Caroline Sciriha's Blog, page 8
April 28, 2023
The ABC of Fantasy Creatures: B is for Basilisk
I received a box of Night of Rites and Wraiths, the concluding book of The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy yesterday. As a writer I’m supposed to be able to express myself well, yet there is something about holding the three books in my hands which left me without words. The first draft of book 1 takes me back to 2015, which means I’ve lived with these characters’ rumbles in my head for a good 8 years. If anyone in Malta is interested in a hard copy of the trilogy let me know. Print and ebook copies are also available through Amazon.
Now let’s dive into another Fantasy Creature in the ABC series.
B is for Basilisk
The basilisk has gained prominence in recent years thanks largely to the Harry Potter series, however this mythological creature has been mentioned in several texts as far back as medieval times and even in the English Revised Version of the Bible.
The basilisk is supposed to be hatched from the egg of a snake or toad by a cockerel, so that it is generally described as having a mix of reptilian and bird characteristics.
Basilisks are considered extremely dangerous and deathly creatures: they are greatly venomous and those unfortunate enough to look them in the eye die or are turned to stone. In some stories they even breathe out fire.
Basilisks are not easy to kill especially as one cannot look at them, but the odour of weasels is one of its weaknesses. Moreover, a mirror could be an effective weapon as the creature can become the victim of its own gaze.
Basilisks are considered the king of serpents, as the name itself suggests—basilisk comes from the Greek word for king.
I’m tempted to include a basilisk in one of my stories. What do you think? 
Some self-promo!
In the Inner Lands, there are three ways sixteen-year-old Shael can get herself and her family killed—by looking like the enemy; by working with the enemy; by becoming the enemy.
When sixteen-year-old Shael unknowingly helps a mortally wounded thief, he entrusts her with delivering three figurines to the lord of her castle. Too late, Shael discovers that the figurines were stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. And since she cut her fingers on the figurines while handling them, she is now linked to them. Any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh.
Despite her reluctance to aid the enemy, Shael teams up with three Hyllethans to retrieve the figurines and break the connection. Shael is caught in the tussle for the thrones of the two lands. To avoid becoming a pawn—or dangle from a hangman’s noose—she has to regain possession of the figurines and face the unsuspected secrets of her lost past.
Three thrones. Two power-hungry mages. One girl standing in their way.
Exiled in Hylletha, sixteen-year-old Shael longs to return to the land of her birth but her brother Iysel, the new, terrifying mage-king of the Inner Lands, wants her dead. Shael’s very existence threatens Iysel’s right to the throne since she is the holder of the magical Gift of Touch, which is traditionally held by the monarch.
To ensure peace, Theis, the young man Shael loves, goes to Iysel’s court to negotiate the reunification of Hylletha and the Inner Lands under one ruler. But when Shael’s young foster brother is abducted and held prisoner in the Inner Lands, Shael has only her limited knowledge of spellcraft to help her stay out of Iysel’s reach, rescue her foster brother and make sure Theis doesn’t bear the brunt of Iysel’s rage.
Complicating matters further, Iysel has won the unexpected support of their wily cousin—the son of the king of a neighbouring land and an extraordinary mage—who has his own reasons for wanting to get hold of Shael.
The stability of the three realms lies in the balance. Faced by intrigue and betrayal from all sides, Shael must choose between protecting the lives of those she loves or taking up her role as princess and heir to the thrones to safeguard the welfare of the people.
She’ll be crowned queen—if she lives that long.
With her coronation fast approaching, Shael fears the debilitating effects of poisoning resulting from her stint in the dragons’ birthing grounds will make her unfit to rule. But this becomes the least of her worries when her brother Iysel turns up claiming he’s the true King of Hylletha as well as heir to Dragonia. Shael is determined to protect the realms from the merciless mage, but the documents that challenge Iysel’s right to the thrones have disappeared.
Protecting the realms isn’t the only reason for finding the missing documents. Proving Iysel’s duplicity is the surest way of saving Theis, the love of Shael’s live, whom Iysel has accused of desertion and treason.
