Wow, has it been a while! And man, oh, man, is it great to be back with
Meet The Books!. Anyways, today, the featured book is an unusual one for me. However, before I continue, for those who are not familiar with
Meet The Books!, I shall explain. I invented
Meet The Books! as a way to introduce my own writing on my blog - as I am terrible with technology and cannot for the life of me figure out how to display it naturally - but it is meant ideally as a way for anyone to do so on their own blog. Anyone can join up! Just answer the questions and ramble on a bit about your work in progress - I mean, how hard can that be? ;) The only rule is to link your post back here so I can see it if you do join! :D Anyways. Now that that's said and done, I'll continue.
What is the genre?
Well, though I consider myself a fantasy writer, ironically enough, this is my only Fantasy. Yep. Only one. I started another prospective one about a week ago, but I'm not keeping it (it was going to be based off of The Laidly Worm, an old English fairy tale). This, however, though I despise it among my works with all my being, I am keeping. But only due to popular demand and the fact that a really awesome character I don't want to delete is laced into it. Plus it's a series, and who deletes a whole series?!
What is the title? Time period?
The title is
The Second Brother, after the main character, who I will speak of shortly. The time period - as is my specialty - is medieval.
How is it written (point of view, MC, etc.)?
It's written in my favorite POV: third person (limited), except - again, unusual for me - with only one POV character. That character is the MC, Captain Owain Lontrey.
Who are the characters?
Captain Owain Lontrey is a rather irritable knight (if you're wondering why he's not 'Sir' rather than 'Captain', it's because he's the captain of a King's Century, which is a band of a hundred fighting men for times of especial need). He is he person whom the title is after, being the second brother after Rheovan the eldest (see below) and before their half-siblings, Feotheire and Claria. Owain likes to mind his own business and let others mind theirs, but often this is not how it ends up. See, he has a bit of a problem with a very troublesome half-brother named
Sir Feotheire Lontrey, or Feo to some of his siblings (and yes, Owain sometimes calls him this, but it is
not a title of endearment in that case). You see, Feo has - due to his own temperament - been not only disowned by their father, but unofficially exiled from their home, and become a self-made wanderer. Owain often wonders if Feo even cares about anything - and the only particularly apparent answer to that question is Feo's sister - Owain's half sister - Maid Claria. Feo, being her only full sibling, is deeply devoted to her, and often she seems to be the only thing Feo even cares a fig about. Don't ask how he got his title. Owain has asked before several times, but isn't really sure himself how or where on earth Feo could have possibly gotten knighted. Though he was originally based off of neither of these characters, one could explain him as an approximate mix of Faramir and Loki (to make a very odd combo).
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| Okay, while I never intended him to be anything like Faramir, I had always thought of him as looking like Faramir. |
Rheovan Lontrey, called the MirrorGazer for his magical mirror of his own invention, which allows him to look upon anything - anything he has connection to in his mind, that is. He cannot see anything that he has not already known or has no relevant connection to. However, it is useful for looking upon things he did not see before (for instance, when he was present, but did not pay attention to the things going on around him). It's a little like a mix of those memory-mirror things in Harry Potter - what are they called again? - and the famous mirror in Snow White. See, Rheovan is a wizard. Not in the sense that he practices any sort of conjuring or witchcraft, but in the sense that he comes by great mental powers naturally. See, his magic is controlled by his mind - if he went insane, as would his magic. Rheovan inherited it somehow... Owain assumes by their long-deceased mother (Rheovan is Owain's older brother), as their father has absolutely no trace of it, but no one is sure. However, the puzzling factor of that is that Owain himself has absolutely no powers to speak of, despite being a full sibling to Rheovan.
Maid Claria Lontrey is the half-sister of Owain, and the older sister of Feotheire. She was half-crippled from birth, and unfortunately needs constant care to even be able to walk at all, so did not go with Feo (as he offered) when he left the family estate after being disowned. She has been the only link holding Feotheire to his family ever since he left, and she is the only reason he ever comes back. Even had she not needed care, she would not have gone with Feo, though, because she has long wished that her brothers stop being a broken family. Rheovan and Owain do love Claria, though not as much as Feo does, and treat her well, even though their father does not. She has always been the support of the family - in every way except physically, since she cannot be that. She has long harbored hopes to bring her family back together, though it is only just barely keeping from shattering - due to Feotheire's disowning and their father's prejudice.
