The jester

On the whole, I feel like a lot of dark things happen in my novels.  The emperor in book one goes to the the Temple of Métius with his son, and that prince grows up to possess a lot of dark power… a fact the ultimately determines his fate.  Without giving any spoilers, I will say that a lot of other dark secrets abound, not to mention that amount of death going around.  I wouldn’t say that it’s at the level that George R. R. Martin puts death into the Game of Thrones series, but… well, I promised no spoilers.  I won’t name names, but the beginning of book three is very much like the Red Wedding, except it’s not at a wedding. 

I say all of this because I am very aware that I need to lighten the mood now and then.  It cannot be all dark and dismal.  I have a good share of romance, but while it’s not dark, it is serious.  That is why I have places like Mithkyn and Jzamneh.  They are light and whimsical, and often downright playful. 

Mithkyn is famed for being the realm or bards and sorcerers, and we all know that bards come in many varieties.  The bard in my series is talented in several areas, but he is foremost a stage performer.  Vincente has a roguish talent for knives, the agility of a tumbler, an amazing tenor voice as well as acting skill, the ability to play several musical instruments, and a sense of humor to match his charming grin.  He defends the empress because of his glorified ideas of what love should be. 

Jzamneh is a the enchanted forest, a place of whimsy and magic.  The fae there are a playful sort, and Shu-Giri would sooner laugh in the face of danger than cringe in fear.  His forest is full of color; even the trees do not limit themselves to green and brown.  There are crystals and treasure everywhere, and you cannot pass through a village without hearing the sound of laughter. 

Life in this places isn’t all fun and games.  Vincente and Shu-Giri have both had their share of heartache and are more than willing to put on their serious side in the name of love and justice.  And there there’s Zarrek: the moodiest teenager you will ever meet.  There are times where his experiences would be humorous, if they weren’t… well, so pitiable (he would hate me for tell you, I’m sure).  Just you wait and read. 

Legends of Lorata is more of a fantasy drama with a tinge of romance, not the kind of humorous fantasy that you’ll get from Terry Pratchett.  I do what I can to lighten things up now and then, because trudging through nothing but darkness and blood can be hard.  Although if that’s what you want, Michael Moorcock and George R. R. Martin do a great job of that.  I do have a lot of darkness, but just like that’s not all there is in life, that’s not all there is in my book.  When you read the series, you will experience a lot of emotions, I guarantee it. 

By the way, The Princess of the Kingdom of Legend is actually very light-hearted so far, so don’t let that be a comparison for my other stories.  It will start to get tense when the other gods start to show up, and yo don’t have just Jenh to contend with.