March 16, 2020

"An extremely well written book which held your attention and resulted in some very late nights."- C.

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This weekend we were both a bit under the weather, but thankfully, nothing serious. Unfortunately, it left my newsletter coming to you a little late, but better late than not at all!

Kurathia, home to the dreaded Kurathian raiders, is the name given to a collection of island principalities located far to the Southeast of Merceria. Each island is ruled by a prince, independent of the others but they all share a common culture and history. They adhere to a very rigid social structure, each person having their assigned place in the society. The relatively small islands are vastly over-populated, leaving no place for advancement or land to purchase.

The princes rule primarily by force using fierce dragons that once freely inhabited their islands but are now enslaved. With the power of dragons behind them, no one has ever dared to attack them save for other Kurathians. Though warfare between the princes is uncommon, when it does erupt it is usually bloody and vicious.

Those who seek their fame and fortune outside the islands have become feared as sea raiders or mercenaries. Kurathian mercenaries are highly sought after for they are honourable men bound by their word, and will serve until death, or until their contract is up. As seafarers, they are said to have explored more of the known world than any other nation.

They are also renowned for the dreaded Kurathian Mastiffs, huge war dogs bred to take down horses. The mastiffs are not native to the islands but were encountered many years ago during their explorations. Over the generations, they have been bred to increase their size and strength. It is not unknown for Kurathian ship captains to keep a couple of these beasts aboard ship, both to increase loyalty, but also to help protect the crew when landing ashore.

It was one of these that was shipwrecked on the coast of Weldwyn, eventually leading to Tempus’s arrival in Merceria.

My wife, Carol, does the preliminary editing of all my writing, Each week, she shares her favourite scenes from what she is working on. This week's pick is from Defender of the Crown!

"Harry!" Nikki called out as she ran down the stairs and hugged him, then held him out at arm's length. "For Saxnor's sake, Harry, you look so thin."

He shrugged, "What can I say, Nik, the pickings aren't so good these days."

"Well, we must feed you, Harry. Come in, and I'll get Marrianne to prepare something."

She led him into a small side room where seats waited.

"You've done well for yourself," said Harry.

"I'm a lady now," she said, "as well you know."

"How's Arnim doing?"

"He's in the north, travelling with the queen," said Nikki, reverting to her old pattern of speech. She moved to a side table, "Something to drink, Harry?"

"Certainly," he replied, taking a seat.

She poured him a goblet, handing it to him before taking a chair opposite.

"It's good to see you, Harry. Tell me, what have you been up to?"

"You know, the usual," he said. "I had a fair run at a visiting lady from Shrewesdale, but her father showed up and ruined everything."

Nikki laughed. Harry was a notorious rogue, an expert at charming the jewellery off a woman, but the laughter died when she suddenly realized that she was now one of the very women he would target. The thought sobered her.

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In medieval times, there were a number of religious fighting orders, perhaps the most well known being the Knights Templar, whose full title was “The Poor Fellow-Soldiers of Christ and the Temple of Solomon.” There were others, including the Knights Hospitaller and the Teutonic Knights, but the Templar’s are, perhaps, the most well known. They are shrouded in mystery and the topic of many conspiracy theories, which only makes them even more interesting. They were founded in 1119 by a small group of knights dedicated to protecting pilgrims going to the holy land.

The Templar’s are a favourite topic of fiction, from the twisted plots of the DaVinci Code to the completely fictionalized version portrayed in Knightfall. All of this makes for an interesting topic, but what is often forgotten is their discipline and effectiveness in battle.

Heir to the Crown makes only minor references to the Saints or Temple Knights, but in The Frozen Flame, they become more prominent, some as villains, others as allies. Power Ascending lets me explore the world of the pious warrior in more detail, with the Templars and the Teutonic Knights being a strong influence.

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Next Session - March 23

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Temple Knight is currently sitting at 44,000 words and is progressing well. The overall story is starting to unfold nicely, with the action beginning to pick up. Overall, this is not just a story about a knight, it is also about her rising through the ranks of the Church, which by itself is a rather complex organization.

The story takes place in 1096 SR (Saints Reckoning), a number of years before the events of Ashes, and the Church of the Saints figures more prominently for obvious reasons. Groundwork is also being laid for later stories, though I cannot reveal the details without spoilers.

The setting of the book takes place in a kingdom called Ilea. It lies on the Shimmering Sea, though far west of Corassus, the city which featured so prominently in Ashes. Charlaine, the main character,  is settled into her new duties as a Sister of Saint Agnes, but events are starting to spin out of control. She and her fellow Temple Knights will have to band together to defeat that which threatens the land. Will they be successful? You’ll have to wait to see.

Until next time, Happy reading!

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