Wednesday, October 29, 2014

You're My Favorite Ever!

The question I am blogging an answer to today is: "Who are your favorite Goldstone Wood Characters?"

This question makes me think of my relationship with my kindle of kitties. Every one of my six cats loves to take a turn sitting in my lap, purring sweetly while I pet him/her and croon, "You are my favorite kitty ever. Only you. None of the other kitties even matter to me."

Rohan tells me I'm being a bit faithless and misleading . . . but the kitties all believe it. Absolutely. Implicitly. And the truth is, while a particular kitty is in my lap, she/he probably is my favorite kitty! Save where husbands are concerned , I'm pretty flexible when it comes to favorites. (When I tell Rohan he's my favorite husband, he scoffs, "Well it's not like I've got much competition!")

The same is true for my characters. Whoever I'm writing at the time tends to be my favorite character ever. Only that character. None of the other characters even matter to me.

And this isn't at all a bad perspective to use when all is said and done! This way, every character and every character's storyline feels important to the reader as well. However, for the sake of the reader who asked this question, I will try to pinpoint a couple of key favorites!

First and foremost . . . Eanrin. I mean, really. "He's my favorite kitty ever!"

But seriously, Eanrin is just an extremely interesting character to write, not to mention tremendously fun. I've been writing about him since I was in high school, so I feel I know him rather well. That being said, he often surprises me with the twists and turns of his character and personality, not to mention the dramatic events of his life. The story of how he lost his eyes came as quite a shock to me. I wasn't planning it when it happened, and it completely altered so much of where I was going with the series . . . but I also knew I couldn't back down once it happened, and it was subsequently incorporated into the rest of the series (including Heartless, which I had drafted with a non-blind Eanrin a year or so earlier). His reactions to that traumatic event were also very interesting to watch and continue to be so through the more contemporary story lines (such as Moonblood).

And, of course, the ongoing relationship and dynamic between him and Dame Imraldera is the stuff of epics. Or at least it's very juicy storytelling, and I enjoy pitting the two of them against each other, so to speak.

Eanrin has developed quite a lot over the last several years. I wrote Starflower soon after marrying my Rohan, and I know my husband had a profound influence on the evolution of that character. Not that Eanrin is modeled on Rohan--he really isn't. But they do rather reflect one another pretty often. (And Rohan says that I'm like Imraldera, all earnest and serious and a bit sharp-tempered at times, with a tendency to fall in love with any poor creature that crosses my path, the dirtier and more flea-bitten the better. So I guess there's a bit of "writing what I know" going on in that relationship!)

Another character who jumps to mind as a favorite right now is Masayi Sairu, the heroine of my upcoming Golden Daughter. Sairu was one of those characters who just danced out of my imagination so fully-fleshed-out and fascinating, it was impossible not to love her! She was almost the opposite of what you'd expect from a character in her role--the deadly, mysterious, highly-trained body guard. She should be all seriousness and mystique, right? But Sairu can hardly keep the smile off her face, has a soft spot in her heart for fluffy things, and boasts quite a potent maternal instinct. She is also a surprisingly damaged person, though the extent and nature of that damage are not readily apparent.

Sairu was an absolute blast to write, and I miss her already as I move forward into the next novel.

And, interestingly enough, just like Eanrin reminds me quite a lot of my husband, so Sairu reminds me hugely of my best friend. Are we noticing a trend here?

I really love my struggling Prince Lionheart as well. I loved him even as far back as Heartless, and I distinctly remember stalling out partway through writing the first draft of that story because I wanted so badly for him to come through and be a hero by the end! But he couldn't be. That wasn't who he was, and I had to write the character true. But I loved him anyway and was eager to pursue his storyline through Veiled Rose and Moonblood . . . not to mention revisiting him in Shadow Hand. He is a character full of turmoil and drama, but he really is quite lovable. I hope to write quite a few more books about him in time to come! (At least two more, but we'll see . . .)

