Spellbinder I: about


Overview

Spellbinder is a fantasy adventure series about a suburban teenager, Paul Reynolds, who finds himself accidentally marooned in a world parallel to his own. It's a world where the industrial revolution never happened and people live in rustic villages. They are ruled by the Spellbinders, men and women with seemingly magical powers who control the populace by manipulating their fear and ignorance.

For Paul, the dangers are immediate. He is recognised as an outsider and accused of being an enemy of the Spellbinders. Paul is saved by a courageous girl, Riana, who gives him refuge in her village.

When Paul discovers that the Spellbinders use science and not magic, he realises that they are his only hope of getting home. But Ashka, a ruthless Spellbinder, wants to use his knowledge to gain control of her world.

Paul befriends Correon, an old Spellbinder, who understands the threat that Paul's knowledge presents. Using Riana's physical skill and Paul's modern know-how, the three outwit Ashka and Paul finds his way home. In order to save Riana's life, Paul has to drag her into his world. Now Riana, who grew up in a closed rustic community, must contend with the chaos and complexity of our modern world. Her confrontations with technology are both amusing and frightening.

To make matters worse, the Spellbinder Ashka finds a way into our world. She tricks Paul's father into helping her combine Spellbinder technology with our science to make her invincible.

The challenge of defeating Ashka requires all of Paul and Riana's courage and ingenuity.

Spellbinder is a thrilling mix of adventure, fantasy and fun. While the narrative is action driven, the focus is on character and the capability of children to undergo positive change and confront adversity using their wits and imaginations.

The Two Worlds

Riana's world is small, rustic, simple and superstitious. All work is done by hand. Only the Spellbinders can read and write and they ruthlessly suppress any new ideas.

Paul's world is fast, complex and highly technical. Computers give people access to more information than they can possibly use. New ideas are highly prized.

At first Paul is disparaging of Riana's world. As he gets to know it better, he discovers that there are joys to be found in village life. There is no pollution, no homelessness and no starvation. People are generous and hospitable. He finds a warmth and security in Riana's family which is missing in his own.

Riana finds Paul's world frightening. The people are rude, the air is hard to breathe and things like trains and elevators seem like magic. As she gets over her fear of technology, she begins to appreciate the freedom it brings,. She is amazed to find a place where people are able to think and say whatever they want.