Hello everyone, how are we, I hope you’re all well, it has been a while I know since the last post like this was released, where I cover the making of a video worked on by a string of talented people; But a lot has been going on personally which results in frustrating delays, and unfortunately there is little I can do when such hiccups occur, mount that onto other people’s schedules that can change and you’ve a recipe for days being thrown aside like they are nothing. This article/video’s specific schedule has been all over the place for example, it had to be re-shifted, re-organised and this body of text included had to be re-written just for it to make logical sense! That’s how disorganised things have been – Usually, I am not able to post anything until late in the afternoon or sometime in the evening when everything typically is ready to go, from blogs, socials, to the site itself, and today everything was meant to be released in the morning, I had it ready, but alas things rarely go according to plan. With that said these pieces of work I am about to share with you have been building for a few months and I’m really excited to present them and in turn, publish this essay to compliment all those involved, because let’s be clear, I could not have done this without their help and their specific talents, talents I admire and talents I cherish; But before I dive right in, I’d like to touch on a recent event, the release of Episode Two-Rise of the Black Doves: Volume Five, a challenging yet very exciting instalment to TAO (The Ancestral Odyssey) series, and what a wild journey it has been thus far – Simply to arrive here feels rather strange, especially when you consider the fact that I started Ep2-Rise back in 2011 (possibly 2012), only to foolishly throw the semblances of a narrative away like trash, and to restart the project somewhere in 2018. The first draft was finished on October 6th, 2021, Volume Four launched on February 13th, 2023, and Volume Five released not too long ago, on March 14th, 2024. And what can I say, I am very proud of it, very happy in fact with how it’s all turned out – I picked up my own copy a few days after it went live, I’ve given a few of my favourite chapters a flick through (Daughters of Omega, Guardian of the Nine and No Turning Back to name a few), shelved it next to the others and continued to make progress with the final third act, with Volume Six, due for release in 2024, providing everything goes according to plan of course, which it rarely does but fingers crossed. Despite a few niggling things displayed on the cover of the Paperback and the embarrassing hiccup involving the Kindle Edition, how a rogue chapter from Volume Four somehow slipped between chapters thirty-six and thirty-seven, which has been sorted, the quality of the work I am certainly impressed with, the text is clear, the paper is soft on the eye and as far as I can tell, the editorial is something of high merit. It’s all very exciting overall, a weight has been lifted and once I get clear of Episode Two entirely, when Volume Six is released and shelved, more of my time can be focused onto Episode Three-Seeds of War, Volumes Seven, Eight and Nine, the continuation which will have big shoes to fill; As it stands, the outline of Ep3-Seeds will have to undergo drastic changes to punch out the heavy-weight that is Ep2-Rise, and some people have criticised me for adopting this lens, you certainly need to tell a story RIGHT for the story and not be overly concerned with what has come before, honour it for sure, but remember it’s not a competition, and although I agree to a large degree with the criticism of this view point, there is an element in the mix that makes me want to trounce what has come before, in terms of writing ability, entertainment, character development, marketing strategy and so on. Sometimes I feel like Ep2-Rise is a monster, one that I have to overcome using Ep3-Seeds as my champion, because I do believe that Ep2-Rise, outmatched Ep1-Dream, don’t get me wrong, I love Dream, it’s a solid foundation on which to build from, but it was after all, my first and worst attempt, the story might be tight, but presentation right out of the gate wasn’t strong, there are parts that are bloated, the pacing could be tightened up and fight scenes do not necessarily need to be as long as they are. That being said, there is plenty to like about it and plenty to get engrossed in. When it comes to the final act of Ep2 and the humbling beginnings of Ep3, there is still lots of work to be done, I am sifting through old ideas I’ve had for Seeds, and like a detective solving a mystery, I am putting the pieces together while writing carefully, but it will take time to make sure I tell the story I want to tell, while being sure to keep the characters consistent and moving in the right direction. Ep3-Seeds will take care of itself in time, for now however, Volume Five has recently been enrolled into The Readers Favourite Awards, I made the earliest possible deadline and as per reward, the book is currently under review, no doubt in a month or two I’ll receive it and post it for display, good or bad I would like it to be read. Odds for winning a Readers Favourite Award are slim for the average author, but for