#BT Elthian

[ajbrooks-writes]

WIP Re-Intro: For The Crown

Book One of the Blood Ties trilogy

Heyo! Exactly what it says on the tin. A new and improved For The Crown with special edition features and up-to-date info! Also now with an official trilogy title: Blood Ties. Incredibly accurate.

Book One: For The Crown

Two young shapeshifters uncover generations of blood crimes as they attempt to change their own destiny. Masquerading amidst power plays and fickle allys, the prince and the pretender learn the meaning of family in a tale of love, loss, and the cost of challenging the stars.

Elthian and Ryvaeryn are from very different worlds, tied together by a bloody past. They are each given a single chance to attain their goals, but to do so must navigate a court full of lies, a country full of secrets, and a foe determined to keep both in the past.

Basics

Stage: Complete Structural Overhaul Review

Estimated Length: 135k

Genre: New Adult high fantasy

Themes: found family, adventure, self-discovery, romance, challenging status quo, challenging destiny.

More info

Orphaned as an infant and raised by humans on the continent, Ryn has never known another shapeshifter. A bookbinder by trade, she masquerades as a scholar and runs to the island country of Mantha, where she meets our team, and her resolve is tested when she is discovered and has a choice: go home to safety or join the court and risk it all.

Growing up in the castle with his father, brother and best friend, Elthian has known he would be king since he was a child. A planner by passion, Elthian’s progressive ideas clash with his father’s traditional values, placing them increasingly at odds. When his father threatens to change his successor, Elthian must choose between sacrificing the crown for his values and work, or sacrificing his values for the crown and power.

Ryvaeryn and Elthian’s journeys intertwine as they work towards their goals. Among the trials of their individual paths, they realise their growing friendship might be more than that. Now they must weigh their loyalties and, when discovered, understand that one false step could tear them apart forever.

Read on to learn about some of the characters and the next two books! Also cool graphics.

Welcome to part two!

Characters

Protagonist. Age 29, lion shapeshifter. Idealistic, compassionate, creative, naive. Elthian has a rocky past, but has landed on his feet with a father he idolises, an older half-brother he loves unconditionally, and a best friend he could not do without. His brother’s protection has left him naive to their father’s nature, but kept him from losing that idealism and compassion their father is so blatantly missing. Elthian’s biggest struggle is his own self-doubt, but his brother’s line “There are some things in this world you just can’t change.” kickstarts his determination to do exactly that. I love my son, but not make it easy.

Protagonist. Age 26, tiger shapeshifter. Impulsive, defensive, determined, kind. Safe in seclusion with her long term girlfriend, Ryn gives it up to journey to Mantha and find others like her. She is quick to defend herself and slow to reason, and so desperately wants to know who she is and where she came from that she will risk everything to find answers. This is made difficult when she becomes to target of assassination. See her right eye pictures above? That may or may not emerge intact . I love her, and I forge her fortitude in fire.

Secondary. Age 30, wolf shapeshifter. Quiet, perceptive, loyal. Joal spent half his childhood as a crown ward, becoming Elthian’s best and most loyal friend. His official role is Royal Historian and Heritage Law Consultant, and he lives at the castle. He is the first to realise Ryn isn’t a scholar. Joal isn’t ‘in touch’ with his emotions, which quickly creates a rift between him and Ryn. Joal has the largest role in Blood Ties after Ryn and Elthian.

Secondary. Age 32, human. Optimistic, intuitive, honourable. Kalen is the ultimate best friend. He is a great hugger, great listener, and gentle soul. He left the army  to pursue music, specifically the flute. Kalen is aro-ace, and his and Skye’s QPR is the most precious and pure dynamic I have ever seen. He becomes close friends with Ryn, we call him K, and I would die for him.

Tertiary. Age 35, lion shapeshifter. Discerning, protective, adventurous. Orrian paints himself as rebellious and unreliable, allowing him to pursue his interests in peace, and as a bonus giving his father frequent headaches. Orrian runs a shelter for homeless or orphaned boys and young men, mostly shapeshifters, and basically has a dozen adopted sons. He is also investigating his father, whom he loathes. Orrian has a much larger role in the next two books.

