The Wingfeather Saga

The Wingfeather Saga is a series of four fantasy novels, plus a bestiary-like "Creaturepedia", a multi-author collection of side-stories titled ''The Wingfeather Tales,'' and a guidebook titled ''A Ranger’s Guide to Glipwood Forest'' written by singer-songwriter Andrew Peterson. The main series consists of '' On the Edge of the Dark Sea of Darkness'', '' North! Or Be Eaten'', ''The Monster in the Hollows'', and ''The Warden and the Wolf King''. The series chronicles the adventures and transformations of the Igiby family (grandfather Podo, mother Nia, and three children, Janner, Tink, and Leeli), as they discover secrets of their family history, flee the evil Fangs of Dang who are occupying the country of Skree where the Igibys were raised, seek their place and identity in the world, and make a stand against the mysterious ruler behind the Fangs of Dang, Gnag the Nameless. The story takes place in the fantasy world of Aerwiar, a world without firearms or electricity and with many strange creatures.

The book series is currently being adapted into a free-to-watch, seven-season animated television series by Angel Studios, with Peterson as an executive producer along with J. Chris Wall. Production of the show has been funded by equity crowdfunding.

Main characters

Janner Igiby (Wingfeather)

Janner is the determined oldest brother. He helps around the farm and bookstore and has a dream to sail. As the oldest, the ancient role of Throne Warden (protector of the king) belongs to him and places much pressure on his shoulders.

Kalmar Igiby (Wingfeather)

Tink (Kalmar, his birth name as mentioned early on in the book) is the second born younger brother. Constantly hungry and ready for mischief with his brother, such as exploring in the nearby dangerous woods. He is later revealed to be heir to the throne by the Annieran tradition that the second child inherits the crown.

Leeli Igiby (Wingfeather)

Leeli is the youngest and only sister. She is kind, musically talented, and crippled, but is brave and can be surprisingly fast on her crutch when she has to be. She is gifted a Whistleharp, that is later revealed to have belonged to her great-grandmother, Madia, Queen of Anniera.

Nia Igiby (Wingfeather)

The kind and regal mother to Janner, Tink and Leeli, and later revealed to be Queen of the Shining Isle of Anniera. After the Fangs took control she hid herself and her children by returning to the town her father grew up in, and taking her mother's maiden name, Igiby.

Podo Helmer

Podo is Nia's father, and grandfather to Janner, Tink, and Leeli. He has a rough love for his grandsons but a soft spot for his granddaughter. He tends the garden, protects the family, and tells stories of his former wild life as a pirate at sea. A dragon bit off his leg and he replaced it with a peg leg, often described as a stump.

Esben Wingfeather

Janner, Kalmar, and Leeli's father, High King of the Shining Isle of Anniera. Assumed to be dead after the invasion of Anniera.

Artham Wingfeather (Peet the Sock Man)

Artham was Esben Wingfeather's older brother and the Throne Warden. At the start of the saga he is crazy and wears socks on his hands. It is later reveal the socks conceal that his hands have been magically transformed to talons.

Oskar Noss Reteep

An old, wise, roundish, well-read bookseller and gentle soul. He is also a self-proclaimed “appreciator of the neat, strange, and/or yummy”. He lived in his Glipwood bookstore, Books and Crannies, before traveling with the Igiby family through Aerwiar and eventually settling down in the Green Hollows.

Sara Cobbler

A friend of Janner who was taken by the Fangs to be a slave. When Janner is later taken, she helps him escape and afterwards leads a mass exodus of other young slaves.

Gammon Felda (The Florid Sword)

The leader of the rebellion against the Fangs and the dark hero of Dugtown. He also became the adopted father of Maraly Weaver.

Maraly Weaver (Shadow Blade)

A member of one of the bands of lawless vagabonds called Stranders; she helped Artham Wingfeather and was later adopted by Gammon after her biological father, Claxton Weaver, died.

Animated series

In March 2016 a Kickstarter was successfully funded to produce a pilot episode for a 7-season animated series adaptation. That campaign also funded a series of short stories set in the world of Aerwiar. The stories were written by Andrew Peterson, Jennifer Trafton, N.D. Wilson, A.S. Peterson, Jonathan Rogers, and Douglas Kaine McKelvey. They were illustrated by Cory Godbey, Nicholas Kole, John Hendrix, Joe Sutphin, Doug TenNapel, Justin Gerard, and Aedan Peterson; and the musical score was composed by The Arcadian Wild and Kurt Heinecke.

The fifteen-minute short film, titled ''A Crow for the Carriage,'' was premiered on November 2, 2017, at Belcourt Theatre in Nashville, Tennessee. The short is available for streaming on multiple platforms. The series' producer, J. Chris Wall, and author, Andrew Peterson, then tried to pitch the show to film and television outlets.

The show went through another round of crowdfunding with investment platform Angel Studios in May 2021. The campaign was able to raise $5 million in total, with $1 million being raised in the first 48 hours. This campaign met its goal, raising enough money to fund the production of Season 1, which covered and adapted the events of the first book. The first episode, ''Leeli and the Dragon Song'' (later renamed ''Leeli and the Sea Dragon Song''), released on December 2 free on the Angel Studios app, YouTube, and Facebook. The second and third rounds of crowdfunding for Season 2 began soon after with a goal of $6.5 million. Production began in 2023 on Season 2, which covers the first half of Book 2, with a planned release date of early 2024. The series is being distributed by Angel Studios.

Cast

* Alkaio Thiele as Janner Igiby (Wingfeather)
* Griffin Robert Faulkner as Tink (Kalmar) Igiby (Wingfeather)
* Romy Fay as Leeli Igiby (Wingfeather)
* Jodi Benson as Nia Igiby (Wingfeather)
* Kevin McNally as Podo Helmer
* Andrew Peterson as Oskar Noss Reteep
* Henry Ian Cusick as Peet
* Enn Reitel as Zouzab, Buzzard Willie, Shaggy
* Kellen Goff as Slarb, Brak, Yurgen, General Khrak
* Kari Wahlgren as the Stonekeeper
* Christopher Robin Miller as Commander Gnorm, Vop, Mobrik
* Adam Sietz as Mayor Blaggus, Critch

Episodes

Season 1 (2022–23)

Season 2 (2024)

Future seasons

Season 3 has a projected release date of 2024, and will cover the second half of Book 2.
Season 4 has a projected release date of 2025, and will cover the first half of Book 3.
Season 5 has a projected release date of 2026, and will cover the second half of Book 3.
Season 6 has a projected release date of 2027, and will cover the first half of Book 4.
Season 7 has a projected release date of 2028, and will cover the second half of Book 4.

External links

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Notes and references

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wingfeather Saga, The
Fantasy novel series
2010s animated short films
Computer-animated short films
Angel Studios