Character Introductions
A mother with no memory. A general enslaved. An unwilling heir. And the two children who see it all...
In last week’s blog, I revealed the title and back cover blurb for my upcoming debut fantasy novel, Blood of Ravens. This week, I’m delving in a little deeper - introducing the main characters, offering a little background as to their development, and sharing a short excerpt for each of them. I can’t wait for you to meet them all and I hope you enjoy reading about their adventures as much as I have enjoyed writing them!
Renila remembers nothing of her life before the birth of her son, save the old stories she knows by heart. But when a stranger arrives at the castle she calls home, her past begins to resurface – and with it, her power.
As much as I love strong female characters, I often feel they end up sacrificing their femininity in order to attain that epithet - Renila was my answer to that. I wanted to create a woman who drew strength from her womanhood, rather than adopting more traditionally masculine traits in order to be taken seriously. She was probably the most straightforward of all the characters to write, and I love how she grows and develops throughout the story.
“Casting the resentment aside, she inhaled deeply, savouring the cool, clean mountain air as it filled her chest. The bitter wind whipped her hair about her face and stung at her nose and cheeks, but she revelled in the untamed beauty of it. She threw her arms wide, welcoming its embrace, and let her head fall back to feel the warm rays of the sun kiss her upturned face.
It took some time, but eventually her rage evaporated. The air steamed around her and, like mist dispersing in the morning sun, it caught in the breeze and floated away into the Aether. She sighed. There were days, like today, that she wished it were more than just her temper – or even her worries and fears – the wind could carry away. But she was a mother now. Everything she wanted, all her dreams and desires, were secondary. Erion had to be kept safe. So, she would endure.”
Enslaved by his master’s dark magic, the Shade King’s general, Alexan, has been dispatched to hunt down the King’s daughter – and either return her to her father, or kill her. His history with the Princess makes him well suited to the task, but it may also be his undoing.
An author saying they have a favourite character is a bit like a parent admitting they have a favourite child, so while I won’t go as far as to say that Alexan is my favourite character, he is definitely my favourite point of view character to write. He started off life as a supporting character, and a slightly one-dimensional one at that. He served a purpose, and that purpose was predominantly to further the plot. But over time, as I developed his backstory and explored his past, I began to realise that he had far more to give - to the point where he took over the narrative and became the point of view character for that particular story line. I love the complexity of his situation, and the nuance that offers me as a writer, and his personality is a lot of fun to write.
“Alexan jerked himself from the dream to find himself drenched in a cold sweat and promptly turned and vomited into a nearby bush. He heaved and retched until there was nothing to come up but bile, as he tried to force the images from his mind. They did not go quietly. The memory of those evergreen eyes least of all.
He lay back, panting. Tried to ignore his racing heart and violently trembling limbs. How the King would laugh to see him like this . . .
He swore. Took a deep breath. Forced his body to still. His heart to slow. His stomach to settle. Rubbed a weary hand over his face. Swore again.
It had been years. Decades since that face had haunted his dreams. Since he’d endured the guilt and self-loathing that followed. He was under no illusions why it had chosen this moment to resurface.”
Keriath, bastard daughter of the Shade King, has been hunted her entire life and, since she was old enough to wield the power in her veins, has dedicated herself to destroying the monster who claims to have sired her. But the events of a single night may change her fate forever.
Of all the characters in this series, Keriath is probably least changed since her initial inception. Her story line has changed a lot, but only to make the most of her wonderfully complex character. She’s probably been the hardest of everyone to write, but I think as a consequence I’m most satisfied with her arc overall. Conflict is necessary to drive any good story and though Keriath has her external battles, it is the internal ones that I’ve found most interesting to explore - forcing her to confront her inner demons and ultimately throw into question everything she believes.
“Beneath the ancient pines of the Ravenswood, there was only darkness. High above, the moon may well have been full and shining, and the sky littered with stars, but nothing pierced the inky shroud that engulfed the forest.
It was here that Keriath hunted. She drifted through the dense undergrowth, ghosting over the unforgiving terrain. Below the thick blanket of heather, moss and barbed webs of bramble, tangled tree roots coated the uneven ground like a snare awaiting its prey. Beneath her feet dead branches and scattered pine cones lingered in silent threat: they would betray her presence if disturbed. The grasping thorns of the gorse seemed to reach for her, as if desperate to snarl her in their clutches. She glared at them, daring them to try.”
The twins, Lucan and Suriya, are plagued by nightmares – by visions of myth and monsters – for which their mysterious yet domineering mother blames Renila and her stories. But there is something she is not telling them, and they are determined to find out what.
The twins were another two characters who made their entrance into this world quite late in the game, but they brought an element of innocence and awe that I felt the story was lacking. After all, one of the great appeals of fantasy as a genre is that sense of wonder and what better way to describe that than through the eyes of a child? Writing them presented some challenges - it’s been a long time since I was thirteen - but I enjoyed bringing their curiosity and tenacity to life.
“Lucan woke screaming. Across the room, Suriya panted in fright. Had she seen it too? He scrambled to sit up and light the candle by his bed. Looking around, his sister sat bolt upright, dark blonde hair a tangled mess and nightshirt rumpled. But her huge gold eyes were clear and staring straight at him.
‘What did you see?’ she asked.
Lucan gulped. ‘Darklings. You?’
‘The same. And . . . a tower. Two women.’ She shook her head in frustration. ‘I can’t remember their faces.’
‘And the woman in the forest? With the scars?’
She nodded, slowly.
‘It’s not real,’ she whispered, her eyes wide and her hand pressed to her chest as she tried to catch her breath. ‘It was just a dream.’
‘Yes, just a dream.’”
So, there you have it. The main characters in my upcoming epic fantasy novel, Blood of Ravens, and the first teasers! What did you think? Who are you most looking forward to reading about? Let me know in the comments below - and don’t forget to subscribe to my mailing list to be the first to know when new content is posted. Next week we’re delving a little deeper into the world in which this story takes place, so you don’t want to miss that!