me odds are slimmer due to the fact that this is part of a series and does not technically consist of a beginning, middle and an end, this IS the middle of the second episode, and no matter how proud I am of clearing this milestone, it does not excuse the fact that the academy of writers and readers may look at this project with clinical indifference, which I hope is not the case. Regardless, it’s been enrolled, the results will be announced in September 2024, and I’ll anticipate the review and the feedback. Speaking of feedback, I have received some very heartfelt messages since Volume Five’s release, I have been contacted by some delightful people saying how much they’re enjoying the series, them speculating on what is to come and how they’ve interpreted certain events that befell in the story, it has been thrilling to listen to and hear about other people’s takes, it’s one of many reasons as to why I do what I do. I’ve had a very warm and welcoming reception to the most recent instalment which is rather surprising considering what takes place, and what takes place is not necessarily happy putting it as mildly as I can – Don’t misunderstand, it’s not all doom and gloom, there is plenty of intrigue scattered throughout this instalment, you learn more about the Glyph magic, magic that is expressed in a variety of ways, ways you’ve not seen before, parentage of certain characters is revealed which sews up some hangover questions ever since Ep1-The Utopian Dream, we learn a little more about the ancient history of Equis, more specifically about The Age of Giants and the Pioneers, which has some seriously epic ramifications, and we’re told a genuine story about a selection of characters all from different walks of life, all with something to say and to contribute to an overarching, umbrella plot, one which I am anticipating to see through, much like Lethaniel and Isabelle were the key protagonists in Ep1-Dream, although they were separated by vast landscapes and have polar opposite ways of achieving their goals, their arcs do end up entwining, and this is similar to what happens in Ep2-Rise only you’ve a lot more characters to deal with – But there is a dark side to this, I believe the suspense is built rather well and the payoffs are executed soundly. I worked incredibly hard at this, and I trust myself enough to know that the characters behave in ways which are respectful to themselves, and that the story is delivered in such a way that you’ll be able to follow it without getting too bogged down in exposition, a lesson I had to learn hot off the heels of the first three volumes. It is important to note however, that as intense as this story gets and is destined to get, what with the release of Volume Six later this year, is that it IS just fiction, it is made for your entertainment, it’s here to be consumed at your own leisure if you so choose to do so; This is not supposed to be something punishing, it’s here to be enjoyed, real life is punishing enough, real life is cruel to us all and nature will not show mercy, we’ve all got shit going on, we’ve all a kryptonite of some kind and with the world in the state that it’s in, the more avenues of escape the better, so long as those avenues are depicted well, that they come from a genuine place and are not put in place to further drive the wedge between us. Books like mine are not going to change the world, they are not going to solve any major problems, they’re here to take you away for some escapism, they’re written to give you (yes I’ am talking to you) an outlet, to get lost in some make-believe, and to get excited about something other than the status quo, that’s it, and I think it is important for creative folk especially, to remind ourselves as to why we do what we do. I write to tell a good story, to push the limits of the epic-fantasy genre, to nourish my own mind, to provide me with a purpose and to buy my mother a Porsche should it ever become massively successful, and as a fringe benefit, feed a foolish hope that one day my TAO series might be adapted into a film/tv show (preferably film). Yes, this is extremely unlikely, I am more likely to win the lottery, get struck by lightning and make-out with Emilia Clarke all on the same day (hopefully not in that order), but it’s enough to keep going, enough to see me through the grind of the daily routine. Volume Five is great, it’s a killer continuation after Volume Four, there are many surprises, the best is still to come, and I am eager to know what you guys think. I will be writing a review of Ep2-Rise whence all the volumes are out, and enough time has gone by to avoid spoilers, and I promise you it will be better than my review of Ep1-Dream, which may have hit all the right points, but was awful to read. With all that rabble aside, I’ve another video out now, it’s complete with some fantastic artwork and some engaging music which deserves talking about. To note, this article and video is part of a family of others, there is also; Isabelle’s Theme and A Path Sewn by Fate, if you’d like to listen to them, if you’d like to read about the process and their relevance to the books, I will link them below, but it’s far easier to search them out on my site. I hope you enjoy, The Thief’s Priestess.
