Author's Notes
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Interlude - Chapter 8
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Opening Thoughts: It seems so inadequate to express my thanks to you, the readers, just for being here. I feel the same way I imagine most authors feel - these books are a labor of love and more than a little frustration, and the fact that this third book is now out in the world is due solely to you all. Had you not been there, had you not enjoyed these stories, had you not told your friends - this book would still be locked away in my computer, perhaps never to pass beyond a "what might have been". So I say again, Thank you, and please, enjoy this final installment of the Barrier War trilogy, and check here (or Facebook) for updates on the upcoming sequel trilogy.
Interlude
Of course, the obligatory catch-up and refresher on what's gone on before. The first-person interviews provide a handy way to get that out of the way without sounding didactic, though they're always limited by the perspective of the individual speaking. It's enough to give you the broad strokes, provide a chronological place for the beginning of the story, and drop a few breadcrumbs of ideas that will appear later.
I added the idea of demons elsewhere in the world coming out in force (which you never see or hear about in the previous book) for two reasons. One, it just made sense. There have always been minor pockets of demons all over Lokka, which is why the paladins spend their time hunting them down and eradicating them. It just makes sense that they came out to add to the chaos and turmoil. Two, I've considered writing some stand-alone books and/or short stories, and demons appearing out in the hinterlands would provide a good backdrop for some of them.
If you pay attention, the opening narrator identifies who's taking his statements down - Vander Wayland. I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but Vander was originally just the historian writing these accounts. Then he expanded to be an actual character, because it just felt right to include him as an actual participant (this of course necessitated his death so he could be my heavenly historian).
The pseudo-invisibility the mysterious assassin uses was originally conceived of just for this opening act of chasing poor Samah down, but I plan on using it later in the series as well. It all feeds into ideas that will be explored throughout this book. A side note about this scene - originally it was going to be set in Nocka, but when I opted to have him hide away in the trees, that went out the door. I could have had him hide out somewhere in the city, of course, but this felt better. The change of scenery from urban to forest adds a sense of comfort for him, but also lends a visual sense of additional wrongness when that comfort is shattered. It would have had a different feel if he was cut down hiding in an alley somewhere, I think.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Obviously the very first sentence of the book is just one of the places where it's deliberately leading you down the wrong path as to the identity of the mysterious assassin. I hope not too many people immediately jumped to "Hey, it could be an angel, too!" At this point in the trilogy, there hasn't even been a true angel on-screen, so you're not primed to make that connection. On a second read-through, though, that first sentence should jump out with a big red "BS" sign on it. There are a couple clues scattered throughout this opening interlude that all isn't as it seems, including the color of the assassin (see below) and the simple fact that he's using a sword, something no demon has ever done in this series to-date.
"Next we'll hear of an angel who's really doing evil." This is, I think, the second time this concept has come up in the series, both times in passing. Of course it's a rather important issue, as you see later. Right on the heels of this is the first real clue about Mikal's mission on Lokka - when Draiya Corlotta realizes he's dead and standing before the Iridescent Gates, there are a dozen other paladins there amidst a group of soldiers. No women and children, just a bunch of soldiers, and they have presumably all died quite recently, or they would have long since passed into Heaven.
The second section was a late addition, since I was never really happy with Mikal's explanations and thoughts on his mission. I needed to show him being conflicted and fighting against Maya's influence, even without you really knowing yet what's going on. (The back-and-forth of his own thoughts is somewhat reminiscent of Wein Drolgis being controlled by The Three in Book1.) This was partly for his own character development, but also to assist in explaining why people weren't being slaughtered wholesale to augment the Heavenly Hosts. Mikal's resistance lets him cut back on the killing, because he knows it's wrong - without this conflict, he would have simply waded into the Prismatic chapterhouse and killed every paladin in sight, then went to work on the defenders of Nocka.
Color often has significance in this series - not always, but often enough that it's worth considering any time I go out of the way to bring up and reinforce color as a defining characteristic of someone/something. Gray should, thanks to Birch, now be fairly indicative of an ambiguity between Good and Evil, someone trapped in the middle somehow. In this case, Mikal's actions as the Angel of Death are clearly immoral, and as you see later, as soon as he permanently sheds the mantle of Thanatos, his appearance changes drastically and quite colorfully.
I added the idea of demons elsewhere in the world coming out in force (which you never see or hear about in the previous book) for two reasons. One, it just made sense. There have always been minor pockets of demons all over Lokka, which is why the paladins spend their time hunting them down and eradicating them. It just makes sense that they came out to add to the chaos and turmoil. Two, I've considered writing some stand-alone books and/or short stories, and demons appearing out in the hinterlands would provide a good backdrop for some of them.
If you pay attention, the opening narrator identifies who's taking his statements down - Vander Wayland. I don't remember if I mentioned it before, but Vander was originally just the historian writing these accounts. Then he expanded to be an actual character, because it just felt right to include him as an actual participant (this of course necessitated his death so he could be my heavenly historian).