With time running out, with assassins stalking her every move and her health failing, Shael sets out to unravel the tangled web of deceit and greed ensnaring her and the kingdoms. Unfortunately, the most obvious culprit isn’t always the only enemy.
Dawn of Purple and Grey, Days of Wind and Snow, and Night of Rites and Wraiths (The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy) are available through Amazon.
Till next time,
Caroline
Top of Form
Bottom of Form
April 14, 2023
Release of Night of Rites and Wraiths, plus new ABC series
Some good news – Book 3, Night of Rites and Wraiths, the concluding book of The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy was released this week. On one hand, it’s a relief to finally see the complete trilogy in print but I have to admit, it’s also a little sad to say goodbye to characters I’ve lived with for the past few years. Shael, Theis, Dracon and Kasha: it’s been a pleasure knowing you, and I hope readers of the books would grow to love you too.
Perhaps because it’s so difficult to say goodbye, I’ve been toying with a few ideas for stories set in the Hyllethan world, such as Neis’ story, Yawra’s childhood, the origin of the Gifts, Tomas and Andrey’s future… Do you think any of these is something you’d like to read?
These two weeks have been rather busy. Apart from launching the book and series, I’ve taught myself the basics of making Instagram reels (Those of you who are tech savvy are probably shaking their head and saying ‘about time’ 
). I’m especially proud of what I’ve come up with so far. If you’d like to see them, head over to my Instagram page (@carolinesciriha). There are a couple about proverbs I made up for the Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy (e.g. this) and one about the Architecture of Inner Land castles. If anyone has any ideas how to improve on these Instagram reels or add cool features to them, please let me know.
And now I think I’ve written enough about myself. Since we finished off the ABC series on Literary Devices, I thought of starting a new ABC series: Fantasy Creatures.
A is for Angels
I have to say upfront that this is one of my least favourite character types perhaps because it’s too closely tied to real-world religions. Angels in fantasy can take the form of ‘good’ angels helping characters, the offspring of angels who inherit particular powers, ‘fallen’ angels living among humans… Angels come in all forms too: some have physical wings, some have ‘cool’ powers but no wings, some are centuries old, others newborn. The list and variety are only limited by a writer’s imagination.
Perhaps another reason for my reservation about this non-human character is because I have rarely read a novel or series with an angel as a focus character which I truly enjoyed – which doesn’t mean there aren’t other good books out there. So if you’ve come across some, do share the titles. I promise to check them out.
Some self-promo!
In the Inner Lands, there are three ways sixteen-year-old Shael can get herself and her family killed—by looking like the enemy; by working with the enemy; by becoming the enemy.
When sixteen-year-old Shael unknowingly helps a mortally wounded thief, he entrusts her with delivering three figurines to the lord of her castle. Too late, Shael discovers that the figurines were stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. And since she cut her fingers on the figurines while handling them, she is now linked to them. Any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh.
Despite her reluctance to aid the enemy, Shael teams up with three Hyllethans to retrieve the figurines and break the connection. Shael is caught in the tussle for the thrones of the two lands. To avoid becoming a pawn—or dangle from a hangman’s noose—she has to regain possession of the figurines and face the unsuspected secrets of her lost past.
Three thrones. Two power-hungry mages. One girl standing in their way.
Exiled in Hylletha, sixteen-year-old Shael longs to return to the land of her birth but her brother Iysel, the new, terrifying mage-king of the Inner Lands, wants her dead. Shael’s very existence threatens Iysel’s right to the throne since she is the holder of the magical Gift of Touch, which is traditionally held by the monarch.
To ensure peace, Theis, the young man Shael loves, goes to Iysel’s court to negotiate the reunification of Hylletha and the Inner Lands under one ruler. But when Shael’s young foster brother is abducted and held prisoner in the Inner Lands, Shael has only her limited knowledge of spellcraft to help her stay out of Iysel’s reach, rescue her foster brother and make sure Theis doesn’t bear the brunt of Iysel’s rage.
Complicating matters further, Iysel has won the unexpected support of their wily cousin—the son of the king of a neighbouring land and an extraordinary mage—who has his own reasons for wanting to get hold of Shael.