Let me see, I'll pick just one more . . . .

I really loved writing Nidawi the Everblooming! She was an absolute riot and ever so much fun to play with. She is a wonderful blend of Faerie madness and tragedy, innocence and sensuality, kindness and cruelty. There is nothing predictable about her; she is completely herself. The character incorporates the "triune goddess" motif of classical mythology--the maiden, mother, and crone. All at the same time, which is just bizarre and wonderful to write. While being a completely original character, she has a strong classic sense about her. It's not difficult to believe she came right out of The Golden Bough or some other tome of mythology and legend. She was an experiment and a tremendously fun one. I don't know if I will ever enjoy a character quite the same way again (though I can always hope!).

Anyway, I could keep going for quite some time, but I'll stop there. Who are some of YOUR favorite Goldstone Wood characters?

36 comments:

Savannah Jezowski said...

I like Mouse. :)

Susan Skylark said...

I have to confess that after reading "Heartless," I found Lionheart a far more interesting character than Una, scoundrel though he was and rather a minor villain at that. I'm glad you have more plans for him; I love your stories and impatiently await more!

Hayden said...

I have to admit that Eanrin has always been my favorite, all the way back to Heartless, before I even knew about any of the other books in the series. :)

I'm really looking forward to reading Golden Daughter and meeting Masayi Sairu! She sounds very much like a character I would like :)

Unknown said...

I do rather love Eanrin. But I believe Imrealdera is my favorite. Ever since Heartless I loved her nurturing nature and strong character. But I also like Arthur for his courage in Dragonwitch. And Rosie for her love for Leo. Ah! Maybe I don't have a true favorite since almost every character has something I admire. I look forward to meeting Nadiwi and Sauri!

Hannah said...

Ah! Eanrin of course! He's always been my favorite.

But Sairu is definitely my favorite female character now. And Jovann has made a strong case for my favorite mortal male.

And I shall always have a deep adoration and admiration of Etanun, who I loved even in Leo's childhood story.

Clara said...

Eanrin, forever and always!

But Leo has always been my second-favorite, and Una as well :)

Gracie said...

It's really hard to decide, because I like many! But I do have to say Eanrin is one of my tops! But I think it would be rather annoying if he was real and came to life! So I just like to read about him. Alistar is also a favorite, his relationship with mouse was super cute! And of course you can't like Eanrin without Imraldera, she is probably the one I would want to be the most like.

So many characters! Can't decide!

Anonymous said...

Eanrin is just too adorable. He is OF COURSE my favorite, with Imraldera close second and Rose Red third.
-Sarah Grace

Anonymous said...

My favorite character is Eanrin, but Imraldera and Eanrin together surpasses that. They're so entertaining together!

A quick question ...

Will we see Eanrin and Imraldera finally have a happy resolution in their personal relationship at some point?

Yes, the dynamics would change, but I think it would make them very happy -- okay, ME happy :) -- to see them married.

- Heather

Unknown said...

I have to say my favorite are Varvare, Lionheart and Eanrin.

Anonymous said...

This is a tough question, since I know I must limit my answers...

When I started the series with Heartless, my favourite character was Lionheart. He was just so interesting, so funny- and what an introduction he had!

Continuing the series with RoseRed and MoonBlood I found favourites in Rosie and Beana. They share the spot on the top of the list. I love their humility and good sense.

With the latest book I read, Dragonwitch, the best parts were usually with the Chronicler.
"The Chronicler said nothing. But he said it with such finality that Alistair sighed, knowing he'd lost the fight, and turned back to the book."

Tracey Dyck said...

