Welcome to Realm Explorers! In this weekly series, we visit a variety of unique worlds created by talented science fiction and fantasy authors. Enjoy your travels! And don't forget to read to the bottom of the post to find out more about each author and see how to purchase the featured book.
Author’s name: Juli
D. Revezzo
Title of book and/or
series: Changeling’s Crown
Brief summary of the
story:
Disgraced faery godmother Ianthe doesn’t count on her new assignment
throwing her into the path of handsome ranch hand Briak McGee. Even stranger,
she never thought she’d fall in love with a human. But everything she touches
these days seems to backfire on her. Could love be just the thing to turn her
luck around?
Brief description of
the world or location you created for this story:
Some of Changeling’s Crown takes place in “Everland” and “Everland Central”
which is the home base for the faery godmothers, and dark faeries. On the “light”
side you have crystalline streets, fields of lush gold and greenery, gleaming
tours (for the king and queen—naturally) and quaint mansions and cottages for
the faeries and faery godparents. There are also Crystal towering offices and
lecture halls for the use of the administration, and the education sectors. And
wide open lanes for grand coaches once moved (now the faery king favors hot
rods, but who’s judging? ;))
On the other side of the grove, a sulfuric mist ignites the
trees and glazes the hovels of the dark fae aglow. Terrific beasts, winged and
horned, and twisted beasts, respectively—move over it all, seeking out their
dinner—of fae and human flesh. The king’s places dominates the landscape like a
twisted, rock giant flanked by, oddly enough, roses, more dead than alive.
If we were to visit Everland
Central as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
The Crystal Falls, most definitely. Lovely place and if
you’re really lucky, a mermaid might turn up.
What dangers should we
avoid in Everland Central ?
J Just stay away from the dark side of the grove and
you should be fine. Oh, and if you see a dandy faery godfather prancing around
like he knows something, that’s Geldon, the worst pain in the neck you’ll ever
meet. Stay away from him.
Is there a distinct
or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Everland Central?
It varies region to region and person to person—er, I mean,
fae to fae. Though I can say most of the “light” faeries (that comprise the
faery godparents pool) love particularly sweet foods—sweetened meats like
roast, and honeyed carrots, cakes and cookies.
I gather from them that holidays such as Christmas and Valentine’s day
see a lot of them gaining extra pounds from all the sweet treats their kitchens
whip up. By contrast, the “dark” fae are meat eaters and some don’t mind it raw
and rancid. They’re not too fond of sweeteners in their food at all.
What types of
weaponry or fighting styles are common in Everland Central?
Their weaponry is fairly traditional: swords, armor, staves.
That kind of thing.
What types of
vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Everland?
To get to Everland from Earth, the faery godparents and dark
fae take a staircase down, or the subelevators; sometimes they fly depending on
how much time they have (or who they want to avoid!). Once in Everland, they
have their pick of transportation, mainly horses and carriages, but the King
Heath has imported a car or two for his own amusement.
What types of plants,
animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Everland Central that we don’t
see on Earth?
EC horses speak, and also there are pterodactyl-like dragon
beasts that stalk on the dark side of the grove. Also, the king of the dark
faeries employs three headed, troll-like guardians; while the king of the faery
godparents employs cherubs in menial jobs. Unicorns also graze around in the
sacred grove from time to time.
What role, if any,
does magic or the supernatural play in the lives of people in Everland?
If there is magic, please give some examples of what it involves or how
it’s used.
Magic is integral to the work of the faery godparents.
Convincing humans of their one true loves isn’t always so easy with mere logic.
Sometimes, a handful of pixie dust is needed. And if the technology that the
humans love so much goes down, how else are the faery godparents supposed to
communicate with each other, without magic?
Is there any advanced
or unusual technology in Everland Central?
If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.
Some of the older residents of Everland like to communicate
via Magic Mirror. Some (like Ianthe’s mentor) think they’re as slow as
human computers. ;)
Tell us about any
sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Everland Central.
There’s fencing and horse racing. True, they are
mostly used to train for the Wild Hunt, but they're good sport on their own. J
Are the days of the
week and months of the year the same in Everland Central as on Earth? What
holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?
The boring answer to this question is, pretty much, except
that they have a few days out of the year dedicated to the Wild Hunt.
Is there a particular
religion practiced in Everland Central?
Please describe what it involves.
Thumbelina is the faery godmothers’ goddess and they send
prayers to her whenever they need a little divine help.
What is the political
or government structure in Everland Central?
Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
They are, for the most part, a monarchy. King Heath rules
the light side of the grove and to a fault. He doesn’t care if the balance
tips, so long as everyone has their happy ending. Whatever he deems that might
be. But he is a benevolent ruler. Probably much more forgiving than he should
be. He does give Ianthe more chances
than she should have. King Briak rules the dark side of the grove and though he
can be ruthless when it’s required of him, he’s probably the fairest ruler
those folks have ever had. He’ll torture me for telling you this but, though,
he’s testy, he prefers peace to battle. As long as the balance remains intact,
he’s happy. If not, well, watch out.
Are there any other
unique cultural practices that we should be aware of if we visit Everland
Central?
Don’t try to cross into the dark side of the grove. At best,
you’ll come out with a raging headache. At worst, you might get eaten!
Has anything in your actual
life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?
Yes, I set the ranch sequences in my home state, and like
Ianthe, I didn’t have the best luck with horses. I once fell off one after it stopped moving.
What, if any, “hot-button”
or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?
Throughout the course of Changeling’s Crown the dark faery
king’s place on the royal council is remarked upon, so I suppose that
constitutes a fairly hot button issue among the residents of Everland. Also
there’s debate as to the work of the faery godparents in matters of the heart.
Some think the faery godparents are meddlers and some…don’t.
Author Autobiography
Where, and in what
formats, can we purchase your book(s)?
Changeling’s Crown is
available at:
Click here
to see the book trailer for Changeling’s Crown.
Where can
readers connect with you online?
They
can find me at:
my homepage
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Everland. Questions about the world or the book? Ask them in the comments and the author will get back to you!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the fantasy world of Faylinn, in Realm Explorers Part XXVI!
-Annie Douglass Lima
2 comments:
Thanks for hosting me, today, Annie!
You're welcome - it's my pleasure!
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