The best place to start when talking about projects such as this, is to answer the question; Where exactly does this concept fit into the source material? Before I answer however, I am about to get into spoiler territory, some pretty big spoilers as matter of fact so you’ve been warned – The artwork, painted digitally by artist Ashley Mckenzie, the same lass who painted The Masters Library for, A Path Sewn by Fate, is a depiction of our protagonist, the 23rd Star Callers of Krondathia, Isabelle Verano as she appears in Episode One: The Utopian Dream – Volume Three. In the book, she is coming to the end of her journey, she is rowing across a channel, from a town called Harbours Edge toward a distant island, called The Zodias Island that is on fire! She has just confronted the Eldor’s Peacemaker on the dock, Mr. Calias Harken, who was accompanied by a class of Glyph Wielders tasked to capture an enemy of the state, someone who is responsible for abducting a High Priestess (Isabelle), someone who was interfering with the Star Callers purpose; A Dark Rogue named, Teo Liolas. Of course, for those of you who have read the book, indeed know that Toula Windeuce, one of two leaders of The Dark Rogues assigned Draygo Dumear and Riagel Tyorn to watch over the Star Caller, to stay with her, to watch over her from a distance, to escort her to safety should the unthinkable arise and to keep her away from all those who wish to do her harm. Originally, Teo was ordered to return to base, to Sentinel, which was situated in Tthenedawn Forest at the time, but they switched assignments for good reason, and it was a good thing they did this too, for it was after all Draygo and Riagel who played a hand in the strategy that ultimately crippled The Dovidian Covenants advance at the battle at Korthak Bridge, preventing the enemy from invading the country which resulted in the turn of the tide, a tide led by Lethaniel Presian and Braygon Augiene. Riagel, also factored into the equation that more men on the ground, pinned at where the war was hot, while Teo kept an eye on the Star Caller, was a better action, and he was right! Riagel displaying brilliant leadership qualities that would elevate him to the rank of Commander soon after the war was ‘over.’ Riagel and Draygo also became Shields of Krondathia to commemorate their brave contributions, to join a cabinet of renowned soldiers and professionals orchestrated by General Lethaniel Presian, this was also a ways to mend the gap between factions of Norkron and Dark Rogue, their alliance becoming something symbolic, but I’ve digressed. Calias Harken on the other hand had a different agenda; His task which was assigned to him by The Eldor, Kastius Greylion, was to arrest Isabelle, but he had to do so in such a way that would not destroy Starillia’s (the Norkron religion’s) reputation, but to find fatal flaw in the woman, in Isabelle Verano herself, so that the empire could keep functioning without pause, without risking its integrity. Calias had to find reasonable grounds in which to arrest and detain her so when the time came to put the woman through the court of law, Isabelle would be found guilty, she would be 100% to blame yet her holy order would remain intact, and the Norkron state along with its highest institutions would be rendered blameless. The people would learn to hate their 23rd Star Caller, and NOT the culture built around her keeping all those in positions of power, IN positions of power without the need of a reform model, which is what Isabelle represented at the core of her journey and why she had to be stopped. Calias did not achieve this, he came close as you discover in Volumes One, Two and especially Three, but in an attempt at doing so, he learned of the affair between The Dark Rogue, Teo and his Star Caller, Isabelle and threatened to reveal it to the nation. As a Star Caller, they’ve rules which she must follow in order to reach what was prophesised, a utopia, and one such rule is not to form intimate relationships with anyone, for she is holier than thou, she is someone of purity, divinity, someone of uncompromised strength unburdened by the ties of human relations; She is selfless, she is loyal to the order, loved by all and her grace is given unto the people of the faith – This is the message trickled down to the Norkron populace from the preachers in this North Western culture, despite being human, she is not presented as such by her peers, Isabelle has been hailed as The Chosen, to lead the blessed people into paradise. These are not direct quotes by