Davor Kujek was born on July 9, 1979, in Zagreb, Croatia. Having finished primary school together with general-program secondary school, he entered and finished Faculty of Science and Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb, at department of geography and history. He is currently working as a teacher of geography and history at primary schools in Zagreb.

He has fallen in love with reading since childhood when he used to be a frequent visitor of local libraries, and he has always prefered science-fiction and fantasy novels. That preference of his is still present. He has been reading historical novels, as well, and growing up, and especially while and after studying at the University he started doing some research about professional historical literature with emphasis on military and political history. He has always liked sharpening his skill of narration, and after few unpublished short stories and half-finished SF novel, he put all his strength into writing a fantasy novel, which will finally be entitled as “Mortals”.

In “Mortals” he reaches into his knowledge of history with its military aspect. Therefore, as a basis for the novel he takes an actual world from the end of the 3rd century BC, with location on the east Mediterranean, and with just few indications of supernatural elements. Characters described realistically, put in the context of time and free of contemporary moralizing framework, as well as a position of “common” individuals in series of events which change history and their lives, together with sharp speech, smooth style and numerous historical facts as the basis of the novel, make it a literary work that breaks the norm, capable of imposing itself and charming the pants of the reader within a short period of time. At the moment the author is writing the sequel in the same spirit.

 

A WORD FROM THE AUTHOR…

“Mortals” represent the novel which reflects a new approach to the popular and not rarely underappreciated genre. It is a personal approach which is definitely different than the one which can usually be found on the shelves with fantasy literature. It doesn’t indulge anyone and I strongly believe that it won’t leave you indifferent.

It was my intention to use the approach which leaves the classic architecture of a fantasy novel where the protagonists are almost always shallow, as good ones in a fight against clearly indicated evil, in a surrounding labeled as black and white. On the contrary, in my work I have put elements of an actual system of values, which is a characteristic of a world before widespread monotheistic religions. Moreover, I gave up on various humanoid species living side by side with humans. Their role in fantasy books too often comes to “they are ugly, so they must be evil” or “they are beautiful, so they must be good”.

In this respect, the novel is definitely different. Attention is drawn to the world and the way it functions. The focus is put on individuals who truly are people of flesh and blood and they represent integral part of the world surrounding them, belonging to an army from a particular period of time. And the armies must ensure that they have something to eat, warriors get tired during a battle and they certainly don’t kill fifty men with a single strike…And yes, armors can really sometimes ward off a swing of a sword. Life is not a fairy tale.

And why “Mortals”?

Because the main protagonists are common people, they didn’t discover any ring, nor their great ancestor was a king, so therefore they are supposed to become Majesty, nor any of them is a midget who happens to be a son of the most powerful man in a whole kingdom. Nothing about them is special. “Mortals” actually represent series of huge events from a point of view of little people. Mortal people.

I have written a novel that I alone would enjoy reading, and interpretation of characters and their actions is completely in hands of readers.

I hope that soon you will be able to enjoy reading English version of the book at least a little bit as the author of these lines. And also I wish that for the readers from all over the globe.