Whoo, boy. I don't know if I can pick! Eanrin is a DEFINITE favorite of mine. I loved Lionheart's story, especially at the end of Moonblood. Felix is adorable. Una and Rosie are both so lovable... as are Imraldera, Mouse the Chronicler, Foxbrush...okay, ALL the main characters! But many of these have already been mentioned by others, so I'll also mention that I love the sylphs, Ragniprava, Mousehand, Death-in-Life and Life-in-Death, and the Duchess (I think she was a duchess...I'm drawing an unfortunate blank). I guess I should stop now, otherwise I'd rattle off the entire cast! :D I don't think there's a single character that I *don't* like.

Meredith said...

I love every character in this series because they are all so dynamic. I love Eanrin who drew me into the series because of his blindness. It sounds strange saying that, I suppose, but that's truly what attracted me to the series. I'd read a Publisher's Weekly review that mentioned a blind cat/knight and was immediately intrigued. Truthfully, if I hadn't seen that review and the mentioning of him, I probably wouldn't have commissioned Heartless to be transcribed. Boy am I glad I did! There are so few fantasy books with blind protagonists. I love that what might be perceived as a handicap by others does not seem to bother Eanrin in the slightest. I mean, he wields a sword! His humor is so endearing as is his kindness. No matter how he tries to mask it, his heart is golden beneath the trappings.
I have to say that Varvare is my favorite female character thus far. Her loyalty, vulnerability and courage is so very beautiful.
And, this might sound cliche, but Aethelbald,/Eshkhan/Lumil Eliasul. He's so very vivid and enthralling everytime he makes an appearance. In each book, I'm holding my breath, waiting to see what form he'll take or what he'll do to help the other characters. I know he's not meant to be a Christ figure, but I cannot help but think of God when I read about him. His character points me to Scripture, and that's what is so beautiful about him.

You are making me so excited about Golden Daughter's release! Waiting is so hard!

God bless you.

Hannah C. said...

Eanrin and Imraldera have to be my favorites of course! Followed closely by Lionheart...Felix...Rosie...all of the protagonists from the books... there are so many good characters to choose from! And after spending so much time reading about them, it's pretty hard not to fall in love with them by the end of their main book!

Anonymous said...

My favourite characters are Eanrin, Leo and Rosie. I love em lots

Jemma

PS is the maiden mother crone thing what Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax are always going on about?

Micailah said...

My favorites characters are: Eanrin, Felix, and Prince Athelbald. But it's so hard to choose! I have been wondering for awhile now how it was that Eanrin came to be blind. Will we be told of his story soon or sometime in the fare future?:)

Anne Elisabeth Stengl said...

@Jemma--Yes, Sir Terry Pratchett is a real student of mythology and literature, so he drops all kinds of wonderful literary references like that. Nanny Ogg and Granny Weatherwax serve as the mother and crone respectively, and Magrat is their maiden (up until she goes and gets married, spoiling everything! LOL.) Then they have to go on the hunt for a new maiden to complete their trio. It's funny even if you don't know the mythology, but it's just that much funnier when you do. :)

For the rest of you who asked me questions--specifically those pertaining to Eanrin and Imraldera and Eanrin losing his eyes--I will save your questions for future Q&A blog posts. Keep in mind that I can reveal no spoilers, however! :)

Thanks for all the enthusiastic answers. It's wonderful to see the love for all of these characters I love so much. Makes me that much more eager to write on!

Unknown said...

Actually, my answers to this are going to be quite different from what is expected. And honest opinion. Aethelbald in all his forms is hands down the bestest most awesome character ever. Period.

Eanrin and Imraldera still very much entertain me and writing them, even in fanfiction, is a blast. But after Shadow Hand, my poor sour sarcastic single heart got tired of waiting for a satisfying conclusion, especially after what, in my mind, was God saying "No, I don't want you to be together and Imraldera will be single and alone forever." So I quite honestly gave up.

