Realm Explorers Part CXXX: Visit Tyria with Shauna E. Black

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:

Hi! I’m Shauna E. Black. Thanks so much for hosting me on your blog today!

Title of book and series:

Today I’m featuring The Phantom Nightingale, Book 1 of the Andul Guardians. There will be 2 more books in this series. The Skyhound Master is book 2, slated to be released at the end of March. The final book in the series is called The Angel Bandit.

Brief summary of the story:

Xanthe’s crew might all be kids, but that doesn’t mean he plays it safe. He saved them all once, and now they’ll go anywhere with him. But when news of a potential lost sister comes to light, Xanthe will lead them on their most dangerous mission yet – into the heart of the empire that wants him, dead or alive.

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:

The books are placed in a futuristic world that uses steampunk-like technology. In this world, the polar ice caps melted, spawning a Time of Chaos that destroyed civilization until the Tyrian Empire arose to control much of Europe (now spelled Yurop). While many of the books’ locations may seem familiar to those of our day, the rising waters of the oceans have eaten away at the coastlines, virtually destroyed marine life, and caused continuous earthquake tremors. The Tyrians blame much of this unrest on an alien race called Andul that can slip instantaneously from one location to another using the power of song.

If we were to visit Tyria as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?

You should definitely take a turn around Pragnov, the City Reborn. This is the capital of the Tyrian Empire, a shining testament to the power of humanity to rise from the ashes. It models such architectural triumphs as the Capitol Building, a vast edifice sprawling 200 square meters in the center of the city; and the Yugend Tower, rising fifty stories above the guide wires protecting it from earthquake damage and topped by the famous Yugend dome.

If your tastes lean more toward the country life (or if you’re on the run from the Tyrian government), you might prefer to visit the snowy slopes of the Alpun Mountains, or perhaps the turbulent coast of Pembrook with its crashing waves and mossy houses.

What dangers should we avoid in Tyria?

Angering the Tyrian government. Seriously. Mind your Ps and Qs.

And when the Child Conscription Authority comes knocking on your door to enlist youth in their required service to the Empire, don’t hesitate to hand over your children. Otherwise, you’ll find yourself on the run to one of those country getaways mentioned earlier.

Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Tyria?

Banitsa (eggs and feta cheese in a filo pastry) is excellent hot or cold, or you might try pelmeni (small dumplings). If you have a sweet tooth, go for palacinky (a crepe-like pancake filled with jam).

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Tyria?

Hand guns, rifles, and blunderbusses for ground engagement. Blunderbusses are also used on air ships, as well as the ever-popular particle canon. Some weapons are powered by the magic of Andul, such as the small hand-held stinger.

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Tyria?

Air ships utilize the hummed harmonies of Geissler tubes filled with hydrogen that’s been charged magically by the singing voice of an Andul. There must be two Geissler arrays to enable a ship to fly; one mounted below in the orlop, and one mounted above on the mast. The sounds ping against each other to enable flight.

What types of plants, animals, or sentient races might we encounter in Tyria that we don’t see on Earth?

The Andul are an alien race that arrived on planet Earth shortly before the Time of Chaos. They are able to slip from one location to another when they sing. Tyria has harnessed this power - at the same time neutralizing the threat Andul supposedly pose to the planet – by controlling the Andul through a mineral called moldavite.

What is the political or government structure in Tyria?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?

The Tyrian Empire rules most of the Yuropene continent, with Chancellor Vaas at its head. He rose to power partly by convincing the population of the importance of subjugating the Andul. He believes strongly that youth are the treasure of Tyria and mandates that all children over the age of twelve leave home to be trained for their place in society.

The Confederacy, a conglomerate of the other countries of Earth, sometimes takes a narrow view of Tyria’s policies. But they do not wish to incite another war with Tyria, not after the devastation caused by the Global War twenty years ago, and so they often turn a blind eye to Tyria’s atrocities.

Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?

My travels to parts of Europe inspired some of the settings, along with the culture of my ancestors (where “Pembrook” is concerned). The magic is an homage to my own love for music. Although I’ve never been a professional singer, I was trained classically as a mezzo-soprano.

