The introduction to this book is one of the few parts I consider to be perfect. It came very easy as well, as if I were the calm and collect wise author I aspire to be. I picture the person who wrote this to look like the old man on the cover of Chessmaster, and his voice that of a wizard. That's one neat thing about voice, it can be magical and real at the same time. "Tis in the heart of a child that lies the power to destroy all the world's evil. Only with the mind of a genuine man can this power become manifest." This first part means that only a genuine adult has the knowledge and skills to use power a child has to rid the world of evil.
"A genuine man must be self-made, otherwise he is but a whisper of his true self." This next line defines the qualifications of being genuine; you must make yourself, and you must be yourself as well, only then are you genuine. The extreme of this meaning can be interpreted as saying, only a man who is himself in every moment is truly genuine.
"Only a true hero dies with the heart of a child and the mind of a genuine man." The end of the first paragraph brings the first three concepts together. It is saying that if a person manages to be themselves in every moment, and also not loose the love, openness, and hope of a child (power of a child) that they have become a hero, and if they live that way until their death, they are a true hero. Thus, a true hero has the heart of a child and the mind of a genuine man, and the ability and knowledge to defeat all the world's evil.
This theme continues throughout the series, as conflicts for most of the characters show whether or not they are hero's or heroine's in moments, the majority of the time, or even if they turn out to be the true hero who rids the world of all evil.
The final paragraph introduces another recurring theme, the theme of making the reader a part of the novel. The idea of bringing the characters and the book into reality is one that I think is very important. It helps further engulf the person reading into the experience, and makes them bring fantastical elements into reality. This is why throughout the series it becomes more and more prevalent, and hopefully I will be able to make a few people enjoy their day to day experiences a bit more through imagination.