As for Lionheart, from his very first appearance, I hated him. I hated his guts. He's a guy, after all. And that's how I saw him.(<<frequently bitter perception of immature "men"). Veiled Rose made me hate him more, and Moonblood hardly did anything to make it better, save Lionheart and Eanrin's bout with Ragniprava, which was absolutely hysterical. It wasn't until Shadow Hand that I began to truly hate him less. Granted, I still don't fully love his character, but it's a big step in the right direction. He was never really a villain, always just a minor antagonist, so his slow redemption didn't leave as much of an impact on me until he actually became distinctly less of a jerkwad.

Daylily, however, did present herself as a villain, and her redemption arc really swept me away. I loved it. I hated her too, at first, then Shadow Hand came around and things hit home, and I adore her. Some of Shadow Hand is still hard to read emotionally, but I do love her. Meaning there is definitely further hope for my regards for Lionheart.

Speaking of Shadow Hand, Foxbrush is definitely one of my favorites. Being a super awkward nerd-type myself, I not only found myself identifying with him, but really loving him for his steadfast spirit amid his fear and awkwardness.

Felix. Felix Felix Felix. He started out goofy and somewhat of an adorable pest, but to see him transform into a (adorably naive) swashbuckling hero...that was awesome and I adore him.

Lastly, I actually really like Akilun. I'm not really into the ruggedly handsome and frequently sought after characters like Etanun (-cough- or Aragorn -cough-). I prefer Akilun, who strikes me more of a Faramir-type character. Akilun's lantern is kind of always there even though he fades into Etanun's shadow a little bit. I kind of really identify with being regarded as invisible or being overshadowed, and Akilun's adorable gentle, kind nature, even though we only see it a little, really stole my little heart.

I'm a total sucker for minor or unpopular characters, so there are a few who don't even have names yet that really intrigue me, especially if my creative artist juices are enthralled by the design in my head. (Nidawi, for one, is horrendously entertaining and obsessively complicated to draw, but her unpredictable nature can make my head hurt. ;) )

By no means do I hate the ever-living guts out of any of the characters in a general sense, because I love the series so much, but in my mind, those mentioned that I really love are kind of a best-of-the-best in my opinion.

Note: Entire above post must be read with chipper geeking-out voice. :)

Blessings!
Melanie

Unknown said...

...and Una! Totally forgot Una. Shame upon me! I love her to death!

Meredith said...

To Melanie J:

Love, love your comments. Sounds like we both like the same characters. I actually always liked Foxbrush and knew there had to be more to him than first appeared. As for Akilun: Absolutely adore his character even if we haven't heard much from him yet. Perhaps Draven's Light might let him take center stage a bit. In fact, I like him so much I wanted him to have someone who loved him, so I actually wrote a fan fiction peace after reading Dragonwitch that dealt with him called Clipped Wings.
And, I agree, Aethelbald is the best!

God bless you.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl said...

I think you Akilun-lovers will really enjoy DRAVEN'S LIGHT. Akilun definitely gets more page time in that story than he ever has before! :)

ghost ryter said...

Eanrin, obviously. And Leta/Beana, Felix, Foxbrush, Una, Akilun, Rosie ... pretty much everyone. Although I'm not sure I have much patience for Imraldera after having read "Shadow Hand". : (

Akilun is in "Draven's Light"?? *delighted and slightly crazy laugh*
Speaking of "Draven's Light", will it have illustrations? The ones in "Goddess Tithe" were so wonderful.

Anne Elisabeth Stengl said...

@Ghosty - Sadly I don't have time in my writing schedule to allow for illustrations this year. :( DRAVEN'S LIGHT is a longer story than GODDESS TITHE, though--really more of a short novel than a novella. So hopefully that will make up for it! I'm glad you enjoyed the illustrations in GODDESS TITHE.

