Batu Glass and partner Morgana, and now he cannot cope. Lucy has an accident and slips into a coma. It becomes Jack and Emily’s quest to conquer their fears, and with the help of the goddess Freya and Trud, along with a few other fantasy characters, Jack must defeat Lord Batu Glass, Morgana, and the traitorous ravens.
Before Jack and Emily go anywhere near Lord Batu Glass and Morgana, they have their own battles to conquer. Jack thinks he’s a failure at life. He lives in constant pain and illness; he hears voices and feels disconnected from his friends. Though Emily is fourteen, Jack thinks she is mentally closer to ten. An intelligent girl, Emily struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and counts everything three times clockwise. It interferes with her everyday life.
During a wild storm the siblings are sent on their journey with the help of fantasy characters Freya and Trud. They find themselves travelling different paths, experiencing what is necessary to heal their respective illnesses, fears, and anxieties.
Shadows of Sylvaheim will hold you captive whether you love young adult fantasy or not. This is the first book I have read that teaches you how to cope with both physical and mental health issues. There is no judgement, and the teaching is subliminal, but easily absorbed as the reader takes the heroic fantasy journey along with the characters.
I wish this book had been around when I was growing up.
Daniel –
I loved this story! As I read about Jack and Emily’s journey, I identified with them. It reminded me of my own life struggles and challenges as a young bloke. I started reading it and finished it in one day as i was fully engrossed. This novel is clearly designed to encourage young people to think about the importance ( and understanding the meaning of ) their dreams, how to cope with trauma and the real world we live in. I recommend this to be read by the young and old. GREAT BOOK!!
Toula Gordillo (verified owner) –
All good!
Pam Bostock –
This is a brilliant fantasy novel. On the surface it looks like a regular fiction book for young people. As I delved further into the reading of this book, however, I began to realise the depth of the psychological concepts the author has woven into it. The research behind it is quite amazing.
Marianne Curley –
There is something special about Shadows of Sylvaheim that lifts it out of the realms of ordinary fiction and into the unique world of books that heal. By using Jung philosophy, of which Toula Gordillo is knowledgeable, she has created a young adult fantasy where the reader relates to a character that struggles with behavioral and mental health problems. When the reader steps into the fantasy world, and into the heroic character’s life, they see their own health issues and learn how to heal themselves.
Shadows of Sylvaheim is about a struggling family, Bruce, and his wife Lucy, who have two children, sixteen-year-old Jack, and fourteen-year-old Emily. From the start you understand this is no regular family. In the fantasy realm of Sylvaheim, Bruce is a god who lost his soul to the evil Lord Batu Glass and partner Morgana, and now he cannot cope. Lucy has an accident and slips into a coma. It becomes Jack and Emily’s quest to conquer their fears, and with the help of the goddess Freya and Trud, along with a few other fantasy characters, Jack must defeat Lord Batu Glass, Morgana, and the traitorous ravens.
Before Jack and Emily go anywhere near Lord Batu Glass and Morgana, they have their own battles to conquer. Jack thinks he’s a failure at life. He lives in constant pain and illness; he hears voices and feels disconnected from his friends. Though Emily is fourteen, Jack thinks she is mentally closer to ten. An intelligent girl, Emily struggles with obsessive-compulsive disorder and counts everything three times clockwise. It interferes with her everyday life.
During a wild storm the siblings are sent on their journey with the help of fantasy characters Freya and Trud. They find themselves travelling different paths, experiencing what is necessary to heal their respective illnesses, fears, and anxieties.
Shadows of Sylvaheim will hold you captive whether you love young adult fantasy or not. This is the first book I have read that teaches you how to cope with both physical and mental health issues. There is no judgement, and the teaching is subliminal, but easily absorbed as the reader takes the heroic fantasy journey along with the characters.
I wish this book had been around when I was growing up.
