Hello friends and fellow travelers!
Thank you for adventuring with me on this journey to explore the magical fantasy world I am creating in my novel, Nameless Fury. It is my mission to tell a tale of friendship and adventure and, by doing so, bring you into a different world where memories are sacrificed to fuel magical powers. Let’s dive in!
Author Updates
Progress Milestones: Nameless Fury Fourth Draft Revision @ 37%
Latest Writing Rituals: I’ve been listening to music to help me channel each of the different settings and scenes. Let me know if you have any playlists you recommend!
Worldbuilding of the Month:
Introducing the Oplo
This month, I’ve been playing with MidJourney to bring the world of Polemistis to life.
One of the features of life in Nameless Fury is a set of mysterious weapons, the oplos, which were left behind by the goddess of the world many years ago. The people of Polemistis don’t know this, but they do know that oplos can be used to fight from afar, giving the wielder a huge advantage in any fight.
Oplos are fired when the wielder sacrifices a memory and can deal lethal damage, depending on the intensity and relevance of the memory that is sacrificed. This incredible weapon has enabled the people of Polemistis to fend off invaders and remain an independent island nation whilst others have fallen.
These weapons are consolidated in the hands of the few, as determined by the priestesses of the goddess. They are borrowed from the priestesses by an elite military force that trains physically and with memories to operate the weapons. Each member is sworn to protect the ruler of the land, and because of the honor associated with this, no Nameless has ever been allowed to wield an oplo, until now.
Quote of the Month
“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.”
~Arthur C. Clarke
What I’m Reading
The Sheepfarmer’s Daughter by Elizabeth Moon
I enjoyed this book (fantasy that follows a mercenary military campaign) because it feels like the author actually understands how a soldier would think and react to losing fellow soldiers, slogging through mud to reach a battle, and taking orders (whether they agree or not), while maintaining the magic of the world.
The Sunlit Man by Brandon Sanderson
Anyone who knows me knows that I’m a huge Sanderfan. I finally got the chance to sit down and read the Sunlit Man (fantasy western set in the Cosmere) this month and it was a treat. My favorite part of the story was following as one of the characters loses their memory and has to re-invent themselves and find a new reason to continue on. I highly recommend it!
Thanks for staying by my side on this storied adventure. Until next time!
P.S. Have a recommendation, story, question, or comment to share with me? Reply with your updates, book recommendations, or stories. I love hearing from you.
If you haven’t had the chance to subscribe, I welcome you to do so below!
Love the Paksenarrion series. She definitely captured the perspective of a soldier (I believe she served as an Army officer).
You're weapons and how they relate to your magic system sounds cool as hell. Looking forward to seeing how you do this.
Great newsletter! "I'm a huge Sanderfan." I love that quote from Aurthur C. Clarke. Those are some cool renditions of the oplo. I can't wait for your next post.