General Fredich Lontrey is the father of Rheovan, Owain, Feotheire, and Claria (he and Claria aren't actually super huge characters, but I decided to introduce the whole Lontrey family all in one swipe so it's not confusing). He has always been very prejudiced against Feo and Claria, however, for being from a different mother than his favorites, Rheovan and Owain (especially Rheovan). See, he was married once - to Rheovan and Owain's mother - but she died when Owain was a toddler. Her death grieved him so much that he became despondent and stopped working. He became in debt, and to clear himself out of it he was forced to marry a rich knight's daughter, who was Feotheire and Claria's mother. Unfortunately, at the time of the story, she too is deceased. Gen. Lontrey has always fought with Feotheire, and even disowned him. And, though he gives her servants to provide her necessary care, Gen. Lontrey has always scorned Claria as a great disappointment - even more than Feo because she was born semi-crippled. However, also because of this, he cannot send her away or marry her off.
Finn, Ferdie, and Fabian Trillione are a set of dark-haired triplets who - ahem - intercept Owain and Feotheire on their quest (see plot below). Unfortunately for Owain - who took an immediate irritation with them -he and Feo were in need of their assistance in navigation. So they came along. And I believe Owain is now seriously regretting it... ;)
Lady Lucyth is an exiled fairy, forced to have the appearance of a human and now only able to do magic with the aid of others. She has a deep dislike - more than Owain - for the triplets, as frequently they are purposefully trespassing on what she deems her land. She is also called the Lady of the Woods, because her abode is a small forest where many unusual things happen due to mostly uncontrollable spurts of her no longer intact magic. Don't ask what she got exiled for - she doesn't like to talk about it and might even try to make a magic plant eat you if you ask (as Owain full well knows from experience). She's kind-of an antagonist, but - with payment, of course - has helped Owain and the questers.
Gwendolyn Trillione actually isn't a very big character either in the first book, but she'll be comin' around a lot in the second, so be ready! ;) She is the triplets' younger sister, and for fear of spoilers I'm not going to say another word about her. :) (the triplets have another sibling, but and older brother, but he won't come in a whole lot.)
Ursan the Distant is my personal favorite character in the story. Named 'The Distant', and 'The Wanderer' by people of the small villages around the moors, he is a mysterious figure to be sure. He is a traveling bard whose songs are chilling and beautiful, but no one knows what they mean. He wanders from village to village around the moors, playing for you if you pay him. He will do most things if you offer him money, but he never spends it... Owain's guess is merely that Ursan is a deserting soldier who went mercenary. He speaks very little if at all, and if you ask too many questions about him then he remains silent and is gone the next morning. He never leaves villages by day, but only by night, and never stays in the same village too long. He knows the moors better than any other man alive perhaps, and no one's really sure if he lives there - or really if he lives anywhere at all. He always keeps a lyre and a tiny satchel with him everywhere - surely not enough to carry many belongings, but they must be his only ones, Owain supposes. Ursan will play in villages, but - though his skill and mystery exceeds any other minstrel - he will not play anywhere near the great cities or courts. He avoids anybody from cities or courts as well, and often is gone a long time before returning to the same village again. neither Owain or Feo are quite sure what to think of him, but as they need his help when as certain rather catastrophic event happens to the triplets, he agrees to help them for pay.
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| Mr. Buhler of Il Divo... This isn't the pic I wanted to use, but it's the only one that doesn't make it obvious that he isn't wearing historical clothes. :P |
Lady Dulcilla is not in the first book at all... but will be in the second. She is a court lady - or was once, so she's told. She has for some odd reason no memory at all of her past life any past a dream she's been having for five years now - which is about the point when she can't remember anything. She can only remember the past five years, and any before that - not a thing. She has been living in a castle that she's told was once hers and a one of her friend's. Her friend, Ambrose, is the only person she can remember from before the last five years. He remembers much of her past and tells her but has no idea himself why she can't remember. She has relayed the dream to him, but he knows it's only a dream and can't make much out of it.
Lord Ambrose is Lady Dulcilla's friend who has been taking care of her for the last five years when he found her faint on the ground outside his castle without a single memory of why. He - recognizing her - took her in of course, but cannot restore her memory...
And I think that sums everybody up! :)
What does the plot consist of?
Alright, here goes my attempt at a pitch.... :P
Captain Owain just wants to mind his own business... unless that entails running after his troublesome half-brother, Feotheire. So when Feotheire is accused of treason, and Owain has to go on a hopeless-seeming quest to prove Feo innocent, he's not happy. But, as the quest goes on, there seems to be more than meets the eye, and from the example of others, Owain and Feotheire soon begin to embrace their breaking brotherhood...
See, the theme of the story is brotherhood, and so thus the constant conflicting between Owain and Feotheire is the main storyline, but the main action going on is the quest to prove Feo innocent, which is going on at the same time as Owain and Feo's reconciling.
