I’m not going to get into spoilers and share one of the few Legends of Windemere things that I’ve kept off my blog. The topic here is characters who are high-powered, but don’t use them to the fullest due to their personality.
This stems from a comment made a while back about Luke Callindor. It was pointed out that he is a lot weaker than Nyx and Sari, which made him a poor hero. Hard to argue since man with swords is technically weaker than woman with massive fireballs and woman with control over water. By the time, the one using sharp objects gets to the bad guy, the damage has been done. Makes me think Cyclops from the X-Men is playing a long game of ‘boost Wolverine’s self-esteem’ since he could probably end most of the fights before the little guy gets within slashing range. Anyway, this is a point that one can make when comparing pure damage output and power levels of characters. Luke wasn’t designed for decimating an army single-handedly. He’s speed, courage, and reflexes that take more time to defeat an enemy. Even with the powers he gains, he has no large area attacks or anything that he can do from range. Unlike Nyx and Sari, Luke has to be in the thick of the fight and working his way through enemies one by one.
This does bring up the question of the powers he gains and what use they are. I’ve had one or two people say that he gets lame abilities because they aren’t at the same scale as the other champions. Or are they? Without going into details, Luke’s champion abilities are amazingly versatile and flexible. He could become a pillar of destruction if he wanted to and I had a few pieces of his powers that were geared toward that. So the potential for the high damaged uber hero is there. Unfortunately, they might never make it into the book because of a severe flaw.
That flaw is Luke himself. As he’s grown through the story, I’ve noticed that he simply doesn’t care about the power side of being a champion. He uses what he has, but always falls back to his swords and courage. When it is revealed that he could gain full power by sacrificing a friend, I fully intended for him to do it. Then he didn’t because that wouldn’t make sense for him. A person or two complained about the decision, but I think this is revealing that some readers only look at a character’s skills. They don’t always factor in if a hero will actually reach for that next level. Maybe the cost is too high or the character has some fear about wielding such destructive abilities. Luke has shifted himself into the category of ‘hero with power who restrains himself’. Like how Spider-Man pulls his punches half the time or Goku fights with weighted clothing. Not always the same reasoning, but it’s similar in that they hold back.
Will there be a time where Luke unleashes everything he has? I hope so and think it’s better that way. With every other champion accepting their powers and pushing themselves to the next level, it’s interesting to see what will happen to the one that keeps himself behind. As an author, it’s kind of nice to have this potential explosion in my back pocket to be brought out at the most opportune moment. Gives me something to work the character toward.
Continuing The Merchant of Nevra Coil teasers, this is one of the newer regions that the champions will be seeing. Called Everthorne, this is the northern Sister City and sits in a very difficult region. A briar forest to the south, icy expanses to the east, swamplands to the west, and a craggy shore to the north. Yet, it sits in a comfortable weather zone. It has a lot of trouble though, which you’ll get to see more of in the book once it’s released.
I’ve been doing some thinking about heroes and their reputations. Mostly how I work with them in my books. I’ve always found it interesting when a character considers the long term affect of their adventures. Even if they don’t think about it, I do enjoy showing how they go from unknown to known or how their past comes up in the present. To me, it feels like this gives more impact to their actions, especially in fantasy where the adventures tend to be rather lofty. There are two characters specifically that caused this thought and inevitable question.
One is Ichabod Brookswho starts his adventure with an in-depth reputation. This comes after years of taking on dangerous jobs, so it’s been earned. Something about working with a character that already has a past is fun. You can to see him react to people knowing him, which can open up personalities that you don’t get from a new hero. In Ichabod’s case, it’s one that has been altered by bard tales. That gives me some humorous conversations and misunderstandings to play with. On the serious side, it gives more credence to a character’s abilities since he or she has been doing things for years. Guess it also helps that Ichabod is older than the other side of this coin.
That would be Luke Callindor, especially in Beginning of a Hero. He starts as a relatively unknown since it’s his last name and family reputation that precedes him instead of his own deeds. This is why he starts off rather obsessed with cutting his teeth on a first adventure. Unlike coming in with an established reputation, the readers get to see how Luke’s legend is forged. There’s no embellishments or missing parts like you would get from a character like Ichabod. You witness the failures and backtracks instead of only getting the victories, which can be good and bad. The good is that you establish a closer connection of growth. The bad is that some readers don’t like seeing the failure and immature side of a blossoming hero. Is this better or worse? Neither because it’s simply different.
So, what do you think about fictional heroes and their reputations? Not only to the reader, but their reputations within their own world?
I love infographics. How many times have I said that on here? They are fantastic. Quick, fun, and reliable, I’ve always had a good time seeing stats unfolded on a beautiful display for all to see, and this one is no exception. As writers, we are often way too hard on ourselves, and I know I worry about how I’m spending my time in regards to my writing career. Heck, even though I started at 16, I’ve been feeling down about turning 24 and waiting for my release dates to get back into the market. This infographic is sure to stop that sort of worry in its tracks. Today, thanks to Essaymama, we get to see where our favorite writers started, some as young as 13, others as late as 65.
It’s Never Too Late To Start Writing Your Best Seller by Essay Mama
