Caroline Sciriha's Blog, page 9
February 16, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: the Undying
U is for Undying
Many fantasy novels include characters that have a prolonged lifespan or are immortal. Their prolonged lifespan could be due to their biological background or obtained through to some magical or supernatural means, though the possibility of dying through injuries is often not ruled out.
Typically, the undying character remains youthful in appearance. A common theme is the heartache of outliving loved ones who do not enjoy the same prolonged lifespan. Tolkien touches on this aspect through the love story between Aragorn and Arwen.
In the Hyllethan Gifts series, the Hyllethans prolonged lifespan is only hinted at in passing, but this theme comes out strongly in my current work in progress (the Firedance duology) which deals with one individual living multiple lives in succession through a form of reincarnation.
Do you think immortality or a prolonged lifespan a desirable element for an individual or just highly desired but ultimately a curse?
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 10, 2023
V is for Viewpoint
Those of you who live in Malta know we’ve been experiencing the worst storm of the year these last few days. I hope you’re all keeping safe and as far as possible avoiding the coastal roads. The sea is beautiful but when it’s this rough it can be a terrifying beast.
On that note, let’s go to today’s literary device.
V is for Viewpoint
One of the first decisions a writer takes when writing a story is the work’s point of view (pov), that is, from which perspective the events will be revealed. As a literary device, point of view is revealed through the use of pronouns: he/she for third person, you for second person and I for first person. The most used viewpoints are third person or first person.
Third person point of view can be either omniscient or limited. In the past, novels were predominantly written from the point of view of an omniscient narrator, that is one that is all-knowing. This narrative style has the narrative voice recounting the events and sometimes even commenting about them. Third person limited, on the other hand, is written from the point of view of one of the characters (not necessarily the protagonist’s) and as readers we only get that character’s limited or incomplete knowledge.
The Hyllethan Trilogy is written in third person limited. My work in progress—the Firedance duology—started out with a third person limited pov but as soon as the 0-draft was written I knew I needed to change it to first person to create a more intimate relationship with the protagonist’s viewpoint. This intimacy can also be reached through third person limited but not to the same extent, I feel.
Through first person and third person limited pov, we hear the narrator’s thoughts and see the events and experience the scene through their eyes. Therefore, we are shown only what interests the narrator, with words/vocabulary they would use (a child’s vocabulary differs from an adult’s, for example), and imagery taken from their world. In other words, since the Hyllethan Trilogy is set in a medieval setting in an alternative world, I couldn’t have Shael compare the towers at Hylletha to skyscrapers or to the Tower of Pisa.
A case in point is found in the following extract where we experience Shael and her brother’s first sight of stalagmites:
The tunnel curved, and they spilled out into another cave, the torch light reflecting off numerous translucent pillars rising from the ground and kissing those hanging from the ceiling.
Tomas gasped, echoing Shael’s awe. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” she said. “They look like miniature Hyllethan towers.”
“Or a knobbly winter forest,” Tomas said.
Days of Wind and Snow
(Hyllethan Gifts #2)
An evocative example of limited third person pov can be found in the poem The Discovery by J.C. Squire where the native first sees Columbus’ ships and doesn’t have the vocabulary to describe them:
‘For in the bay, where nothing was before,
Moved on the sea, by magic, huge canoes,
With bellying cloths on poles, and not one oar,
And fluttering coloured signs and clambering clews’
First person pov and third person limited pov also help create suspense as the reader cannot know what other people think (e.g. if the love interest reciprocates the feelings, or if a shady character is the culprit).
Many novels that have multiple pov’s tend to focus on one character’s pov for a whole chapter and only switch perspectives in another chapter. This is because switching from the pov of one character to another within the same chapter, or worse from one sentence to the next can be confusing to the reader and irritating too.
Some embarrassing self-promo – ignore this section if you’re sick of it!
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
Coming soon!
Caroline
February 1, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: Threatened Territory
T is for Threatened Territory
Wars and power struggles are often integral to the plots of epic fantasy. The protagonist is pitched against some powerful entity that threatens not just them but the whole world as they know it. For example, one nightmarish vision in Lord of the Rings is the Shire up in flames—a vision of the future the protagonists struggle to prevent.
Do you think power struggles and threats to one’s land enrich the plots of epic fantasy novels?
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 #fantasybookstagram #fantasyauthorsofinstagram
January 28, 2023
U is for Undertone
Undertone refers to the underlying attitude, tone or theme which a work presents. Since the theme/attitude etc. is not stated directly in the work, it may sometimes pass unnoticed but when identified, it tends to deepen and enrich the reading experience. An example that comes to mind is from The Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis. Lewis’ work contains several allusions to Christianity. A well-known example is the similarity between Aslan, the lion, who sacrifices himself to save one of the children. His resurrection further reinforces the allusion to Christ’s death and resurrection.
