Why Humans vs. Elves?

Ever wondered why the elves are being attacked by humans? In a fantasy world, surely there was another, more fearsome race who could pose a threat to the physically superior elves, right? Humans are the low man on the totem pole in most fantasy stories; they rank beneath elves, dwarves, dragons, and whichever other races happen to populate the author's particular world. They have no special culture; they have no grandiose halls or amazing architecture; they have swords and bows while others have supernatural weapons/skill/animals; really, the humans in most fantasy book are struggling to find their place amongst these stronger (and typically more interesting) people.

            So I thought to my self: Self, what would happen if the humans were the bad guys in this book? What if they were the big, bad villains? They basically get stepped on by all these other fantastical, ethereal creatures in most stories. Maybe it's time the humans got a chance to take the spotlight. Typically elves and humans are forced into an often reluctant alliance in order to defeat the dark, scary villain (think The Lord of the Rings, or The Inheritance Cycle), and when it's all said and done, the elves can't wait to return to their ethereal, dusty libraries and get back to stoically contemplating their place in the universe. Thus, with my new idea of humans vs. ________ in hand, I elected to pit them against the elves. I wanted to see what they would do when (surprise!) the humans suddenly attacked and wanted them all dead! Would the elves be prepared after living lives of tranquil peace for centuries? Or would they panic and (figuratively) run around like chickens with their heads cut off? With basically no army to speak of, since they hadn't faced any legitimate threats in centuries, and only ancient family heirlooms for weapons, the elves would be facing a completely unprecedented situation with no way out. Since humans are usually regarded as potential allies for the elves in fantasy stories, this would throw a unique curve-ball at the reader. 

            And I really liked this idea the more I thought about it. Humans vs. elves—there had to be a reason the humans were back after centuries of supposed extinction, right? So I started creating an epic back-story (of which you will learn pieces in Book Two and the full explanation in Book Three) and really delving into the centuries of deep hatred that was festering within the remaining human countries. The elves nearly drove them to extinction during the War of the Red Moon, and now they were back and ready for revenge.

            Here's what fellow author Marta Stahlfeld had to say about this particular facet of Sons and Daughters:

            “A lot of people have told me that there's nothing new under the sun, and Mortimer Adler said in How to Read a Book that there are some plots that have been done to death. Young Falcon was not, repeat NOT, one of them. A general idea in Elizabeth Anne McKinney's book is this concept of back from the brink. Humankind was thought to be extinct, a fairy tale, no longer worthy of concern, and all at once they're back wrecking an epic revenge. Back from the brink has not been done enough, which is too bad because it is an epic way of telling a story.”

            This theme will feature heavily throughout the entire series. If it's something about Young Falcon that you loved, stick around; there will be plenty more where that came from! :)

A Character Portrait: Elysia

Hello all! I haven't been posting as much as I should be since FR is almost upon us! I'm going to start writing reflective blog posts involving characters, places, and FAQs about plot points. Soooo I thought I'd start off with the main leading lady herself, Elysia :) 

ELYSIA AR-AUBRYN

At seventeen, Elysia is the eldest of Aubryn’s and Damir’s three daughters. Growing up, she was inquisitive and sometimes rebellious but has matured into a kind-hearted, loving sister and friend. Her gentle spirit is tested, however, when she begins a journey to Yaracina’s capital city to retrieve business papers for her father and unwittingly finds herself wandering too close to a small troop of soldiers. Captured and thrown in prison, Elysia’s life is turned upside down in the blink of an eye, and she is caught up in events more perilous and intricate than she ever dreamed possible.

That’s the basic story of my first book, Young Falcon. It’s about a young(ish) girl who has never been outside the safe borders of her quaint little town and suddenly gets thrown into a world that is much bigger and more aggressive than what her parents told her it would be like. I think, at its heart, this is a theme to which many teenagers can relate. They’re growing up, and they’re learning about the world—about both amazing and wonderful things, and the things their parents wished they would never know about. Growth is inevitable, whether it’s growth in a positive direction or in a very negative one. Elysia has a solid foundation; she comes from a devoted, close family, a small community, and she has many dear friends. But none of those things prepared her for soldiers, prison, slavery, human assassins, and long, arduous treks through mountains. She has been thrown in one entirely new situation after another, and it doesn’t seem like they’ll be stopping any time soon. (Author’s hint: they won’t.) At seventeen, with the background she has, how prepared would Elysia really be for the confusing and sometimes violent things she encounters?

