Chris Jags's Blog - Posts Tagged "shifters"
Town Crier: A Hybrid Fantasy-Horror-Superhero saga
When I began writing Town Crier, the pitch-to-self was "superhero saga set in a fantasy world". I envisioned epic battles between costumed humans, elves, and a multitude of other races.
As it turns out, someone else is going to have to write that (likely they already have), as my instincts turned, once again, to what I love best: horror-infused fantasy. What began conceptually as a jubilant cross between explosive superheroics and rousing high fantasy has become the dark and violent saga of a young woman imbued with a strange power which might be more of a curse than a blessing.
Vika is the city of Greenstone's first female town crier. An awkward waif with no known family, she's not well-loved by anyone, especially her boss, who has no concern for her safety as he sends her into even the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city to deliver the news.
One thing Vika does have is a powerful voice. A commanding voice. When she calls out, people listen. One evening, as she's finishing her rounds in the roughest district in Greenstone, she's accosted by some thugs. An old woman on the run from local law enforcement saves her. This woman, a witch, gifts Vika with a bizarre new ability. She learns she can temporarily command people to do as she says - but only if she calls out to them at the same volume as her town crier voice.
Testing her new power draws unwanted attention from a number of parties: a sadistic serial killer; a charismatic demon with undisclosed plans for Vika; and a vampire warlord, determined to drain every last drop of supernatural power from those who, like Vika, have been endowed with the witch's gift.
Can Vika survive this onslaught, learn to master her abilities, and dodge local law, who would have her burned as a witch? Will her gift save her or destroy her?
Find out in Town Crier, available on Amazon Kindle March 21st 2019!
I am also planning on releasing a paperback - more details closer to the date.
As it turns out, someone else is going to have to write that (likely they already have), as my instincts turned, once again, to what I love best: horror-infused fantasy. What began conceptually as a jubilant cross between explosive superheroics and rousing high fantasy has become the dark and violent saga of a young woman imbued with a strange power which might be more of a curse than a blessing.
Vika is the city of Greenstone's first female town crier. An awkward waif with no known family, she's not well-loved by anyone, especially her boss, who has no concern for her safety as he sends her into even the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city to deliver the news.
One thing Vika does have is a powerful voice. A commanding voice. When she calls out, people listen. One evening, as she's finishing her rounds in the roughest district in Greenstone, she's accosted by some thugs. An old woman on the run from local law enforcement saves her. This woman, a witch, gifts Vika with a bizarre new ability. She learns she can temporarily command people to do as she says - but only if she calls out to them at the same volume as her town crier voice.
Testing her new power draws unwanted attention from a number of parties: a sadistic serial killer; a charismatic demon with undisclosed plans for Vika; and a vampire warlord, determined to drain every last drop of supernatural power from those who, like Vika, have been endowed with the witch's gift.
Can Vika survive this onslaught, learn to master her abilities, and dodge local law, who would have her burned as a witch? Will her gift save her or destroy her?
Find out in Town Crier, available on Amazon Kindle March 21st 2019!
I am also planning on releasing a paperback - more details closer to the date.