The stability of the three realms lies in the balance. Faced by intrigue and betrayal from all sides, Shael must choose between protecting the lives of those she loves or taking up her role as princess and heir to the thrones to safeguard the welfare of the people.
She’ll be crowned queen—if she lives that long.
With her coronation fast approaching, Shael fears the debilitating effects of poisoning resulting from her stint in the dragons’ birthing grounds will make her unfit to rule. But this becomes the least of her worries when her brother Iysel turns up claiming he’s the true King of Hylletha as well as heir to Dragonia. Shael is determined to protect the realms from the merciless mage, but the documents that challenge Iysel’s right to the thrones have disappeared.
Protecting the realms isn’t the only reason for finding the missing documents. Proving Iysel’s duplicity is the surest way of saving Theis, the love of Shael’s live, whom Iysel has accused of desertion and treason.
With time running out, with assassins stalking her every move and her health failing, Shael sets out to unravel the tangled web of deceit and greed ensnaring her and the kingdoms. Unfortunately, the most obvious culprit isn’t always the only enemy.
Dawn of Purple and Grey, Days of Wind and Snow, and Night of Rites and Wraiths (The Hyllethan Gifts Trilogy) are available through Amazon.
Till next time,
Caroline
April 12, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: Z is for …
In my previous post in the series, I wrote that I can’t think of or find any epic fantasy characteristic that begins with X, Y or Z so I’m finishing off this series with three aspects of my own trilogy.
Today, it’s Z…
In the Hyllethan Gifts Series, Z is for Zy’el and Zy’el’s Pit. Zy’el is the God of the Underworld and Death. An off-shoot of this grim idea is a boardgame which the people of the three countries (Hylletha, the Inner Lands and Dragonia) play, called Zy’el’s Pit.
The idea behind Zy’el’s Pit was loosely based on chess and the 4 X 4 sliding jigsaw puzzles I used to love as a child. Do you remember those? To win Zy’el’s Pit requires ruthlessness and strategy.
Making up rules for the revolving board game, checking to see if it could actually work, and devising figurine counters was fun. It became even more so when I realised the game, and the moves the players make, paralleled what was going on in the story. In fact, Zy’el’s Pit becomes a metaphor and more than just a ‘game’ at the end of Dawn of Purple and Gray and even more so at the end of Night of Rites and Wraiths…
If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC posts, please Follow me on Instagram, or through my blog: carolinesciriha.wordpress.com or through my newsletter: carolinesciriha.substack.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey, Days of Wind and Snow, and Night of Rites and Wraiths (The Hyllethan Gifts trilogy) are free through Kindle Unlimited.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure #kindleunlimited #kindleunlimitedfantasy
April 6, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: Y is for …
In my previous post in the series I wrote that I can’t think of or find any epic fantasy characteristic that begins with X, Y or Z so I’m finishing off this series with three aspects of my own trilogy.
Today, it’s Y…
In the Hyllethan Gifts Series, Y is for Yawra, a bodyguard who becomes an important minor character especially in Book 3, Night of Rites and Wraiths. Her main function is to protect the protagonist, Shael, and keep her alive despite all Shael gets herself into. As Yawra’s role in the trilogy gains importance, we learn more about her and her past.
Within a series, minor characters sometimes grow in importance. This is one way how epic fantasy tends to sprawl and often leads to epic fantasy novels having several point-of-view characters or short stories set in the world. In fact, in an early draft, Yawra was the focus of the epilogue, but that scene ended up being edited out. Maybe one day it will become the basis for a short story about the guard.
If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC of Epic Fantasy posts, please Follow me on Instagram, through this blog or my newsletter: carolinesciriha.substack.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey and Days of Wind and Snow (Hyllethan Gifts trilogy, books 1 & 2) are free through Kindle Unlimited. Night of Rites and Wraiths will be available through Amazon on 14th April.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure #fantasybookstagram #fantasyauthorsofinstagram #kindleunlimited #kindleunlimitedfantasy
March 30, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: X is for…?