The pseudo-invisibility the mysterious assassin uses was originally conceived of just for this opening act of chasing poor Samah down, but I plan on using it later in the series as well. It all feeds into ideas that will be explored throughout this book. A side note about this scene - originally it was going to be set in Nocka, but when I opted to have him hide away in the trees, that went out the door. I could have had him hide out somewhere in the city, of course, but this felt better. The change of scenery from urban to forest adds a sense of comfort for him, but also lends a visual sense of additional wrongness when that comfort is shattered. It would have had a different feel if he was cut down hiding in an alley somewhere, I think.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Obviously the very first sentence of the book is just one of the places where it's deliberately leading you down the wrong path as to the identity of the mysterious assassin. I hope not too many people immediately jumped to "Hey, it could be an angel, too!" At this point in the trilogy, there hasn't even been a true angel on-screen, so you're not primed to make that connection. On a second read-through, though, that first sentence should jump out with a big red "BS" sign on it. There are a couple clues scattered throughout this opening interlude that all isn't as it seems, including the color of the assassin (see below) and the simple fact that he's using a sword, something no demon has ever done in this series to-date.
"Next we'll hear of an angel who's really doing evil." This is, I think, the second time this concept has come up in the series, both times in passing. Of course it's a rather important issue, as you see later. Right on the heels of this is the first real clue about Mikal's mission on Lokka - when Draiya Corlotta realizes he's dead and standing before the Iridescent Gates, there are a dozen other paladins there amidst a group of soldiers. No women and children, just a bunch of soldiers, and they have presumably all died quite recently, or they would have long since passed into Heaven.
The second section was a late addition, since I was never really happy with Mikal's explanations and thoughts on his mission. I needed to show him being conflicted and fighting against Maya's influence, even without you really knowing yet what's going on. (The back-and-forth of his own thoughts is somewhat reminiscent of Wein Drolgis being controlled by The Three in Book1.) This was partly for his own character development, but also to assist in explaining why people weren't being slaughtered wholesale to augment the Heavenly Hosts. Mikal's resistance lets him cut back on the killing, because he knows it's wrong - without this conflict, he would have simply waded into the Prismatic chapterhouse and killed every paladin in sight, then went to work on the defenders of Nocka.
Color often has significance in this series - not always, but often enough that it's worth considering any time I go out of the way to bring up and reinforce color as a defining characteristic of someone/something. Gray should, thanks to Birch, now be fairly indicative of an ambiguity between Good and Evil, someone trapped in the middle somehow. In this case, Mikal's actions as the Angel of Death are clearly immoral, and as you see later, as soon as he permanently sheds the mantle of Thanatos, his appearance changes drastically and quite colorfully.
Chapter 1
The chapter quote here was actually in-place before I discovered what happened to Sabor, and Garnet's thoughts on his mentor's dakkan were a late addition to answer the question of his fate. It just so happens this quote was already here to help tie it all together.
There's a subtle change you might not even notice at first, but right off the bat - as soon as you're reintroduced to Shadow Company with Garnet as the commander - you see he's renamed the platoons. Gerard had them as simple First Platoon (etc), but Garnet has put his stamp on the company in many ways, even down to simple naming conventions. This is already becoming his platoon, even though he doesn't always feel that way. Even the way Garnet relays orders via denarae kything goes back to how it was briefly shown in Book2, but that wasn't an established system at the time, largely because Gerard, for all his strengths, still had some limitations on his thinking. Those were just beginning to break open as he grew subconsciously comfortable with commanding denarae, but Garnet has been commanding them his entire leadership career, so certain aspects of it will just come more naturally to him than they ever would to Gerard.
The interaction between Garnet and Brican is the first step in fleshing out the denarae's character beyond what was shown in Book2. The relatively rapid speed at which that story progressed didn't leave much time to get into his history and personal life, but with Trebor's death, Brican has taken on a more direct role in the company and the course of the story itself, so it justifies a bit more exploration into his persona. Guilian, as the other new denarae officer, doesn't get the same treatment, partially because he's completely new to the story, but mostly for reasons that will come up later.
"Take me through the rainbow." If you think about the Facets of the commanding officers in each platoon, you see why Garnet's comment makes sense (Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Violet). Since the idea of looking through people's eyes/mind was already established as far back as Book1, then touched again briefly in Book2, it just seemed natural that Garnet would exploit it as a military tool (again, something Gerard hadn't thought of, at least that we know of). The lesson he learned in not planning formations from within any one platoon is actually something I picked up from Ender's Game. Ender uses his commander's view to move in and out of his subordinates' perspectives, and since he's removed from the conflicts, there is no "I" in his own perspective on the field - which of course ties into how he (and Mazer) spotted the presence of the Queen in the Second Invasion.
I find it amusing that it's Garnet who restrains his father from pummeling Alister de'Kelenath. For someone who's normally quite temperate (which was a secondary virtue for Garet in my mind all along), he's quite protective of his family and that can override even the most even-minded men. I've said all along, Garet is a good dad, and I'll give him every opportunity to display that.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
I love how often the characters I'm writing surprise me. The interactions between Garnet and Brican were originally just to flesh out Brican's character (as noted above), but they also sowed the seeds of a friendship that develops over the course of this book and gets deeper as the next trilogy progresses. I hadn't really intended on the two of them becoming any closer than any of the other friends, but it just grew organically out of something that had another purpose altogether.
