Blog Archives
To Bring Depravity In To Life
The Blue Butterfly is the second entry in your thrilling Heroes of Afflatus series. What were some new ideas you wanted to introduce in this book that was different from book one?
In this book, I wanted to play around with elements of gender-neutral language. When I think of fairies, I think of a people type that are difficult to physically distinguish their gender, and I thought, why not? As well, Depravity, in all my books, is a spiritual being bent on making all things unhappy, sad, and depressed. But, in the same breath, Depravity doesn’t just “make” people evil – we all have the ability to bring depravity in to life, just as we all have the power to bring good.
Your characters continue to be compelling and well developed. What were some obstacles you felt were important to defining their character in this book?
The biggest obstacle was what to do with Garon and Carson’s relationship. In the first book Garon finally admitted to himself and others that he was gay and in love with Carson. But, Garon is in a fantasy world, where reality seems a long ways away. So, he comes to the realization that it will come to an end at some point. He doesn’t want it to end, however.
What were some challenges you set for yourself as a writer with this book?
In Star Wars, The Empire Strikes Back, we are given a tale that does not end heroically, rather, it seems like the dark side of the force is fully in power. I wanted to achieve a similar dynamic. But the challenge is, how to create a satisfying ending and climax, but have the reader fully aware that evil is in control at the end? I think I achieved that will a thrilling ending.
What can readers expect in book three of the Heroes of Afflatus series?
At the end of The Blue Butterfly, Depravity reverses the time continuum. In all the other Afflatus adventures, Jared, Avery, and their companions could adventure in Afflatus without fear of time passing in their home dimension. In fact, they could spend weeks in Afflatus without any time passing back home. However, with this reversal, there are consequences they will have to deal with when they return home.
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
A Truth Wizard
Heroes of Afflatus follows a group of friends on a dangerous quest in the land of dwarves to bring peace to the land by recreating the Circle of Trust. What was the inspiration for the setup to this thrilling story?
Initially, my intent for Circle of Trust, was to start a new series in the Afflatus world. I have 3 previously published works told from the perspective of Avery Noble. In Heroes of Afflatus, I changed that perspective to Jared Swagger. But the story unfolded itself, as I watched the political milieu in the United States in Canada, where I saw people who in all rights should have seen what brings them together, versus what drives them apart. As a Canadian watching American news, I was enthralled that people who were similar in so many ways, were so divided in others. And so, as a fantasy author, I thought, what if there was an evil power that thwarting a people’s unity. Thus, Noir and the Molpen were born.
Jared and Avery are intriguing and well developed characters. What were some driving ideals behind their character development?
Jared Swagger and Avery Noble are my main characters, and they have developed over the course of the first three novels. They started as enemies that hated each other, but I found immediately, that they were actually interested in each other, and so Jared eventually asked her out and now they are going steady (this is after numerous adventures in Afflatus together). Initially, the concept of Avery as a Truth Wizard reflects my own journey in understanding the truth about life. I was raised religious, but reality clashed with those beliefs, which is also why I incorporate LGBTQ+ themes in my writing.
I appreciated the depth of the lore in your world. What were some sources that informed the worlds development?
Initially the concept of Deep’en Realm, was an imagination of what Hades might be like. I don’t like the depictions of hell and the afterlife, and so in my imagining of an underworld, I developed this concept of Deep’en Realm. Most of my ideas are sparked from the notion that there can be any number of dimensions or worlds that have their own rules, and are totally foreign to our rules.
This is book one in The Circle of Trust series. What can readers expect in book two?
Book 2 takes our adventurers into the Fairy World, an “sky” world, where your heroes need to prevent Depravity, the evil Lord, from destroying the Blue Butterfly, the last talisman that seals Depravity’s power from entering the palpable world (our earth).
Author Links: Twitter | Facebook | Website
Heroes of Afflatus
The peaceful existence between the factions of Dwarves and Molpens in the Deep’en Kingdom is disrupted by a despicable elemental being. He possesses a Molpen, Militch, and makes him destroy the Circle of Trust, which has kept the dwarves bonded for ages. Avery Noble, the Truth Wizard, is summoned from earth to help salvage the situation. She’s the only one who can restore peace. But things take a sour turn when she goes missing on her mission. Carson, the crown prince of Afflatus gets Avery’s boyfriend and knight, Jared Swagger, to help find her. In a nerve-racking race against time, Carson, Jared, and his friend Garon must rescue Avery in time for her to restore the Circle of Trust and end the war between the Dwarves and Molpens.
Author C.R Endacott’s Circle of Trust is a riveting adventure novel in the fantasy genre that cuts across two worlds –earth and a fictional setting. C.R Endacott plunges readers into the Deep’en Kingdom, where some trees survive on dust and waterfalls heal wounds and replenish people’s energy stores.
Amidst the fast-paced adventure, Endacott slips in relevant themes apart from the clear ones of bravery and camaraderie. The standout ones for me include a message on the rigid expectations society has on how people should live their lives. Also, the book alludes to how the evil we commit is simply a result of unrestrained weaknesses. In other words, the people who perpetrate great evil are those who fail to keep their weaknesses under control. Similarly, good people aren’t absolutely devoid of sinister tendencies. They’ve just kept them on a leash.
I think we all enjoy twists and turns that are shocking enough to make us gasp. But we relish them more when we can recollect previously overlooked hints or clues foreshadowing those twists. That moment where it all makes sense, and we nod our heads or think, “ooh, so that’s why that happened”. Endacott evokes reactions like this by expertly sprinkling clues, which add up when the author finally introduces twists in some of the subplots.
While the book’s subplots had a few twists, I felt the main plot was a little too linear. It could have done with a few pleasant or unpleasant curveballs. In any case, the central conflict was enough to keep me quickly flipping page untill the end.
Circle of Trust is only the first in the Heroes of Afflatus series. This is an excellent start to what is sure to be a thrilling series. If you’re looking to get lost in an otherworldly adventure for a while, you can let C.R Endacott take you on a fantastical ride.
Pages: 108 | ASIN: B08GJZ9XG1
LITERARY TITAN 