I can’t think of or find any epic fantasy characteristic that begins with X, Y or Z so I thought I’d finish off the series with three aspects of my own trilogy: X is for Xwun, the wise and somewhat grouchy dragon that takes on the role of mentor for the protagonist in book 3, Night of Rites and Wraiths. One of the passages I loved writing is the first meeting between Xwun and Shael, which takes place in Book 2 – Days of Wind and Snow:
The dragon swept her off the ground till her legs dangled a storey high. If it let go—
“You’re not very bright, are you?” The dragon raised her closer to its snout.
Rows of spiked teeth, close—too close—to her face, filled her vision. She gulped, but her mouth was desert dry and her constricted throat could not voice a cry.
“Do tell. Have you decided to obey your sire at last?”
“W-What?” Her stomach was knotted so tightly she could hardly breathe. Sire? The only communication she’d received from her father was to join him in Dragonia, something she had no intention of doing.
Does any epic fantasy characteristic beginning with X, Y and Z come to mind? Please let me know in the chat
If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC of Epic Fantasy posts, please Follow me on Instagram or through this blog: carolinesciriha.wordpress.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey and Days of Wind and Snow (Hyllethan Gifts trilogy, books 1 & 2) are free through Kindle Unlimited. Night of Rites and Wraiths will be available through Amazon in April.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure #fantasybookstagram #fantasyauthorsofinstagram #kindleunlimited #kindleunlimitedfantasy
March 24, 2023
Writing News & Z is for Zeugma
This weekend I’m finishing off my work in progress by re-writing the climatic scene and the ending. This story has given me so much grief! This is the third draft of this story and each draft has involved a major re-writing of the events and story. I think this is the best one so I’m rather happy with the way it’s shaping up—if I can get the ending right.
I’m also expecting my editor to send in her comments on Night of Rites and Wraiths, so that’s a chunk of time I’ll need to dedicate to finalising that novel and series over the Easter period. This means I might need to delay sending out the next newsletter. Let’s call it a short Easter break I’ll be taking.
And now on to the last entry of the Literary Devices series, at least for the time being as there are a number of literary devices which I haven’t touched on.
Z is for ZeugmaThere doesn’t seem to be any literary device which starts with Y, so I’ve had to skip that letter to go directly to Z. Zeugma involves a word, usually a verb or adjective which is applied to more than one noun, bonding together two distinct ideas in a creative way. Sometimes this is done even if the verb or adjective grammatically and / or logically is only appropriate for one of the nouns. Well known examples are:
“She looked at the object with suspicion and a magnifying glass.” (The Pickwick Papers, Charles Dickens)
“[They] covered themselves with dust and glory.” (The Adventures of Tom Sawyer, Mark Twain)
Some self-promo!
Dawn of Purple and Grey, book 1 in the Hyllethan Gifts trilogy is available from Amazon as a paperback and as an ebook, as well as from Barnes and Noble and Book Depository. Days of Wind and Snow, book 2, is available as an ebook and a paperback from Amazon. Night of Rites and Wraiths, book 3, will be available in April.
In the Inner Lands, there are three ways sixteen-year-old Shael can get herself and her family killed—by looking like the enemy; by working with the enemy; by becoming the enemy.
When sixteen-year-old Shael unknowingly helps a mortally wounded thief, he entrusts her with delivering three figurines to the lord of her castle. Too late, Shael discovers that the figurines were stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. And since she cut her fingers on the figurines while handling them, she is now linked to them. Any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh.
Despite her reluctance to aid the enemy, Shael teams up with three Hyllethans to retrieve the figurines and break the connection. Shael is caught in the tussle for the thrones of the two lands. To avoid becoming a pawn—or dangle from a hangman’s noose—she has to regain possession of the figurines and face the unsuspected secrets of her lost past.
Three thrones. Two power-hungry mages. One girl standing in their way.
Exiled in Hylletha, sixteen-year-old Shael longs to return to the land of her birth but her brother Iysel, the new, terrifying mage-king of the Inner Lands, wants her dead. Shael’s very existence threatens Iysel’s right to the throne since she is the holder of the magical Gift of Touch, which is traditionally held by the monarch.
