Heavenly Music

… the plateaus were uniform emerald, grass cropped short as if a contented herd of horses had been a-grazing but moments ago.

There were no horses, but there were birds, strange, little yellow creatures with long scarlet legs and sharply pointed blue beaks. They fluttered here and there and every time they moved their wings, the sound of mournful flutes filled the air. They walked with graceful, dainty steps and when their small three-toed talons touched ground, there was the sound of tinkling bells.

Saska was entranced by the little creatures, and by the happy-sad melodies of their movements.

Yesterday Vannis whistled a short, complicated tune that brought them to him in greeting, their fluttering causing flute music to rise and fall in deliberate melody.

Communication, she realised. She had never before experienced such complete serenity.

“They are sky-born,” Vannis whispered, tears in his eyes. “They are the last of their kind, rescued from a far planet poisoned by darklings. They are almost sentient. The Valleur call them Ephnor, an ancient word for Heavenly Music.”

The Kinfire Tree

Well of Crystal Sound

“… in the time of discovery to enforced isolation, one other sentient race made Valaris their home also. I cannot say who they were or how many or how long it was before they realised Valaris could never be a home, but that day came and they retreated to this Forest; it was even larger then, and proved a haven for a time. They built this Well.”

It was an ordinary, round, stone well. Looking in, the water was a stone from overflowing, the liquid fresh; there was no bucket, no handle and no rope in sight.

“They built it with only four left. Who they were, as in a race name, has been lost, but an inquisitive little boy one day spied on them and the tale has lived on. The four gathered around their well and linked hands, peering deep into the depths to infuse the water with all magic they possessed. The liquid – water being pure and life-giving – became a medium for their song, and when the story was told and retold over the ages since then, all shook their heads and sighed in deep regret. As the story goes, one could see magic made music, and the music, the song, the harmony, the sound and purity of vibration gently lifted out, droplets pure and beautiful, sad and filled with longing. One could hear magic as it soared out on gossamer wings, filled the Forest and rose into the air, the atmosphere and beyond; crystal sound, astonishingly lovely and terribly haunting. They were calling home, sending crystal harmonies to penetrate the warp.”

“We don’t know if they succeeded, but hope it came to pass, for when the music was at its purest, they simply vanished. The sound slowly dropped back into the water and it retains magic to this day. Dip your fingers in and you feel it; drink it and your ailments of mind and body disappears. Sadly, no one has made it sing since, and that, my friends, is how this came to be called the Well of Crystal Sound.”

World Building at its best

A short but oh-so effective review for The Infinity Mantle posted on St Patrick’s Day!

Thank you!

The Infinity Mantle

Infinity Explained

The Infinity Mantle is currently being translated into Portuguese, and the translator asked me to explain the meaning of the title in order for us to come up with a suitable Portuguese one. It was an easy answer, because I know exactly why I chose it, but I wonder if you, as reader, do. Those of you who have read The Infinity Mantle will certainly have an idea or more, and you’ll probably be correct too, but for those of you who will still grab a copy and get lost in the world of Valaris, I thought I’d expound a bit.

The title is definitely a play on words and meaning.

For starters, one of the main antagonists is Infinity, the dara-witch, a blue-skinned evil that entraps the innocent simply by looking at them. Death for those innocents becomes infinite torture. Secondly, our main protagonist is Rayne of the Mantle. The Mantle is a secret organisation training sorcerers and charged with keeping safe the mighty Maghdim Medaillon.

Therefore, The Infinity Mantle, as these two characters become embroiled in a manipulation to control Valaris.

There is more to it, though.

You will meet the Guardians of the Dome, immortal (infinity) protectors of worlds and civilisations unable to field great armies in order to defend themselves. Valaris is one such world and civilisation. The people of Valaris have been deliberately kept ignorant of great events, and all magical abilities are regarded as monstrous, something to wipe out without mercy. They are therefore defenceless; they labour under a mantle of ignorance.

Therefore, The Infinity Mantle, as the immortals came to the aid of the defenceless.

And one final nuance: The greatest evil ever to befall Valaris is the Darak Or, an infinity of evil from another realm who brings with him the mantle of absolute darkness. He aims to annihilate all, and not even the dara-witch Infinity will stand in his way – THE INFINITY MANTLE!