Undertone helps readers to understand the literary work better. It could even help to deepen characters especially if the undertones hint at particular motivation or underlying psychological aspects which are not openly discussed.
Are there any novels that made you reflect on them due to their undertones?
Research
These last few weeks I have re-immersed myself into a duology I worked on last year to tighten the first novel and take apart the second with the hope of writing a better story. Don’t ask how that’s going!! However, working on those texts have again involved doing some research, this time on the minerals excavated from around a volcano, and more importantly for my ms, how drilling for core samples is carried out. I learnt the following:
The drilling for core samples doesn’t use a normal drill bit, scaled up from the version that you have in the shed at home. Instead, scientists use 2m long hollow tubes that are driven into the earth by a large weight. As each segment is pushed into the ground, it forms a tube of material that is brought to the surface, a little like a biscuit cutter being pushed into dough. The core that is pulled up is recorded, and the driller hammers the next tube into the ground in the same hole. Each time, the drilling is going 2m deeper. The cores can be analysed, one after the other, to provide a continuous record reaching back in time. https://www.sciencelearn.org.nz/resources/643-reading-rock-core-samples
An aspect I enjoy about reading and writing is the bits of information the text encourages you to learn about!
Some embarrassing self-promo – ignore this section if you’re sick of it!
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
Coming soon!
Caroline
January 20, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: Swords and Sorcery
While Sword and Sorcery is considered a separate genre in fantasy, swords and sorcery often appear in epic fantasy, often because the chosen setting has a medieval vibe.
Wikipedia describes Sword and Sorcery as: “a subgenre of fantasy characterized by sword-wielding heroes engaged in exciting and violent adventures. Elements of romance, magic, and the supernatural are also often present. Unlike works of high fantasy, the tales, though dramatic, focus on personal battles rather than world-endangering matters.”
Do you think there is a clear distinction between Sword and Sorcery and Epic Fantasy set in medieval settings?
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
January 13, 2023
T is for Tone (too); and Hyllethan Gifts #3!
I hope you’ve all had some great time over the holidays, relaxing, reading, meeting family and friends or perhaps travelling. I’m excited to say that I’ve finished the edits for the final book of the Hyllethan Gifts trilogy and am now waiting for the editor to fit me into her schedule and get back to me with her recommendations. That should be completed by the end of March so I’m envisaging an April publication date for Night of Rites and Wraiths. Hope you’ll like it!
And if you’re wondering what the book is about, here’s a teaser:
She’ll be crowned queen—if she lives that long.
T is for Tone
A good book cover helps to project the tone of the story. The graphic artist I use therefore chose dark colours for the Hyllethan Gifts trilogy. In Night of Rites and Wraiths, the artist also added lightning and a figure with a pained expression. While a graphic artist’s tools are images, a writer’s are words. Choice of words, figures of speech, length of sentences, punctuation all help to create the tone the writer wishes to project. For example:
The smell of hay and animal, the more delicate scents of spices and fruits and wheat, and the mustier odour of the ground, wet from the evening’s drizzle, struck Shael like a volley of arrows.
In the above extract from Night of Rites and Wraiths, the smells described are positive smells so the simile shocks the reader with its unexpectedness. Smells—even delicate and positive scents have become an enemy.
On ReadingOver the past few days, I’ve been critiquing a novella, so that left me little time to start a new book, but a friend recommended a novel I had also wished to read—the sequel to The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne – All the Broken Places. I loved how Boyne shows us a boy’s distorted perspective of the war and concentration camps in BSP so this second book written from the boy’s sister’s perspective is a must read for me.
Some embarrassing self-promo – ignore this section if you’re sick of it!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.
Caroline
January 12, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: Royalty
Princes, princesses, kings and queens populate the pages of epic fantasy. A ranger is really a lost king in disguise; a cruel prince might be less so; a princess needs to defeat a crown prince to save her people… the list of plots and royal characters is endless. There’s something about royalty that captures the imagination, perhaps because of the greater possibility of the protagonist’s actions affecting a whole land and its people, or because of the likelihood of greater political intrigue and strife. The stakes are intrinsically higher, the settings often more opulent, and the diversity of characters can range from the destitute to the ultra-rich and powerful. In the Hyllethan Gifts trilogy, for example, when the protagonist discovers she is not a potter’s daughter as she’s believed all her life she is plunged into more and more political conflict and trickery.
What attracts you to ‘royal’ fantasy?
