One characteristic common to all six heroes in The Empath and the Soldier is their tendency to remain apart from or outside societal conventions. It’s a major theme running through the novel (and the basis for the name of this series – The Unconventionals). And because these characters come from privileged backgrounds (to varying degrees), their aloofness from society is self-imposed. Coar, the nation that is the setting for the book, is steeped in a culture that values and emphasizes social status. Tyrran, Lena, Ris, Nyri, Trudis, and Adwin find this emphasis to be misplaced. They would rather have society find value in altruism and a concern for others. And it’s for this reason that they refuse to participate in the constant status-climbing maneuvers and games that’s expected of Coarian high society. This societal standoffishness is ultimately what brings all of them together as a group of friends. Each character finds themself drawn to the others not only due to their shared status as outcasts, but also because of their shared values concerning social equality and justice.
What character was the most difficult to develop?
I think I struggled most with the main character, Tyrran. Which is odd because I based him quite a bit on me when I was his age. What I discovered as I wrote his adventures was that I don’t make for a very interesting or inspiring hero, not even in my youth. Eventually, I had to stop basing Tyrran’s actions and reactions on what I would have done in the same position at his age, since at every turn I would have responded in the dullest way possible. I had to give Tyrran a little more courage and confidence, and less sullenness, than I would have had at his age. Yet I still wanted a main character that grapples with fear and self-doubt. I felt like this would be a more relatable hero than one who forges ahead with their quest unburdened by uncertainty. I wanted Tyrran to have a very human reaction to being placed in perilous situations (fear, hesitation, indecision) while at the same time remaining a likeable and interesting hero who moves the plot along. It was not an easy balance to achieve, and I’m still not sure I got it exactly right.
What secondary character would you like to explore more?
I feel like the character of Trudis, Tyrran’s supportive lesbian friend with impressive medical knowledge, got shortchanged in this book. She doesn’t have the big personality that the other secondary characters do, and she can sometimes slip into the background due to her quiet and unassuming nature. The other characters have fairly robust backstories, but all we know about Trudis is that her parents were in the military. In future books, I’d love to explore what growing up in a military household was like for her and the skills she’s learned from that. I’d also like to examine more fully her crush on Nyri.
I also think there’s quite a bit more to develop for the character of Adwin. As Tyrran’s love interest, we get a good glimpse of his personality in the book. But, as with Trudis, we don’t know a whole lot about his family except that they’re Silacian and his parents are bakers. Does he have siblings? What about any friends he left behind in Silacia? I think there’s a lot more we need to find out about Adwin in this series.
Who has been your favorite character to write and why?
Tyrran’s wise-cracking friend Ris was definitely the most fun to write. I based him on my best friend, who always has a snarky or sarcastic quip at the ready. In writing any scene where Ris was present, I knew I’d be able to pepper conversation with biting, witty barbs. I always feel a sort of release in taking on Ris’s personality because I can actually express the kinds of caustic thoughts I keep to myself in real life.
Also, the back and forth between Ris and Nyri, and sometimes between Ris and the other characters, is just the sort of banter that occurs among my friend group. I felt quite at home writing these conversations, and it was fun seeing the group develop a rapport with each other through good-natured teasing.
What was the weirdest thing you had to Google for your story?
I’m not sure how weird this is, but I did a lot of research on how and where people in Regency England (the time period on which much of the book’s setting is based) went to the bathroom. Obviously, Jane Austen and her contemporaries didn’t say much about this aspect of their daily lives, and I’ve always been curious about it. Because I wanted to have a good sense of what life is like for my characters, I thought it might be helpful to at least have in mind how they relieved themselves. I won’t gross everyone out with the details of what I discovered through my research, but suffice to say it was not the most hygienic of times. Ultimately, I included very little on the subject in the book. But if anyone asks, I can provide an answer.
The situation seemed hopeless. But Tyrran couldn’t pretend to be ignorant of the danger and just wait for his home to disintegrate around him.
As a Favored male, Tyrran belongs to a select group of men born with one of the Four Gifts, a blessing usually reserved for women. Quiet, introverted, and filled with self-doubt, Tyrran has always struggled with living up to the responsibilities that come with being Gifted. Still, he had managed to achieve the near impossible — admission to the prestigious Lyceum Institute in Corvit, the Coarian Sovereignty’s bustling capital city. With this success, Tyrran’s future seems clear: the best education, a position in a Temple, and, one day, marriage to a young man of good fortune.
That is, until sinister forces intervene to shove him down a much bleaker path. Tyrran’s plans are thrown into upheaval when a deadly attack reveals the existence of an insidious evil festering within the ranks of the Sovereignty’s elite.
Now, he must use the privileges afforded him as a Lyceum student to uncover the secrets of a corrupt government. Targeted by relentless assassins and trying to ignore his growing attachment to the handsome exchange student Adwin, Tyrran must gather trustworthy allies to face the dangers that threaten to tear apart his nation and his home.
Bridgerton meets The Magicians in this fantasy novel about the importance of confidence and the strength of friendship.
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Tyrran had always suspected that the Silacian reputation for beauty was exaggerated, stemming from the inferiority complex Coarians held towards Silacians, whose empire was much larger, wealthier, and more advanced than the Sovereignty. But if Nyri and this man were any indication, then their reputed good looks were understated if anything.
“Good morning, soldier,” the man said, addressing Lena as he wiped water from his face with his hands. He spoke the Common Tongue with a sophisticated accent that sounded very similar to Nyri’s.
“Good morning, Adwin,” Lena replied, looking puzzled. “Did you, uh, fall in the pond?”
“Not at all. I was just going for a morning swim.” He smiled as if it was the most natural thing in the world.
“In public? In the middle of campus?”
“But of course. This appears to be the closest body of water to our college. However, by your expressions, I assume Coarian notions of decorum discourage public bathing. I did swim wearing my tights, since I know public nudity is frowned upon.”
He may as well have removed them, for what little use they were in covering his nudity. The material clung to his skin, revealing bulging leg muscles as well as other bulges that Tyrran was making a concerted effort not to stare at.
“We do tend to prefer bathing in secluded areas,” Lena said. “Spaces set aside for bathing. Like the bathhouse next to the Barracks House, for instance.”
“I did try the bathhouse, but the water is heated. Quite uncomfortable on a warm day like today. Do you suppose I shall be sent packing back to Silacia for this breach of conduct?” An impudent grin spread across his face.
“It’s early enough that I’m sure no one but us has seen you. Though I do suggest you put the rest of your clothes back on soon. Where are they, by the by?”
“My clothes? I left them further down the trail. In truth, I was swimming about the pond for exercise rather than for bathing, then I saw the two of you and thought to come greet you. And now I think I have finished with swimming. Would you mind accompanying me to fetch my clothes?”
Tyrran could see that Lena was annoyed by the request and had every intention of replying in the negative. But Tyrran didn’t want Adwin to be offended, so he quickly spoke up.
“We would be happy to.”
That earned him an evil look from Lena.
Adwin offered his arm to Tyrran. “Adwin Mekalbe, at your service.”
Tyrran grasped his forearm, “Tyrran Kens, at yours,” he replied, trying to keep his voice from squeaking.
“I assume you do not attend the Military College,” Adwin continued, as the three of them resumed walking along the trail.
“No, I’m at Roothe College. Lena and I are friends from Temple Academy.”
“Ah, yes. In Hifield City. I am truly sorry about the attacks. I do hope you were not directly affected.”
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