Having finished the book (right?!?), you see why the concept of Garet's death was introduced so early. It brings Garnet's own character along, since you're in his head more often in this book than in the previous two volumes, but this begins something in him that will carry through the next trilogy in the series as well.
There's a subtle change you might not even notice at first, but right off the bat - as soon as you're reintroduced to Shadow Company with Garnet as the commander - you see he's renamed the platoons. Gerard had them as simple First Platoon (etc), but Garnet has put his stamp on the company in many ways, even down to simple naming conventions. This is already becoming his platoon, even though he doesn't always feel that way. Even the way Garnet relays orders via denarae kything goes back to how it was briefly shown in Book2, but that wasn't an established system at the time, largely because Gerard, for all his strengths, still had some limitations on his thinking. Those were just beginning to break open as he grew subconsciously comfortable with commanding denarae, but Garnet has been commanding them his entire leadership career, so certain aspects of it will just come more naturally to him than they ever would to Gerard.
The interaction between Garnet and Brican is the first step in fleshing out the denarae's character beyond what was shown in Book2. The relatively rapid speed at which that story progressed didn't leave much time to get into his history and personal life, but with Trebor's death, Brican has taken on a more direct role in the company and the course of the story itself, so it justifies a bit more exploration into his persona. Guilian, as the other new denarae officer, doesn't get the same treatment, partially because he's completely new to the story, but mostly for reasons that will come up later.
"Take me through the rainbow." If you think about the Facets of the commanding officers in each platoon, you see why Garnet's comment makes sense (Red-Orange-Yellow-Green-Blue-Violet). Since the idea of looking through people's eyes/mind was already established as far back as Book1, then touched again briefly in Book2, it just seemed natural that Garnet would exploit it as a military tool (again, something Gerard hadn't thought of, at least that we know of). The lesson he learned in not planning formations from within any one platoon is actually something I picked up from Ender's Game. Ender uses his commander's view to move in and out of his subordinates' perspectives, and since he's removed from the conflicts, there is no "I" in his own perspective on the field - which of course ties into how he (and Mazer) spotted the presence of the Queen in the Second Invasion.
I find it amusing that it's Garnet who restrains his father from pummeling Alister de'Kelenath. For someone who's normally quite temperate (which was a secondary virtue for Garet in my mind all along), he's quite protective of his family and that can override even the most even-minded men. I've said all along, Garet is a good dad, and I'll give him every opportunity to display that.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
I love how often the characters I'm writing surprise me. The interactions between Garnet and Brican were originally just to flesh out Brican's character (as noted above), but they also sowed the seeds of a friendship that develops over the course of this book and gets deeper as the next trilogy progresses. I hadn't really intended on the two of them becoming any closer than any of the other friends, but it just grew organically out of something that had another purpose altogether.
Having finished the book (right?!?), you see why the concept of Garet's death was introduced so early. It brings Garnet's own character along, since you're in his head more often in this book than in the previous two volumes, but this begins something in him that will carry through the next trilogy in the series as well.
Chapter 2
Whatever else passes between them, now or in the future, Danner and the others are friends (beyond being brother paladins), and it's worth mentioning the unhesitating, unstinting healing Danner provides Garet. I've touch periodically on the nature of healing, and it will come up more specifically later in this book, but since it's based on the virtue of love, you can bet that anything to do with the success (or lack thereof) of healing is influenced by that virtue/emotion. Danner's immortal heritage plays a large part as well, of course, but really, it's his love for his friend that provides the impetus for Garet's complete healing.
(Okay, fine, Danner faints one last time. So sue me.)
I didn't really feel the need to see Garnet and Danner's conversation first-hand. You get the feel for what was said based on Garnet's rundown afterward, and I'm deliberately trying to stay out of Danner's head for a little while here. There'll be plenty of other hard conversations in the future, and this one felt safe to skip over to speed the story along a little bit.
One quick note, just because it's a small moment and only really ties into another small moment that was in the previous book. Michael's comment about addiction and his uncle are related to his irritation expressed in Book2 about people's idyllic concepts of farm life. His personal history has yet to be explored in this trilogy, because it hasn't needed to be, but you get little glimpses like this that give you a feeling for where he came from and that it wasn't a field of happy cows and rainbows. More of his past will probably be revealed in the next book (in the sequel trilogy), at least enough to let you understand where he came from.
Overall, I like the way Garnet shaped up as a leader. There are subtleties to his style and character that come through now that he's in charge. Probably my favorite such moment in this chapter is his declaration "no one tells him but me." That sentence really finished itself when I was typing - it wasn't something I'd planned out or even thought of until the words were there. He's owning up-front the damage that this might do to their friendship and taking responsibility for his decision - it's a mark of a good leader, and he does it instinctively (although obviously he's had some strong-value role models in his life).