Cohen Smyth –
I like how the author portrayed Jack and Emily’s feelings. It had a lot of emotion in it but also the perspective from Bruce so it didn’t appear one sided. As much as Bruce comes off as a dislikeable character, seeing it from his point of view helped him to be less dislikeable. I also enjoyed the descriptions of everything eg. how the characters act with each situation and the interaction between them. The insertions of the little snippets of mythology was great because as a young person who likes mythological fantasy, I wanted to escape to the worlds in the novel rather than be in my reality. With Toula’s book it was a way of coping with my reality whilst also escaping from it.
Sonya Robeson –
A book that creatively awakens one’s sense of self diving deep through the multi layered aspects of consciousness exposing misunderstood wounds. Followed by insightful wisdom with creative imagery bringing forth present time awareness and self healing.
Georgina –
Wonderful, insightful story!
Peter Worth –
Great book re-introducing the ideas and symbology of the unconscious back to the young reader. Highly recommend!
Michelle Brewer –
Dr Toula Gordillo is an exceptional author. Shadows of Sylvaheim is different to anything else I’ve read. There are so many hidden messages and subtle nuances in this novel. I found Emily and her journey so relatable and especially her challenges and how she overcame her fears. I highly recommend.
Lauren –
Highly recommend! Dr. Toula Gordillo is so inspiring and I cannot recommend this book enough! Thank you, Toula.
Tenkara Smart –
Big 5 stars for Shadows of Sylvaheim. Fantastic, spiritual, coming-of-age, magical realism fiction that is well written with excellent character development. The story, overall, was reminiscent to me of The Wizard of Oz or The Chronicles of Narnia, worlds built between reality and fantasy with strong themes of family, psychology, and morality. I have recently read many fantasy books, and Shadows of Sylvaheim is one of my favourites, keeping me turning the pages and constantly engaged. I love the mythological references and the powerful teachings in the text, which are interwoven through the scenes and not hard to spot or understand. Also, the book has many fantasy and mythological creatures – Norse gods, Greek Gods, Monsters, Faeries, Etc… And, unlike other fantasy stories I’ve read over the years where frankly, these types of characters are blah, overused, and uninteresting, Gordillo’s story felt fresh, unique and exciting! There’s variety throughout the book that keeps a fast pace and the reader engaged.
Jack, the main character, is plunged into the ‘hero’s journey, and through his different battles, he is transformed. This theme runs deep in the book, impacting the other characters. This book makes for excellent talking points for a book club, or as a tool to talk about a person’s inner power and strength, overcoming their fears, and the importance of their choices.
The main characters are well developed and succeed in becoming ‘individuals.’. There is a transformation where their personal unconsciousness and collective unconsciousness are brought into their consciousness – becoming part of their whole personality – and they are ultimately made whole/strong.
Bottom line: This is an excellent book. It can be read for pure entertainment while at the same time for discussion and analysis because of the depth of the material- the ‘reality’, the ‘dreams’, the ‘realms’, the myths, the characters, the unconscious & conscious mind, the ‘hero’s journey, and so much more. As you can discern from this review, I loved this book and highly recommend it.
I had numerous favourite quotes/teachings – here are just a few:
‘…reason your emotions. Work with them, don’t suppress, repress or deny them, for they are the chief source of consciousness. Then release them.’ (pg. 152)
‘Remember, you are not what has happened to you-your past or your pain-you are what you choose to become.’ (pg. 141)
‘A dream that is not understood remains a mere occurrence; understood, it becomes a living experience.’ (pg. 123)
Thanks to the author for a gift copy in exchange for my honest review.
JUAN –
The separate journeys of each character in this novel is excellent. It kept me engaged all the way through from start to finish.
Ben Anderson –
Picked this book up at my schools library because it looked interesting. I found it to be an awesome story, however the number one thing I care about are characters to which this novel did not disappoint. There are two main characters to this story. I loved them both but I found myself enjoying Jack’s story a little more. I wasn’t sure who Carl Jung was before reading this novel but when I was told about some of his work I started to see all the little areas in the story that borrowed from the same ideas. That’s what lead me to my second read of this novel which was quite a different experience entirely. I have always had a minor interest in philosophy, I think it can be helpful for just about everyone and so I guess that’s the way I view this novel. Its quite diverse in its concepts and characters so I imagine any person of any age would gain something from taking on this story and reflecting on it a little afterward.