the way, but such phrases are uttered throughout the body of Ep1-Dream, through Volumes One, Two and Three. Calias, with his troop of Glyph Wielders, confront Isabelle on the dock of Harbours Edge, after having captured Teo, Calias knows about their affair, knows that Isabelle cares for this man intimately, and he gives her a choice:- She can choose to falsely accuse Teo of his ‘crimes’ of theft, espionage and kidnapping of a highborn, which will result in his execution, will safe-guard her reputation and enable Isabelle her ‘freedom’ to continue as she is. Or she can admit her acts of insubordination resulting in her arrest but may save Teo’s life for he would not be entirely responsible for the crimes committed. This is Calias’s best weapon against Isabelle, he knows how powerful she is, he knows he cannot physically stand-up to her for she is highly proficient with the use of Glyph magic, she’s a fucking Star Caller, once she flushes her system with this planetary energy (that is Glyph aka Glaphiar) she’s a superbeing, she becomes faster and stronger than anyone alive, and can employ weaponry that can fracture swords like they’re sticks, can stop projectiles mid-air and can crack even the toughest of shields. No one in their right mind would want to fight someone of this class, not unless you are of course another proficient wielder, Calias knows this, so he attacked her heart and Isabelle chose her freedom over Teo’s life…Initially…This is what Teo would have wanted her to do, to see the mission through to the end, to get to where she was going, it’s not until later, not until she sails out on a rowing boat when she changes her mind. Personally, this is one of the most emotional moments in Isabelle’s story, it’s an earned character shift, a notable change to what we’re used to, for throughout she is loyal to her faith, she is for the most part, well-behaved, to the book and dedicated to her practise, someone who is as calm as she can be while exercising her assertiveness given the drama of the story she’s entwined in, so this decision to throw away her reputation, her future as a Star Caller and to turn her back on an order that has existed for hundreds of years, all for a life with a man from the shadows, someone who she has been indoctrinated into thinking that HE is the enemy. To me, this is powerful. I don’t write love stories, I’ll admit I am not actually very good at communicating love, it’s very difficult, like comedy, it’s rather subjective and so easy to derail into a pit of rubbish, so I tend to lean away from love; Comedy, I think I am a little better at (he wrote while shrugging his shoulders), but writing love is a fucking minefield. In saying that however, this demonstration by Isabelle in this scene, I believe works. Feel free to disagree with me, but the idea of someone giving up everything for a chance at happiness with someone they’ve been manipulated into hating, and not only does she successfully dispel this manmade fallacy, but she fights for it, killing the Glyph Wielders who strike at her first, and toppling the carriage that Teo was being carted off in. Unfortunately, Calias not only gets away, but he is able to strike a fatal blow against Teo who quickly shields Isabelle at the last second while her defences are down and is pierced with a sharp piece of splintered wood. Teo and Isabelle force Calias to run but he struck hard enough to cause internal bleeding to Teo, and scarpers. The pair head for the dock, they commandeer another rowing boat and sail to The Zodias Island. This is what is depicted in Ashley’s concept artwork, the journey from Harbours Edge to said island. Isabelle gives up her traditional Star Caller coat, to keep Teo warm as he loses blood. Dark Rogues also employ Day Owls, they’re trained to send messages, to warn of dangers and to scout, Teo’s owl is named Wisp, and Wisp is present in this work, you can see him perched on the rowing boat, he was going to be flying, but because these owls are close to their masters, I thought it would be better if he was nearer to the pair, also I didn’t want to take away from the sky, the night sky is gorgeous, the cloud effects are stunning, and I like the bats in the distance; It’s a nice touch, I like it when artists use their own creative incentive to add to the scene. I did ask Ashely to paint in the end of a whale’s tail, and she did sketch one – Placing it however didn’t go so well, as glorious as it looked, it just cluttered up the concept, it looked too busy, so it was removed. Sometimes less really is more.