And if you’re wondering what the title for the Portuguese version will be, we have decided on O Manto da Eternidade – Eternity’s Mantle!

Flight for the Light

When the Lore series started with an idea and a blank page, creating guardians for this universe was an imperative, but not just any old guardian – beings able to stand the test of time itself.

Therefore, Guardians.

The protectors have a magical enclave where they gather (more on that in another post) and they are summoned to duty via a magical call, We are thus talking BIG magic, and therefore the Guardians needed to be special.

You have ‘met’ the Centuar, the Siric, the Sylmer and the Sagorin. Soon you will meet their leader, yet this lore required something added. Something fleet and fast, something able to fly, literally, under the radar.

Birds.

Yes, here are echoes of the LOTR, but these birds are not giants and they don’t swoop in at the last moment to save the day.

Meet now the Eagles and the Falcons. Normal bird-size, but with brighter plumage. Eagle-eyed and alert, with sentience to aid every quiver in their wingtips during flight. These birds communicate via mindspeak and are able to inveigle themselves into places and spaces a mighty Centuar dares not appear in.

There is more to their story, however, than their vow as Guardians, but as that requires a whole other post, we will get to it then.

In particular, you will meet Phet, the little blue Falcon, a charismatic bird who chooses to place his loyalty with one man, and nothing and no one will ever sway him from his choice.

Here Be Green Giants

“The Sagorin of Glorium attained a lofty height of eight feet, had green skin tones and a lifespan of eight centuries.

Their way of life was simple; daily chores were achieved with faces wreathed in smiles. They studied and philosophised, wrote works of great insight and value, and practiced the magic of the mind, inventing innovative tricks to amuse each other. They experimented with the sorcery of great feats, doing so within strict guidelines and, after learning a feat, shared it and went on to build upon that new knowledge.

It was in the sharing and building of sorcery that they discovered the method to attain Immortality. This was a dangerous feat employed to the detriment of the sorcerer. Shrugging, they agreed they lived long anyway.”

 

The Songs of Deep Places

“Canimer was a water world. Floating masses of seaweed were the closest comparison to solid ground. The Sylmer were dual water and air breathers, genetic advantage scientists elsewhere attempted to emulate for eons. In all human cultures one heard tell of mythical ‘mermaids and mermen’, referring to beautiful humanoid creatures living in the depths, possessing sleek fishtails, elusive and shy. According to those myths they drove many a sailing vessel onto rocks with their siren songs; they also saved many a sailor from certain drowning in unfriendly seas.

The Sylmer were these creatures of myth. How they crept into human tales remained unknown. Perhaps at one time they shared space with humans. If so, such a time had long gone. Canimer had never seen a human face, much less enticed something with a siren song.”

“To achieve immortality the Sylmer completed a series of tasks of spiralling difficulty, and a council of Elders chose the candidates. After the Ritual’s success, the new Immortal lost his or her tail and always they yearned for the freedom of the deep.”

Saska is the Sylmer you will fall in love with!

Magnificence of Being

Meet the Centuar!

“The Centuar were creatures of myth.

In all cultures tales abound of strong, sure-footed, four-legged animals, half-horse, half-man, and some named them as bad luck, while others regarded them as a symbol of good fortune. The Centuar did not have an evolutionary history, for they did not evolve. They were created by one man, a wizard of old with much time on his hands and a great love for the extraordinary.

Truly creatures of myth and magic.

The old wizard and his kind had long gone, but his creations continued to thrive. He made them ageless – immortal. He made them strong and intelligent – sentient. And he made them the colours of fantasy – glorious. He also streamlined them. Four limbs were what they needed, not six, and thus they were more horse than man, the latter’s influence evident only in facial features and the glory of their hair.

Upon the wizard’s death they were free.”

Why is this legend spelled C E N T U A R?

“Let it be said here a Centuar was not a Centaur, confusion for those who did not know the truth. A Centaur is a myth, and may even be real in the back ends of time, for myth frequently had basis in reality, but a Centuar was of the universe, part of time and history and reality, a created legend that continued to breathe and function, think and act. Belun (leader of the Centuar), if one dared query the distinction, would snap at one for confusing one with the other.”

