Alon Shalev never imagined writing epic fantasy. With three novels published, each advocating a social justice theme, his connection to fantasy was tenuous - the rite-of-passage of Tolkien, Brooks et al - long forgotten under an avalanche of academia and a passion for social justice.

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Born and bred in England, Shalev grew up in the vibrancy of London learning about politics, social justice and soccer. After university he helped create an intentional community - Kibbutz Lotan: a brave social experiment to build a environmental, egalitarian intentional community in the inspiring Arava desert, a part of the Afro-Syrian Rift.

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In 2005, he moved to the San Francisco Bay Area in California, He is the executive director for American Jewish World Service in the Western Region, a global human rights organization that empowers the most marginalized people to stand up for their human rights and erase poverty. 

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His wife, Ariela, and two sons: Pele and Asif, endure with difficulty his immersion into the world of writing and the time it takes away from family. But they were integral in the journey that Seanchai and his friends embarked upon, sitting around the campfire every summer, playing their part as the story unfolded.

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While on a family vacation in 2009, the eldest (then 11 years old) son complained when he saw his father whip out his laptop and begin to write. After convening a family meeting around the picnic table, a compromise was reached: they would write a story together, about elves, dwarfs and noble quests. And so began a new adventure: from political and social activism fiction to the coming-of-age world of fantasy.

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At The Walls Of Galbrieth went on to win the Eric Hoffer Book Award for YA and over next five years, Shalev presented a fresh manuscript to his sons around the campfire or snuggled in a tent while on their summer camping trip and subjected himself to these harshest of critics. In 2011, Tourmaline Books signed Alon Shalev to what became a six-book commitment. Calhei No More, the sixth in the series, was released in November 2016.

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​In 2015, at the magical source of the Sacramento River, the two teenagers, now towering over their father, listened to the final story. Calhei (elven children) No More was an apt title and not just for the characters in the series, but for those who inspired their existence. 

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Written as a young adult epic fantasy series, these stories resonate with readers of all ages, telling of a reluctant hero who holds friendship and freedom above power and magic.

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Deep in a redwood forest in Northern California, two boys and their father sat at a picnic table and created a new epic fantasy world. 

The ancient trees bore witness to the summoning of the Wycaan Masters.

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