If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC of Epic Fantasy posts, please Follow me here or through my blog: carolinesciriha.wordpress.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey and Days of Wind and Snow (Hyllethan Gifts series, books 1 & 2) are free through Kindle Unlimited.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure
January 5, 2023
The ABC of Epic Fantasy: Quest
The plots of epic fantasy stories often involve a hero faced with impossible odds and going on a quest to find lost treasure, save someone, solve a mystery, or recover something—as in finding the stolen Hyllethan gifts in Dawn of Purple and Grey, or as in Frodo setting off to destroy the One Ring in the fires of Mount Doom in Mordor…
A quest usually involves finding something or someone or searching for a solution to a grave problem or mystery—the more difficult and seemingly impossible the better. Which is why Frodo is a hobbit and not a warrior or elf or wizard. Quests also tend to challenge the protagonist physically as well as emotionally, often resulting in an internal change.
Quests show that though the protagonists—and the reader—face difficulties in life that test them, the problems can be overcome through perseverance, courage and intelligence. As such it serves as a metaphor for life.
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 series, books 1 &2) are free through Kindle Unlimited.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure
December 29, 2022
P is for Prophecy
Like it or hate it, prophecies are one of the common tropes of epic fantasy. Very often, stories that contain a prophecy turn out to be about a Chosen One, i.e. a protagonist that is special in some way, setting them up as the hero of the story because it’s their destiny. Done well, a prophecy can shroud the narrative with tension and provide even more obstacles—both psychological and physical—for the protagonist, but it could also remove tension if the ending seems inevitable. One interesting aspect is when the prophecy is hard to decipher and / or is ambiguously worded.
Do you enjoy reading books that use a prophecy to kickstart the story?
If you don’t wish to miss any of my ABC of Epic Fantasy posts, please Follow me on Instagram, Facebook or through my blog: carolinesciriha.wordpress.com
Dawn of Purple and Grey and Days of Wind and Snow (Hyllethan Gifts series, books 1 &2) are free through Kindle Unlimited.
#epicfantasy #epicfantasybooks #epicfantasynovels #epicfantasyseries #epicfantasybookseries #epicfantasyadventure
December 23, 2022
T is for Tactile Imagery
Today, I’m going to start with an extract from the opening of Days of Wind and Snow containing tactile as well as auditory and olfactory imagery:
“Dread swamped her mind, turning her skin clammy. Her captors’ footsteps thumped onto the wooden slats of the jetty. A fresh splash of spray plummeted over Shael, snatching her breath and plastering the coarse material farther to her face, enclosing her in the tang of brine and mould. She struggled for air but couldn’t get enough into her lungs.
Her legs and arms were released and she dropped.
For one panicked moment, Shael shut her mouth and nose expecting the shock of ice-cold water and the drag of the current. Instead, her back and head hit the bottom of one of the boats. Pain shot down her spine, clouding her senses. Someone dropped into the boat with her, and rough hands jerked her round onto her stomach, wrenched her wrists behind her back and wound rope tightly round them.
Her shoulders strained against the hold, shooting further agony down her back and arms. The soaked ties burned into her wrists, chafing, cramping, deadening.”
As can be seen, imagery that appeals to the senses helps to make descriptions vibrant and visceral. Tactile imagery, especially, helps the reader to experience what the protagonist physically feels, whether it’s related to temperature or aspects of the surrounding environment such as the coarseness of the cloth, the coldness of the water and the feel of wet rope round one’s wrists.
On ReadingI’ve just finished Shadow of Fire by Kate Schumacher. The blurb—with its mention of fire magic—attracted me to this tale as one of my works focuses on a protagonist who wields fire and I wished to see how Schumacher dealt with the subject.
The blurb describes the protagonist as follows:
“Ash is a fire caster who has spent years hiding her magic, but when her explosive powers reveal themselves she is imprisoned by the Mage Council. Ash’s powers are coveted by the High Mage, who seeks to use her as a pawn against not only his enemies, but his allies as well….If Ash can’t learn to control her magic, the scheming of gods and mortals could spell doom for them all.”
The first few chapters of this epic fantasy, with their numerous different point of view characters, came close to my putting the book aside as each character seemed unrelated to the character I wished to root for. But then the characters began to meet and the plot to unfold—and I was hooked. Schumacher weaves a complex plot with great mastery. Her world-building is superb, the female characters feisty, the males attractive, strong and complex. The ending took me by surprise, but I’ll not reveal anything about that :). Looking forward to reading about Ash and the other characters in Book 2.
Some embarrassing self-promo – ignore this section if you’re sick of it!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.
Happy Holidays!Before I sign off, I’d like to wish each and every one of you a happy and peaceful Christmas and holiday period. I’ll be taking a short break too, so this will be the last newsletter for the year. See you in January!
Caroline