 

 

A Whiter Shade of Colourless

Meet Llettynn of the Siric:

The LORE series is Epic Fantasy with elements of High Fantasy – there are a few fantastical beings populating this universe 🙂

Let’s begin with the Guardians of the Dome. You will meet these immortal protectors in The Infinity Mantle and be introduced to the Siric, the Centuar (deliberate spelling!), the Sylmer, the Sagorin, and Eagles and Falcons (the birds are a bit LOTR, you now think, yet … wait, we will get to the birds soon enough!).

“The Siric were small in stature. Llettynn stood at five feet and was pale as were all Siric. Also common was the white, cropped hair that gave the appearance of feathers, and the colourless blue eyes. When they turned around, however, and presented their wings, lo! The full spectrum of the rainbow resided there; their wings alive, changing with circumstance and emotion.

If one knew how to read their colours one could read their emotions. One colour was always dominant and Llettynn’s was turquoise, it being the leader’s mark.”

This Siric may be small and appear innocuous, but if you underestimate Llettynn you will meet your doom!

 

A Spectacular Success

Book Review by Jocelyne Forget (Amazon Canada)

If you are a fan of mythological creatures along fierce battles, you will enjoy this novel as much as I did. Through her British wording, Elaina J. Davidson has the ability to transcend all palpable emotions upon a setting of imaginative worlds.

What attracted me most was her incomparable array of unbridled discourse, her craft for letting the reader imagine all motions and feelings of the characters. Yes, its is a thick novel but the fonts were adequately chosen for an enjoyable read.

Thank you, Jocelyne!

The Drowned Throne – Canada

 

Now and Tomorrow’s Covers

Currently the entire LORE series is undergoing a face-lift.

Why?

The final book in this epic series is about to hit the virtual shelves and it has an amazing cover! To celebrate and to prepare the way for this huge last episode, I thought it time to update all.

Why am I telling you this now?

Because as reviews come in and I share them here, the current covers are displayed. As the fresh gloriously shiny new ones are ready, you’ll be the first to know!

Here’s a sneak peek into the final cover:

Final Lore of Sanctum – The Master Mechanism – Sneak Peek

Mistrust and Fascination

A review for THE INFINITY MANTLE

by REA on Amazon

Some authors write fantasy, Elaina J Davidson writes epic fantasy and she does it with the care and aplomb of a true master of the craft. Her books are usually wide, sweeping tales of fantastic worlds, amazing creatures and terrifying magic and sorcery. The Infinity Mantle, the first book in the Lore of Arcana series, is just such a book. It brings us the worlds of Valaris and Ardosia, both threatened by the evil Darak Or Margus. To battle this universal evil, Davidson brings together an ensemble cast of humans, guardians (Immortals) and even the greatest ruler of them all, the original being that ruled both Valaris and Ardosia from the very beginnings of sentience.

This story is massive in its scope and one thing I appreciated from the author, especially given that this is the first book in a series, was the time she spent to introduce and understand the principal characters in this strange new world. Too often fantasy authors leave us, the reader, to flounder along wondering who is this character and why is he/she reacting this way. Davidson takes the time to build her world, to set the scene and to explore her characters. I applaud her for this.

Once the adventure starts, the action is fascinating and beautifully written. We are able to follow the various arcs of the story and relate one to the other, which is the sign of a superb writer, which Davidson certainly is. I particularly liked the emotional nature of the interactions between both the humans and the humans to the immortals. There was always a deep feeling of mistrust and fascination between the two groups, which was wonderfully played by Davidson. The principal character (if there can even be one in such an ensemble cast) Rayne of the Mantle was perfectly complex and riddled with issues, especially identity issues. I look forward to exploring more of these fascinating characters in the next few books in this series.

Davidson is both prolific and talented as an author and I would certainly place her high up in the list of indie authors I have read and as a fantasy author, she is up there with the very best. An author to follow for sure. I highly recommend The Infinity Mantle, if fantasy is your genre – and even if it’s not, I suggest you give this one a crack.

Thank you for a brilliant review!

THE INFINITY MANTLE