Young Falcon is basically my attempt to answer that question. Some people have complained that Elysia is wishy-washy, or that she needs to grow a backbone, or what have you—but perhaps surprisingly, that’s exactly what I wanted. Currently, YA books are running wild with strong, fearless, kick-butt female protagonists who are somehow (unrealistically?) capable of being simultaneously gorgeous, smart, and able to wield whichever deadly weapon the author selects—all without breaking a sweat. Oh, and she gets the guy.

I don’t know about you, but there’s nothing I hate more than literary clichés.

Elysia is pretty much the opposite of this, that, and the other heroine. She’s not very good with her weapon. She just wants to go home. She’s not mouthy. She barely survives her first battle and is pretty freaked out by it. She is legitimately terrified of what’s going to happen to her. She feels unworthy of the task she’s been given. She actually trusts people.

Why did I make her this way, you ask? It’s realistic, I answer. Think about it. If you were seventeen, got kidnapped, were given help escaping by a guy you barely know, were forced to fight in a real skirmish with trained soldiers, and were hunted by an assassin … wouldn’t that make you question everything you thought you knew about yourself and the whole world? But maybe that’s just me. In other YA books, the hero/ine is thrown into some devastating war or finds out s/he has magical powers, and BOOM, s/he develops all the talents possibly needed, finds a mentor who can guide our young protagonist through the hard stuff, finds a love interest, and saves the day. Oh, and did I mention s/he can wield his/her weapon with amazing agility and skill? 

Elysia has none of that, not even a mentor or skill with her weapon. She is (literally) thrown to the wolves and left to fend for herself. Coming from a tiny town where the greatest danger was getting blisters from bow practice, Elysia is understandably dazed by all of this. She has no idea how to respond to all of this; she’s just trying to stay alive … and maybe deliver that egg to Efroy while she’s at it. Maybe.

Okay, so Elysia is wishy-washy, needs to grow a backbone, (insert other slightly derogatory comment here), etc. Is she always going to be like that, you ask? Let me ask you: is that realistic? When people are thrown into new, intimidating circumstances, what do they immediately start doing? Try to figure out how to cope and/or get back to safety (their previous, more comfortable situation). Elysia is doing both. Since she can’t get back to safety (Aseamir and her family), she must learn to cope. She must learn what it takes to survive these threatening people and situations she encounters—otherwise, she’s toast. Elysia is already starting to learn; she survived an actual battle with real soldiers. Pretty good for a small-town girl, right? In Book Two, she learns even more about how to navigate this big new world to which she’s been so abruptly exposed. Elysia has no choice but to discover how exactly she’s going to survive the next day, and so slowly, over time, with lots of mistakes along the way … she will change. Everyone does it—like I said earlier, growth is inevitable. Unlike other heroines who gain their new abilities/knowledge overnight, Elysia will learn at the rate of a normal person. She is still, after all, just a teenager who is forced to face things and people that very few others her same age have ever experienced.

She is doing her best to retain the part of her self that is sweet, gentle, kind, and trusting … but in a world like that, it may be more difficult than she thinks.

Follow Elysia’s journey into the second installment of Sons and Daughters to see the seeds of change (for better or for worse?) taking root in her young heart.

Fallen Rose Review from Author Marta Stahlfeld

I got a review of FR by author Marta Stahlfeld! (Check out her blog here.) Thanks so much for your awesome review, Marta!! 

"Fallen Rose is a thrilling, emotional story that continues the epic journey of remarkable characters and their struggle to make the right choices under intense pressure. The new characters introduced in this book add a wider view of the struggle between the humans and the elves. Lliam’s personal struggle is so well-crafted that the reader cannot be sure which side he will choose until he chooses. In short, Fallen Rose is a masterpiece—a worthy sequel to Young Falcon." 

Fallen Rose will be out next month; keep an eye out!
Look for Marta's new book Graystone coming out soon, too! 

The Final Cover for Book Two!

I don't know how many people actually read this blog still, because I never post on it (oops), but in case you ARE reading this, you get to see the final cover for Book Two! Yay! I love it even more than YF's cover! :D 
Here it is: 

Pretty nice, huh? I'm so excited to show it to everyone later :D FR should be here within the next month -- definitely in time for Christmas! God is good, y'all!!! :)