Beginning of Arrogance (A Paladin's Journey) Heroic Fantasy By Bryan Cole Book Tour with Guest Post, Author Interview & Giveaway
Book 1 of A Paladin’s Journey
By
Bryan
Cole
About the Book:
Publisher: Tellwell Talent
Publication
Date: June 29,
2022
Paladins
are nothing but trouble. Stories about paladins are everywhere, noble warriors
riding magic steeds into battle against terrible foes. Champions of their gods.
Heroes to everyone, except those who already have everything. Paladins are
notorious for upsetting the balance of power, to the detriment of any who don't
worship their deity.
So
when Krell is called to service by the capricious god of the seas and skies,
ReckNor, those with wealth and power can't help but be concerned. ReckNor
hasn't called a paladin in years, and his nature is ever-changing and erratic.
The fact that Krell is also an uneducated nobody with a stubborn streak as wide
as the sea turns their concerns into fear.
All
of which matters less than the threat clawing its way from the waves, ready to
turn the ocean red with spilled blood...
Purchase
Links:
Giveaway:
Excerpt:
“So, Krell, how do you know about the Forge Father and all that? Never
heard you say anything like that before, you know?” Gerrard smiled up at him.
Krell laughed. “It’s true enough, Gerrard, that my education could best
be described as lacking. Most people say I don’t know anything. I grew up
alone, you see, so nobody taught me anything useful. I had to learn it all
myself.”
Gerrard looked at him questioningly. “Alone how? I can’t see humans, even
as insane as they often are, abandoning a youngling to grow up alone.”
“Oh, I had a family. Still might, somewhere, maybe. But I was lost at sea
when I was young. Not sure how young. Washed up on an island somewhere and
spent a bunch of years surviving.” Krell looked up at the sky. “My memories
there are… poor. Can’t remember much, but I remember the cold, the loneliness,
and the hunger. Those stand out in my mind.” Krell shook his head and frowned.
“Olgar taught me basically everything I know, aside from how to survive
alone. Whatever knowledge I have is thanks to him, and one thing he made sure I
knew well was who all the gods and their followers are. Paladins apparently
spend a lot of time in conflict with faiths other than their own.”
“Ah,” said Gerrard, nodding in agreement.
Krell shrugged and looked back at Gerrard. “Whatever else I am, Gerrard,
I’m a survivor. Maybe that’s why ReckNor chose me to be a paladin. Maybe he
wrecked the ship on purpose to see if I had what it took. Maybe he didn’t.
Either way, I hear the call. My blade is in his service, my will is his will.
His voice thunders in my head, making his will known to me.”
“Wow. You know, Kraven’s right, you are intense!” Gerrard walked along in
silence for a few minutes next to him. Then he turned and said, “That sounds
really hard, having another voice in your head all the time.”
Krell laughed. “Nah, it’s really easy. When he tells me something, I do
it. When he says nothing, I do whatever I want.”
Gerrard frowned. “I thought paladins had all sorts of rules they had to
follow.”
Krell grinned at him. “You’re thinking of followers of Hieron the
Honorable, lord of justice. There’s a big temple of his in Heaford, just up the
coast, where the duke holds court. I’ve never met one of his followers, but
apparently he loves calling paladins, and they’re pretty common in that faith.
Most paladin stories are about paladins of Hieron.”
“Not common in ReckNor’s faith, though?”
“Not remotely. Apparently, Olgar can’t remember the last time ReckNor
called one. He’s… well, most people think he’s insane, and that if you don’t
appease him, he’ll destroy you. A cult of sailors and the mad. That he’s
temperamental enough that even if you appease him, he still might
destroy you. Which is all… somewhat true, I’d say.”
Ahead, Tristan laughed. “You’re telling me you think your god is insane?”
Krell shook his head. “No, but temperamental? Absolutely. Appease him or
else, which is how his faith works. Sailors and those who live and work on the
sea pay homage, though for many, it is out of fear. He’s often thought of as a
survival-of-the-fittest sort of god.”
Krell noticed they were all looking at him now. Orca looked unhappy,
Kraven appeared to be controlling his laughter, and Tristan and Gerrard were
looking at him like he was dangerous.
“So… what does ReckNor teach, then?” asked Gerrard.
Krell thought about it, and Tristan looked like he was dreading an
explanation. Better to keep things simple for now, he thought.
“Basically two things. The first is that the seas and skies are his,
so make offerings when you use them and he’s happy. The second is that he takes
joy in the freedom of choice.” Krell went silent, and they walked on for a few
moments before anyone said anything.
“I thought you were going to drone on incessantly about your god and how
great he is all the time,” said Tristan. Krell looked at him and smiled.
“I’m a paladin. If you want that, go talk to Olgar. I’m here to show the
faith of ReckNor through action, not through words.” Thunder rumbled in the
distance as if on cue, adding ominous weight to his words.
Gerrard snorted. “Did ReckNor just add some thunder in the background to
make you sound more intimidating or dramatic or something?”
