Authorpreneur Dashboard – Matthew Graybosch
Without Bloodshed
Science Fiction & Fantasy
“All who threaten me die.” These words made Morgan Stormrider’s reputation as one of the Phoenix Society’s deadliest IRD (Individual Rights Defense) officers. He served with distinction as the Society’s avenger, hunting down anybody who dared kill an Adversary in the line of duty. After a decade spent living by the sword, Morgan seeks to bid a farewell to arms and make a new life with his friends as a musician. Regardless of his faltering faith, the Phoenix Society has a final mission for Morgan Stormrider after a dictator’s accusations make him a liability to the organization. He must put everything aside, travel to Boston, and prove he is not the Society’s assassin. He must put down Alexander Liebenthal’s coup while taking him alive. Despite the gravity of his task, Morgan cannot put aside his ex-girlfriend’s murder, or efforts to frame him and his closest friends for the crime. He cannot ignore a request from a trusted friend to investigate the theft of designs for a weapon before which even gods stand defenseless. He cannot disregard the corruption implied in the Phoenix Society’s willingness to make him a scapegoat should he fail to resolve the crisis in Boston without bloodshed. The words with which Morgan Stormrider forged his reputation haunt him still.
Book Bubbles from Without Bloodshed
More of Imaginos' magic
I've already shown Imaginos working magic on a very large scale. Here I show him working on a much smaller scale. Instead of acting on weather patterns, and now he acts on a single person's brain. I reveal the nature of Imaginos' magic: psychoenergism, the manipulation of energy by force of will -- similar to psychokinesis. I also reveal a bit about how psychoenergism works. Instead of spells, Imaginos must work with patterns. He must also draw power when working a pattern; conservation of energy is a harsh mistress, and I find it preferable to give a lady her due.
Scarlet Eyes
This is where we first meet Naomi Bradleigh, one of the principal characters in Without Bloodshed, and the Starbreaker series in general. Her scarlet eyes are not a product of albinism, or of the genetic condition that gives her slit pupils and some other feline characteristics. Instead, her eye color is a result of her ancestry, which will be revealed later. Her condition is called "congenital pseudofeline morphological disorder", and is common to a great many people in the Starbreaker setting. Naomi was originally intended to be a single-scene character, somebody I added to the story to please a woman I was dating at the time. After we broke up, I kept the name and used it on a new character inspired by prog rock musicians Annie Haslam (Renaissance) and Keith Emerson (ELP), somebody who sang like Haslam, played like Emerson, and could teach D'Artagnan a thing or three about swordplay.
The magic of Imaginos
I've tried to keep Imaginos' magic, and that of the other characters in Starbreaker, subtle. This isn't the appropriate setting for the sort of pyrotechnics readers who grew up on video games like Final Fantasy and anime like The Slayers have come to expect. You won't see anybody casting the Dragon Slave or summoning Bahamut here. Since I'm telling this part of the story from Imaginos' viewpoint, and he knows how his magic works, I don't bother explaining to the reader how it works, except that what he did to create the blizzard currently covering London in snow took a hell of a lot of effort, and required that he manipulate existing natural processes. He has a great deal in common with Saruman, however. His greatest power isn't in his wizardry, but in his speech. He's persuasive and manipulative, with a keen understanding of human psychology.
The London Blitz
British readers and students of World War II history may get the reference behind this metaphor. Everybody else may find this Wikipedia link useful: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blitz. I just didn't want to say that the clouds carpet-bombed London with snow at Imaginos' command.
Allegory and Applicability
In his foreword to revised editions of "The Lord of the Rings", J.R.R. Tolkien wrote, "I cordially dislike allegory in all its manifestations, and always have done so since I grew old and wary enough to detect its presence. I much prefer history – true or feigned– with its varied applicability to the thought and experience of readers. I think that many confuse applicability with allegory, but the one resides in the freedom of the reader, and the other in the purposed domination of the author." I am not so cordial in my dislike of allegory, and am somewhat wary of applicability as well. The last thing I need is to have the Secret Service knocking on my door because a mentally ill reader decided that the way the Phoenix Society handles abuses of power should be attempted in real life. These characters are, for the most part, trained professionals. Their actions are appropriate to their society. Don't try this at home, kids.
