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Research-based Imagination
Disciples follows four friends on a journey who are all looking for something different while trying to stop a war. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?
Essentially it was set up by the previous two novels, the concept for which originally came to me in a dream. However, it was certainly inspired by the different areas of life we can allow to limit us. Logan struggles with discerning who he can trust and how you decide, Carla chooses to pursue something she knows is wrong to get her greatest desire, Blessing allows herself to step out of mediocrity and to pursue something where she can be great and Junior, so long reliant on his strength and aura, has to overcome a horrendous injury. I think all of the stories pursue themes and values core to humanity.
Are there any emotions or memories from your own life that you put into your character’s life?
I certainly tap into some of my own flaws and inconsistencies and consider how they might be exacerbated in such extreme circumstances as those my characters face. However, I try to communicate the sense of experience rather than drawing on my own. Very few scenes depicted in my novels (bar two notable exceptions in one chapter) have any basis in fact. Most of what I write is research-based imagination.
What scene in the book did you have the most fun writing?
Ooh, two scenes stand out. I loved writing the scene where the wise-cracking ice dragon Floyd (which stand for Flying Lizard Of Your Doom) embellishes some of his past adventures. The scene in the hospital where Junior is trying to lead sick and injured children to safety while soldiers are hunting for them was a harrowing experience to write about but I’m really proud of how it came out. I like to think showcased the many personalities and behaviours we see in children and people in general.
Can you tell us where the book goes and where we’ll see the characters in the next book?
The book leaves us with each character facing a very different reality. Junior is about to be offered a job that satisfies the ego he tries to hide. Carla finally gets what she most wants but at a huge cost. After great success, Blessing is forced to humble herself to ensure she remains on an upward trajectory. And Logan… well, he’s in big trouble. Sorry about the cliffhanger ending!
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Enter a dystopian future where terrifying creatures of the imagination have driven humanity underground.
The trouble with choosing a side is knowing whether you’ve picked the right one.
The dynamics of The War are changing. Allegiances are shifting. And sometimes, victories behind the scenes matter more than the ones everyone can see.
As the lines between right and wrong, human and Abomination blur, Junior, Blessing, Carla and Logan will each face a choice. It’s time for them to decide where they really stand. After so many betrayals, it’s impossible to know who to trust. And yet, the choices they are compelled to make today will alter the future of the Earth.
But what are they prepared to sacrifice to shape their better world?
Disciples
Carla is looking for the thing she lost, Blessing for who she is, Logan for what to do next, and Junior for who he’s supposed to be. With the characters still reeling from the events of Disruptions, nothing is what it once was or what it was said to be. In T.N. Baldwin’s third installment of the Magicium series, our beloved, rag-tag group of once hesitant adventurers find themselves buried deeper and deeper in the politics of the war they once sought to end. Disciples is an exciting and thrilling story that delves into the root of who the characters are.
Just like the previous books in the series, Disciples does a fantastic job of building off the already-established plot and characters while managing to bring everything to its full potential. Carla, Logan, Blessing, and Junior all have no choice but to step out of their comfort zones in order to grow. I found myself especially interested in Blessing, a character who I haven’t always loved. At times, it felt like I was reading a coming-of-age novel – definitely an interesting choice for the third book in a series but a choice that paid off immensely. It was a joy to watch the characters that I’d already fallen in love with grow into themselves and navigate the conflicts they were forced into, separated as they were.
Disciples kept me interested in everything while not making things too overwhelming. Disciples is a fantastic follow-up to its predecessors and one that I thoroughly enjoyed reading. Action, politics, and adventure – it had everything I wanted out of a fantasy novel while keeping me excited for the inevitable reunion in the next book.
Pages: 485 | ASIN : B08QGQKP2B
Disruptions
T.N. Baldwin is back along with Logan, Carla, Junior, and his full cast of beloved characters in the second book of the Magicium series, Disruptions. Having survived their excursion to Shanghai, the group finds themselves going their separate ways in this action-packed adventure. As each character digs deeper into the world’s mysteries, they’re forced to come face to face with who they are and who they’ll have to be to survive. Loyalties are tested and sometimes betrayed when not everything is as it seems.
Disruptions is an incredible addition to the already fantastical series. Baldwin does a superb job of building off the world and magic systems already established in Discoveries. Where he truly shines through is his willingness to experiment with everything we thought we knew before. Logan and Carla, as magi, are constantly interacting with the world around them in new, engaging, and creative ways while staying within the bounds of what Discoveries built. Just like predecessors, Disruptions isn’t overbearing in its worldbuilding, either. Instead, Baldwin has a way of gently easing his readers into his realm without overwhelming them with information – a skill I’m sure plenty of fantasy readers can appreciate. The one thing I did struggle with was keeping track of the characters. Because Logan, Junior, and Carla are on such different paths, it becomes hard to keep track of everything happening and who everyone is. Other than that, I truly enjoyed reading Disruptions.
Disruptions is a gripping epic fantasy novel with exciting characters and world-building. Like in Discoveries, each character is well thought out and, most importantly, well-written. This series will keep science fiction readers engaged and excited for the next book, as the action and adventure are unpredictable. I can’t wait to see what Baldwin has in store for us in the third installment.
Pages: 671 | ASIN : B08CRKGN35
LITERARY TITAN 