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Shadow of the King: Building a World (Ingredients)
In no particular order, here are the building blocks from which my story world is constructed.
1. Paraclesus. Published posthumously in 1566, Paracelsus’s De nymphis, sylvanis, pygmaeis, salamandris et gigantibus, etc. (“On Nymphs, Sylphs, Pygmies, Salamanders, and Giants, etc.”) explained mythological creatures in terms of the latest scientific and philosophical speculations.
Yes, I know that Paracelsus made a lot of stuff up, and a lot of the rest he imported from Classical mythology whether it fit or not. I know that he tried to shoehorn a lot of folklore into an airtight system where it really didn’t fit. But from 30,000 feet, I simply note that he tried to link these otherworldly beings to the four classical elements: nymphs with water, sylphs with air, etc. And since I was already building a magic system around the classical elements, offering a nod to Paracelcus was a no-brainer.
One other thing thing: Paracelsus apparently coined the word sagani to describe these beings collectively, though I have not yet found a convincing etymology. I suspect it is related to “sage” in the sense of “wise” or “skillful.” At any rate, this curious word gave me Saynim as the name of my protagonist’s magical homeland, analogous to how pagani (“pagans”) and paganismus (“paganism”) gave us the archaic English word Paynim (“pagandom”).
2. Renaissance magic. Paracelsus led me to other philosophers, alchemists, and arcanists of the same approximate era: Johannes Trithemius, Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa, John Dee, etc. These thinkers straddled the line between “science” and “magic” as we usually understand those terms. This was, after all, the time when “chemistry” and “alchemy” had only begun to diverge. Trithemius and the rest drew from arcane traditions that can be traced through the Middle Ages and all the way to ancient Egypt.
While most magic in my story world is an innate property of creatures attuned to one of the classical elements, humans in the mundane world might tap into these arcane magical traditions.
3. Elizabethan fairy lore. In the British Isles, the last decades of the sixteenth century represent a high point in theorizing about the fairy folk. This was the era of Spenser’s The Faerie Queene, Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” and King James VI of Scotland’s Daemonologie, where he argued that elves and fairies were in fact evil spirits. In general, the Fair Folk were still a real and terrifying figures in the imaginations of the country folk, though more so-called enlightened Londoners were increasingly skeptical.
4. Hominin evolution. Fifty thousand to 100,000 years ago, planet earth was a Tolkienesque landscape populated by several related human species interacting with each other in friendly or not so friendly ways. Just as Tolkien and most epic fantasy that followed him describes interactions among elves, dwarves, orcs, and the rest, Homo sapiens, Neanderthals, Denisovans, Homo floresiensis, and probably others once coexisted in our own world.
To me, this fact is the perfect setup for explaining the various fantasy “races” (as much as I despise that term) in a quasi-scientific way.
The shadow falls on October 1
Shadow of the King: Q&A
What is Shadow of the King about?
A defector from Faeryland is building a new life for himself until his past catches up with him.
Is Shadow of the King a book with kissing?
Not really.
In early English folklore, elves were understood to be sexually transgressive beings. The stereotype of elves as effeminate pretty boys goes back at least 1,000 years! So if you look closely, you might see indications of activities that may or may not comport to traditional sexual mores.
But that’s not what Shadow of the King is about. Those are not my stories to tell.
My protagonist, Rune, is more or less comfortable somewhere on the asexual spectrum. We’ll see what develops for him in the next two books.
Is Shadow of the King a book with cussing?
A little bit. Maybe about the same level as a PG-13 movie. The one character who is truly a potty mouth tends to use insults and swear words more at home in a fantasy setting than the real world. And let me tell you, doing the research for that was quite educational! I almost want to include a glossary in the back so people can be authentically offended.
If you’re put off by strong language of any kind, you might wince a little bit every now and then, but what the hell? You only live once.
Is Shadow of the King isekai?
How much of a purist are you?
Shadow of the King definitely involves a protagonist from a fantastical realm being dropped in the mundane world, so by the most generous of definitions, you might think of it as “reverse isekai.”
But as I understand it, the story doesn’t play (much) with other expected tropes of the genre. Rune wasn’t involuntarily dropped in his new world, and in theory he can go home whenever he wants. It’s just that going home would be…unadvisable due to a strained relationship with certain factions of unearthly power who live there.
Nor is Rune the recipient of a “harem” of potential love interests. The very idea would terrify him! And though he has *accidentally* become a pivotal person in the history of the world he has left behind, he certainly doesn’t see himself as a “chosen one”—and neither do I.
Some isekai transition the hero to the other world by means of death and reincarnation, often after being run over by a truck. In the first chapter of Shadow of the King, Rune’s first major experience in his new world is getting hit by a car. If you want to think of that as a subtle nod to the genre, I’m not going to stop you.
Is Shadow of the King flintlock fantasy?
No, but you can see it from there.
Flintlock fantasy is a relatively new subgenre. I understand it, it doesn’t simply mean that flintlock firearms exist in a setting that also includes magic; it also nods to the kinds of social and technological upheavals that took place on earth around the year 1800. It also involves large military actions: massive armies and brilliant generals. It gives vibes of Europe in the age of Napoleon.
