Behind Caelthys' Awakening

Tomorrow, Caelthys' Awakening, which is the first book in the Shards of the Void series, will finally be out in the world. Before it does, let's look into where this book came from.

Maybe the most surprising thing about this book is its title. Caelthys is not a person.

It is an oceanic fae realm filled with magic, and the homeland of the fae in this book. The "Awakening" in the title is referring to both the realm, which has been cut off, isolated, and defenseless for a century, and also to Selanor, the main protagonist, who spends the same century with his eyes closed, refusing to look at a world where his sister no longer exists. He has not opened his eyes in a hundred years. The book opens in the moment that he finally chooses to do so.

I wanted a title that reflected more than just a character because this series is just as much about the characters as it is about the realms, the magic, and the powers.

Caelthys is a kingdom that has always been quietly feared, respected, and revered by those who understood the fae living in it, and mocked and jested about by those who didn't. But the realm does not need the fae to survive. The fae are sustained by it.

So when the strange black wood brings an army of magicless creatures swarming into the ocean kingdom, binding the fae and ripping them from their homeland, Caelthys still stands. The wood may suppress magic, but it is no match for the realm's magic. The fae cannot wield even a drop of magic when bound by it. And that is their downfall.

The humans who invaded are not just placeholder villains. In fact, Maira and her family aren't actually villains in the traditional sense. They believe in what they're doing, and that it is necessary. They're simply trying to survive in a system that will kill them without a second thought if they step out of line.

Selanor is their means of surviving the system.

And their ancestor is the one who, a hundred years ago, killed his sister.

Shards of the Void is exactly what it sounds like. There was a time when fae of all thirteen realms had connections, trade, and truces. They had a High Council. The Upheaval changed all of that. Now, every fae realm is just one empty shard in a Void.

Now for the part I never could resist sharing with you all. Here's the cast that I visualized for the past few months of outlining and drafting Caelthys' Awakening.

• Selanor Caladrys would be played by Djimon Hounsou. He's got the eyes, the death stare, and would portray still, raging grief that rarely ever makes it to dialogue perfectly.

• Maira Blackstone would be played by Mila Kunis. She's got that unpredictability, the uncertainty that can be portrayed in her eyes, and the calculation she shows without any words needed.

• Shaelor Corydris would be played by Idris Elba. This is one of my favorite actors, mainly for his minor role in the Thor movies, but also for the no-nonsense lines and the - no spoilers - the immense impact he has in this story.

• Synvar Corydris would be played by Rege-Jean Page. Synvar had to be the ethereal, unbelievably handsome one because of his heritage. And who better than the dashing rake from Bridgerton season 1?

• Hadvyon Kollstone would be played by Alexander Skarsgard. This guy needs to be fit, needs to be mysterious, needs to be calculating, and Alexander is all of it. He is my Hadvyon.

For those of you who know me from Gilded Silence, this story is much, much darker by design. The content warnings are listed in all of the descriptions, and I urge you to make sure that it is content you have no problem with consuming before you buy or start reading the book. This book is full of broken things, broken realms, and none of them are pretty or nice. But broken things can be rebuilt, and that's what this book is about.

Tomorrow, Selanor opens his eyes. I hope you're there when he does.