Tertiary. Age 21, crane shapeshifter. Shy, observant, attentive. Skye is very close with Kalen, and Ryn first meets her in a courtyard where Skye is playing violin. She struggles with anxiety and  PTSD, and attempts to create a support network in this book, which unfortunately backfires. Skye’s role will change a lot over the trilogy as she develops and grows and discovers her strength.

Tertiary. Age 24. human. Sarcastic, charming, realist. Corri meets Ryn early in town, and they become friends quickly. She loves to have a good time, and encourages Ryn to do the same. If the cellars are stocked, right? Corri has a brief, secret fling with Joal in this book. She also frequently makes time to spend with the children at the castle - much better company than nobles.

Tertiary. Age 64, lion shapeshifter. Assertive, determined, commanding. Parthian rules with iron, currently with his third wife. He pushed Orrian to abdicate, and has spent the last decades grooming Elthian to be a more worthy successor. Parthian is struggling under the weight of (subjectively) poor past choices. His sons take more from him than they’d like.

Side. Age 34, human. Calming, authentic, passionate. Lowe and Ryn were together for three years, and lived together for most of that. She knows Ryn’s aspirations, fears and hopes and supports her move to Mantha. Lowe will have a larger role in the next two books, but will crop up a few times in this one, too.

Side. Age 9, shapeshifter. Shy, curious, adventurous. Pab is an orphan, and has lived at the castle her entire life. She is friends with Corri, and becomes a loyal friend of Ryn’s after a vandalism mishap. Pab will climb literally anything. She scales two storeys of old stone to break into Ryn’s room. Ryn and Pab’s bond strengthens over the trilogy, and we learn more about her family later on.

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The World:

For The Crown takes place primarily in Mantha, an island country about the size of France. It has several smaller ilsands scattered around it., and across a strait is a mainland spanning an area close to that of Russia, which is where Ryn is from. Skye and Joal are from the North and South islands around Mantha respectively..During this book, the court travels around the country to various estates, under the guise of a ‘royal tour’, in which Parthian speaks to the leaders and the people and try to assure them that the monarchy has their best interest’s at heart. It gives Elthian the opportunity to find the progressive among them, and Ryn the opprtunity to explore different libraries and estates, including a ruined city, searching for answers.

Mantha is a feudal society originally settled by shapeshifters, which Parthian encourages, because they are easier to control. The continent, all humans, is meanwhile approaching an early industrial age; they have a direct democracy, with all the people having a voice. Mantha works with alchemy, whereas the continent works with technology. They have minimal overlap, but for trade and transport, things like air travel crosses their cultures.

This means I can have steampunk airships flying over my feudal farmland. The dream.

If you would like to know anything else about their culture, feel free to shoot an ask my way!

Rest of the trilogy:

For The King

After the bittersweet end to For The Crown, Ryn and Elthian try to recover the trust of the Manthan people as Elthian begins a shaky rule. But when the new king is kidnapped, it’s up to Ryn, Orrian, Kalen and Joal to race across the continent to save him, finding help from old friends along the way. Meanwhile, in a deep underground prison, Elthian meets new allies and foes as his captors attempt to break him, and he plans a daring escape or three. For The King is significantly darker, and ready to be drafted. You can read this wip intro here.

For The Country

Following a narrow escape, Ryn, Elthian, their new allies and remaining friends journey back to Mantha only to discover it has been overrun! With Elthian’s confidence shattered and Ryn struggling to stay afloat, For The Country has them and their team racing to rally their people against an approaching enemy while they battle fire, uprising, discord and disease. In the conclusion of this epic fantasy, everyone comes together for the battle that will decide Mantha’s future.

Final comments:

Can’t believe I managed, finally, to finish this intro.

I’m going to try and participate more in wip and OC related things, and post more about my story when life allows. I hope you enjoyed it, congrats on getting to the end, and have a great day!

