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The Reflection Backward
R.L. Dean Author Interview
Greater Things Than Thou is an exciting mix of fantasy and science fiction. What was the inspiration behind this fascinating story?
For me the science-fiction and fantasy element was merely an impetus for the main character’s emotional state. The important element for me is the reflection backward. Old man Patrin spends a lot of time looking back on his life, but more than a summary of events he was involved in we instead get his feelings. Patrin is a person that was never able to move beyond the emotions of his childhood.
Patrin is an intriguing and well developed character. What were some themes you wanted to explore with his character?
The primary theme that runs through Patrin’s life is loss. I think it’s a feeling that we can all relate to, and for the story to be a success it must be relatable to the reader.
There is some deep world building in this book. What were some driving ideals behind the creation of your world?
The world building technique comes from my youth spent playing RPGs. I was always more concerned with the larger picture, because you can paint many stories in it, depending on government, culture, demographics, and so forth. In this our primary setting is the Kingdom of Denion, with roots in a ‘Great Migration’ that took place in the distant past. That past is very important in upcoming novels, because it also explains the origins of the ‘Gift’.
This is book one in the Blood of the Prince series. Where does book two pickup and when will it be available?
Blood of the Prince Book 2: ‘All Things Ruin’ is currently out, at Amazon and Barnes & Noble, and some ancillary sites. It picks up about a week after the end of ‘Greater Things than Thou’ and continues Patrin and Xadik’s mission.
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![Greater Things Than Thou (Blood of the Prince Book 1) by [Dean, R.L.]](https://images-na.ssl-images-amazon.com/images/I/51D99PoGFxL.jpg)
An orphan is told he is meant for greater things …
Gray eyes are the mark of those with the Gift: an inherent ability to connect with otherworldly technology. In a dangerous world filled with thieves and bloodshed, the Gift can change your entire life.
Patrin is one such gifted person, and he knows it’s the only reason he’s alive. As a teenager, rescued from bloodthirsty bandits, Patrin gives his loyalty to Galin, a deposed Crown Prince, promising to help him seize power.
As Galin teaches him about technology, history, and the shifting moralities of man, Patrin must choose where fate will take him. Galin intends for him to assassinate the current king, but Patrin does not know if he can carry out the bloody task.
With the help of new friends and the beautiful Lady Lena, Patrin will have to decide between helping one of the few people who have ever valued him, or forging his own way in a dark and treacherous world.
Greater Things Than Thou
His first memories were of his town burning to the ground. He doesn’t remember his parents or where he lived, only flames, death, and fear. Baler, a mentally unstable ‘king’ to his community of bandits, takes him to raise as his own son. In this bandit camp he is known only as boy. On a raid several years later Galin and Garret save him and give him a real home, hone his skills and give him a name, Patrin. A mix of medieval style living and culture with an alien technology thrown in to add a unique twist to the tale of an exiled king recovering his thrown.
Greater Things than Thou by R. L. Dean is well written with each chapter starting out with a sort of monologue / overview from his perspective as an old man. On the surface the setting and time period is that of medieval style though not from standard Europe. There are clear class systems from farmers to royalty. Most technology, for the non-Gifted, is what you would find in Medieval times, horses, carts and crossbows. The world that R. L. Dean has created involves the addition of an alien technology. This technology allows them to heal at remarkable levels and see things within their mind that no one else can see. It increases their intelligence and augments their bodies based on their individual packages and their jobs. Patrin is trying to destroy all remaining tech to prevent further use of it by anyone. The remainder of the story is his life from a small boy to young adult. I really liked the detail that went into Patrin’s thoughts and how he processed everything. How he adapted to each new situation life throws at him, and the technology that is implanted into his body. He is genuinely a character that wants to see the good and morality in all people and do the right thing. He eludes to his oath to Galin as being the cause of his moral missteps and failings later in life. The reader can get a real feel for the people he develops emotions for, Garret, Serin, Xadik and especially Lena. His relationship with Lena is one of young love, the awkwardness of first loves, and highlights the complications of his life thanks to his oath of loyalty to Galin.
As the first book in the series, Blood of the Prince, it is a great introduction to the main characters and how Patrin gets his start in life. Based on the monologues at the beginning of the chapters, I can tell the rest of this series is going to be full of adventures, plot twists, and action. It is a story about loyalty even to a fault, finding your way, and redemption of character. This is going to be an exciting series to follow.
Pages: 283 | ASIN: B077BVF5HT
LITERARY TITAN 