Since we don’t have official images, this is the best I can give you.
Follow for more on Dark Soldier, a novel coming early 2016.
Even MORE book quotes from my upcoming novel! Is it egotistical to like a quote that you yourself wrote?
If you don’t want to know anything about this series before reading it, skip over this post.
There is magic in this world – the Dark Veil saga, I mean. Today we are going to talk a little about how that works. If you don’t any back story on the books before you read them, you’re going to want to skip this. Don’t worry, I’m not giving away any major spoilers in this article. To be specific, there are two types. There are crystal magics and soul magics. To describe them simply: users of…
There is magic in this world – the Dark Veil saga, I mean. Today we are going to talk a little about how that works. If you don’t any back story on the books before you read them, you’re going to want to skip this. Don’t worry, I’m not giving away any major spoilers in this article.
To be specific, there are two types. There are crystal magics and soul magics. To describe them simply: users of soul magic are born with the abilities while crystal magic users need a little help. The idea behind the names is that a soul is a permanent piece of you, but crystals are a pretty addition. How is magic even produced in this series? Well, I can’t say. Now that might be a spoiler.
A little back story on this: the crystal magic concept was there from day one but was not really fleshed out until very recently. Only up until a few days ago did the book have a major character who used them. The idea to do that was when a Tumblr fan asked me to make him into a character in the book. I rarely do that kind of thing for people, so I wasn’t sure how or if I was going to do it. But then I saw something in his main blog – a great amount of reference to crystals. I decided it was a sign, and his character has become one of my favorites already, even before his personality has been fully created.
But how do they work? Soul magic can only produce elemental powers – breathing fire on your enemies, turning them to ice, sinking them into the ground, electrocuting them, blowing them away, etc. The downside is that this magic type can drain its user’s energy to an extensive degree. Using a good deal may cause them to pass out. Too much, of that and you can see where this is going.
Crystal magic, however, is not limited by these things. While it is technically less powerful, it can do a much greater variety of things. They can make an unbreakable barrier around themselves, blast pure energy from their hands, glow in the dark, and a multitude of other things. It’s far closer to the traditional style of magic. Sadly, it is also limited to how often it can be used. Use a crystal too often, and it will eventually stop working altogether. It isn’t cheap to use crystal magic.
Perhaps you are wondering, is there some animosity between those magic users born with and without magic? If I were to say no, I would be lying for sure. It will play a bigger part in Dark Kingdom than it will in Dark Soldier, but the animosity is real. It’s a bit of a race war. Those using crystal magic envy those who can just use magic on a whim. Those using soul magic envy the unusual and extra abilities crystal magic users have.
But can they get along? You’ll have to read it next year to find out! Even so, come 2016!
So as it turns out, doing college and writing a book is hard. I have a lot of college classes, and so I hardly find time to write, and when I do I have writer’s block. This is mainly due to the fact that I’m working on an extra chapter that has a lot of explaining of things. It’s like the Doctor Who episode that we never got, because he just keeps saying “I’ll explain later.” I want explaining now! So I decided I would be different.
I’m not going to really talk about that chapter, as much as I would like to. It would mean that I would be spoiling quite a lot, as I seem to do all the time. I don’t try to, but I end up saying random things about characters because I feel they need explanation. So I’ve decided to focus this blog on one of my favorite characters I’m writing for, which is Roach.
“What a horrendous name, Roach!” you might think. It’s actually based off one of my favorite characters from The Cosby Show, Cockroach – the name at least. The personality is totally different, mainly because he’s a soldier who’s been battling for a long, long time. I decided long before I would do the book that I would make my characters as realistic as possible. I decided recently when I started improving on Roach’s character that he would be one of these, as he is an especially tormented character, although it’s only mentioned in whispers, except in one possible scene I’m writing, where it goes very deep into his history. The reason he is as tormented as he is is due to his PTSD. Yes, a fantasy character has PTSD. Why has nobody questioned Legolas or Aragorn not having something of the same? Seriously, they’re killing people left and right. So what if they’re mostly orcs, I’m sure they’ve killed others in battle who weren’t. Yet no one seems to have any doubts, any distress, over this. I am just about done with this concept, and I wanted to address it in the series. He isn’t the only character with PTSD, but no, I will not spoil who the other one is. However, he is the one with the most clear problems, such as drinking and cursing and fear of any and all dragons, even though he sees them semi-regularly. The cursing is mainly cut off before anything can be said, as even though this has horrendously gory material at times, I do also want an audience with Christians who might be all right with extreme violence but not all right with some occasional language. I’m still not sure why some think this way, but so it goes.