Also, just so you dear Imps know, there are more Ladies of Aiven throughout the history of the world! Beana might not actually be Leta . . . (Whose True Love was definitely the Chronicler, not Oeric!) Leta has an ongoing influence through history, but you might all end up a little surprised who Beana turns out to be . . . and how the mysterious "Lady of Aiven" becomes an important figure . . . ;)

The impatience with Imraldera makes me a little sad. Personally, I feel she has every right to turn down Eanrin's advances if she doesn't feel that way in return. She's not obliged to love someone, and she didn't lead him on. It's very sad, of course, (we all want them to end up together, me included!) but I certainly wouldn't say she's "at fault" in that situation. (If I were to be mad at anyone, I might be a LITTLE irked at Eanrin, who stole a kiss without permission. Not his most gentlemanly moment!) Just a thought . . .

Maybe this will be a topic worth discussing at the upcoming Nov. 10 chat party? Would be interesting to hear people's thoughts on that situation!

Blue said...

Meredith and Melanie J,

I'm happy to see that others enjoy reading about Akilun and Foxbrush as well! I tend to like the wise and/or academic characters best.

Also,
I hope to read more about the ladies (plural!) of Aiven.

Unknown said...

Oh, Lights Above! I have to pick? Oh, they're all so wonderful!

OK, my absolute favorite is... The Prince of Farthestshore! He's such a strong Christ-figure. I always love to read more about him. :-)

Of course, Una makes my favorite list, too!

Nidawi the Everblooming also is one of my favorites. Do you want to know just how much of a favorite she is? I named my platty (a type of fish) after her. Nidawi the Everbubbling! I have pics of her on my Facebook page. The other one, my betta, is Mherking.

Despite Lionheart not being one of my ABSOLUTE favorites, I'll mention him anyways, since I've nicknamed my dog Lionheart. The reason for that is that he's scared of EVERYTHING. The vacuum, the hairdrier, his dog dishes.... So it's mostly a sarcastic nickname, but it's appropriate so far as Heartless, Veiled Rose, and Moonblood are concerned. I still like his character, though. :-)

And then there's Sir Eanrin! (You just knew that he would be on my list, didn't you?) He's such a dragon-eaten cat! I would probably slap him or tell him off if I were to meet him on the street, but he's one of my favorites nonetheless!

And then there's Dame Imraldera! (I'm dreadfully predictable, aren't I?) She's so firm and gentle, but she still has her flaws.

And then there's Florien and Leta! And Alistair and Sight of Day! And their platoon of children! Lark, Wolfsbane, and dragon's teeth, I can't remember the other ones! But they are all so adorable!

Of course, there are some sadder characters that are on my list too.... Like Diarmid.... And Corgar.... :-( *Sigh.* I'm so sad for both of those two. We know about Diarmid's end. But I hope to find that Corgar's story will become a bit more hopeful in Goblin Son.

So I really love all of the characters! (Maybe except for Gleamdren, but I'm fond of even her in a generally irritated sort of way.) I could honestly go through pretty much all of the characters in the series, because they're so good! Thank you for such a wonderful series, Anne Elisabeth!

Tracey Dyck said...

I don't feel impatient with Imraldera. In fact, I think her response to Eanrin is perfectly human. She's spent so terribly long copying out those dragon-eaten poems about Gleamdren, secretly liking Eanrin yet receiving nothing in return... And then he turns around, confesses his love and kisses her! Of course she can't trust him with her heart yet. (It didn't help matters that Sun Eagle showed up, either, rekindling old feelings.) I know it's taking her and Eanrin a long time to find their happy ending, but I think it's really good this way; their story deserves a longer and dramatic unfolding. It's all the more satisfying. Both Imraldera and Eanrin are flawed. Their journey together involves many stumbles, unspoken words, and bad timing. But when they do finally find their way, it will be incredibly glorious! I say you're doing a great job on their relationship, Ms. Stengl. :)

Sara said...

Oh, wow. Where to begin?

Well, obviously with Eanrin. He is my fave Goldstone Wood character (I know, I'm so original!) and is tied with Eugenides (Queen's Thief series) for fave fictional character ever. I especially loved seeing his character growth in Starflower. Also, I'm a cat lover, so...there you go.