To ensure peace, Theis, the young man Shael loves, goes to Iysel’s court to negotiate the reunification of Hylletha and the Inner Lands under one ruler. But when Shael’s young foster brother is abducted and held prisoner in the Inner Lands, Shael has only her limited knowledge of spellcraft to help her stay out of Iysel’s reach, rescue her foster brother and make sure Theis doesn’t bear the brunt of Iysel’s rage.
Complicating matters further, Iysel has won the unexpected support of their wily cousin—the son of the king of a neighbouring land and an extraordinary mage—who has his own reasons for wanting to get hold of Shael.
The stability of the three realms lies in the balance. Faced by intrigue and betrayal from all sides, Shael must choose between protecting the lives of those she loves or taking up her role as princess and heir to the thrones to safeguard the welfare of the people.
Night of Rites and Wraiths
She’ll be crowned queen—if she lives that long.
With her coronation fast approaching, Shael fears the debilitating effects of poisoning resulting from her stint in the dragons’ birthing grounds will make her unfit to rule. But this becomes the least of her worries when her brother Iysel turns up claiming he’s the true King of Hylletha as well as heir to Dragonia. Shael is determined to protect the realms from the merciless mage, but the documents that challenge Iysel’s right to the thrones have disappeared.
Protecting the realms isn’t the only reason for finding the missing documents. Proving Iysel’s duplicity is the surest way of saving Theis, the love of Shael’s live, whom Iysel has accused of desertion and treason.
With time running out, with assassins stalking her every move and her health failing, Shael sets out to unravel the tangled web of deceit and greed ensnaring her and the kingdoms. Unfortunately, the most obvious culprit isn’t always the only enemy.
Have a good spring break!
Caroline
March 16, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: W is for War
Wars, battles (often with swords or magical elements), injuries, death: these are elements often found in epic fantasy, and with good reason. Epic fantasy deals with protagonists who are faced with decisions that affect not just them but the larger community (the realm/s for example or the whole world even). Consequently, the protagonists’ mission is often entwined with conflict between peoples and countries and their success or failure has large scale consequences.
Is war an exciting trope in fantasy?
In the Hyllethan Gifts trilogy, the war that has been threatening the three lands since the start of Dawn of Purple and Grey (book 1) finally erupts in book 3, Night of Rites and Wraiths. Will all the heroes survive it?
If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC of Epic Fantasy posts, please Follow me on Instagram or through this blog: carolinesciriha.wordpress.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey and Days of Wind and Snow (Hyllethan Gifts trilogy, books 1 & 2) are free through Kindle Unlimited. Night of Rites and Wraiths will be available through Amazon in April.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure #fantasybookstagram #fantasyauthorsofinstagram #kindleunlimited #kindleunlimitedfantasy
March 10, 2023
Night of Rites and Wraiths and X is for Xenophanic
Some good news! Night of Rites and Wraiths, book 3 in the Hyllethan Gifts trilogy is going through its final copy edit and proofreading. Yay! This means that it should be available by April. You can read the blurb at the bottom of the newsletter.
X is for XenophanicLooks like we’re coming to the end of the series dedicated to frequently used literary terms. The only literary term I found starting with X is Xenophanic, an adjective which apparently is used to refer to poets who use satire and witticism. The word is derived from Xenophanes, a wandering Greek poet who lived around 550 BCE.
I’ve been thinking about the next series. Is there anything you’d like me to write about?
Something I’ve learntWhile writing my current work in progress I needed to do some research on ancient Greek / Roman-era gardening, what crops were available, tools used etc. Isn’t it interesting that the use of plant pots date as far back as ancient Egypt? Except my plant pots will contain more than just soil and plants in my work in progress
Would anyone care to guess what? It can create beautiful patterns in the sky or devastation…
Some self-promo!Dawn of Purple and Grey, book 1 in the Hyllethan Gifts series is available from Amazon as a paperback and as an ebook, as well as from Barnes and Noble and Books Depository. Days of Wind and Snow, book 2 is available as an ebook and a paperback from Amazon.
In the Inner Lands, there are three ways sixteen-year-old Shael can get herself and her family killed—by looking like the enemy; by working with the enemy; by becoming the enemy.
