Tolkien's Legacy - 20-year-old Habacher publishes his second fantasy book

Created: 12/26/2022, 12:00 p.m

By: Wolfgang Schorner

Habacher Luis Rimmel has published his second fantasy book.

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A year and a half ago, Luis Rimmel from Habach, who was still a high school graduate at the time, published a 541-page fantasy novel.

Now a second book follows: the novella "Winterwein von Wystbach".

Again, it's a story reminiscent of the world of Lord of the Rings and Game of Thrones.

Habach – In summer 2021 the book “The Ballad of the Five Paladins” was published with the addition “Strophe 1: The Legacy of a King”, in which the young author Luis Rimmel sent his readers into a world of kingdoms, snow warriors and princes.

What made the 541-page book extraordinary: The then only 19-year-old had created a fantasy world with continents, peoples, islands and cities in three and a half years of work, in which 60 to 70 relevant people appear.

There will be five volumes in all.

A novella about humans, golems and janustris

Now the sequel hasn't been published, but a 100-page novella entitled "Winterwein von Wystbach".

An exciting fantasy story in the fictional town of Wystbach, where conspirators are said to be on the move, a "Militia Inquisitiones" hunts down dissenters and where people, golems and janustris live who can take on other forms.

The story should have been in the first volume of the "Five Paladins", says Luis Rimmel (20), who is now studying to become a high school teacher for English and history in Regensburg.

But it didn't fit in terms of style and scope.

"It would have been beyond the scope." Now, working on the second book, he remembered the story and decided to make something of his own, a novella.

"Winterwein von Wystbach" takes place in the world of the "Paladins" book, but in a different place and with different characters.

And it's about magic, which is only marginally featured in the Paladins book.

Luis Rimmel said that his motivation was that he was fascinated by stories, whether in films, books or video games.

It's nice to tell your own stories that also have a historical touch.

And he likes to build worlds.

Hunt for magical creatures

The novel is about the hunt for magical creatures that are accused of the crime after a raid in Wystbach, leading to a pogrom and an uprising.

Between the two sides, says Luis Rimmel, there is a figure who has to make a decision in order to counteract the disaster.

"The question is: do I do it like Martin Luther King or like Malcom X, peacefully or violently." In the book, he prefaced the story with two quotes from the two men, King's "I have a dream" and Malcom X's phrase, never to be free when you have to beg another man for deliverance.

Work on the third book in progress

The young Habacher started the novella last January, then took a three-month break and finished it in July.

Then he gave it to test reading.

The illustrations on the book cover and back are again by Tobias Kolbinger, who has already illustrated Rimmel's novel.

He actually thought that the novella would be "a short affair," says the young author.

But then he had to put in more time.

He is currently working on the second volume of The Ballad of the Five Paladins.

He has no idea when the book will be finished.

His dream would be the end of 2023. The sequel could go on sale in 2024.

In any case, he already has the ideas for the second volume in his head.

"The grand plan is complete."

According to him, the first volume sold relatively well.

He also received some reviews, mostly positive.

There was criticism that it was difficult to keep track of all the names.

He can understand that.

To make it easier to read, he therefore cut out a few supporting characters for a second edition, which has also now been published.

Even though he's studying to become a teacher, Luis Rimmel wants to keep writing stories.

"It would be great to be a full-time writer," he says.

"But that's a wishful thinking that only a few people can achieve."

The book "Winterwein von Wystbach" (ISBN 9783 754 340 974) is available for 5.50 euros in bookstores, for example the Penzberger Buchhandlung Rupprecht, and on the Internet.

It was published on the self-publishing platform “Books on Demand”.

The revised version of "The Ballad of the Five Paladins - Verse 1: A King's Legacy" is also available there.