Two-time Minnesota Book Award winner back with a new fantasy world to get lost in

book cover and author
Brian Farrey is a two-time Minnesota Book Award winner and the author of “The Counterclockwise Heart,” which debuts Feb. 1.
Courtesy photos

If you have family members, especially kids, who like to read fantasy, take heed: Two-time Minnesota Book Award winner Brian Farrey is publishing a new novel on Tuesday.

“I’m terrible at elevator pitches,” Farrey told host Cathy Wurzer, but he gave a summary of the new book anyway:

"The Counterclockwise Heart" is a coming-of-age story that follows two young protagonists in a magical kingdom as they try to decipher truth from the cloud of cultural assumptions that surrounds then.

Farrey loves coming up with the rules of a fantasy world, so much so that he can get lost in his projects: “Sometimes I find it hard to move on to the next world.”

Create a More Connected Minnesota

MPR News is your trusted resource for the news you need. With your support, MPR News brings accessible, courageous journalism and authentic conversation to everyone - free of paywalls and barriers. Your gift makes a difference.

Does Farrey have a pet peeve when it comes to fantasy writing? He isn’t the biggest fan of straightforward prophecies and chosen ones. In Farrey’s novels, prophecies are never quite what they seem.

“I’m a strong believer in: Write your own future,” he said.

Excited about “The Counterclockwise Heart”? Tuesday at 7 p.m., you can join Farrey and fellow Minnesota author Jacqueline West at a virtual book launch event through St. Paul’s Red Balloon Bookshop.

Use the audio player above to listen to the full conversation.

Subscribe to the Minnesota Now podcast on Apple PodcastsGoogle PodcastsSpotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

This activity is made possible in part by the Minnesota Legacy Amendment’s Arts & Cultural Heritage Fund.