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For The Crown tag list:

 @trigwrites @jessicacaseyauthor @mfackenthal @mushwrites @b-works-074  @gardeningourmet @apocalyvse @jcckwrites @writingisdivinetorture  @purpleshadows1989 @thatwritergirlsblog @betwixtofficial @pen-in-hand @whynotwriting @bookish-actor @sunlight-and-starskies @jcckwrites @half-explored @watermelons-writings @purpleshadows1989 @crazycoffeemermaid​ @summerflowers

Blood Ties taglist:

@whisperswritings @stand-inthe-rain @fantasy-shadows @halrose @romanticatheart-posts @hopefulmoonobject @angelolytle @albarnesauthor @fantasy-penman @ofinscriptions @jynecca @venomouspen @k-nazario​ @raenawrites @s-n-o-w-p-i-e-r-c-e-r​ @the-starlight-chills​ @crazycoffeemermaid​ @ardawyn​ @bookish-actor​ @waterfallofinkandpages​ @the-writister​ @thewriteblrarchives​

(if you would like to be added or removed from the Blood Ties tag list, please let me know. Also if I’ve missed anyone I’m really sorry, could you let me know please thank youx)

[ajbrooks-writes]

Character Intro: Elthian

Role: Protagonist WIP: Blood Ties Trilogy (high fantasy, adventure, romance) Appears in: For The Crown (book one), For The King, For The Country WIP Intro for For The Crown - link

Basics:

Age: 29 Nickname/title: El (to close friends), Sir, Your Highness, My Lord, My Prince, Crown Prince Elthian Species: shapeshifter (african lion) Home: Royal (Versillian) Castle, above Cossalier City, West Mantha Profession: Crown Prince, High Chancellor Identifies as: male, straight (he/him) Family: King Parthian, Prince Orrian (half-brother), Queen Lilanna (step-mother) Relationships before trilogy: No known long term relationships. Relationships during For The Crown: Ryvaeryn (love interest and confidant), Joal (best friend), Orrian (brother), Parthian (father), Kalen (friend) Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Excerpt from an early scene:

The darkness was cool. Soft, lazy clouds floated past a half moon over the trees, swallowing the rest of the cares of my human life; those I had left behind, and those yet to face me.

I waited by the maze entrance, though Joal had gone south for a moment, and sensed my friend before he returned through the trees.

‘Ready?’ his voice appeared in my mind as clearly as if he had stood beside me. A pair of bright eyes appeared in the underbrush, the rest of him melding with the blackness. Communicating through thought made our adventures much easier, and our conversations private.

‘To give you an advantage?’ I responded. ‘Of course.’ The cloud passed, and a large, dark wolf stopped in front of me, turning to the east. Our domain.

‘Confidence will always be your downfall, El.’ After the day I’d had, Joal’s words hit like a punch in the stomach, and I took a moment to recompose.

‘I suppose we will see who is right.’ I extended my claws into the earth and arched my back, turning to our path as well. ‘Whenever you’re—’

Joal launched himself into the underbrush, cutting through tight spaces he knew I wouldn’t fit.

‘Ready,’ he called back.

‘Good luck.’ I shook my head, waited a few moments, then crouched low and sprung after him, following his trail once he found the one I could run along.

‘You’ll need it.’  He sped up after his words, but I extended my lion’s stride and quickly fell in step with him.

Entrance:

Elthian enters the story at Cossalier’s marina, interrupted by the commotion of a young woman being pulled by city guards toward a navy ship to be deported, which he intervenes to prevent. Having grown up with the expectations of the crown, and the same compassionate temperament as his late mother, he wants more than anything to do right by his people. This on-the-ground approach directly conflicts with his father’s authoritarian rule. Elthian refuses to compromise his ideals, and that stubbornness won’t always be forgiven.

Journey:

After a decade of pushing boundaries with his father, overruling the guards again is the last straw for Elthian, and the King gives him an ultimatum. The certainty of his inheriting the crown is removed, he must choose between compromising his values for the throne, or compromise his authority for his values. With no younger siblings or cousins, Elthian has no knowledge where the crown will go, or what that will mean for the country he has pledged to serve.

