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It Makes Things More Fascinating
The Last Alignment: Cry of the Scorpions follows five teens that discover their families’ secrets and magical powers they have inherited. What was the inspiration for the setup to your story?
As a kid, the cartoons, shows, books, and movies that I loved the most all had an ensemble and revolved around a team dynamic. I think that’s why I have multiple main characters. I used to love when episodes would focus on different members and it wasn’t all about one experience or perspective. It makes things more fascinating and gives room for a lot of depth and richness.
Which character in the novel do you feel you relate to more and why?
I’d say it’s a toss up between Androse and Natalye. Of the five main characters, they both have an element or two of my personality. I relate to Androse and his introverted nature, and I relate to Natalye and her peace-loving nature.
How long did it take you to imagine, draft, and write the world your characters live in?
I started developing my story when I was fifteen as far as characters, plot points, and things like that. I had journals for each of my five main characters with all sorts of information about them and their families in them. Those journals got destroyed unfortunately, but luckily I had already made word documents for each where I had typed everything up. I didn’t actually start writing the story until I was twenty-one, and my twenty-one-year-old brain scrapped a good bit of what my fifteen-year-old brain thought was good or “cool.” I’m thirty-two now, so over the years I’ve had quite a few drafts, re-writes, revisions, edits, and everything else, but I got there and I’m extremely proud of my first book.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m currently working on the third installment of “The Last Alignment” series. To be honest, this third book has been a challenging ride for various reasons, and I’m particular about my work being true to me, my vision for the story, and my creativity. There is a slight possibility for the end of this year, but I’m more than likely looking at early 2023.
Author Links: GoodReads | Twitter | Instagram
Awbrey and Hudson are the only two of the five who have a pre-existent relationship. On top of being ripped from their lives, dealing with revelations, and being given stations they didn’t ask for, they also have to get to know and learn each other which, for a bunch of sixteen-year-olds, is everything but easy.
The Last Alignment
In The Last Alignment: Cry of the Scorpions, we follow along with five teens as they all come together with their families. Awbrey, Hudson, Androse, Zander, and Natalye discover their family secrets and learn about how their families are connected. The teens not only have to grapple with the new responsibilities placed upon them, but they also must navigate their teen hormones. Learning to work together is challenging as it is, but adding in teen hormones adds a whole new level. Can they learn to work together and get along before their lives are changed completely?
The author, Nathaniel Stewart, did a fantastic job in this first book. It is a quick read but perfectly sets up the story for the second book. The story starts out very strong and makes you want to keep reading. Readers discover that each chapter is from a different character’s point of view. This makes it easy to see how each one feels and reacts to the new situations they are placed in. There was enough information to envision the teens, their families, and their surroundings.
The personalities of the teens are diverse. This will allow readers to find one they can connect with and start building an attachment. Stewart’s writing style is unique as he slightly alters his style for each character, so their individual personalities come out. Being a teenager is hard enough without finding out your family has been keeping secrets from you your whole life and discovering they have magical abilities on top of all that. The author does a great job making them relatable to readers.
The Last Alignment: Cry of the Scorpions is a riveting coming-of-age novel for young adults, those looking for a new fantasy and magic series, and those looking for some action and adventure. This first novel in the series sets readers up for future installments that are sure to be exciting.
Pages: 130 | ASIN : B0092C6XD0
LITERARY TITAN 