What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?

Child slavery and the oppression and inhuman treatment of a foreign race. Forgiveness and unconditional love are themes woven throughout all three books in the series.

Author Autobiography:

Award-winning author Shauna E. Black smiles a lot. But her appearance can be deceiving. Like the legendary sirens of old, she enjoys luring innocent readers into the fantastical worlds she creates and trapping them there. It is rumored that Shauna domesticated a dragon by feeding him ice cream and keeps four young house elves to do her bidding, although one escaped when presented a sock. Shauna declares war on the mundane, living a charmed life camouflaged in the high desert of the American Southwest. If you decide to go against your better judgment and ignore all warnings, you can find out more about her adventurous fiction on her website, ShaunaBlack.com.

Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?  Please include links.

The Phantom Nightingale is available at major online retailers, including:

·      Amazon

·      Apple Books

·      Barnes and Noble

·      Kobo

Where can readers connect with you online? 

I always welcome new subscribers to my eclub newsletter, plus you can get a free novella for subscribing. 😉

I’m not really great at social media (old lady alert), but I’m most active on Facebook. I like to post bookstagram images once in awhile on my Instagram account, and I frequently use Pinterest for writing inspiration, along with more prosaic household recipes and decorating ideas.

If you’d like to chat or just give me a shout out, I’m usually good at responding to email.

Thanks for reading!

-->

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Tyria.  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 another world in next week's edition of Realm Explorers!
Are you an author of a sci-fi or fantasy novel that takes place in another world? Click here to find out about having it featured on Realm Explorers!

-Annie Douglass Lima

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart: a New Steampunk Novel by C.S. Johnson

Blurb:

A Chinese Legend. A British Secret. Star-Crossed Lovers with Incompatible Magic.

Brixton Flew works as a professor of wielder instruction at Rembrandt Academy, hoping to erase the regrets of his youth along with the resulting debt. But when he comes face to face with his biggest regret—the woman who broke his heart, Adelaide Favan—Brixton soon realizes his troubles have only begun.

Unable to control her magic, Adelaide knew leaving Brixton was the only way to protect him when they were younger. Now she discovers he is the key to recovering the Dragon Eyes, a legendary treasure connected to her magic and her family's disgraced legacy—and she knows the risk is great, to both his life and her heart.

With others seeking the power of the Dragon Eyes, Brixton and Adelaide must outwit their foes and face down their families to save London from an ancient legend that sleeps beneath the magic portal in their city.

But the renewed passion growing between them may prove to be the greater peril ...

One Flew Through the Dragon Heart is the first book in a new steampunk series by C.S. Johnson, blending together history, romance, mecha-dragons and magic against the glittering backdrop of 1880’s Victorian London.

Snippet:

The door creaked open with the same welcoming familiarity it always had as Brixton stepped inside. He took off his greatcoat, and at once, the small townhouse seemed to reach out with its own essence, bathing him in the scent of oranges and animals, flooding him with the sensation of a million memories. He breathed it in and reveled in it. Deep down, nothing in the world could dislodge his home from his heart—not the Board at Rembrandt, not the government, not even all his secret hopes and dreams—and there was unspeakable comfort in knowing that.

“We’re in the kitchen, Brix. Come on in. I’ve just finished pulling out a rack of biscuits.”

Brixton sighed, both in exasperation and gratitude. His mother was never surprised when he arrived, no matter the hour. He used to wonder if she had a spy in her service, but he knew now, having his own talent for magic, that she was able to sense emotions. Her talent made her one of the most accomplished veterinarians in London.

That was also why the house always smelled of all sorts of creatures. Philippa Flew often brought her work home with her, and today, Brixton saw as he walked into the next room, was no exception.

“Who does that belong to?” he asked, gesturing toward the large peacock sitting on the table.

The large fan of its tail sprouted at his voice, making him jump back as the hundreds of colorful feathers unfolded before him.

The peacock squawked, clearly sore at the disruption.

