Introducing No One’s Beloved Sister – Available Now!

When I released Each One’s Wayward Niece – the second book in my Everyone’s Child epic fantasy series – I took the opportunity to introduce the main characters involved in the series. As with all of my work, this story began with its core cast of characters and grew out of their motivations.

From fairly early on, it was clear to me the main focus of this story would be on Elayith’s journey. Somewhat ironically, Seri and Jaolyn follow her. So their journeys mirror hers even when their motivations don’t. That also meant that this would have to be a story that was constantly on the move, demanding I create an internal map of the world I was working on right from the start.

When a story takes place in a single concentrated location, it doesn’t necessarily involve less world-building. A single city can be as interesting and varied as a kingdom. Especially if it’s large and/or hosts people of several different cultures. But since I decided to create a brand new world – and even a brand new magic system – for this book series, there was a daunting amount of work to be done.

I certainly can’t introduce every place my characters have visited since the start of the series. That would cause spoilers anyway. But I would like to take a moment to discuss a few of my favorites.

Oshren Themar

One of the first places my characters visit on their crazy adventure is Oshren Themar – the city of mages. Located in the middle of a vast jungle, this city of wonders started on a sizable island that occupies the middle of a fast-flowing river. (The river is similar to the Amazon river in our world.) Given the power and influence of the mages, and the draw of studying in their certified schools, the city has quickly outgrown its original boundaries.

The mages of Oshren Themar were not daunted by their rapid growth, however. Nor were they inclined to slow down or move elsewhere. Instead they expanded their city onto the river via a series of floating islands and bridges. Drawing inspiration from the ancient techniques of the Mayans and Aztecs, I crafted a fantasy city of many districts that extends over the river and onto both of its banks.

Sitting at the center of this mass of population is a giant, step-style pyramid that serves partly as a temple and partly as a school. It is here that the council of mages meets to discuss the future of this glorified guild. It is also in the depths of this temple where the mages store the secrets of their craft, gathered and cultivated over many long centuries.

Of course, not just anyone can set foot inside this impressive temple. One must be a mage or be invited by a member of the illustrious council in order to gain access to their secrets. Since both Elayith and Jaolyn are welcomed less than warmly in this city, it’s unlikely they’ll be partaking in any of those activities any time soon. At least not via official channels.

Places of Power

Since magic sits at the heart of most fantasy stories, it informed a lot of my world-building for this series. Case in point, the magical city of Oshren Themar isn’t the only place considered important to mages (though it probably ranks at the top of most lists).

The world of Everyone’s Child is brimming with magical energy. In some cases, there are places where the veil between worlds thins, allowing a large wellspring of magical power to seep through. In those places, mages can find an abundance of the elemental power required to feed their spells – which is an important part of how the magical system I created for this world works.

Throughout their lives, mages will make many pilgrimages to the places of power with which their spells resonate. Creating those places was quite enjoyable, because I tried to make each embody the type of magic found there.

I can’t provide an exhaustive list, of course. But I would love to give a few examples.

To find fire magic, a mage might head toward the Boiling Precipice – a massive volcano that regularly erupts, burying the cities that sometimes spring up at its base. To find an abundance of Earth magic, they would head to Vregronto Valley, a massive split located in a deadly desert where plant life grows with a speed and density not found elsewhere. Not only is it always summer in Vregronto Valley, it is the breadbasket of several kingdoms, providing food and nourishment for many lands.

Not far from the Vregronto Valley one can find the Starlight Cliffs (also known as Kimoc Danelm). If a mage wants to dabble in light or shadow magic, they can find it beneath the stars on this, the highest point in the known world.

A Unique Magical System

There are several similar places sprinkled throughout the world of Everyone’s Child – and many of them end up featured in the story. But before we get to the big announcement, I want to explain why these places are so important.

Lots of magical systems involve drawing magic from the surrounding environment. (That is, in fact, how magic is cast in the Aruvalia Chronicles.) But I wanted to make sure this story was sufficiently different from my other series.

In the world of Everyone’s Child, it’s dangerous to draw magic directly from the environment to weave a spell. Doing so can not only cause harm to the caster, it slowly weakens and damages the environment over time. No one is entirely sure how devastating the consequences of unfettered magical weaving would be, because the mage council has outlawed casting magic without sources.

Sources create a buffer between mages and the energy they draw from the environment. Not only does this tame the magic enough to prevent the caster from coming to harm, it ensures a slow draw on the world’s magical energy so it can’t be dangerously depleted.

Sources come in all shapes and sizes and are tailored to the type of magic a mage uses. Earth mages, for example, often use gemstones as sources. Air mages, on the other hand, might use feathers or wind chimes. Light mages often use fragments of stained glass, while a water mage might use sea shells.

Because sources are so important, mages not only utilize them as tools, they wear them like jewelry. It isn’t considered polite for a mage to strut around displaying their sources everywhere. But they are often displayed for formal occasions, allowing other mages to witness the power and creativity of their fellows.

Now, without further ado…

No One’s Beloved Sister is Available Now!

What does it mean to change the world?

When she first started walking the path of prophecy, Elayith believed she was the only person who would change. After all, each individual represents their own world. But that was before she met a mage tainted with shadow magic and awakened a trio of powerful knights from the world’s primordial age. Now she stands on the brink of finishing her journey and has begun to question everything.

Seri, on the other hand, is done asking questions. She has embraced the vision the Watchers’ enigmatic hourglass has shown her and she no longer has a reason to look back. Unfortunately, the rulers of her order seem torn between their own ambitions, unable – or unwilling – to fulfill the conditions required to bring about the Ultimate Purpose. Which means she may have to take matters into her own hands, despite numerous warnings to the contrary.

Forced to abandon the oath he made to himself at the start of Elayith’s journey, Jaolyn has embraced the powerful passenger that lurks beneath his skin. But he hasn’t forgotten about the corruption of the mage conclave that forced his hand. As he digs deeper into the secrets hidden from plain view, he makes a dangerous discovery that threatens not only the goddess avatar’s success but the fate of the world.

As the moment of truth draws near, who will leave their mark on the world and who will disappear into obscurity? And will the changes they write upon the web of fate benefit the world or put it on the path of destruction?

Grab your copy here!