Mahimaa Sangar –
Adolescence is a very confusing time, not to sound cliché. Heck, I couldn’t tell crush from catastrophe when I was a teen. And that wasn’t too long ago. But there’s no denying that it is perhaps the most magical time in our lives. Shadows of Sylvaheim by Toula L. Gordillo captures this very essence of adolescence and packs it in the story of three special characters; Jack, a sixteen-year-old boy, Emily, his younger sister, and Bruce, their estranged father. Settled in an unassuming town among the foothills west of Australia’s Great Dividing Range, this novel breathes life into those faraway places in our minds and the troubles we hold so close.
Jack struggles with self-doubt and peer pressure. He’s not good enough in his eyes and the only people who validate him are misguided neighbourhood friends who dabble in weed and other drugs. Emily has strong habitual tendencies that limit the spontaneity in her life. She’s “fourteen in age, ten in mentality”. Bruce is battling his own demons – at times, one of them being Jack. He’s disconnected from his children, especially his son who he can’t help but erupt around.
When Lucy, their mother and Bruce’s wife, falls into a coma, this fragile family breaks like glass. Hurting each other as they break away, the siblings are whisked by a storm into the Nordic realm of Sylvaheim and Bruce is left in a confusing haze of guilt. Oh, you thought drama was all you’re getting in this book? Make way for fantasy and Norse mythology, beautiful people! Chris Hemsworth might have to step aside as the Aussie representative of Nordic myth in the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Just as Jack’s journey into Sylvaheim serves as a bridge to the sublime, I believe this book can serve as a bridge between teenagers and their personal truths. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by certain emotions or know someone who is, chances are Jack, Emily and Bruce are feeling that exact same thing. Whether it’s trying to stay true to yourself or being unable to voice what’s on the inside, you’ll find the words you’ve been looking for in this book.
Presiding over all of this are the two new drug lords in town, Lord Batu Glass and his partner Morgana. Together, they’ve staked a claim on the impressionable youngsters of the world and are set to transform them into beasts enslaved to their drug. Yeah, Jack’s got a lot on his plate without the secret of his origins and a strained relationship with his father getting in the way. Oh, did I hint at a mysterious birth secret rooted in Nordic mythology? There’s that too!
Overall, Shadows of Sylvaheim is a stormy adventure into the darkest depths of adolescence and all that it entails. From navigating the fault lines of a family to reinforcing one’s own identity, Toula L. Gordillo gives us the tools we didn’t know we needed until now. Once you’ve entered the thrilling world of her creation, you won’t want to go back. I cannot be more sincere when I say this book deserves a second read and then another.
Mitch Anthony –
As the issues surrounding youth mental health become more evident worldwide, Dr. Gordillo’s innovative approaches to engaging with Young Adults through the use of mythic story telling is both clear and clever.
Not only does the book serve a theraputic purpose but it can also stand alone as an engaging YAF fantasy novel through the agency of two mid-teen characters Jack and Emily who battle a number of natural and supernatural opponents along their journeys.
The prose is clear and colurful and illustrates possible different ways that the characters can overcome their foes. But which is the best way to win the battles that befall them?
I would highly recommend this book to readers from 12 – 18, especially if they are struggling with how to cope at home, school or entering the workforce. It will be useful to older adults especially if they have teenagers entering these challenging years.
Renata Senktas –
Like all good parable stories, this mythic fantasy novel by Dr. Toula Gordillo may serve readers of all age groups and backgrounds. Following the story as narrated by three different characters, sooner or later we arrive at a point where we identify with one of the perspectives. The identification may be partial, be it just bad dreams, heart-thumping, or belly cramps, but this is (I feel) precisely where healing slowly begins. However, one realizes that only later, having first meandered through the story with much imaginative effort and curiosity. This therapeutic quality of the book sneaks in very subtly, to the great credit to the author.