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The conversation around Danner and the subsequent discussion set the stage for several plot and character developments, as well as showing firsthand the respect and trust shown to Garnet by his friends. This subtly begins to build the concept of "his company" that becomes so important later, and Garnet's interactions reveal how close he is to them all and how well he knows each one. Trying to be a leader in combat for your closest friends, especially when it comes to discipline, is a difficult thing to do, and their reactions to Garnet say a lot about their faith in him. They would have done the same for Gerard, but the atmosphere would have been different. As trainees, they were all united in their suffering under Gerard, and despite their respect and the openness he exhibited toward them once they became paladins and officers under him, there was always that distance of superior-subordinate between them as well as not having shared the same suffering side-by-side (as trainees, I mean). Garnet has that connection with them, and their relationship with him as their commander will always be closer, which makes their absolute trust in him even more meaningful.
A quick note on Guilian, who's rarely on-screen, especially in this early section. Flasch makes an assumption based on cultural norms, "There's plenty of denarae women at Home..." By default, the assumption is that Guilian, a denarae, should be paired with another denarae. You see this sort of thing in our own world to varying degrees and some of the cultural stereotypes are shattered even as other are often reinforced with catastrophic backlash. Of course, humans and denarae are technically different species, so the cultural gap there separating the two is perhaps a little more natural than the social mores of our own world. This gets poked at a little bit later when they realize who he's really with, not to mention Kala's whole existence.
(Okay, fine, Danner faints one last time. So sue me.)
I didn't really feel the need to see Garnet and Danner's conversation first-hand. You get the feel for what was said based on Garnet's rundown afterward, and I'm deliberately trying to stay out of Danner's head for a little while here. There'll be plenty of other hard conversations in the future, and this one felt safe to skip over to speed the story along a little bit.
One quick note, just because it's a small moment and only really ties into another small moment that was in the previous book. Michael's comment about addiction and his uncle are related to his irritation expressed in Book2 about people's idyllic concepts of farm life. His personal history has yet to be explored in this trilogy, because it hasn't needed to be, but you get little glimpses like this that give you a feeling for where he came from and that it wasn't a field of happy cows and rainbows. More of his past will probably be revealed in the next book (in the sequel trilogy), at least enough to let you understand where he came from.
Overall, I like the way Garnet shaped up as a leader. There are subtleties to his style and character that come through now that he's in charge. Probably my favorite such moment in this chapter is his declaration "no one tells him but me." That sentence really finished itself when I was typing - it wasn't something I'd planned out or even thought of until the words were there. He's owning up-front the damage that this might do to their friendship and taking responsibility for his decision - it's a mark of a good leader, and he does it instinctively (although obviously he's had some strong-value role models in his life).
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
The conversation around Danner and the subsequent discussion set the stage for several plot and character developments, as well as showing firsthand the respect and trust shown to Garnet by his friends. This subtly begins to build the concept of "his company" that becomes so important later, and Garnet's interactions reveal how close he is to them all and how well he knows each one. Trying to be a leader in combat for your closest friends, especially when it comes to discipline, is a difficult thing to do, and their reactions to Garnet say a lot about their faith in him. They would have done the same for Gerard, but the atmosphere would have been different. As trainees, they were all united in their suffering under Gerard, and despite their respect and the openness he exhibited toward them once they became paladins and officers under him, there was always that distance of superior-subordinate between them as well as not having shared the same suffering side-by-side (as trainees, I mean). Garnet has that connection with them, and their relationship with him as their commander will always be closer, which makes their absolute trust in him even more meaningful.
A quick note on Guilian, who's rarely on-screen, especially in this early section. Flasch makes an assumption based on cultural norms, "There's plenty of denarae women at Home..." By default, the assumption is that Guilian, a denarae, should be paired with another denarae. You see this sort of thing in our own world to varying degrees and some of the cultural stereotypes are shattered even as other are often reinforced with catastrophic backlash. Of course, humans and denarae are technically different species, so the cultural gap there separating the two is perhaps a little more natural than the social mores of our own world. This gets poked at a little bit later when they realize who he's really with, not to mention Kala's whole existence.
Chapter 3
I'll admit, I don't really know much about what women sit around and talk to each other about when men aren't around. Television and movies tell me it's sex, shoes, possibly babies, but since I'm unwilling to plant bugs in strategic places around the office or my house, I'm left to rely on the characters themselves informing their conversations. I don't know what "women" talk about, but I know Moreen and Alicia, and I know what they would talk about.
Just in case you've forgotten, Hoil made a promise to Birch in the previous book that if they survived the war, he'd take steps to lead a better life. He began using his resources to help the city in Book2 (though I never really made a big deal of it), and here you see that he used his personal finances to purchase the Iron Axe Inn for Shadow Company's use. It's a sort of redemption for him, despite the fact that he's never really been a "bad" guy - just one living an illegal lifestyle. (A quick note about the Iron Axe - you may note that humans, denarae, and gnomes fix the place up. Not a dwarf in sight, thanks to their taboo about death. A dwarf would have razed the building to the ground and never set foot on the grounds again for at least a generation.
