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 books.
Author’s name: Annie
Douglass Lima
Title of series: Annals
of Alasia
Titles of books: The
main trilogy consists of Prince of Alasia,
In the Enemy’s Service, and Prince of Malorn. There is a short companion book entitled Annals of Alasia: The Collected Interviews.
Brief summary of the
story:
Each book in the trilogy deals with events surrounding the
same major political incident: the invasion of the kingdom of Alasia by the
neighboring kingdom of Malorn. Prince of Alasia begins on the night of
the Invasion and describes what happens to twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin after
he is forced to flee for his life. In the Enemy’s Service tells the story
of those who were not able to escape from the Alasian palace when the enemy
invaded. Prince of Malorn begins several months earlier and focuses on the
Malornian perspective of the events leading up to the Invasion. In each of the books, main characters from
the others make brief appearances and interact with each other at the point
where the timeframes and settings overlap.
Though each of the three can stand on its own, they each fill in gaps
left by the others and together provide a much more complete picture of what
was going on in Alasia and Malorn.
Annals of Alasia: The Collected Interviews is a collection of twenty-four “interviews” I
conducted with major and minor characters in the other three books. Though not a novel in and of itself, it would
be interesting to read alongside the trilogy.
In the interviews, characters reveal more about their personalities,
motivations, and backgrounds, talking about themselves in their own “voice” and
giving extra insights into the events of the series. You can download it for free here.
Brief description of
the world or location you created for this story:
I’ll focus mainly on the kingdom of Alasia in this post. It has four medium to large cities (Almar, Tainabi, Wistra, and Mosra), along with hundreds of smaller towns and villages. Alasia is on a peninsula just
north of Malorn, which is its only bordering nation. Its culture, level of technology, etc. are
much like that of medieval Europe. The
climate is warm in the summer and uncomfortably cold in the winter, though you
won’t often find snow except up in the hills.
The people who live there are human, and there are no other sentient
races.
If we were to visit Alasia as tourists, what would you recommend that we see or do there?
If you enjoy swimming or sunbathing, Alasia has miles and
miles of beautiful beaches, and you might see dolphins playing in the surf or
sea lions sunning themselves there. A
large factory in the city of Wistra produces glass for the kingdom for both
practical and decorative purposes; they give free tours, and there is a gift
shop where you can purchase glass tableware and other souvenirs. You should definitely make sure you stop by the
capital city of Almar to see the magnificent palace on its hill overlooking the
sea, although you probably won’t be allowed inside unless you have royal
connections.
What dangers should
we avoid in Alasia?
As in most cities anywhere, I would recommend staying away
from low-income areas at night, especially if you’re alone. Overall, though, Alasia has been primarily a
safe and peaceful kingdom until recently.
Now, you’ll want to avoid the Malornian soldiers (easily identifiable in
their red and black uniforms) who patrol the streets of every major city along
with many of the smaller towns. Though
officially looking for the missing prince who slipped through their fingers on
the night of the Invasion, they also tend to be looking for trouble. Avoid antagonizing them or even catching
their attention if you can help it, and if you’re lucky they will leave you
alone.
Is there a distinct
or unusual type of food or meal that we might be served in Alasia?
If you’re fortunate enough to be invited to a royal banquet,
you will be served delicacies such as roast venison in a honey glaze, smoked
salmon with lime sauce, and/or apricot stuffed quail. At an average inn, you might eat roast pork
or beef with gravy, mixed vegetables, and bread or potatoes. In the coastal towns, little stands selling
fresh grilled seafood are common.
What types of
weaponry or fighting styles are common in Alasia?
The military uses broadswords and shields, along with bows
and arrows. Twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin is skilled with both the bow and
sword, though neither does him much good when he is forced to live in
disguise. Erik, Jaymin’s young
bodyguard, is an expert in using unarmed combat against sword- and
dagger-wielding opponents, which is a more useful and much less common skill.
What types of
vehicles, animals, technology, etc. are used for travel in Alasia?
Those who can afford one usually ride a horse, and many
people in the middle or upper class also own a carriage, wagon, cart, or small
buggy, depending on their occupation.
Boat travel between coastal cities is common as well.
Tell us about any
sports, games, or activities that are available for entertainment in Alasia.
Bow hunting is common throughout the kingdom, and garden
archery is a popular hobby among the upper class. It’s also common for wealthy families to have
their sons trained in fencing (using unsharpened weapons only). Many families entertain themselves indoors
(especially on winter evenings) by telling stories, singing, or playing card
games. Outside, children often jump rope
or play a sport similar to soccer. Those
who can’t afford a real ball will fashion a makeshift one from a bundle of rags
tied up tightly with twine.
What is the political
or government structure in Alasia? Who
is in charge there at the moment, and what kind of leader is he/she?
Alasia is a monarchy.
King Jaymin III was the ruler until he was assassinated by invaders from
neighboring Malorn. Now the kingdom is
under the control of Malorn’s Prince Korram, with Regent Rampus holding the
reins of power until young Korram comes of age.
The Malornian conquerors have been gripping Alasia with an iron fist, levying
new taxes and carefully controlling who is allowed to travel where. They have also seized control of important
products such as glass and have begun sending them back to Malorn.
Jaymin III was a benevolent ruler but not really in touch
with the lives of citizens in the middle and lower classes. His newly orphaned son, Prince Jaymin IV, has
his eyes opened as he is forced to live in disguise in an especially poor part
of a poor town. Coming face to face with
poverty and need in the lives of ordinary citizens, young Jaymin is determined
to improve his people’s lives someday if he is ever able to claim his rightful
throne.
Author autobiography:
Annie Douglass Lima spent most of her childhood in Kenya and
later graduated from Biola University in Southern California. She and her
husband Floyd currently live in Taiwan, where she teaches fifth grade at
Morrison Academy. She has been writing poetry, short stories, and novels since
her childhood, and to date has published eight books (three YA action
adventure/fantasy novels, a collection of character interviews, one puppet
script, and four anthologies of her students’ poetry, all available through the
links in the sidebar to the right). Besides writing, her hobbies include
reading (especially fantasy and science fiction), scrapbooking, and
international travel.
Where, and in what formats, can we purchase your books?
Prince of Alasia
In the Enemy’s
Service
Prince of Malorn
Annals of Alasia: The
Collected Interviews (available for free!)
Where can readers
connect with you online?
Email: AnnieDouglassLima@gmail.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/princeofalasia
Goodreads: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGoodreads
Amazon Author Page: http://bit.ly/AnnieDouglassLimaOnAmazon
Google Plus: http://bit.ly/ADLimaOnGooglePlus
I hope you all enjoyed the trip to Alasia. 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 kingdom of Malorn, in Realm Explorers Part XXXXI!
Click here to read other posts in the Realm Explorers series.
Please join us again next Monday for a trip to the kingdom of Malorn, in Realm Explorers Part XXXXI!
-Annie Douglass Lima
8 comments:
I'm glad you're featuring Alasia today, Annie. I would LOVE to visit, but reading your books is the next best thing. :)
Thanks so much, Katy! We'll be traveling to Malorn one of these days, too!
Love the map, Annie! Best wishes to you!
Thank you, Shanna! I had fun making the map with Smart Notebook software. It's actually only half of the whole thing. You'll see the other half next week when I showcase the kingdom of Malorn. :-)
Prince of Alasia is on my Kindle and in my TBR list!
I'm glad, Melanie! I hope you enjoy it! :-)
Great post Annie! What a fascinating kingdom :)
What a fun way to learn about this book series! It sounds like a great place to visit! Thanks for sharing at the Kid Lit Blog Hop!
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