As for the music, it was written and composed by Jilaine Wheatcroft, the same musician who produced Isabelle’s Theme and A Path Sewn by Fate. Links to her Soundcloud and her specific works under TAO are listed below; If you do wish to message her about the music or want to get in touch about a specific project you’d like to work with her on, I’m sure she’ll be keen to hear out your ideas, she’s very professional and I am positive you’ll be pleased with what you create. However please please please if you do message, be thoughtful and respectful about it…The music she wrote in question, the theme she designed for The Thief’s Priestess, is as good if not better than A Path Sewn by Fate; The piece is instilled with a heartfelt ribbon of emotion, a melody laced with the notion of a long goodbye, the end of a journey and a sadness that will sit with Isabelle, left alone, forever – And yet there is a reason to still hang onto hope, that Isabelle WILL make it in honour of Teo, a thief that did his job, that stepped up to the challenge his superiors entrusted him with, and delivered her to the doorstep of her final destination. It’s sad, poetic, and inspiring, or at least I hope you find so to. I’ve listened to it several times now in preparation for this segment, and each time I hear it, when I close my eyes and start assembling the vision for the scene pulled directly from the book, it gets more and more vivid, to which I had to come away from my desk and re-read the event (with coffee), for I have been told by others that it’s handled rather well. A lot of people get caught up in the battle scenes of my books, and although this is no bad thing and not a complaint by any stretch of the imagination, readers sometimes overlook the personal battles, and in this case it’s to do with a confliction from within Isabelle, the confliction itself coming in the form of a question; Is Krondathia, is Starillia, is a line bound not by blood but by the spirit worth the sacrifice of one man, of one soul? … Isabelle hesitates when confronted by Calias on the pier, she’s human after all but comes to her senses somewhere across the channel, she finds her courage, leaps back into ice cold water, drags herself up the harbour, and participates in Teo’s rescue, retaliating furiously when attacked by those who had at one point trained under her. This act demonstrates that Star Callers, even though they’re of the same ilk as Glyph Wielders, are still insanely more powerful than they are. I hope this scene moves you as much as it moved me, I hope The Ancestral Odyssey in remembrance (if remembered at all) is known not only for its collisions of epic proportion, but the personal drama’s and conflictions that stir from within its characters, characters that may very well be larger than life in some cases, but deep down are relatable at heart, for if a story is bereft of a beating heart, it lacks all the weight and gravitas needed to make it come alive, to feel real when in the hands of the reader. This is the challenge writers have if they’ve respect for themselves and their material, the challenge of making something emotional and tangible, something that feels alive. I’d like to think I’ve achieved such a feat, and one of the essential ingredients that enables me and perhaps creatives in the same boat, are people like Jilaine, people who can communicate in ways, in languages I am barely able to grasp, people who make my level of creativity look like something cobbled together by an amateur. I am humble enough to admit that I am jealous, even envious of musicians like Jilaine, who can whip up a theme such as The Thief’s Priestess using nothing but a laptop, a keyboard and her own voice, and give it a river of epic professionalism I only thought was possible from major studios; Not only do I think Jilaine’s work is on par with the bigwigs, I believe she’s better despite the fact she works from home between jobs. If huge establishments were to employ people like Jilaine, or give over their resources, their technologies to genuinely creative people and stop wasting time with those looking for a quick buck (buck sounds better than pound), I do not doubt they would be able to utilise their talents and create something worthy of high praise, something of merit and something to be remembered. The Thief’s Priestess is another fantastic piece of music, music that captures the spirit of The Ancestral Odyssey, the sensitivity of the scene and the strength of our lead protagonist of Ep1-The Utopian Dream, Isabelle Verano.
When it came to the layout of the video itself and the effects which you see displayed, the task was to simply communicate that I essentially wanted this video to be the exact same as the video that had come before, say for a couple of different slides, it’s going to be the same. Why? Because this is part of a series, it’s a phase, a family of work so to be speak and I am making sure that these milestones feel connected, that they’re consistent with one another, so when I start a new phase, you will see an edge of difference as if it’s a seasonal change. Jilaine has handled the music thus far, so her signature is secure. Ashley is on top of the conceptual artwork, her style is prevalent and easily recognisable while Alex is in control of the edit/effects which has its own sense of style, and I am of course the one creating the groundwork in which to grow from. Once I had prepared the slides from my end, once I was near in completion of this very article and readied all the socials, I sent the slides off in an e-mail to Mr Alex Hunt, a fellow H Productions associate and good friend of mine. I attached the labelled images with a detailed brief, same process as last time pretty much, but this brief was shorter; At this point, Alex knows the deal and how I work, so the pitch isn’t as heavy as it used to be. What was discussed in this letter and what we followed up on with a few WhatsApp’s, was what we could do with the image digitally, how could we make it come alive like we did with the last one? The answer to this question is simple, we had to work with what we have, and what we have is a lot of sea and a lot of sky – One would think that this posed a problem, in actual fact it was easier to make creative decisions. While the last concept was of a floor in Eran’s library, this one is out in the open, under the night sky blanketed with a galaxy of stars, and the Moon, so let’s make them sparkle, let’s make the water ripple, let’s gently sway the boat and perhaps create the plumes of smoke distort the air space around the tops of the temple, and Alex delivered.
