Tuesday, September 28, 2010



Venom and Song:
The Berinfell Prophecies Series - Book Two
by
Wayne Thomas Batson and Christopher Hopper

Blog Tour - Day 2

LORD OF THE THINGS OR THE SPIDER KING STRIKES BACK

(click image for Amazon link or click link below)

Venom and Song - available from:



Author Blogs:
Wayne Thomas Batson – http://enterthedoorwithin.blogspot.com/
Christopher Hopper – http://www.christopherhopper.com/blog/


Months before I heard about the Venom and Song CSFF Blog Tour,
I purchased a copy of the book at SAMS Club because
I enjoyed Curse of the Spider King so much.

For day two of the Venom and Song blog I wanted to discuss the series' arch-villain, The Spider King. The name works well on a couple of levels for me. The Spider King controls thousands of gwars and their warspiders. So visually he reminds me of a large spider carrying multitudes of tiny, less powerful spiders. On a spiritual level, the Spider King lives up to his name because he is the ultimate planner/schemer that tries to track his prey within his web before disposing of the body, or in this case the spirit. The Spider King preys on weaknesses and uses deceptions to twist truths and beliefs.

Early on in Venom and Song, a Wisp - a shape shifting trail of smoke - nearly kills one of the Elf lords after assuming the form of Jimmy's teacher, Mr. Wallace. The Spider King uses the Wisp on the inside to provide information and remove the young lords as they come into their powers. These powers, or abilities, are most evident and strongest in the royal bloodlines, so the Spider King must remove the lords before they help thwart his plans for conquest. The Spider King wants to remove these pure bloodlines once and for all, so that he will triumph over all of Allyra and eventually Ellos himself.
The Spider King sees himself as the ultimate strategist; able to out wit, out think, and out plan anyone. His pride is his undoing. That and his undying thirst for vengence against the Elfs. These actions by the Spider King's struck me as allegory for Satan's vain attempts at killing Christ. The Elfs were defeated and driven underground for a time, but came forth again, though the Spider King thought he had won. Much of the Spider King's strength derives from lies and deceit. Those who remain faithful to Ellos find more strength than they possess alone, making it harder for the Spider King to warp them into pawns for his plans. The Spider King is the anti-thesis of Ellos; pure evil for Ellos' pure good. Small wonder the Spider King would see all Elfkind removed. The Elfs are a reminder to the Spider King that someone greater than he exists, and that person is Ellos; Lord of All.

Tomorrow: WE'RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER!

1 comment:

WayneThomasBatson said...

Way cool insights here! You esp. captured a concept that CH and I didn't even consider; the fact that the Elves were force underground, but in a sense, rose again. COOL