‘Love is love’: Wausau author Eli Pritzl writes the gay fantasy novel they’ve always wanted to read – Wausau Daily Herald
WAUSAU – As a queer person with mental health struggles, Eli Pritzl seldom found the representation they wanted in books.
A self-described “nerd,” Pritzl, of Wausau, said they have always loved fantasy. They began playing Dungeons and Dragons, a popular role-playing game, in high school and have been an active cosplayer for years, dressing up as their favorite characters for fun or for conventions. Pritzl, 26, grew up in Park Falls and moved to Wausau after graduating from high school in 2014.
When it came to fantasy novels, Pritzl wanted to see characters they could connect with better.
“There’s always that main hero of the story, right? They have some hiccups but then they get past it, and they’re super charismatic and they’re able to always meet their goals,” Pritzl said. “Sometimes I feel like it’s hard to relate with characters like that, just because, even though it is fantasy, real life is not like that.”
Rather than continue their search, Pritzl decided to write their own book.
“Amber Eyes” is a fantasy novel that takes place in London in 1758. It follows Thaddeus Avalone, a teenage noble hiding his shapeshifting identity. He’s put into an arranged marriage with a woman, but finds himself falling in love with a man. Thaddeus is keeping many secrets and, as the novel continues, it becomes increasingly difficult to stay quiet.
Pritzl said they usually don’t like the way queer relationships are represented in fantasy novels. Oftentimes the gay romance is glossed over or made the only plot point. Jackson Secor, a friend Pritzl met in the Wausau area who has read “Amber Eyes,” said he agreed with that sentiment.
“This is nice to actually read a plot that’s not just about them being gay, it’s got other aspects along with it,” Secor said. “We need more books with just two characters that like each other and it doesn’t matter if they’re gay or straight.”
Pritzl also said as an anxious person, they wanted to be able to see mental illness portrayed in fantasy novels. The main character, Thaddeus, deals with parental abuse, anxiety and depression.
“I wanted to create a character that could be more relatable to a greater portion of my generation,” Pritzl said.
Pritzl has been working on their novel for around 10 years but didn’t get serious until 2020. They said the main character started as a Dungeons and Dragons character Pritzl created in high school.
Pritzl got carried away writing the backstory and just never stopped. Several book characters were first created as part of Thaddeus’s background.
For around five years, the book stayed as notes and characters, but in 2017, Pritzl started to actually write the novel. Then in 2020, they got serious, and spent more time writing and editing. Pritzl sent it off to Ten16 Press, a Wisconsin-based publishing house, in 2021.
“Amber Eyes” is the first book of what Pritzl hopes to be a four- to five-book series. They’re currently writing the second novel.
“I feel like there’s still like a stigma and there’s a taboo against (being gay),” Pritzl said. “I just wanted to do my part to kind of fan that away, like I said, and just love is love.”
You can purchase “Amber Eyes” from the Barnes and Noble website or Ten16 Press. Pritzl is working on making it available at the Barnes and Noble location in Wausau along with other bookstores. They have also donated several copies to the Portage County Public Library in Stevens Point.
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Emalyn Muzzy is a reporter covering Central Wisconsin. You can contact her at Emuzzy@gannett.com or follow her on Twitter @EmalynMuzzy.