I did mention earlier that the island in the distance, The Zodias Island, was on fire, in actual fact, it’s not on fire, the village of Penstrive is what’s on fire. Penstrive has only featured twice, briefly, in the books, once when Isabelle passes through right at the start with Honour Guard Thao Hikonle, Lucion’s father, and when she re-visits at the end, when it has been set ablaze by an unknown aggressor. Penstrive itself is a place for the renowned, the holy and their servants of Starillia to live, and for others of the faith to retreat to; It’s a small, simplistic settlement consisting of bricked houses, pointed slated rooftops, a central chapel, and an inn called, The Chanting Inn. It’s all situated a short walk away from Cathedral Alley, which leads to the great Column Temple. To help paint a picture of Penstrive, I’ve snipped out a description from Ep1-Dream, from Volume One:-
Across the shiny meadows and woodland areas, the large band of people followed Isabelle under trees and over small stone bridges spanning streams of gushing water. The path soon merged into a greater one, becoming a rocky road large enough for carts. The hills rolled over to reveal a small village. Isabelle looked up at the old, wooden signpost; it signified that this was the village of Penstrive. Small and built for convenience by the servants of the island, it was a grey place and quite lonesome.
The group made their way through the quiet community. Locals had noticed the visitors and were staring at Isabelle with envious eyes as she strolled passed. Women were washing priests’ robes, while the men worked on a stone tower of another cathedral and the children carried water from a well. They all slowed and stared, though Isabelle ignored the whispers and looks that became unwanted. The village although small had many residents; it consisted mostly of buildings of work, storage sheds squeezed between average-sized households not leaving much room for places of leisure, but for a single inn that stood out. It had a large sign above the door, proclaiming its name: The Chanting Inn. Looking back, she could see that people had dropped whatever they were doing and were now following her group with haste, having to jog to catch up. She turned to a priest who rushed forward, eager to listen or carry out a command.
So why is it on fire and who caused the devastation? Well, remember when Calias left Isabelle with a choice? When she went ahead and decided to row away from Teo on that pier, there was an exchange of dialogue between Dark Rogue Teo Liolas and Peacemaker Calias Harken, and it went like this:-
“She lies well, don’t you think?” mused Calias, watching her sail away, standing over his prisoner.
“Peacekeepers do it better,” sneered Teo. They both watched The Star Caller rowing out to sea, disappearing into the darkness, under the shadow of the lonely island. “You’re not going after her, are you?” the rogue asked, taking a steady breath.
“No…I don’t have to follow her anymore; she won’t make it to the temple. Her safety is no longer my concern. My hands are clean in this. I wanted to take her away, back to the city, where she could carry out her duty. What awaits her now is…What she deserves.” His words were soft; no doubt he had practised them for hours as he waited for his prey.
“Is this what it was all about, huh? Catching me, exposing her humanity? Strange way to serve your country, don’t you think? There must be something more to this?” implied Teo.
“Oh yes, there is, but that is none of your concern, not anymore.” Calias looked down upon The Dark Rogue. “I maintain the order. It is my purpose. I follow orders, just like you.” Teo had nothing more to say as he was picked up by two Glyph Wielders and thrown inside the back of an armoured carriage, the kind designed to keep dangerous prisoners locked inside. He was to be transported back to Xiondel City for execution.