Luella’s laughter rang through the room as Brixton recovered. He glanced through the feather-fan of exotic bird feathers to see Luella’s blonde curls bouncing as she walked around from the other side of the table. 

“It’s Mrs. Fordyce’s,” Luella said. “He has a broken leg, so Mum brought him home for me to help take care of.”

“Why do you need to help him if it’s just a broken leg?” Brixton rolled his eyes. “It seems silly for you to have to use your magic on him.”

“Come on. Don’t be so stuffy.” 

“I’m just concerned. You really ought to be more careful when you use your magic.” Brixton sat down on the chair at the far end of the table. “If you’re not, the mage-ragers will realize you have plenty of talent, too, and they’ll come running to sign you up to work at Rembrandt along with me.”

“Oh, Brix. It sounds like you had another hard day. I thought as much when you came in.” Philippa sighed. Her hair, a shade darker than Brixton’s and lined with wispy grays, snapped behind her in a braid as she hurried to press a loving kiss to her oldest child’s forehead.

Brixton might have waved her off when he had been younger, but now he welcomed his mother’s affections. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek in return as Luella giggled again.

“I would not mind going to Rembrandt, but don’t think they would want me to teach the newbies just yet,” Luella said, jutting her pointed chin forward proudly. “I’m only fifteen.”

“You know as well as I do that some magic comes in early.”

Many of the first wielders experienced it as a secondary trait, one that appeared toward the beginning of adulthood. As Mendel and Darwin’s theories speculated, magic moved down through the bloodlines, and as the talents were able to be recognized earlier, it became generally accepted that most magic began to appear during adolescence.

But there were still the occasional stories of talented children who knew of their magic long before it appeared, and Brixton knew that a great many of those stories were true.

After all, he had been best friends with one of the most powerful wielders London had ever seen.

“There’s no need to brag,” Luella said with a huff. “We all know that you were a prodigy right from birth. The rest of us will bow down to you one day, I’m sure, but in the meantime, the requirements for specialized magical instruction start at sixteen. Even you didn’t have to go until then.”

“I was actually thinking of—”

Brixton went silent as his chest tightened, his heart clenched, and his fingers shook.

He had only just barely stopped himself.

He had come so close to saying her name.

It was appalling to think after nearly four years he still thought of her—thought of her, dreamed of her, but never spoke of her.

How could he? Remembering her was like lighting himself on fire and forgetting how much it burned.

         Author Links:

Author Website

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

Goodreads

Realm Explorers Part CXVI: Visit Redwood with Courtenay Kasper

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:

Courtenay Kasper

Title of book and/or series:

West & Windy

Brief summary of the story:

Fox siblings West and Windy are on the run from Bruin King Rancid who will stop at nothing to capture them and strong-arm them out of their kingdom. With the help of their rabbit aunt Dandelion and her heliox-balloon airship, they must learn to work together to rescue the true king and queen. With an unforgettable crew of insane critters, monkey pirates, and ninja bats! This steampunk adventure is perfect for fans of Narnia and Redwall! Hold your breath! You are in for a wild ride!

Brief description of the world or location you created for this story:

West & Windy live in Redwood which is a continent in the world of Forestia. Redwood has many different climates and landforms: the obsidian cliffs of Castle Rock, the frigid mountain town of Wildmont with its impassable weather patterns, and the underground city of Blue Lake.

If we were to visit Redwood as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?

The first thing I would do is climb aboard the Emerald Falcon airship, fire up the heliox jets and float my way to Blue Lake. Under the lake there is a massive glass dome which lets the most mesmerizing dancing blue light into the city. Then I would head for the southern islands, kick back in a hammock, and eat mangos all day in the sun with the monkey pirates.

What dangers should we avoid in Redwood?

I wouldn’t recommend spending your coppers on a trip to Bruin City, unless you are a bear. Those bears hate everyone! I would also suggest avoiding the storm fields near Wildmont. The air currents drop and raise again almost instantly, which is not a great combination if you get airsick at all!

Is there a distinct or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Redwood?