Regarding "Home". The structure and its features, such as the hidden passageway out to the denarae camps, only see limited use here. I have a larger plan in mind for some features that stretches several books in the future (to the last book in the Pandemonium War series, in fact), but the seeds have to be scattered sometime if they're going to bloom later.
I can only imagine the feelings of military spouses, especially in the days before electronic communication. The first time you know whether your loved one is safe and alive is when they're right in front of you. Days, weeks, months, years of separation, and just like that, it can be over and done with - your soldier back home and hopefully not a stranger for their experiences. (Or worse, someone standing at your door with a letter.) I can't possibly do justice to the reality, but it was a concept I felt worth mentioning.
FYI - The girl Michael liked at Aunt Delia's did not, in fact, survive the war. Now you know, even if he doesn't.
Technically, in Danner's explanation of the battle to Alicia, he's glossing over the fact (in his own mind) that when he lost his wits in the battle that led to Trebor's death, he was fully human when he impulsively leapt down. It's still in his nature to get caught up in the rush of things.
I can't help but think how hard it is for Moreen, having the baby die as it does (to say nothing of the unnamed mother, obviously). Not only is she a mother-figure to a lot of the women around, she's also never gotten to be a true mother herself, thanks to Birch. Losing someone's child, something she wants so much for herself, is devastating to her.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
I really hope you didn't read this section reintroducing Alicia and say "I bet she's pregnant." Hiding that sort of thing and trying to make it a big reveal to the reader has always struck me as a little trite, but I'm doing it anyway. I really don't want to drop too many hints, so there's pretty much this moment of tiredness/indecision, a mention of Alicia's morning sickness later on, and a misunderstanding of by Danner of Alicia's reactions, and that's pretty much it. Just enough that something might click after the fact, but shouldn't outright hang a neon sign over it beforehand.
The deaths of the babies was a rough call, but one that I ultimately felt was "right" for the story. These books do take periodic dark turns, and putting the lives of unborn children on the line immediately drives the stakes of the plot through the roof. This first child dies in the same chapter you discover Brican's wife is pregnant (and her pregnancy ultimately acted as my hourglass for the action in the rest of this book) and get hints that Alicia herself is pregnant. The implication and logical conclusion of this plot device, of course, is a decimated generation of children (and as you later realize, crops and livestock), which was something I honestly didn't think through until some time after finishing the book. When I started to think about the setting of the next trilogy, the dire consequences of this immortal juxtaposition dawned on me and were immediately incorporated into this book to help set the stage.
Just in case you've forgotten, Hoil made a promise to Birch in the previous book that if they survived the war, he'd take steps to lead a better life. He began using his resources to help the city in Book2 (though I never really made a big deal of it), and here you see that he used his personal finances to purchase the Iron Axe Inn for Shadow Company's use. It's a sort of redemption for him, despite the fact that he's never really been a "bad" guy - just one living an illegal lifestyle. (A quick note about the Iron Axe - you may note that humans, denarae, and gnomes fix the place up. Not a dwarf in sight, thanks to their taboo about death. A dwarf would have razed the building to the ground and never set foot on the grounds again for at least a generation.
Regarding "Home". The structure and its features, such as the hidden passageway out to the denarae camps, only see limited use here. I have a larger plan in mind for some features that stretches several books in the future (to the last book in the Pandemonium War series, in fact), but the seeds have to be scattered sometime if they're going to bloom later.
I can only imagine the feelings of military spouses, especially in the days before electronic communication. The first time you know whether your loved one is safe and alive is when they're right in front of you. Days, weeks, months, years of separation, and just like that, it can be over and done with - your soldier back home and hopefully not a stranger for their experiences. (Or worse, someone standing at your door with a letter.) I can't possibly do justice to the reality, but it was a concept I felt worth mentioning.
FYI - The girl Michael liked at Aunt Delia's did not, in fact, survive the war. Now you know, even if he doesn't.
Technically, in Danner's explanation of the battle to Alicia, he's glossing over the fact (in his own mind) that when he lost his wits in the battle that led to Trebor's death, he was fully human when he impulsively leapt down. It's still in his nature to get caught up in the rush of things.
I can't help but think how hard it is for Moreen, having the baby die as it does (to say nothing of the unnamed mother, obviously). Not only is she a mother-figure to a lot of the women around, she's also never gotten to be a true mother herself, thanks to Birch. Losing someone's child, something she wants so much for herself, is devastating to her.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
I really hope you didn't read this section reintroducing Alicia and say "I bet she's pregnant." Hiding that sort of thing and trying to make it a big reveal to the reader has always struck me as a little trite, but I'm doing it anyway. I really don't want to drop too many hints, so there's pretty much this moment of tiredness/indecision, a mention of Alicia's morning sickness later on, and a misunderstanding of by Danner of Alicia's reactions, and that's pretty much it. Just enough that something might click after the fact, but shouldn't outright hang a neon sign over it beforehand.
