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I Knitted Together The World
Long Leg: Book II centers around a Gifted burrowing owl who is tasked with delivering the earth elemental Okaraxta’s desperate message to the Guardian Spirit. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
I drew inspiration from one of the stories in my first book, Stories, Legends, and Truths from the Blighted Earth. In that collection of stories, I knitted together the world of the Blighted Earth, covering everything from origin stories to the Blighted Earth’s ‘rules’ and operating concepts to character hierarchies, abilities, and roles. In ‘Last Bastian,’ I tell the story of a Praestean snowshoe hare who serves the Tree Spirit, Quoia; an Earth Elemental whose protectorate encompasses the giant redwood forests in the Sierra Nevada range. In addition to telling Bastian’s story, the purpose was also to educate readers on the Keeper animal’s role and responsibilities as well as the species’ history and lore. I loved writing that story and wanted to ensure one of the series’ main story arcs involved a Praestean as the main character. I wanted to pair this idea with the drama of an unlikely hero being pressed into unconventional service with the fate of the Natural Order on their shoulders. The setting of a second ‘Dust Bowl’ was a no-brainer. In real life, much of the region where Long Leg takes place has been suffering from extended drought and water mismanagement. Furious winds amplified and directed by Corrupted sentients easily turned an environment on the precipice into an ecological catastrophe. With Okaraxta inexorably connected to his meta-environment, he would suffer as the lands and all its life suffer.
Regarding how I arrived at a burrowing owl for Okaraxta’s Praestean, you are probably thinking: Why not a raptor or a wolf? The final choice was the product of both a Keeper ‘selection criteria’ and where the story was taking place. A Keeper must be a native species of the region encompassing the master elemental’s meta’en. Okaraxta presides over the prairies and high plains of the Midwest. Since the purpose of the Keeper animal is to return their elemental’s spirit essence to the Lifestream in the event of their death, they must be a faster species with excellent evasion skills. Finally, since much of the Long Leg story takes place underground, I also wanted an interesting ‘burrowing’ species, and a burrowing owl fit the part perfectly. In fact, the underground aspects of the story also drove the species types of Long Leg’s companions: Khúta, a prairie dog, and Augee, a mole.
How much of the ecological crisis depicted in the book was inspired by real-world environmental challenges?
Sadly, all of it. I have and continue to conduct a lot of research on the impacts of climate change, including the effects of human mismanagement and overconsumption of natural resources. Additionally, I have done quite a bit of research on underlying factors, such as human communities and agricultural practices which are unsustainable and lead to natural habitat loss. Examples include building large metropolitan populations in deserts or growing water-intensive crops in areas prone to extended droughts. The Guardian Spirit, Ithilbor Moonfist, and his struggles with the ravenous wildfires driven by Sentient Wind and Fire in the West illustrate how these real-world challenges are incorporated into the story. That region has been experiencing forest mismanagement and water overconsumption for decades. When you combine that with extended drought and more powerful storms induced by climate change, it is essentially a giant tinder waiting for a match. This is why wildfires are growing bigger, hotter, and more destructive each year while the resources to fight them are dwindling. When I add the Corrupted Formless of wind and fire into the volatile mix, the ecological catastrophe is as inevitable as it is unstoppable.
This level of understanding is an imperative for my writing, because environmental challenges and their impacts are far more than just a backdrop in a world where the Earth is a sentient being and all living things—all Her children—are connected.
Which aspect of the novel was the most difficult to write?
I would have to say the touchpoints on the series’ throughline story arcs were the toughest. These would include Eros and the Mothmen as their role continues to build toward the epic conclusion of the series. There are a ton of technical details that must be thought through and fleshed out when writing about a race of godlike, planet-consuming aliens who exist in the Dark Matter Realm. Also included among these check-ins is Arden, Parim, and STEM’s arc; all of whom are destined to play important roles in the books yet to come. The ‘Interlogue’ chapter, entitled “The Quakening,” was particularly emotional and difficult to write. It ended up being a reflective literary construct for me to process my feelings about the unconscionable things going on in the world: the needless conflicts leading to unnecessary suffering and loss of life; the growing incivility and division in our society; the spread of violent extremism and political violence; etc.
What can we look forward to seeing in the next installment of The Blighted Earth Series?
Oh, it’s going to be fun. The third installment of the series, entitled Fire Moon over the Blighted Earth, picks up where Long Leg left off with some unbelievable twists and turns adding to a suspenseful plot. Some great new protagonists and diabolical antagonists will be thrown into the mix with enduring characters. Readers will gain far more insight into the Corruption process and how nonhuman agents are created to fill the ranks of Chaos’s army. Additionally, there will be further development in the throughline arcs involving Arden, Parim, and STEM as well as those of Eros and the other Mothmen. I am also trying to enlist my twin brother, Vince, to assist with illustrating the novel. Teaming up to make it a family affair will add more visual depth and richness to the book that readers will certainly enjoy.