Imraldera has also been a favorite from the beginning.

I'm glad you had such fun writing Nidawi, because she is certainly fun to read about! ("I will REND you!") The scenes with her and Foxbrush are hysterical.

I could go on and on, but I'll just mention a few others...Felix, Oeric, and Queen Bebo. Also, I don't know if Cren Cru counts as a character per se, but I think it's one of the most fascinating "villains."

Berea Victoria said...

Okay. Eanrin, obviously. Because cats. And also because in every scene with him I'm laughing my eyes out (whoops) or holding my breath or squishing my cheeks. Rosie and Imraldera also are my absolute favorites. I just love them so much. They always make me cry. I love how Eanrin has his blindness (I'm really scared to find out how that happens) and Imraldera had her muteness, and Rosie had her appearance. It's just so diverse and amazing.

Sara said...

Also, on the subject of Eanrin/Imraldera...I confess I did get a little upset with her in Shadow Hand. It took so much courage for Eanrin to speak up! But in Imraldera's defense, his timing really was abominable! She had more than enough to deal with just then without that complication. Anyway, I still have hope :) And she is still my second-favorite character!

Meredith said...

Sorry to keep commenting. Just have to defend Imraldera a bit. WARNING: Spoilers ahead, so if you haven't read Shadow Hand, please don't read further!
I think we should remember that Imraldera is truly torn between two worlds. She sacrifices so much for her people, so when someone from her past comes back into her life, it is, in my mind, completely understandable that she reacts as she does. We as readers know that Sun Eagle has chosen a dark path, but she does not at the very beginning. Like all of us, she reacts on her own without consulting her lord. If we're honest, I think we'll be patient with her.
And, Sun Eagle? Oh, my! I was heartbroken. Absolutely heartbroken. But, I'm hoping that that meeting Lionheart had with him in Moonblood might mean that he was releasing Starflower from her promise. For him, he is still searching for a beast to slay, but his returning of her name marker might, I hope, be a clue that he still has a vestige of kindness within him. He knows she's not his. I might be reading this all wrong. I don't know, but I'm not giving up hope for him. He's too complex to simply be labeled as a complete villain.

Deborah O'Carroll said...

Apparently I'm a bit in the minority, but my favorite (though I've only read Heartless, so there's that) is Aethelbald. He's absolutely awesome, I love him to bits! Not really because he's a Christ-like figure (I sometimes like that and other times am annoyed because I want there to be characters who just ARE heroes and don't have to be allegorical or anything; I don't know if that's the intent, but I've heard SO many people say he's supposed to be like Christ and someone even asked me if my characters who "don't have flaws" are supposed to be like allegories of Christ and I'm like NO THEY'RE JUST GOOD PEOPLE AND HEROES OKAY) Anyways I don't know how I got off on that, sorry. O_O But Aethelbald is my favoritest of all and whenever people are all "Eanrin and Lionheart!" I'm like "yeah, I like them, but what about Aethelbald, he's the best!" XD

Also that's hilarious about the cats. They're so trusting, eh? XD Fortunately my cat knows she's the only one I love, so she doesn't have to worry. ;)

Anonymous said...

Ahh! People are impatient with Imraldera?! I see no reason why! Tbh, I was a tad bit upset at that part because Eanrin is just so emotional that I just...augh. But then I read it again, doggy paged it, read it again and again and again and realized it made for a very good bit of reading. It was dramatic. It was full of emotion. And it made me feel for both characters. So in terms of whether or not I was impatient with her, well, I wasn't. She was perfectly human. Oh, I wanna go reread it now!
-Sarah Grace

Hannah said...

I'm perfectly content reading each book and seeing what happens with Eanrin and Imraldera. You, Anne Elisabeth, are one of the few authors who I trust to carry my heart through the thick and thin. ;)

Yeah, I remember my initial reaction to THAT scene wasn't against Imraldera, but Eanrin. "Excuse me, Eanrin," I thought, "you don't just pop in and kiss a girl without her leave." But then I quickly forgave him, because he wasn't mean about it, just desperate. Poor Eanrin. Poor Imraldera.