When sixteen-year-old Shael unknowingly helps a mortally wounded thief, he entrusts her with delivering three figurines to the lord of her castle. Too late, Shael discovers that the figurines were stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. And since she cut her fingers on the figurines while handling them, she is now linked to them. Any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh.
Despite her reluctance to aid the enemy, Shael teams up with three Hyllethans to retrieve the figurines and break the connection. Shael is caught in the tussle for the thrones of the two lands. To avoid becoming a pawn—or dangle from a hangman’s noose—she has to regain possession of the figurines and face the unsuspected secrets of her lost past.
Three thrones. Two power-hungry mages. One girl standing in their way.
Exiled in Hylletha, sixteen-year-old Shael longs to return to the land of her birth but her brother Iysel, the new, terrifying mage-king of the Inner Lands, wants her dead. Shael’s very existence threatens Iysel’s right to the throne since she is the holder of the magical Gift of Touch, which is traditionally held by the monarch.
To ensure peace, Theis, the young man Shael loves, goes to Iysel’s court to negotiate the reunification of Hylletha and the Inner Lands under one ruler. But when Shael’s young foster brother is abducted and held prisoner in the Inner Lands, Shael has only her limited knowledge of spellcraft to help her stay out of Iysel’s reach, rescue her foster brother and make sure Theis doesn’t bear the brunt of Iysel’s rage.
Complicating matters further, Iysel has won the unexpected support of their wily cousin—the son of the king of a neighbouring land and an extraordinary mage—who has his own reasons for wanting to get hold of Shael.
The stability of the three realms lies in the balance. Faced by intrigue and betrayal from all sides, Shael must choose between protecting the lives of those she loves or taking up her role as princess and heir to the thrones to safeguard the welfare of the people.
Night of Rites and Wraiths
She’ll be crowned queen—if she lives that long.
With her coronation fast approaching, Shael fears the debilitating effects of poisoning resulting from her stint in the dragons’ birthing grounds will make her unfit to rule. But this becomes the least of her worries when her brother Iysel turns up claiming he’s the true King of Hylletha as well as heir to Dragonia. Shael is determined to protect the realms from the merciless mage, but the documents that challenge Iysel’s right to the thrones have disappeared.
Protecting the realms isn’t the only reason for finding the missing documents. Proving Iysel’s duplicity is the surest way of saving Theis, the love of Shael’s live, whom Iysel has accused of desertion and treason.
With time running out, with assassins stalking her every move and her health failing, Shael sets out to unravel the tangled web of deceit and greed ensnaring her and the kingdoms. Unfortunately, the most obvious culprit isn’t always the only enemy.
See you!
Caroline
March 2, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: V is for Villain
V is for Villain
How does a fantasy villain differ from any other genre’s antagonist, I hear you ask? Simply by making him more powerful, more magical, more diabolical than the powers available to the protagonist. But whatever the genre, an interesting villain can’t be pure evil, in my opinion. A complex character and an interesting backstory which provides valid reasons for their (evil) actions serve to make plots more intriguing and readers turning pages.
In the Hyllethan Gifts series, the apparent villain is the protagonist’s aunt, but lurking in the shadows is a worse villain, one more closely related to the protagonist so that not only is there the hurt of fighting off an antagonist who wants you dead, but that person is actually someone you’d expect to protect and love you not plot your downfall.
Do you prefer a villain who is pure evil or one who is morally grey? If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC of Epic Fantasy posts, please Follow me on Instagram or through my blog: carolinesciriha.wordpress.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey and Days of Wind and Snow (Hyllethan Gifts trilogy, books 1 & 2) are free through Kindle Unlimited.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure
February 24, 2023
W is for Word Choice
W is for Word ChoiceWords, words, words. I’m fascinated with the way words carry meaning, sometimes over and beyond their literal meaning. Should one describe a character as thin or slim, for example? Each of those words carry a serious load of baggage, baggage which could be negative or positive, jarring or hilarious.
Word choice affects the way a reader reacts to a text. A wrong word could turn the reader off the story; a well-thought out and careful choice of words however could draw them in, immersing them into a scene, or adds layers to what we persevere about a particular character. Choice of words also creates the tone of the story and the writer’s style and voice.