Relationships:

At first comfortable in his environment, the first installment sees Elthian’s relationships with family and friends change. His connection with Ryvaeryn starts as curiosity, developing into friendship, then so much more. He remains close to his best friend, Joal, and older brother, Orrian. His admiration of his father, however, immediately struggles as Parthian reduces his authority and threatens his future.

As his relationship with Ryn strengthens, the rest of Elthian’s support network begins to crumble. Secrets are discovered that open old wounds, straining his relationships with everyone he trusted most. His pursuit of further understanding risks the antagonists’ being revealed, but as the belief he is safe in his own home is challenged, he doesn’t stand alone.

Writing Elthian:

Elthian is true to his upbringing. He has control over his body language, and verbal and facial expression, but his internal monologue has some delightfully sarcastic undertones. El doesn’t get angry but does get dramatic with those he trusts. He keeps to himself what would be better confided, convinces himself the ‘correct’ thing is actually what he wants to do, and loses himself to long reflections. Writing him is like writing an approaching storm. I will pile on pressure and torment till he breaks, and we will see the man he is under that decorum.

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Links to: Character intro - Ryvaeryn Character Intro - Joal

(Taglist below the cut)

Blood Ties tag list:  @whisperswritings @stand-inthe-rain @fantasy-shadows @halrose @romanticatheart-posts @hopefulmoonobject @angelolytle @albarnesauthor @fantasy-penman @ofinscriptions @jynecca @jc-shay @venomouspen @k-nazario @raenawrites @the-starlight-chills @crazycoffeemermaid @ardawyn @bookish-actor @waterfallofinkandpages @the-writister @thewriteblrarchives @kryskakikomi @theredscreech @ardawyn @jcckwrites @kryskakikomi @hiding-between-words @thewordsinthesky-andstars @mc-hill @the-orangeauthor​

(If you would like to be added to or removed from this list, please let me know!)

[ajbrooks-writes]

Blood Ties MCs: Songs

For anyone seeking clarification...

My son

My daughter

At their core in For The Crown.

Full WIP playlist:

Blood Ties taglist: @stand-inthe-rain @romanticatheart-posts @fantasy-shadows @albarnesauthor @fantasy-penman @ofinscriptions @jynecca @jc-shay @venomouspen @k-nazario @the-starlight-chills ​ @crazycoffeemermaid ​ @ardawyn ​ @bookish-actor ​ @waterfallofinkandpages ​ @the-writister @kryskakikomi @theredscreech @ardawyn @jcckwrites  @kryskakikomi @brookswriting @merielxwritings

(as always, if you would like to be added or removed please let me know!)

[ajbrooks-writes]

Time for some character stuff...

My son flirting:

Elthian: hey sorry I'm early...

Ryn: ?? We didn't agree to meet?

Elthian: I brought you food.

Ryn: That's uh... nice.

Elthian: sorry for being so emotional last night.

Ryn: I actually didn't notice tbh.

My daughter flirting:

Ryn: hi! It's after midnight, I'm kinda drunk, drenched, disheveled, and knocking on the wall next to your door room door thing.

Elthian: what are you... what? *helps her inside*

Ryn: *sobering* I saw you almost kiss someone else. That's not really okay. You belong to me.

Elthian: We haven't had this discussion...

Ryn: I know. I had it with myself. Can I kiss you now?

As you can see, they are both experts.

[ajbrooks-writes]

elthian, of course. though ryn is a close second! (tbh, ryn is good at so many other things, i'll let elthian have this!)

OHHHHHHHH *mic drop*

For 'Who is my most attractive OC?'

Elthian takes the lead! With Ryn just behind him. You have excellent taste, Nonny. Don't tell his brother - Orrian has a more fragile ego than he thinks. Elthian has great shoulders which I very much appreciate.

A shout out, then, to King Elthian of Mantha, long may he reign!