Kraven laughed, and Krell joined him. Orca said, “That’s ridiculous!” at
the same time Krell said, “Probably!”
Guest Post:
On Duty and Obligation versus Wants and Desires
A Paladin’s Journey is, among other things, an exploration of consequences. Very often when I read fantasy books, I see major events taking place in the lives of characters, which then are almost never mentioned again. Whether this is the discovery or experience with powerful magic, an ancient ruin that changes their understanding of the world, or some other event – it seems to have no impact. One of the major themes I wanted to make sure I included was that actions have consequences – often far-reaching ones that should recur.
This ties into another trope that I see commonly – that duty and obligation are barriers to happiness and hobbies (and more!). This is an interesting archetype that has been played out across many stories. I’m using it for some characters, notably followers of Hieron the Honorable, lord of Justice, because they should be portrayed as stuck-up jerks who look down on you for making different choices than they would have made. Not all antagonists should be confronted with a blade in hand!
Krell, our main protagonist, is a paladin of ReckNor, the tempestuous god of the seas and skies. One of ReckNor’s lesser-known aspects is the freedom to choose – ReckNor’s faith has little to no structure, being wild and free like the creatures that call the seas and skies home. This colors Krell’s perceptions of the world and informs his actions. There are numerous examples of this throughout the story so far, whether it is leaving to go on quest without warning anyone who might be depending on him (and who would almost certainly object to him leaving!), or resorting to violence when offered insult, Krell often makes choices based entirely on what he wants.
This leads to internal conflict – as a paladin, he is a direct servant of ReckNor. ReckNor’s voice booms in his thoughts, giving him information and telling him what must be done. Yet at the same time, Krell freely makes his own choices. There are occasions where these two motivations conflict, and thus far Krell has been wise enough to obey ReckNor’s will. Yet the difference between what ReckNor wants and what Krell wants is an interesting space to explore.
A classic example of this is regarding love, which I added with some secondary characters. Very early on in Beginning of Arrogance, it is made clear that Marlena – the owner and proprietor of Netminder’s Friend – and the captain of the guard Elias Gijwolf have something between them. While a background element, the captain feels that there is no time for him to pursue a romantic relationship due to his duty and obligations, particularly as Watford increasingly comes under threat. Yet fighting to protect what you love is perhaps the strongest reason to act.
This push and pull between obligation and desire is a theme that will be increasingly explored throughout the series. Many characters have their own journey, and while the gods may overshadow their wants and needs, that doesn’t mean they’re not going to strive to achieve them. This is one of the ways in which I try to bring my characters to life, to make them feel believable and real, and I hope you, dear reader, feel the same!
Author Interview:
Tell me a little bit about your main character of this book.
Krell, the main character, as a backstory was lost at sea as a child, washing up on a deserted island. This has shaped a lot of who he is, including his utter lack of knowledge about the world. That is very intentional – it allows me to narratively explain things to Krell, so the reader can learn as well. It also allows Krell to stand out in his interactions with others, since all the societal norms and biases that every other character has. It gives him a narrative perspective that can be fun to play with.
Other than that, he’s a paladin – called by ReckNor, lord of the seas and skies. ReckNor values freedom as one of the lesser understood aspects of his worship and therefore is singularly unhelpful when explaining anything to Krell. Also intentional – it lets me as the author have Krell stumbling around in the dark, trying to figure out why he was called and what his purpose is supposed to be.
What is your “day” job if you are not a full time author?
I have a full-time career in enterprise software, with a specialization in performance testing. Principally in roles that involve presenting and public speaking. I would estimate I’ve created more than a thousand PowerPoint presentations and have presented more than 30,000 times. A good presentation involves using lots of stories and analogies, which was a surprisingly transferrable skill when becoming an indie author! You can probably find a lot of webinars with me presenting online if you’re curious about my presentation style.
What is the hardest thing about being an author?
Marketing. For me, writing the book and editing were absolute joys, a hobby that I love that I’m happy to share with the world (most of whom seem to like A Paladin’s Journey). Marketing though… I don’t know how to go about marketing, and it’s a strange new world for me. It is very separate from the writing process, and much less enjoyable. But it is so important! Nobody will ever find my books if they don’t see them anywhere.
What book changed your life?
The Deed of Paksenarrion, by Elizabeth Moon. For me, it was the first fantasy epic that I read that really highlighted to me the fantastic character archetypes of what being a paladin could be, and directly inspired me – eventually – to write a story of my own.
What were some of your favorite books growing up?
There are so many to choose from! Whether it is DragonLance Chronicles, The Wheel of Time, Lord of the Rings, or countless other works. I read tons of Star Trek and Star Wars, and history books. So many history books, with a special interest in World War 2. The works of John Keegan in particular were very fascinating to me. Beyond that, my tastes were best described as eclectic and random. I am a reader at heart – if there’s text, I’m going to consume it, whether in book form or on the back of a cereal box. This has created in me a deep sense of curiosity, hence my passion for understanding history, because that explains why today is the way that it is!