The deaths of the babies was a rough call, but one that I ultimately felt was "right" for the story. These books do take periodic dark turns, and putting the lives of unborn children on the line immediately drives the stakes of the plot through the roof. This first child dies in the same chapter you discover Brican's wife is pregnant (and her pregnancy ultimately acted as my hourglass for the action in the rest of this book) and get hints that Alicia herself is pregnant. The implication and logical conclusion of this plot device, of course, is a decimated generation of children (and as you later realize, crops and livestock), which was something I honestly didn't think through until some time after finishing the book. When I started to think about the setting of the next trilogy, the dire consequences of this immortal juxtaposition dawned on me and were immediately incorporated into this book to help set the stage.
Chapter 4
So you probably noticed that Guilian spends a lot of time not being around the others. This fits with his character's self-imposed isolation (explained later), but I'll admit, it also lets me get away with not going too much into his character and persona in a part of the book that's already laden with plot development and light on action.
You might have noticed the glaring omission in the "natural races of the world" mentioned in Birch/Kaelus's memory - the denarae. We'll get to that later, just know there's a reason the two races are so similar and why kything only works between the two and not with dwarves, elves, or gnomes. One thing to keep in mind whenever you read one of Birch or Kaelus's memories - as Birch himself notes, Satan is not exactly the most reliable of narrators. There's always a grain and spirit of truth in what he says in these scenes, but take the details with a grain of salt, especially anything about himself. I specifically went back and added that thought of Birch's to address this. Everything Satan says is done with a purpose, primarily to sculpt and influence the person on the other end of the conversation. If you assume that Satan always has a goal he's working toward, and that every single thing that arises from something he's said or done is in furtherance to that goal, you won't be far off from the truth.
Yes, Perky has a bit of hero-worship going on with Birch. It was evident in the previous book (especially during the portions following Perky's perspective in the elven lands), and it hasn't abated in the intervening months. The end of his first scene should set of very loud bells in your head. The first child's death in the previous chapter might have sounded like I was being deliberately morbid or something, but now you should have the idea that something serious is up. It's put here at the end of the chapter section-break deliberately to bring attention to it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Until I got to Book3, I really didn't know what to do with Selti. I didn't initially know what the source of his unique dual-transformation gift was, I just knew he was special. Somewhere between Book2 and Book3, I worked out his dynamic as the residual impression of Abdiel's āyus, and I hit on the idea of his expanding ability at shape-shifting. Given his unique nature, it made sense, and it let me play with his personality a little bit. It's never been a major part of the book, and is really only a curiosity in his own character, but still, it's fun.
You might have noticed the glaring omission in the "natural races of the world" mentioned in Birch/Kaelus's memory - the denarae. We'll get to that later, just know there's a reason the two races are so similar and why kything only works between the two and not with dwarves, elves, or gnomes. One thing to keep in mind whenever you read one of Birch or Kaelus's memories - as Birch himself notes, Satan is not exactly the most reliable of narrators. There's always a grain and spirit of truth in what he says in these scenes, but take the details with a grain of salt, especially anything about himself. I specifically went back and added that thought of Birch's to address this. Everything Satan says is done with a purpose, primarily to sculpt and influence the person on the other end of the conversation. If you assume that Satan always has a goal he's working toward, and that every single thing that arises from something he's said or done is in furtherance to that goal, you won't be far off from the truth.
Yes, Perky has a bit of hero-worship going on with Birch. It was evident in the previous book (especially during the portions following Perky's perspective in the elven lands), and it hasn't abated in the intervening months. The end of his first scene should set of very loud bells in your head. The first child's death in the previous chapter might have sounded like I was being deliberately morbid or something, but now you should have the idea that something serious is up. It's put here at the end of the chapter section-break deliberately to bring attention to it.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Until I got to Book3, I really didn't know what to do with Selti. I didn't initially know what the source of his unique dual-transformation gift was, I just knew he was special. Somewhere between Book2 and Book3, I worked out his dynamic as the residual impression of Abdiel's āyus, and I hit on the idea of his expanding ability at shape-shifting. Given his unique nature, it made sense, and it let me play with his personality a little bit. It's never been a major part of the book, and is really only a curiosity in his own character, but still, it's fun.
Chapter 5
For a while I wondered about the level of antagonism Alister displays toward demi-humans, and if that raised questions about just who the Prism let join its ranks. On top of being racist, he's just an ass, something that's obvious in practically every word he says and thinks. But it's an unfortunate fact of life that people are people, no matter where you go. As a population, we all suffer the same petty problems, insecurities, prejudices, and basic properties that make us "people". If you go attend a prestigious university, you'll still find lazy people, and if you attend a low-budget trade school, you'll find geniuses. And everywhere you go, you'll find people who think less of others based on something as ridiculous as the amount of melanin in their skin. So yes, the Prismatic Order does have some racists, sexists, jerks, narcissists, and small-minded people. But it's a fair bet they comprise a smaller percent of the Order than in the population at large.
It's not that great a leap from believing in someone's ability to read your mind to believing they can control it, especially in a subtle form by inserting thoughts you're not aware aren't your own. From that, you can see the roots of the fears that drove humans and denarae apart eons ago. I'll admit Alister comes across as slightly unhinged as he's musing about his research, but then, that's pretty much how I view people who suffer from racist tendencies in the first place.