Calias is not stupid, far from it, he is an intelligent, cunning villain able to outwit a Dark Rogue and halt a Star Caller; He knows someone, an agent, who is waiting for Isabelle on the island, he knows it’s someone who has a chance to stand against her, he knows that even IF he were to fail to bring Isabelle in, that a counter measure would be in place should she have decided otherwise. Either way, Calias knew he would be victorious and would have come out on top despite what decision Isabelle made. What he couldn’t control however, was Isabelle’s love for Teo and her ability to manage herself when toe to toe against a Cursed, against the agent, Miranda Simbidia, who was knighted by The Magpie as a Black Dove, who was carefully inserted into the orbit of The Eldor, who passed her over to Calias for positioning and tasked to stop Isabelle from entering The Column Temple, which she gleefully accepts, why? Because Miranda was primed to be the next Star Caller, but it was Isabelle who came into the fray, ruining it and invertedly taking away Miranda’s purpose for being. The Utopian Dream’s theme is about finding ones purpose, so when all that you are is taken from you, that would hit hard, Miranda especially, so it’s no surprise that she would jump at the opportunity to face off against Isabelle, she has after all received the same training, she’s a competent Glyph Wielder, a pyromaniac falling to the Curse; From a strategists perspective, Miranda IS the most worthy candidate to defeat Isabelle, there is no other (yet) that anyone knows of who could withstand Isabelle’s power, and Isabelle is a water wielder, also known as an aquamaga – Side note, aquamaga as a class of Glyph Wielder has not been mentioned in any book thus far, so that’s a little exclusive…God I need to get out more…So that’s it, that’s the set up that happens toward the end of Ep1-Dream, and what the concept is centred around, I cannot detail any further because the piece of music that comes next, the artwork that is to follow on from this one, happens to be the scene directly after. Nevertheless, I hope this essay gives enough context for the video, that the music captures the rich level of sensitivity and can assist leading you to that emotional place, which is one of the most heartfelt moments in The Utopian Dream. As I said, I do not write love, I do not write romance, but for an epic, acts of love are necessary because forming intimate bonds is part of what makes us human. I hope I succeeded.
Guys, gals, as always thank you so much for reading today. Special thanks to everyone who was involved in the making of this short music video, a work inspired by the ramblings of a fantasy author whose bitten off more than he can chew, I very much appreciate it, you’re the best. The next music video will be called, Isabelle’s Calling, I do plan on involving the same team to complete this vision and phase, after that I’ve only one more and that’s that for this musical series. Episode One-The Utopian Dream and Episode Two-Rise of The Black Doves are available for purchase, it’s true I’ve still the final third (Volume Six) of Ep2 to edit with Joyce, work has already commenced, we’re up to Chapter 53 leaving only 7 left, but we hope for a mid to late summer release. It is a very exciting place to be in right now, we’re in the final hurdle of Rise, this has been an incredible journey, one that I will never forget, one that I will cherish and there is still so much more I would like to share, so much more to this Ancestral Odyssey which is yet to be put to page; Such as new characters and groups, fresh ideas, intense battle sequences, intricate plot threads, great beasts, crazy creatures and wild environments, so much more to come, so much on the horizon that will all be wrapped up in Episode Three-Seeds of War. The site is yet to be updated, I apologise for the delay, my web technician is a very busy chap, he will get round to me when he is able to, just have to be patient. Links to the work and people’s specific outlets are listed below, as I said if you do decide to message them, please be kind and respectful when doing so. Thanks again, and I hope you come back for the next one. Peace!
E-mail – taotome@outlook.com
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Official Website – www.taotequevault.com
Donation Page – www.taotequevault.com/support
YouTube – http://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-nc_VEmC27AIz6pP51UVkQ Bitchute – www.bitchute.com/channel/x9K5vwi2SsNu/
Author Page UK – https://www.amazon.co.uk/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6
Author Page US – https://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01JMZ2BE6
Isabelle’s Theme (Direct Link to Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rfMr6dONTPA
A Path Sewn by Fate (Direct Link to Video) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c3MgNYB8gss
The Thief’s Priestess (Direct Link to Video) – https://youtu.be/okCBM4Qd5-Q
Jilaine’s Soundcloud (Producer and Composer of: A Path Sewn by Fate) – https://soundcloud.com/jilaine26
Ashley’s Artwork / – http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100089622653877 Atlas Audio
D.W.Gill
Taoteque: The Blog 