One of the great things about fantasy — urban or otherwise — is the sense of history that emerges as you get into the stories. There’s always thousands of years of traditional and lore and memories tripping up the main characters.
I’m a complete history nut to start with, but also love contemporary settings and characters. When stories are set in the present day, then the characters can have every day problems that you and I would find a strain, too. Messy relationships, family fights, money, career, friends, finding a great place to live, finding acceptance, figuring out what you want out of life.
Whereas a young women in a clasically historical setting who is torn between entering the convent or marrying the knight her father has picked out for her, or a young man who has been ordered to marry his father’s friend’s daughter…that’s a problem that is a little harder to wrap your head around.
I mean, if it were me, and the daughter was an unpleasant harpy, I’d head for the hills. Problem solved. So I sometimes find it difficult to get through an entire novel featuring a character with a problem that has little relevance to me and my modern-day problems. A good writer can pull it off and keep you entertained, but it’s difficult.
That’s why I like urban fantasy so much. And the Magorian & Jones series is the perfect excuse for me to dig into history and using contemporary settings and characters. Plus magic, into the bargain.
There is a lot of history behind this series. Most of it dives back into the sub-Roman periods when the Celtic tribes were struggling to survive…and mostly, didn’t.
For book 2, I found myself digging into the Roman occupation of France (Gaul, as it was known, then), which is a little outside my usual sphere of interest, but not too far out–and now I’ve expanded that sphere of interest by another half-continent or so. 🙂
The Triumph of Felix was released early this morning. 🙂
He must choose to save himself, or save the world…
Dr. Michael Jones, director of the old races refugee camp in Spain, is pressured to return to England for his own good. Life in Toledo, with Magorian, the first and only wizard of this century, and the old races who live in an uneasy truce with humans, is not good for him. Besides, the siren Aurelius has clearly abandoned his quest to summon the old gods to avenge himself upon the human race.
When Magorian translates the invocation to summon Agrona, goddess of death and carnage, found on a fifth century Celtic shield, Jones realizes Aurelius hasn’t given up his quest at all. Aurelius is looking for the Triumph of Felix—one of the keys needed to summon Agrona, and is weeks ahead of them.
The race to find the Triumph and keep it out of Aurelius’ hands begins…
The Triumph of Felix is part of the urban fantasy series, Magorian & Jones, by Taylen Carver.
1.0: The Memory of Water
2.0: The Triumph of Felix
3.0: The Shield of Agrona
4.0: The Rivers Ran Red
5.0: The Divine and Deadly
…and more to come.
Urban Fantasy Novel
The Triumph of Felix is available everywhere, including my own site. The pre-order price of $2.99 will hold only until August 26th, when it will revert to the full retail price of $4.99.