Flasch's relationship with Deeta was one of the hardest to roll forward, because I had to do everything that needs doing within this first section of the book (for reasons that will play out later), and he has to share time with the other main characters as the designated perspective of the section/chapter. I had to keep coming back to sections of the book (like section 3 here) to add breadcrumbs of development so their progression felt natural.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
If you've finished the book, you know Alister's conclusions are exactly wrong - the origins of the denarae aren't demonic, they're angelic. Still, their creation was considered an evil (or at least a "wrong" thing - a sin), despite having been done by angels.
The final line of the chapter was put there deliberately to feed the idea that something sinister might really be going on with Danner. It's a red herring, of course, but it subtly reinforces the idea you'll eventually be presented with without beating you over the head with it.
It's not that great a leap from believing in someone's ability to read your mind to believing they can control it, especially in a subtle form by inserting thoughts you're not aware aren't your own. From that, you can see the roots of the fears that drove humans and denarae apart eons ago. I'll admit Alister comes across as slightly unhinged as he's musing about his research, but then, that's pretty much how I view people who suffer from racist tendencies in the first place.
Flasch's relationship with Deeta was one of the hardest to roll forward, because I had to do everything that needs doing within this first section of the book (for reasons that will play out later), and he has to share time with the other main characters as the designated perspective of the section/chapter. I had to keep coming back to sections of the book (like section 3 here) to add breadcrumbs of development so their progression felt natural.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
If you've finished the book, you know Alister's conclusions are exactly wrong - the origins of the denarae aren't demonic, they're angelic. Still, their creation was considered an evil (or at least a "wrong" thing - a sin), despite having been done by angels.
The final line of the chapter was put there deliberately to feed the idea that something sinister might really be going on with Danner. It's a red herring, of course, but it subtly reinforces the idea you'll eventually be presented with without beating you over the head with it.
Chapter 6
A quick note about the dates of some of the texts used in chapter heading quotes. The "present day" takes place in 1012 AM (Age of Merging), so the book quoted at the beginning of this chapter is published 15 years in the future. The book in question is one that will become extremely important in the sequel trilogy. There are other texts that occur in the future as well, some of which showed up in Book2, in fact, but lest you assume I'm giving away that one character or another is still alive at any given point, remember that this entire series is ostensibly being written posthumously by Vander Wayland. It's probably not safe to assume that seeing someone's name on a text with a future date means they're still alive when they write/publish the book.
Okay, I can't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure the accent of the woman Danner interviews came about just so I could include the word "ambitchin". It sounds like something I'd do.
"...you shads..." Those two words pretty much encapsulate Brican's early thoughts in the second section, specifically regarding passive racism. This guy never even considers that the term "shads" is a racial slur, it's just the word he's used to using, even in his thoughts. He's not being deliberately offensive, but he's been culturally indoctrinated to think and speak in certain ways about denarae, and that's not something that changes overnight. Heck, it sometimes doesn't even change over generations, based on our nation's own history.
The rest of Brican's section here gives you the best glimpse so far into his history with humans and why he's so antagonistic. He's been on the receiving end of more than just slurs and racist thoughts - he's been on the wrong side of a torch-and-pitchfork mob, been physically beaten and stabbed, saw his parents murdered, and who knows what else, all by humans who hate him for what he is. His "challenge" to God really isn't that, though Brican thinks of it that way. It's a challenge to himself that is presented by God when Brican is ready for it. By making his challenge, Brican is really opening himself up to the opportunity. Had the moment come on a different day when he was in a different mindset, this growth opportunity would not have happened.
In four words ("What would Garnet say?") you can see the esteem in which Brican holds Garnet. They're friends now and they only become closer as time goes by. Garnet is that guy who's favorable opinion you want, and he makes you want to want it.
I should note (for those who know the name): The priest at my church is named Father Chuck, but this character (Father Charles) was named and written years before I ever met him.
By the end of the chapter, Brican still doesn't really get it. It's not about what it takes to get God to act. It's about what it takes to get men to act for themselves. At best, God setup the opportunity, but Brican still had to act to make this happen. The final line of the chapter is deliberately left open-ended and will not be addressed further in this book. I'm not entirely sure how I'll carry this through to the next trilogy, but this isn't the last you'll hear of this encounter, one way or another.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
There may not be such a thing as an atheist in Lokka (yet!), but as you see later on, belief in the existence of Heaven and Hell doesn't necessarily supersede deeply ingrained social and cultural beliefs in alternatives.
Okay, I can't swear to it, but I'm pretty sure the accent of the woman Danner interviews came about just so I could include the word "ambitchin". It sounds like something I'd do.
"...you shads..." Those two words pretty much encapsulate Brican's early thoughts in the second section, specifically regarding passive racism. This guy never even considers that the term "shads" is a racial slur, it's just the word he's used to using, even in his thoughts. He's not being deliberately offensive, but he's been culturally indoctrinated to think and speak in certain ways about denarae, and that's not something that changes overnight. Heck, it sometimes doesn't even change over generations, based on our nation's own history.
