The Wordicle’s Author’s Leak presents
Aer C. S. Kiar
And her fascinating novel with occult magical action and adventure. Including pirates and so much more set in an alternate 1999 in, “Masks of Avalon – The Alloy Heart.”
From the author, Aer C. S. Kiar:
“What if”—those are the two mystical words providing the seed crystal around which a fantasy nucleates. Such was the case for Masks of Avalon – The Alloy Heart. This is my debut title and what a wild ride it was to create! For me, writing is a ritual equal parts maddening and cathartic; addiction and confession; stress and release.
Behind this book are so many frenzied bouts of burning dreams into words; so many painstaking refinements; so many internal deliberations; so much method‑acting; so many rereads; so many rewrites…Would I do it all again? Without hesitation. (Actually, since I’ve already begun writing the next installment, I already am, ha.)
Masks of Avalon – The Alloy Heart is a heavily character‑driven occult action‑adventure. It takes place in a lightly‑alternative year 1999 and I want to stress the ‘lightly-alternative’ piece. In designing its systems of mysticism, psionics, and the occult, I set out to create a system of magic which would fit into real history with as little deviation as possible.
I wanted to balance magic with technology and also keep it within the confines of the laws of physics (Conservation of Mass, etc.) to buttress its believability. As reference, I examined a wide array of traditional pagan rites and old occult documents and beliefs to ask myself “Ok, now how could this be framed logically?” On the whole, I’m quite satisfied with the result and I hope that you will be too!
While the occult elements are certainly significant, however, they aren’t the story’s focus; the focus of my book is its characters.
Above all else, I wanted the characters of Avalon to feel like real people. They have their own likes and dislikes; beliefs and biases; their own quandaries, curiosities, and dreams. At its core, this is a story of real people dealing with real vexations of the human condition.
Admittedly, they’re being dealt with in extreme fashions, but the core issues they struggle with—despair, abandonment, desire for retribution – these emotional and philosophical issues are pertinent to us in the real world. Renza and Roxa Senrâu, the twin girls who serve as Avalon’s primary protagonists, were born as caste pirates in a very exotic town following an equally exotic raison d’être, but they’re not space‑aliens. They can be related to and empathized with.
Alice Frost, the secondary protagonist, was born to wealth, but the circumstances of her birth don’t define her and, if anything, play an antagonistic role in her life. There’s a strong theme of self‑discovery throughout the story, both through introspection as well as interaction. A complete existence is sculpted by both, the necessity of balance in life being another central theme. My original concept‑directive for the creation of the Senrâu Twins was ‘a character equal parts adorable and terrifying’ and I had a lot of fun working out their many quirks and entwining systems of existence.
As for worldbuilding…it’s a bit hard to talk about while keeping spoilers out of the mix. However, the abstract is that I really got to flex my inner history‑geek. Similar to how the occult elements were meant to feel like real possibilities and the characters, like real people, I wanted my additions to this world to feel like real places. I wanted Karaköy to really sound like a real place which might really be hidden out there today at the edge of the world.
To that end, as well as simply trying to be as faithful to the locales and cultures depicted as possible, I did a hefty amount of research on the history of the locations, as well as their specific status at the time of the book’s setting. I contacted as many people as possible living in the regions I wrote about to double-check the book’s depictions and the phenoms of how denizens of a particular culture are wont to view the world.
In summary, you can assume that the events of this universe follow real history unless otherwise stated. However, just bear in mind that it’s told from points of view and that this is an urban fantasy rather than a nonfiction documentary and some deviations must necessarily exist.
With Masks of Avalon – The Alloy Heart…I just want to touch my reader’s hearts in general. I hope I can mystify and intrigue my readers. I hope I can make them reflect and inquire. I’m hoping to nourish the inner child within all of us who practically worshipped imagination.
I want readers to come away from this book feeling like they went on an adventure through a wondrous world with fascinating characters. And, about all else, I want my readers to come away asking those two most mystifying of words—”what if…”
Thank you, Aer, for that astounding Author’s Leak for The Wordicle! Please support Aer C. S. Kiar by reading her incredible debut book.
The beautiful Kindle Oasis with an adjustable warm light is a high-quality and reliable reading tablet. It’s waterproof and makes a great gift for avid readers.
Masks of Avalon is available on Kindle (see free preview below).
“I hope I can mystify and intrigue my readers. I hope I can make them reflect and inquire. I’m hoping to nourish the inner child within all of us who practically worshipped imagination.”
Aer C. S. Kiar
Occult magical action & adventure with pirates from 1999
This is wonderful debut novel by Aer C. S. Kiar you don’t want to miss out on. Her phenomenal writing style and exceptional and deep story with occult elements, plenty of action, and pirates from an alternate 1999 will leave you asking for more. Occult elements, magic, pirates and more; what else do you need? Get it today!
We hope you have enjoyed this great Author’s leak. Follow and Like our Facebook page to not miss future Author’s Leak updates.
See our affiliate messages from Amazon above and below. Disclaimer.
Interested in submitting your own Author’s Leak? Contact us!