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Nilch’i, Chaos’s powerful wind sentient, has unleashed a new, more destructive incarnation of the 1930s Dust Bowl across the northern prairies. But the elemental Okaraxta holds a secret that could turn the tide back in favor of the Natural Order. Weakened by the desiccating conditions, Okaraxta reluctantly sends his Keeper animal, Long Leg, on a desperate mission to deliver this vital message to North America’s Guardian Spirit.
Book Two of the Blighted Earth series reshapes our understanding of existence, blending ancient myths and traditional lore with the voices of supernatural beings whose origins trace back to a sentient Earth. You’ll find yourself rooting for the underdog—prairie-born and feathered or furred—as they race to save the world.
In Long Leg by R.M. Tembreull, our world is reimagined as one where all life is connected and our immortal souls pass through many forms. As Earth’s fragile balance teeters on the edge, one creature’s journey reminds us of our place—and our duty—in the great biome of existence.
fúath slugair
Fractured State follows a man entrusted with safeguarding a community of Druids who must navigate a perilous world where reality, mythology, and technology intersect and face relentless threats to survival. What was the inspiration for the original and fascinating idea at the center of the book?
Great question. Fractured State occurs within the world of The Blighted Earth, where humankind is both the planet’s dominant species and ‘the blight.’ Thus, the level of frustration and even disdain for humanity which bleeds through in the narrative leads the reader to question the narrator’s origin and species—High Sentient? Likely, an elemental or Guardian Spirit. For the series, the downstream story arcs were fleshed out first, and I had to map primary story arcs back to Book One to set the stage and create the conditions for what was going to happen later. I needed a great character who captured our species’ duality—flawed and yet possessing great potential; an aspect of the human condition which so vexes the High Sentients. As a combat veteran myself, I am intimately familiar with the challenges and struggles facing many of our military veterans, and as an obscure, religious minority, Druidry presented a likely target for discrimination while also possessing strong ties to nature. Finally, I needed an effective counter to Chaos’s shadow campaign to weaponize human emotion, which spawned the concept of the fúath slugair or ‘Hate-eater’—hence, Arden was born!
I find the world you created in this novel brimming with possibilities. Where did the inspiration for the setting come from and how did it change as you were writing?
To “set the table” for the Blighted Earth series, I needed the right set of conditions for Chaos to exploit in His relentless pursuit to initiate the Great Cascade and bring about the Discordant on Earth. The makings of environmental catastrophe (extended drought, wildfires, natural habitat erosion, human over-settlement, etc.) have been present and worsening for some time, with climate change driving more destructive weather extremes. Additionally, the novel was written during the trials and tribulations we all endured during the COVID pandemic and the unfortunate events in the aftermath of the 2020 Presidential election. When coupled with all the emerging threats, conflicts, and uncertainty which have emerged in last few years, as well as their corresponding negative effects on our collective state of mind and emotions, the real world itself provided all the drama and necessary ingredients for ruinous potential at continental scale. The final step was to inject the enduring struggle of otherworldly entities and supernatural beings into volatile mix—and “voila”—this author had everything he needed to create the “fractured state.” As far as changes during the writing process, extraordinarily little changed in the overall setting in the United States, but local places, encounters, and characters within Arden’s story arc changed as his supernatural powers and the overall impact he was to have in the series gained greater fidelity. These factors then shaped more ‘tactical’ aspects of the novel, such as finding the right settings and locations within the state of Texas.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
I explore several themes in Fractured State, and to me, some of the more important ones are:
- Human belief systems and the huge impacts they have had on the environment and biodiversity of our world: How would things be different if we all adopted the Lakota philosophy of “we are all relatives?” We are the planet’s dominant species, but that does not place us ‘above’ other living things; non-human species are not just resources to be exploited. Humankind’s role obligates us to serve as the Earth’s stewards for the benefit of all life. Taking this concept another huge step further, how would our approach to life and living change if we were all children of a sentient planet?
- The adverse impacts of our technology: Human innovation and the ability to “make tools” to enhance our abilities and our lives has always been a strength, but it also has the negative corollary effects of extending the reach, influence, and power of bad actors. I would go as far as to say that, in many ways, technology is contributing to our “devolution” as a species.