And what’s not to love with Roach? He’s tormented, but he’s also got a heavy Scottish-style accent, which makes everything he says somehow less disturbing. Don’t ask me why, it just does. It might be due to the fact that I’m American. So sue me for finding every and all British accent amusing. Everybody else probably wants to sue me anyway, this is America after all!
In closing, one of the most important things of building characters is to not try to censor anything they say. If you wish to have a child-friendly character, make one beforehand, do not make a character who would not be normally child-friendly and try to make him one. Then you will have a terrible relationship with your own characters, and no one will believe them, because of course, they aren’t real. Keep this in mind. I’ve actually multiple times based characters of friends I know, including personal struggles because, let’s face it, everyone’s human, even if they’re not, in fantasy. All humans, all have family, or lack of family. They all have weaknesses along with their strengths. Otherwise, they’re just characters, and they just aren’t real, and your readers will not like them. They will probably not like your book either, because humans are relational creatures. They like to feel close to someone, and gosh danggit you oughtta give ’em that chance to do so with ink on paper, too! That’s why books are awesome, they make everyone insane for the time that they’re reading your book. They fall in love with people that don’t exist, never have existed or will exist, and then their hearts break when they have a loss or even die, as though they were mourning a loved one. As do we all. Excellent stuff, we are made of.
Now that the nationwide ad has officially gone out for the book, I feel like I can talk about Dark Soldier and all its gothic steampunk goodness a bit more. Dark Soldier is a novel I have been working on for two years, and I’m very proud of it. Although, I can’t say it is all due to me. Malkeon, Zenti, Trizkol, Ashlin, Zelena, Vaeryl; all the characters have put their fare share into the book just as I have. So here we go, just the basics. No spoilers!!
Who?
Many characters, of course, but it all starts out with a boy named Malkeon Redwing, who will soon become a man.
What?
The basics of Dark Soldier, how to start? I’m not one for short summaries, but if I WERE to write a short summary, it would be as follows: A young Asynthandian boy with a dark secret is quickly flung into a chaotic set of world-changing events when he is charged unfairly and left to die. No spoilers, nothing. Many apologies. Expect to be seeing some regular fantasy creatures, some familiar creatures with an unfamiliar twist, and some not-so-regular creatures. In fact, expect some creatures that have not been mentioned or conceived before.
When?
The series takes place in what the series refers to as the Age of Night, which corresponds best to our Medieval Age here on earth. However, due to the new amounts of technology rising up everywhere, who can really describe the age that is to come?
Where?
Although the story begins in Asynthandt (apologies for my own spelling if it’s wrong, I don’t care if I invented the word it’s hard to spell), it travels across the landscape, hundreds of miles, some by dragon, some by horseback, some by foot, some by the steeds of Jevruun and some by the smoke of a shadow. Prepare for some world-hopping excitement.
Why?
Because I can. I loved telling stories since I was young. I used to do it through drawing on the walls and explaining my story to my mother, but she did not appreciate that. I have taken to doing it through a medium that is far more appreciated than drawings on walls, one that everyone can enjoy and I do.
I would say that honestly the characters keep me going far more than I keep myself. I, personally, am lazy, but my characters are not. Their stories are hard, unforgiving, and filled with wonder; they deserve to be told without a second thought to it, if anyone deserves anything.
So, with this knowledge at your fingertips, check out the Facebook page for Dark Soldier, coming 2016. Can’t wait to see you there!
“Love recognizes no barriers. It jumps hurdles, leaps fences, penetrates walls to arrive at its destination full of hope.” — Maya Angelou
Making the link between anarchism and Christianity.
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Gabriel to Earth 