The world of Kyure

Welcome to the next stop on the Rothana blog tour! Today Sarah is joining us to talk about the world she created for the Star-Fae Trilogy.

The three qualities in a book that draw me in immediately are complex, sympathetic characters, entertaining plots, and fascinating worlds. When I read Halayda and Rothana, I wanted to jump through the pages and visit-although not without a trustworthy guide, or the ability to bring myself back from the dead! 

The world of the Star-Fae Trilogy, Kyure, is technically multiple worlds! Halayda and Rothana take us to the magical land of Faerie, the city of Sabellyn in the human world, the fae underworld, and the mysterious Dreamscape that flows between them, with hints of other dimensions to be visited someday. I loved inventing each of these realms and discovering how they impacted the people who called them home. Here’s a closer look at two of them.

 

The first place we visit in Rothana is Faerie, a wild land of magic, strange peoples, and semi-sentient forests and mountains. Faerie itself is semi-sentient, and the land and trees tend to have strong opinions about trespassers. There are many kinds of fae there, but they fall into two main groups: elementals, who have a connection to a certain part of the natural world; and shifters, who can switch between human-like and animal forms.

 

Faerie runs on magic (in Kyure, magic is a natural part of the fae realm rather than a supernatural force). The magic, known as glamour, fills all of Faerie and can be used by each fae race in different ways. Some use it to manipulate the elements, such as the banshees, who can travel and communicate through wind. Others, like pookas and the members of the Wild Hunt, use it to shapeshift. Illusions, mind tricks, and emotional manipulation are other common uses of glamour.

 

Faerie is always ruled by a monarch, who is the highest magical as well as political power. Fae value pleasure and power above all things, sometimes even pursuing them to destructive ends. With so much magic, the fae haven’t felt the need to develop a high level of technology. There is no large-scale industry or drive to invent. Swords, spears, and other such weapons are still preferred over more modern ones. Faerie has been much the same for centuries, and most fae see no reason to change this.

 

If you venture into Faerie, make sure you have a trustworthy guide. There are plenty of stories about mortals going there for adventure or a fling with a fae lover and never returning. If you travel there with the right companions, though, you’ll find a place of endless adventures and rich experiences.

 

The characters’ journeys in Rothana soon lead them into the mortal realm—specifically, to Sabellyn, a prosperous city-state with steampunk technology. It’s a city of industry and trade, located along a major river. Nearly all of Sabellyn’s inhabitants are human, and those that aren’t pretend to be. Sabellyn has had bad experiences with fae over the years, and they fear anyone with fae blood.

 

Sabellyn is officially governed by an elected Ruling Council, but its true rulers are the successful inventors and business tycoons who control the city-state from the shadows. The people of Sabellyn have fairly advanced technology, including firearms, indoor plumbing, and railroads. The people of Sabellyn values progress and industry, and the people of the city-state see scientific advancement and cultural refinement as their highest ends.

 

Their crowning achievement is alchemy, an elite science that fuses chemistry with soul energy. Alchemy was primarily created as a weapon that could counter fae magic, but it has many other uses, including medicine, protection, and even weather manipulation. Though you’re not likely to encounter magic there, Sabellyn has plenty of dangers of its own. When you’re in Sabellyn, stay away from the high-ranking alchemists—unless you want to risk becoming a science experiment. At least, that’s what the rumors say.

 

With such differing cultures and values, it’s no wonder the people of Faerie and the people of Sabellyn have been at odds for so long. Yet, both realms play a pivotal role in the battle for Kyure’s future, and they have a lot they could learn from each other. I love exploring the interactions between these two very different societies and how they impact Sylvie, Taylan, and the rest of the Star-Fae characters.

Sounds amazing, doesn’t it? Here’s a summary of Rothana to whet your appetite!

A new queen falls. A death lord rises. An ancient foe looms in the shadows.

Sylvie Imanthiya is desperate to lead Faerie well and deepen the bond with her husband, former king Taylan Ashkalabek. But all hope of that vanishes when the winter solstice ceremony ends in disaster, stranding her and Taylan in the Deathrealm, and stripping the kingdom from her.

With Faerie in chaos, Zad and Diza are separated once again: Zad to reconcile with an old mentor to stabilize the kingdom, and Diza to confront the nefarious Casimir in the mortal realm. But Casimir claims that a greater evil seeks to destroy both realms, an evil that Diza’s unique death magic can hold at bay—if she could only remember how.

In the Deathrealm, Taylan is succumbing to the lure of specters from his past, and pushing away Sylvie’s love. Overwhelmed by decay and darkness, Sylvie must summon unexpected magic from the soul of Kyure to fight for her convictions and her husband’s heart.

Shadows divide them. Their friends are in peril. If Sylvie fails, her marriage and her world will fall.

If you love signed paperbacks…I have a purchase link! Check out the buy links and the Goodreads link below:

Amazon – Barnes & Noble – Signed Paperback

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42637351-rothana

Tomorrow I’ll be posting my review of Rothana. Then I’ll be joining Sarah, Laura A. Grace of Unicorn Quester and Uncommon Universes press at the launch party for Rothana!  Includes games, giveaways, exclusive behind-the-scenes, and more. Also features guest authors Bethany A. Jennings and Morgan L. Busse. 

https://www.facebook.com/events/697422377305289/

About the Author

Sarah Delena White was raised by wolves in an alternate dimension. She writes eclectic speculative fiction that reworks mythology with a fine balance of poetry and snark. She’s an experienced world traveler who loves to weave world folklore and ancient concepts into vibrant, original story worlds. She is the administrative manager for Uncommon Universes Press. When she’s not writing, she can be found making elegant designer bead jewelry, traveling to festivals as a professional ballad singer, drinking tea, and seeking to create the perfect latte. She can be bribed with dark chocolate.

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