- The rise of incivility in our civilization: The human attributes which enabled our meteoric rise to the top of the food chain—cooperation, communication, community—are being rent apart by divisiveness, corruption, and dishonesty within society. It is like a contagious disease which is fundamentally changing us for the worse and causing us to turn our backs on the things that made us “great.”
- Storytelling, one of humanity’s other great attributes, is also being co-opted to insidious ends: This is nothing new in our relatively short history as a species, but the line between exaggeration and lie has gone from blurred to practically nonexistent. Worse, the power of lies proliferated by influential people has been exponentially magnified by our own technologies.
- The process of radicalization and the rising threat of ‘homegrown’ violent extremists to our American democracy: In a world where life resources are becoming ever more limited and contested, while the gap between the “haves” and “have-nots” continues to grow, the numbers of disenfranchised citizens continue to grow. They are the target population for radicalization, and everything previously mentioned amplifies the ability of extreme actors to make more converts more quickly … and they do not even have to be in the same room, or state, or even in our country!
When will book two be available? Can you give us an idea of where that book will take readers?
Great news: Blighted Earth fans can expect to see Long Leg from the Blight Earth sometime next year. I am pretty far along in knitting together and refining the manuscript from the initial draft. In fact, I actually have the rough drafts completed for the next three books in what is currently planned to be a nine-book series. In terms of Book Two expectations: expect the unexpected! Another story arc begins with a new cast of characters who will have to accept the baton and carry the gripping narrative forward in the Natural Order’s struggle against Chaos and his minions. Where will Book Two take place? Hint: pay careful attention to Parim’s words towards the end of the Fractured State epilogue. Lastly, though it is hard to pick favorites, Book Two is one of the stories I really want to share with the world!
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His objective: initiate the Great Cascade and bring about the Discordant on Earth. His target: North America, where the Chaotic flashpoint within human civilization has occurred…in Texas?
The eternal struggle between order and chaos is an inescapable condition of the universe. Caught in the middle is the delicate balance necessary for life to exist and prosper in our world. On Earth, the opposing sides in this timeless conflict are Earth Mother’s Natural Order and Chaos’s Force Corrupted-the En’Troop-EE. The Great Cascade is underway, and with the High Sentients of the Natural Order reduced and in disarray, there may be no stopping Chaos this time.
In Fractured State by R.M. Tembreull, the reality of existence on Earth is reinterpreted, where all living things are seen as the children of a sentient planet. Our immortal souls are gifts from Earth Mother, and all living beings progress through many lives within the Hierarchy of Sentience. If our world could feel, would this change how you perceive our world?
Fractured State
Fractured State by R.M. Tembreull is a riveting fusion of mythology and dystopia, set in a future America where Texas has seceded and fallen under extremist control. The protagonist, Arden, a distinguished veteran, is tasked with safeguarding a community of Druids known as Hearthstone Grove. Branded as religious deviants by the new Texas republic, Arden and his community must navigate a perilous world where reality, mythology, and technology intersect, facing relentless threats to their survival.
Tembreull’s writing is a tapestry of vivid imagery and intricate world-building. From the very first chapter, the reader is plunged into a narrative that oscillates between the human and the supernatural, the real and the mythic. The prologue, “Purgatorium,” sets the tone with its exploration of a metaphysical state that restricts spiritual growth, offering a powerful metaphor for the constraints facing the characters and, by extension, humanity. Tembreull’s ability to weave together such high-concept ideas with grounded, relatable human experiences is one of the novel’s standout features. One of the novel’s strengths lies in its character development. The characters, both human and otherworldly, are well-crafted and multi-dimensional. The Sentient Winds and Elementals, like Nilch’i and Parim, are not just forces of nature but entities with personal vendettas and deep emotional landscapes. The human characters, such as Kieran McBride, embody the struggles and resilience of those living on the margins of society. This duality is best exemplified in the interactions between the elemental beings and their human counterparts, which are fraught with tension and profound moments of insight. The narrative is rich with lore and exposition, which, while fascinating, can occasionally overwhelm the reader. The detailed descriptions of the universe’s creation and the Inani’s home world, Calisphaer, are particularly dense. While these sections add depth to the story, they also slow down the pacing. Readers who enjoy meticulously crafted worlds will appreciate this attention to detail, but those looking for a more straightforward narrative might find it challenging.
Fractured State is a compelling read for those who enjoy deep, intricate world-building and complex characters. Tembreull’s narrative is both a cautionary tale and an epic fantasy, blending real-world issues with mythic elements to create a story that is as entertaining as it is thought-provoking. This book is highly recommended for fans of speculative fiction and those who appreciate a richly detailed universe that challenges the reader to think critically about the world around them.
Pages: 299 | ASIN : B0D7LRZN75
