It is my belief that the difference in skill between the author who asked me to write this foreword and I is so great, that the only way to fall yet further short of their measure, is to attempt to match it. So forgive me if this message seems somewhat unfocused, or ill-constructed, but I can only say the things I understand as important in the ways I feel them to be clear.
I have known the author of the story you are about to read since the middle of my adolescence-a time in my life where I believe I first began to truly understand who I am as a person. During that period, just like any youth discovering themselves, I came to the realization that many conclusions I held about life simply weren’t true. At the same time, I was discovering things about the world that I’d either never thought of, or never really understood until I experienced them myself.
The specifics of my personal moments of maturation don’t matter, but what does matter are the few anchors I had to ground these discoveries. One of, if not the most important of these anchors, was Luna Garden.
Their friendship and viewpoints have served as a fixture in the map of my own life, and the landmarks I’ve drawn upon that tapestry would not be the same without their influence. The thing that I have valued most about their constant companionship, conversation, and exploits of self-expression, is the ability they have to connect with and understand others through the lens of their own character. I have never met someone able to empathize with and comprehend others to the degree they do whilst still holding such firm ground within their own identity.
That is why I believe that no matter who you are, you will gain something valuable. from reading this story.
I have observed this work evolve from the idea of a concept, to a formatted blueprint of Luna’s personal life philosophy. And I believe in order to truly appreciate what you are about to read, you must be aware of what they believe art itself to be. In their words, an art piece itself is the expressive communication of an idea formed by the artist. Because of this, I want you to read this book like you would have a conversation. Listen to the characters, observe the world, and when questions in the story arise regarding your fundamental beliefs, take that moment of reading to understand what the author is saying about those beliefs. Whether or not you find the comments made on them to be correct, or even rational, understand that they were written by someone who thought about those beliefs and ideas, and treated them with respect when discussing them. I think you’ll find most of those points made to be worthy of consideration.
And that is why I believe this work is important for you to read, should you have discovered it. The world is a very messy and painful place, and I won’t patronize even the simplest of readers by explaining why. Everyone knows this. But if we know ourselves, trust ourselves, and still let ourselves see the world through the infinite different viewpoints that exist within it, I do believe that we can fully understand and support the prosperity of others, while accomplishing the very same in ourselves.
Some would view a message with this level implied gravity as a bit silly in the context of a fantasy novel, but I happen to agree with the author’s personal definition of art. No matter how superficially lighthearted a piece of art can be, there is always something being said by a person who thought about it carefully. I believe that’s always worth listening to, maybe sometimes the most important thing worth listening to.
I hope that you enjoy your time reading, and take something from this story that helps you feel better about your time as a person in this world.
Sincerely, a soul in full bloom.