Rune comes from a world where the overall technological level is AD 1700, give or take. Bayonets have only recently replaced pikes in infantry formations. Flintlock pistols and muskets are fairly common, but industrialization and social foment are not. Saynim is less Napoleon and more Natty Bumppo or Daniel Boone in that regard.
Still, it is a world that has found ways to blend magic and black powder, where devastating spells and curses can be delivered on balls of lead.
It’s an interesting world, but a dangerous one.
Do you have any other questions? Ask them in the comments, and I’ll answer them in a second installment.
The shadow falls on October 1.
Shadow of the King: Building a World (Magic)
For about fifteen seconds, I considered setting Shadow of the King in the same story world as the Into the Wonder series. Thankfully, I managed to talk myself out of it.
First, I already knew Shadow of the King was going to skew more “adult” in themes and presentation, so some of the rule-of-funny handwavery in my previous novels just wasn’t going to fly. This story was going to be serious, dammit!
Second, the story that was hatching in my mind needed a different set of political circumstances in the magical realm. There’s a story here involving Brandon Sanderson and a popular D&D YouTuber that I’ll get to eventually.
But third and most important, I wanted a magic system with teeth. Taylor Smart, the protagonist in Into the Wonder, was just beginning her magical journey, so she had one—by the end, two—big magical stunts she could pull off. But Rune is a somewhat seasoned practitioner. I needed to enforce some hard limits on what he could do, or he’d curb stomp all the terrible beasties I was planning on throwing at him!
So here’s what I came up with:
1. Magic is tied to the classical elements—with a bit of wiggle room. Beyond the four elements of Western alchemy (air, earth, water, and fire), I wanted to include the Chinese five-element system where wood replaces air and metal is considered distinct from earth. I also wanted to at least leave the door open for a few other basic forces or energies as the story might require.
This means that Rune can perform magic related air, period. That is his one and only one talent. It doesn’t matter if he can ride the wind or summon a whirlwind, he couldn’t shake the earth or lob a fireball save his life.
2. There is a tradeoff between magic use and free will. Classical alchemy, both East and West, associates the elements with certain traits of temperament and, if you lean too heavily into one or the other of them, certain character flaws.
I thought it would be interesting if, the more magic you used, the deeper into these patterns of behavior you fell, to the point that eventually you literally had no choice but to be the stereotypical temperament associated with your element. In conversations with my neurodivergent daughter, I came to realize after the fact that a lot of these tendencies might even approximate things she and her ND friends experience. For example, when air-weavers overdo it, they become detached and flighty. In other words, they demonstrate an ADD/ADHD-like tendency to have trouble with focus, either becoming hyper-focused on something or unable to focus at all.
I think these parameters let me develop not just my protagonist but a diverse cast of sidekicks and villains. It also led me down interesting yet labyrinthine rabbit holes related to medieval humorism, neo-Pagan witchcraft, and the Hermetic magic systems of the Renaissance, but that’s another story.
The shadow falls on October 1.
The Shadow Falls on October 1
Rune had been told his whole life he was different. Odd. Weird. Not like everyone else. When he realized it was true, he turned his back on everything he knew. He escaped—not just his home but his entire world. And he discovered a new, outlandish world full of strange people and unusual customs.
Now Rune, who once spread terror and confusion as a Nightwalker for the King of Shadows, is learning how to ride the bus, use paper money, and order a burger. Thankfully, Rune’s ears aren’t that pointed. And thanks to his unique skill set, with a little luck, maybe he’ll pick up enough odd jobs to pay his rent.
But a dangerous secret from Rune’s past threatens to destroy his new life. The King of Shadows has designs on Main Street, USA, Rune’s former colleagues are catching up, and his only escape might be straight into the claws of the King’s most vicious rival.
Shadow of the King is coming soon!
Shadow of the King: First 300 Words
[Subject to further revision, here’s the opening for the project I’ve been slogging through.]
Why, Rune wondered, were fallowmen so keen on eating breakfast foods at all hours of the night?
He sat at the far end of the counter. With his back to the wall, he could see everything in the diner. He had chosen not to mask his appearance. People saw him as he was: a slender young man with hair the color of cornsilk neatly combed and pulled back in a ponytail. His ears weren’t pointed, exactly, but the cartilage bent in obtuse angles at their tops.
Two men sat at the counter. Two others, a man and a woman, ate pancakes and gushed about the concert they had just come from. Rune took it all in, sipping his tea and pretending to read yesterday’s newspaper.
Outside, the city was dark. The streets were empty.
Three people were working at the diner: a waitress, a fry cook, and a manager helping both as needed.
It was the waitress that Rune had come for. She looked just like his client had described: average build, mid-twenties, mousy brown hair, not a great beauty but pretty enough by this world’s standards. She wiped down tables, lost in thought.
Rune wondered what was on her mind. Was she wrapped up in her work? Worrying about bills? She had a small child; was she thinking about her? Was she worried she was being watched? Is that why she seemed so jumpy?
Other people’s emotions were a puzzle to Rune. That’s what made this job different…and dangerous. How would she react? And how much did she know? Even fellowmen—or women—could be dangerous if they understood the Covenant, and Jo Ellen Hollart was sure to know something. A bit of iron or a hawthorn switch could turn even a simple job into a disaster.
Darrell J. Pursiful 