What is the setting?
The setting is a medieval fantasy world (actually, it's the same world I write all my stories in - I could show you on a map if I had the picture of it with me - only it has magic and fantastical creatures). The main country in it is Owain's homeland, Elliar, but during the course of the quest, they travel all over the map (the country in which they find the triplets is Uriett, I think, and the country in which is Ursan is Morgania, the country that they were questing to).
Who are the favorite characters in it?
Well... actually it's matter of debate between readers currently whether to be on Owain's side or Feo's, and it levels out to about half and half in the favorite of the two. See, I have two readers who - though one only on brief explanation - favor Feo's side in the arguments, and then I have one reader and myself (as Owain's the MC, I have to be on his side, because you're supposed to be) for Cap. Owain.
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| Lady Lucyth. |
What is the favorite scene?
Only one of my readers has even mentioned favoring a particular scene, and I myself loathe the entire work, so it appears it is the favorite. It is a scene where Owain and Rheovan sneak Feotheire into their house, and then within it they run into their father (and shortly after that Claria). It wasn't pretty, I can tell you. The General was furious. I still haven't finished it though, yet, so I can't really say much about it... :P
Any themes of music for this work?
Um... kind-of. I generally listen to the opera
Carmen when writing it, but that's not its theme. Unofficially (not official because I don't actually know what the lyrics mean, as they are in another language, so do not know if they fit him or not) the song
Adagio (best version by Il Divo) is Ursan's theme. And
The Last Words You Said by Sarah Brightman is currently being considered as a theme for Claria.
Any drawings?
Um... Not really. I think I drew Lady Lucyth at one point, but I'm not quite sure where the drawing is right now. Seeing as most of the characters are guys, and I'm not so good at drawing guys, I don't think it's likely I'll have any drawings anytime soon. :P Plus I always have trouble deciding what Owain even looks like.
Strong point in story?
Um, I would say the action. The action keeps up at a pretty fast pace, actually... which is one of the many reasons I hate the story - see, I can't stand intense stuff (unless it's just emotionally intense, which I actually love - it's intense
action that bugs me). but, according to most writers, that's a strong point.
Weak point in story?
Well, for one thing, its own writer deplores it among all her works. But, an even bigger problem, in the actual writing, description is almost nonexistent. Because it was begun in an age of my writing where I had realized that I had too much description - so did forego every description period. And... that's another reason I hate the thing. :P
What are your plans for it?
Well, I'm going to finish the first book, The Second Brother, and then continue on to the rest of the series,
The Distant Wanderer;
The Ever-Three;
The Mirror Gazer; and
The Sylvan Lady. As you may notice, each one of the books is named for an important character: first for Owain, second for Ursan, third for the triplets (I guess that's technically three important characters), the fourth for Rheovan (or is it...?*mysterious smile*), and the last for Lucyth.
Any particular writing habits for it?
I listen to
Carmen a lot writing it, I suppose. And I also like to eat pretzels while writing it, but that's something I kinda tend to do with all my stories. I also generally display it as soon as a new part's finished (I'm still not sure why, 'cuz it's terrible!).
If it were made into a movie, what would be your ideal cast for it?
Um, any old Joe who had rusty auburn-ish hair and looked okay in medieval clothes could play Owain. I really don't know much of what he looks like besides being tall and having rusty auburn-colored hair. As for Feotheire, I have always imagined him looking a lot like Faramir, so the guy who played Faramir in LotR could do him. As for Claria, I can see Lily James playing her(?). And Rheovan... uh, get Basil Rathbone for him (except with black hair). I can see whoever played Eowyn doing Gwendolyn, and Urs Buhler - yes, I know he's not a movie star! - being Ursan (haha, their names even match!). ;D I can see a black-haired Vivian Leigh as Lucyth, and an also black-haired no-mustache Errol Flynn as the triplets. Perhaps Sebastian Stan as Ambrose, and Anne Hathaway as Dulcilla. I don't know for the General.
Anyways, though, that's the end of this session of Meet The Books!. Remember, if you want to join up, just answer the questions in your own post and link back here! I love reading it when other people participate, so don't hesitate if you want to! :) And feel free to take the pic with you!
What did you think? Would you read it? Who would be your favorite character? Would you be with Feotheire's side, or Owain? Are you agreeing with my own sentiments on the horrid work? (Trust me, if you had read it, you would!) By the way, Alomina is currently having its 3rd anniversary! I've been working on it for three years now... and still not finished it, haha. :P Is anybody else here a Fantasy writer who only has like one Fantasy story...? (Nope... probably just me...) :P Does anybody else think Mr. Buhler is incredibly handsome?
