Can A Children's Fantasy Still Teach Us Something About Life?
Updated: Oct 16
Most of us remember the fantasy stories that captured our imagination as children. Whether it was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, The Lord of the Rings or, more recently, Harry Potter, they offered far more than magical creatures and exciting adventures. Beneath the fantasy were timeless themes of courage, friendship, sacrifice, hope and the triumph of good over evil.
That was the challenge I set myself when I began writing The Fearless Trio.
I didn't want simply to write another fantasy adventure. I wanted to create a trilogy that children would enjoy for its dragons, goblins, hidden worlds and magical discoveries, while gently encouraging them to think about the challenges they face in their own lives.
Book One – The Fearless Trio and the Dragons of Yesterday
The journey begins with three ordinary children who discover they possess extraordinary gifts.
As they enter a forgotten world of dragons and ancient mysteries, they face questions that every young person encounters at some point in life.
How do I face my fears?
How do I discover what makes me unique?
How do I learn to believe in myself?
Along the way, they discover that courage is not the absence of fear but the willingness to do what is right despite it. Family, friendship and loyalty become their greatest strengths.
Book Two – The Fearless Trio and the Goblin Prince
The adventure grows darker and more challenging.
Dragons and goblins struggle over territory, resources and the right to call a place home. While the battles are exciting, the deeper story explores compassion, forgiveness and the difficult search for peace.
Readers may recognise echoes of the world we live in today, where conflict often begins through misunderstanding, fear and the desire for power.
Book Three – The Fearless Trio and the Headmaster of Shadows
The final book asks perhaps the biggest question of all.
What happens when fear replaces freedom?
When young minds are manipulated?
When walls are built instead of bridges?
The children find themselves confronting a powerful leader determined to control everything around him. Yet the real battle is not simply between good and evil. It is between democracy and autocracy, inclusion and division, freedom and control.
Without preaching, I wanted to explore many of the challenges facing today's world through the eyes of young people who discover that courage, compassion and friendship remain the greatest forces of all.
Bringing the Story to Life
Recently I set myself another challenge: creating a cinematic book trailer for the trilogy.
Like many authors, I have been fascinated by the opportunities offered by artificial intelligence. The trailer uses AI as one of its creative tools, but anyone who believes this simply involved pressing a button couldn't be more mistaken.
The process involved weeks of learning, experimenting, rewriting prompts, discarding ideas, refining images, editing video, selecting music and, above all, remaining faithful to the story I had already written.
The imagination, characters and world of The Fearless Trio were created long before AI became part of the process. AI simply became another creative tool—rather like a camera in the hands of a filmmaker or a paintbrush in the hands of an artist.
I hope you'll enjoy watching the trailer below.
How Can Parents and Grandparents Use Fantasy Stories to Help Children?
Fantasy stories can offer more than entertainment. They can also provide opportunities for parents and grandparents to talk with children about some of the challenges they face in everyday life.
I have always believed that children learn a great deal through stories, often without realising it. When they identify with a character facing a difficult decision, they can begin to think about what they might do in a similar situation.
For example, after reading a fantasy adventure together, we might ask:
Courage: Was the character frightened? Can you be frightened and still be brave?
Friendship: What makes someone a good friend? What should you do when a friend lets you down?
Difficult choices: Did the character make the right decision? What might have happened if they had chosen differently?
Forgiveness: Is it always easy to forgive someone who has hurt you?
Standing up for others: What would you do if you saw someone being treated unfairly?
These needn't become serious lessons or lectures. Sometimes a simple question leads to a conversation that might otherwise never have happened.
When I wrote The Fearless Trio, I wanted children to enjoy the excitement of dragons, goblins, magical adventures and mysterious worlds. But beneath those adventures are themes of courage, friendship, forgiveness and the importance of standing up for what is right.
If the stories also encourage children to think about these things, then I feel they have achieved something beyond simply providing an enjoyable read.
Thank you for watching —and I hope you'll enjoy the journey of the Fearless Trio in the books.
Michael Wash
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