How often do you base your characters on real people?
To an extent, every character is based on someone I know, or at least aspects of them. A great example would be talking about Sheana, Dahlia, and Verbena, who are all just different facets of the same person. Dahlia’s private nature, Verbena’s towering intellect, Sheana’s bravery – just different aspects taken from someone I love and translated onto the page. However, there needs to be some variance, since people in the real world rarely involve themselves in life-or-death struggles (certainly nobody I know!). This shift in mindset, combined with personal power that can at times be on-par with entire battalions of modern infantry will necessarily have an impact on who they are. I take these facts, and imagine everything I can about them, with what I know of the real person underpinning it.
What’s the most difficult thing about writing a novel?
For me, it was keeping the desired endpoint in mind as I progressed through the story. There were many re-writes for Futility of Defense because the characters had their own ideas about what they’d do in a particular scene, which altered subsequent scenes. Coming up with events to keep the story moving toward where I wanted it to end without having the characters act inconsistently from prior depictions is always challenging, and in many cases caused the end the shift in context. During two of the rewrites, it shifted very dramatically!
What are common traps for aspiring writers?
There are any number of common pitfalls I could mention – don’t tell, show, being a good example. Instead of stating how a character feels, show it through expression or other avenues. When Krell meets Darvin in book 2, Krell becomes angry – and readers should understand this because his brow furrows and his face flushes red, not because I say Krell became angry. Those sorts of traps are discussed in multiple places, and there are any number of great resources I could recommend. The one that I think I haven’t seen discussed as much is knowing how the story is going to end and guiding the characters and scenes toward that endpoint. This is also true for a series spanning multiple books, like A Paladin’s Journey. I know precisely how the series will end and what happens to the survivors. However, each book needs to be a self-contained story as well. You can’t write one story and chop it into three pieces and sell it as a trilogy – you need to have complete story arcs in each book individually as well as across the series. Spending time thinking about how things are going to end is vital and perhaps overlooked. Finally, I would say the most common trap is underestimating how difficult marketing is going to be.
Do you read your book reviews? Do they please you or annoy you? Do you think you can learn a lot from reading criticism about your work?
First thing’s first, a message for authors: It is never okay to comment on your reviews. Good or bad, a review is not for you, they are for other readers. A review represents someone’s personal experience with your book, and no matter what they felt about it they are sharing their personal opinion. This is not to say you cannot REPORT a review if it contains inappropriate language or personal attacks – the review should be about the book, not about you, but you don’t report the review to the reviewer, you report it to the site hosting the review, and that’s the end of it. And only if it is deliberately offensive toward you or otherwise hateful to people or groups of people. A review can absolutely trash your book and express total hatred toward it. All this to say yes, I read every single review I receive. I’m very grateful that people took the time to write a review – it’s probably the most difficult part of the author process, just getting feedback from people in the real world. I’m fortunate that most of my reviews are very positive, but even the negative ones could contain some useful information that I can take in to try to become a better author. Much as I might like to engage with reviewers and talk with them about why they did not like parts or all of my books, that is up to them to reach out to me to start that conversation, not the other way around.
What’s next for you?
Onward to book 3, where our protagonists deal with their actions and outcomes of books 1 and 2, and the consequences of them really start to catch up to them. The intention and focus of the story is that they’ve outgrown Watford and are venturing out into the broader – and much more dangerous – world at large. While I know exactly how book 3 is going to end I as yet have no idea how the characters are going to get there! Tristan, in particular, is causing rewrite after rewrite because he isn’t putting up with the nonsense I’m trying to throw at him!
About the Author:
For
that, we need to go back – way back – to his first experience with Dungeons
& Dragons. His friend Chris brought over the box set for Myth Drannor,
eager to play. Together, they realized they had no idea what they were doing,
because neither of them owned a copy of the Players Handbook, Dungeon Master’s
Guide, or the Monster Manual.
From
those incredibly awkward beginnings, a lifelong passion for epic science
fiction and high fantasy adventure was born. Everything from his grade 4
teacher letting him stay after school to play a video game where you were the
wizard on a quest, defeating monsters by answering math problems, to some truly
memorable movies like Willow that showed him a world bigger and more exciting
than the real one.
Of
course, Star Wars and Star Trek have had a major influence on him. Want to get
in good with Bryan? Lead with a Star Wars meme.
From
one of the good movies. Otherwise your plan will backfire.
Bryan
is also an avid gamer, and enjoys video games, board games, and tabletop
roleplaying games.
These
days, he lives in Toronto with his wife and daughter, and his adorable cat.
Contact
Links:
Email - fat.paladin.contact@gmail.com
Website - https://www.fatpaladin.ca/
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/stores/author/B0BFV7T7PR
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/FatPaladin
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/fatpaladinbooks/
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/22517522
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