Mark Carver
MEGA-DARK BLOG POST: BROTHER’S KEEPER

 
I don’t like stories with heroes. I enjoy reading about complex and conflicted characters who may do heroic things, but cut-and-dried heroes and villains bore me.

When I began writing The Age of Apollyon, I wanted to sculpt an intriguing protagonist, so I came up with Patric Bourdon, an aimless, self-indulgent French twenty-something who spends his time getting high and going to brothels. And he also worships Satan, though only half-heartedly. His real god is himself and he exists only to serve his own appetites.

Now a book about a philandering Satanist would be a bit of a drag to read, so I had to balance the equation: introducing Tourec Beauchamp, Patric’s half-brother. In contrast to Patric’s Satanic allegiance, Tourec is a Christian. But not your average church-on-Sundays, Bible-inspired-slogan-on-your-t-shirt kind of Christian. Tourec storms into black masses and slaughters Satanic priests in the middle of their rituals.

It’s kind of hard to say who is the bigger jerk between the two of them. Patric’ Satan-worshipping is rather benign and harmless, but come on, he’s worshipping Satan. But just because Tourec has crosses tattooed on his skin and prays every night before bed doesn’t excuse the fact that he’s a cold-blooded murderer.

The two brothers are apart for most of the book but their lives are drawn together like two stars caught in each other’s gravity. When they do finally meet, things go supernova. Having three younger brothers myself, I drew on my own experiences and emotions growing up to help shape what these brothers thought and felt, and the tension and affection crackling between them is one of my favorite aspects of this book. I hope you’ll feel the same way.

The Age of Apollyon is available for Kindle, Nook, and in paperback. Black Sun, book # 2 in The Age of Apollyon Trilogy is also out now, and the final book, Scorn, will be released this Halloween.

And be sure to check out my new 8-volume short story series The Jerusalem Chronicles, where I flesh out Tourec’s back story. Volume One is available now and Volume Two will be released in just a couple of weeks.