The rest of Brican's section here gives you the best glimpse so far into his history with humans and why he's so antagonistic. He's been on the receiving end of more than just slurs and racist thoughts - he's been on the wrong side of a torch-and-pitchfork mob, been physically beaten and stabbed, saw his parents murdered, and who knows what else, all by humans who hate him for what he is. His "challenge" to God really isn't that, though Brican thinks of it that way. It's a challenge to himself that is presented by God when Brican is ready for it. By making his challenge, Brican is really opening himself up to the opportunity. Had the moment come on a different day when he was in a different mindset, this growth opportunity would not have happened.
In four words ("What would Garnet say?") you can see the esteem in which Brican holds Garnet. They're friends now and they only become closer as time goes by. Garnet is that guy who's favorable opinion you want, and he makes you want to want it.
I should note (for those who know the name): The priest at my church is named Father Chuck, but this character (Father Charles) was named and written years before I ever met him.
By the end of the chapter, Brican still doesn't really get it. It's not about what it takes to get God to act. It's about what it takes to get men to act for themselves. At best, God setup the opportunity, but Brican still had to act to make this happen. The final line of the chapter is deliberately left open-ended and will not be addressed further in this book. I'm not entirely sure how I'll carry this through to the next trilogy, but this isn't the last you'll hear of this encounter, one way or another.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
There may not be such a thing as an atheist in Lokka (yet!), but as you see later on, belief in the existence of Heaven and Hell doesn't necessarily supersede deeply ingrained social and cultural beliefs in alternatives.
Chapter 7
The immortal language is generally sort of pseudo-Latin, which is of course one of the most dominant root languages for the Western world. (On the odd chance these books are ever translated into a non-Romance language, the lingual histories of Lokka will make a lot less sense.) I use this as a tool to explain why the human language is essentially (American) English, though I throw in a few words stemming from the dwarven and elven languages for variety. Thus there are a lot of times you'll see words that seem familiar and you might even be able to guess the meanings, if you're into that sort of thing. (The downside to tinkering with the language is that years later, if I can't find my notes, I don't always remember what the original word I borrowed was. Then I'm the one who has to try and guess what the word was, or if it's one I just made up.)
"We notice a lot more than we think." I'm probably a little too proud of this line, but I don't care. It's layered like an ogre parfait, and every time I read it I play with the words and smile. There's a good chance it'll get revisited in a future book.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Nothing really to add here - this chapter's pretty straight forward.
"We notice a lot more than we think." I'm probably a little too proud of this line, but I don't care. It's layered like an ogre parfait, and every time I read it I play with the words and smile. There's a good chance it'll get revisited in a future book.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
Nothing really to add here - this chapter's pretty straight forward.
Chapter 8
Two quick notes about some minor characters referenced during Danner's and Flasch's talk. As far as I know, Ashfen Diermark did survive the war in Nocka, but I have no current plans to bring him back into the series. I'd considered having him go full Neidermeyer and get killed by his own men (off-screen somewhere), but a part of me is perfectly happy letting him drift off into obscurity and irrelevance, where people like him belong. The other name to mention is Danny Heff - it wasn't intentional, but this random character was apparently named after a brother in my college fraternity. I didn't even realize I'd used his name (or something very close to it, at least) until my second or third read-through.
In the same conversation, they reference someone's sexuality. This is one of a couple comments regarding homosexuality in these books, both times being used in a light-hearted manner to poke fun at someone. I'm still not sure if I'll have a gay character in this series or not. I'll probably wait for a character to come-out to me rather than try to imprint a particular preference artificially. There's certainly no particular need for it, so we'll see what happens. (Since I first wrote this note, I've suspected that one or two secondary characters in the next trilogy might be gay, but I haven't gotten to their characters yet, so nothing's set in stone.)
I don't really ride the "Danner is guilty" train very long, because there's no need to. You've already seen it put strain on the group, you've seen the flags marking the path to lead you and the characters to suspect it just might be true, and beyond that, dragging it out would be beating a dead horse. This part of the book already takes up enough real estate without trying to complicate it unnecessarily, and I need to start moving things to get everyone into the action.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers in this chapter.
In the same conversation, they reference someone's sexuality. This is one of a couple comments regarding homosexuality in these books, both times being used in a light-hearted manner to poke fun at someone. I'm still not sure if I'll have a gay character in this series or not. I'll probably wait for a character to come-out to me rather than try to imprint a particular preference artificially. There's certainly no particular need for it, so we'll see what happens. (Since I first wrote this note, I've suspected that one or two secondary characters in the next trilogy might be gay, but I haven't gotten to their characters yet, so nothing's set in stone.)
I don't really ride the "Danner is guilty" train very long, because there's no need to. You've already seen it put strain on the group, you've seen the flags marking the path to lead you and the characters to suspect it just might be true, and beyond that, dragging it out would be beating a dead horse. This part of the book already takes up enough real estate without trying to complicate it unnecessarily, and I need to start moving things to get everyone into the action.
Spoiler Section - Only read this if you've finished the book.
No spoilers in this chapter.
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Interlude - Chapter 8
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