Magical Theory in the Kingdom of Amora:
I knew from the start I wanted The Fate Challenges to have magic. But what kind of magic? Wands? Nope, too Harry Potter-ish. Staffs? Lord of the Rings much? How about magic that comes from within? Yes, that type appealed to me. Then I had to think about what types of people would have these magical abilities.
The people from the Middlelands have magical powers, but their skills are more along the lines of herbs and light spells/curses. Their magic is more down to earth and is similar to what a shaman or herb witch might use.
The Great Beyonders (a.k.a. Norvadians) have magical abilities more in line to those the Royals of Amora have. The Norvadians live in the north, beyond the Great Mountains, and are the product of mating between humans and elves. They inherited their elf forefathers’ magical powers. To not have magic is weird to them, and those born without it are shunned and often forced to leave Norvadia.
Then, there are the Amorans. Only Royals have magic, but they also have an age restriction keeping them from their powers until their eighteenth birthdays. According to Theories of Magic, Royals, and Gods, Maxima the Younger writes, “When Apenth, the God of Prophecy, and Phoenix-Queen Amora had twins, the gods convened to decide what to do about their god-like powers. The gods placed a spell upon the twins, their children, and their children’s children, and so on and so forth, to keep their magical power contained until their eighteenth birthdays.
The gods’ decision is why Royal children cannot perform magic until they come of age.” Not all Royals have the same skills either. Maxima also writes, “Magic comes from within and uses its beholder’s energies. Using too much magic can harm and even kill the sorceress, so Royals must use their magic wisely. Not all Royals have strong magical tendencies either. The strongest ones are always closest to the queen and her direct familial line.”
So using these bases for their types of magic, I have been able to introduce it within the storyline for The Fate Challenges.
What kinds of magic do you like in fantasy stories?
To save a kingdom, a prophetess must challenge Fate.
On the day of Yssa’s death and rebirth, the god Apenth chose her as the Phoenix Prophetess.
Sea serpents and gods endanger the young prophetess’s journey and sour the omens. Yssa is cursed instead of blessed, and her duties at the Temple of Apenth prove it. She spends her days reading dusty scrolls, which does nothing to help her forget Tym, the boy back home. But the annoying yet gorgeous ferryman’s son Liam proves to be a distraction she can’t predict, even though he rarely leaves her alone for two sand grains.
Her boring temple life screeches to a halt when visions of her parents’ murders consume her. Yssa races across an ocean to stop the future. If she can’t change Fate, she’ll refuse to be the Phoenix Prophetess any longer. Fate, however, has other plans for her and the kingdom.
Yssa must either accept her destiny or fight to change Fate.
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A self-proclaimed bookworm, Cherie Reich is a speculative fiction writer and library assistant living in Virginia. Her short stories have appeared in magazines and anthologies, and her books include the horror collection Nightmare, a space fantasy novella collection titled Gravity, and the fantasy series The Foxwick Chronicles and The Fate Challenges. Reborn is her debut novel. She is Vice President of Valley Writers and a member of the Virginia Writers Club and Untethered Realms. For more information, please visit her website.
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There are so many kinds of magic. You had to chose just the right type for your story.
ReplyDeleteAfter years of playing D&D, I have an affinity toward magic spells. Rolling my eight-sided dice now...
There really are so many kinds of magic, and I hope I picked the right type for my story. :)
DeleteSounds like you really thought out your magical system. I still really like wands and spells and don't want Harry Potter to be the only one who gets to use them.
ReplyDeleteI do like wands and spells too, Natalie! They just really didn't work much for Reborn, although the Royals still sometimes use spells/chanting to keep them focused on their magic.
DeleteHi, Cherie. Did you find it a little bit of a challenge keeping all the different types of magic straight with the different people, elves and royals? Best wishes with your book.
ReplyDeleteSo far, no, Susanne. But it's mainly because Reborn only has some magic from the Royals and Great Beyonders, and their magic is very similar to each other. It'll be interesting to see how it all turns out when I get into the Middlelanders in Book Three and the elves in the prequel of The God Challenges.
DeleteYour magic world is very complex. You really put a lot of thought into it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Diane! I must admit I tried to think of everything I possibly could for the novel and series.
DeleteCherie, good luck with everything! We saw Mmalificent over the weekend. She used her hands and words. Simple, but effective.
ReplyDeleteSimple but effective really works. :) Thank you so much for hosting me, Stephen!
DeleteI like creative magic. Even if it's been done before, if the character uses it well, I like it.
ReplyDeleteOh, I do too. I'd say there is no new magic out there, but I do like the twists authors use with magic.
DeleteI like the idea of magical power coming from within and being a part of the character rather than from an outside object. Wands are cool but seem like a more modern thing than something in medieval fantasy. Congrats on your book and super cover.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Susan! I did want my characters to have a limited supply of magic, so to speak, so having the magic come from their own energy can cause great problems for the characters. :)
DeleteI love reading about various types of magic. Every system needs rules and checks, though. Good to know the gods are keeping an eye on that! ;)
ReplyDeleteSo true, Christine!
DeleteMagic needs to have rules and limits, also a dangerous side, it's boring if a character can just do everything via magic. Then they have no obstacles. You have a good approach!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Nick! Magic definitely needs rules and boundaries. Characters who have no magical limits can get boring.
DeleteI confess that stories involving magic not being my usual read, but I do agree with Nick--powers need boundaries and context for it to work in a story. Interesting topic Cherie.
ReplyDeleteThank you, Slamdunk!
DeleteHi Cherie - you're magic is spreading over the blogosphere and web .. it seems you'll be spreading your wings sucessfully further .. good luck and cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteThank you, Hilary!
DeleteVery magical, indeed. I like how you considered the kind of magic you'd use in your story. That makes good sense to me. Congrats again!
ReplyDeleteThank you, Lee! A lot of thought was involved in creating the Kingdom of Amora. :)
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