Effective word choice can often be seen in the opening of several well-known novels:
Fahrenheit 451 (Ray Bradbury) – “It was a pleasure to burn.”
The Witches (Roald Dahl) – “In fairy-tales, witches always wear silly black hats and black coats, and they ride on broomsticks. But this is not a fairy-tale. This is about REAL WITCHES.”
The Catcher in the Rye (J D Salinger)- “If you really want to hear about it, the first thing you’ll probably want to know is where I was born and what my lousy childhood was like, and how my parents were occupied and all before they had me, and all that David Copperfield kind of crap, but I don’t feel like going into it, if you want to know the truth.”
Night of Rites and Wraiths (book 3 in the Hyllethan Gifts series) opens with these words:
“Night had become her day.
Shael raced after Theis along the moonlit streets of Dragonia City, relishing the soft bite of the wind on her face. The only noise was the faint crunch of their boots on cobbles, Fluff’s panting and the distant sound of drunken laughter. Many of the good and not-so-good souls of Dragonia City were asleep.”
The one line paragraph is meant to create curiosity, “forcing” the reader to read the next paragraph. The linking of Shael with Theis and moonlit streets throws a hint of the romance which the novel will explore in later pages. The build-up of setting, with the ‘soft’ bit of the wind, the ‘faint crunch’ on the ‘cobbles’ and the ‘panting’ all create a tranquil atmosphere reinforced through the deliberate use of voiceless consonant sounds. This tranquillity is however jarred through the ‘distant sound of drunken laughter’ and the following comment about the ‘not-so-good souls’ in Dragonia City, words and ideas which hint at the trouble to come.
As a reader, do you think word choice make certain books unforgettable or are the characters and plot more important? Looking forward to reading your thoughts in the comments below.
Some self-promo!
Hyllethan Gifts TrilogyDawn of Purple and Grey, book 1 in the Hyllethan Gifts series is available from Amazon as a paperback and as an ebook, as well as from Barnes and Noble and Books Depository. Days of Wind and Snow, book 2 is available as an ebook and a paperback from Amazon.
In the Inner Lands, there are three ways sixteen-year-old Shael can get herself and her family killed—by looking like the enemy; by working with the enemy; by becoming the enemy.
When sixteen-year-old Shael unknowingly helps a mortally wounded thief, he entrusts her with delivering three figurines to the lord of her castle. Too late, Shael discovers that the figurines were stolen from the Hyllethans, her country’s feared enemies. And since she cut her fingers on the figurines while handling them, she is now linked to them. Any breakage or pressure on the clay is felt on her flesh.
Despite her reluctance to aid the enemy, Shael teams up with three Hyllethans to retrieve the figurines and break the connection. Shael is caught in the tussle for the thrones of the two lands. To avoid becoming a pawn—or dangle from a hangman’s noose—she has to regain possession of the figurines and face the unsuspected secrets of her lost past.
Three thrones. Two power-hungry mages. One girl standing in their way.
Exiled in Hylletha, sixteen-year-old Shael longs to return to the land of her birth but her brother Iysel, the new, terrifying mage-king of the Inner Lands, wants her dead. Shael’s very existence threatens Iysel’s right to the throne since she is the holder of the magical Gift of Touch, which is traditionally held by the monarch.
To ensure peace, Theis, the young man Shael loves, goes to Iysel’s court to negotiate the reunification of Hylletha and the Inner Lands under one ruler. But when Shael’s young foster brother is abducted and held prisoner in the Inner Lands, Shael has only her limited knowledge of spellcraft to help her stay out of Iysel’s reach, rescue her foster brother and make sure Theis doesn’t bear the brunt of Iysel’s rage.
Complicating matters further, Iysel has won the unexpected support of their wily cousin—the son of the king of a neighbouring land and an extraordinary mage—who has his own reasons for wanting to get hold of Shael.
The stability of the three realms lies in the balance. Faced by intrigue and betrayal from all sides, Shael must choose between protecting the lives of those she loves or taking up her role as princess and heir to the thrones to safeguard the welfare of the people.
Night of Rites and Wraiths
Coming soon!
Caroline