The cuisine varies depending on the location and species. The Northern Patrol favors hunks of fish and ginger water, while the Bruins are fond of sour honey or anything with gravy. The lower woodland is home to more herbivores, so they prefer things like roasted turnip with a garlic scape salad.

What types of weaponry or fighting styles are common in Redwood?

The gearbow is standard issue in the Bruin Army. It’s similar to a cross bow, but it launches gearblades from a chain track. Each gearblade is between 6 and 10 inches and the “teeth” of the blades are sharper than a razors edge. Bounty hunting mutts prefer to carry brass knuckles that resemble smaller half-gearblades, but they often carry a gearbow too.

Wally the beaver invented his own oversized gearbow that shoots bear traps and he calls it the “kaboom!”

What types of vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used to travel in or to Redwood?

Although air travel is forbidden, Dandelion pilots a hexprop hot air balloon ship. The triple pods in each haversack are filled with a blend of hot air and heliox to give them lift. The swan wing base of the ship is styled after a seaworthy galleon, but with a whale-shaped tail.

The Wildmont critters get around on snow machines called snowmeichs which are steam powered and have a series of rapidly spinning duck-like feet which kick up snow and propel the machine through the deepest of snow.

Is there any advanced or unusual technology in Redwood?  If you haven’t described it already, please give some examples.

A great example of unusual technology is the architecture under Blue Lake. The critters there discovered new ways to build under the lake and use glass to hold the water up above the city. The lake is shallow, so they are able to use the diffused glow of sunlight through the waves to light the entire city.

Tell us about any sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Redwood.

The children of Redwood attend Gear School which used to have fun activities in between classes. Before the Bruins came to power, Gear School included classes on flying, aerodynamics, mechanical construction, and hydraulic propulsion, but now they are only able to take classes on tinkering or heliox mining. 

Are the days of the week and months of the year the same in Redwood as on Earth? What holidays or special events are celebrated regularly there?

The favorite yearly celebration is the Harvest Feast at Castle Rock – a week-long celebration - complete with dancing, aerial flight competitions, mechanical invention awards and, of course, feasting like a boar (They don’t love that stereotype…). There hasn’t been a harvest feast since the Bruins came to power.

Is there a particular religion practiced in Redwood?  Please describe what it involves.

The majority of the Redwood worships the Creator and his son Yeshu – a religion of mercy, hope, love and second chances. The ninja bats of Devlin Island practice ancient martial arts and worship the fickle moon and stars. They believe that they die and go to their ‘fathers in the sky’.

What is the political or government structure in Redwood?  Who is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?

The current government in Redwood is the totalitarian dictatorship of King Rancid. He is a cunning, power-hungry dictator and the edge of madness. Previous to the Bruin rule, the elder King Rhodes ruled a monarchy.

Has anything in your actual life inspired the locations, cultures, etc. in your book?

I live in northern B.C. where the winters are long and cold. The town of Wildmont reminds me of being at our little cabin in the woods, trying to keep the stove roaring enough to fight off the winter chill.

What, if any, “hot-button” or controversial topics do you touch on in your book?

West & Windy are being raised by their mother’s best friend after their parents kidnapping. She has to choose to trust her ex-husband again and she struggles with that. McFurrgle the bobcat is a recovering brawler who struggles with anger issues and shame.

Author Autobiography:

Courtenay Kasper is a New York Time Bestselling book reader. She lives in “the middle of nowhere” British Columbia with her husband and four fantastic kiddos. She has always been a teller of tall-tales and won her first writing contest at age eight. She loves to write stories that reflect the character of God and inspire the wonder and imagination inherent in all of us.

Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your book(s)?  Please include links.

My books are available on Amazon

The Rigs (2016)

The Thunder Creek Gang (2018)

West & Windy is available for preorder (Launching November 8^th, 2018)

Where can readers connect with you online? 

The best place to connect with me is on my author page on Facebook. You can also find me on my blog and Goodreads. Or if you are headed for Alaska, stop in for coffee!

I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Redwood.  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 another world in next week's edition of Realm Explorers!

-Annie Douglass Lima