Unknown said...

Left for a few hours to actually hang out with friends, and I come back and I'm totally swept away! So awesome to see I'm not the only one who loves the forgotten characters! :D Meredith, ghost, Blue, Natasha, Deborah, yeah! Party for the forgotten folk! :P

Akilun is in Draven's Light?!?!? -FLAILS HYSTERICALLY-

GAHH Natasha, you just HAD to mention Diarmid, didn't you? -WAILS-

I don't know about anybody else, but I thought Imraldera's reactions were perfectly applicable. Years ago when my best guyfriend literally confessed his love to me out of the blue, I forgot every word to every language I knew for a good three minutes! Then I took a week to actually give him an answer.

So even though we as readers know how Eanrin feels the entire time, she's had to live with him being contradictory and uncomfortably vague and downright frustrating with their relationship and what it even is. So after the end of Shadow Hand throwing another confusing and contradictory wrench into whatever she thinks his feelings are, it's easy to see why she seems so bitter and even just "done" by the time Moonblood rolls around.

All her reactions and his insecurities and masks and outbursts of emotion are understandable. It's the very end of Shadow Hand that drove me nuts. Coming from a perspective of looking forward to meeting your husband when everyone else in the world says he doesn't exist or he's already married, the end was quite unsettling. For Aethelbald to forcibly split them apart, even if it's just "until so-and-so has this much character development", it read to me as God intentionally separating two people who should obviously be together, and their dynamic has been building for so long...well, what was left of my hope got quashed and it somehow became the idea that Imraldera would always be alone forever because Aethelbald didn't want to give her to ever have anyone or something.

Twisted mindset, I know, but it left me with no patience for a satisfying conclusion because I came to believe that, because it had taken so long and this is where we were left, there was never going to be one. So as far as that's concerned, I've given up, even though I still love to read the interactions between them, as they are hysterical and the dynamic is fantastic. I've just come to look at them as really close partners/best friends that could have been something more, but I no longer have my hopes up.

Unknown said...

Now Deborah, I totally feel you. But I love Aethelbald's Christ-like character specifically because he is what Christ is TO ME personally. He's the steadfast quiet protective strength of a fierce lover that he is to Una, he's the comforting father-figure that he is to Rosie, he's the challenging understanding friend to confide in that he is to Eanrin, he's the compassionate loving brother that he is to Imraldera, he's the unyielding conscience that he is to Lionheart, he's the liberating kindred spirit to Daylily, etc, so on and so forth. Basically, when I read the books, Heartless especially, I hear God through Aethelbald in all his forms speaking to me personally about different aspects of my life. So you don't have to think of him necessarily as the token Christ character, but as a conduit for God to use at his discretion to speak to you.

Also, even Aethelbald is what I refer to as a fractured allegory. All good things were originally parts of God, he's the source, so different characters and character dynamics can inhabit different parts of God. I definitely agree that having other people point out the token "Christ characters" all the time can be exhausting, but perhaps you can encourage people to notice and appreciate the aspects of your characters that God shares but also encourage them to recognize where the similarities end. Encourage them to relate to the pieces or "fractured" allegories of the characters that resemble God without labeling that character as the token "Christ character". Man, I hope I made sense.

Anyway, I'm so incredibly excited to read Golden Daughter and Draven's Light!! (Especially Draven's Light!! XD

Blessings!!
Melanie

Twelvestone said...

Sun Eagle had me from his first ghostly appearance; I had no idea he would make a full appearance, and I, too, was heartbroken (but it was rightly timed in the heat of everything). I had always followed Daylily with particular curiosity. Her full unveiling and the development of other characters made Shadowhand an incredible read. I am forever in awe of your magical story-weaving!!--Hannah B