#akab

-a series if i can think of other fun pairings-

Category

"80s Teen Horror Comedies"

'Night of the Comet' (1984)

'Killer Klowns from Outer Space' (1988)

Do you ever think about how much fantasy fiction leans on queens and emperors and the power of royalty? And how even when it doesn't it tends to create alternative power structures that are also bad for the people living in them?

What would a fantasy utopia that tried to make life better for its citizens look like?

My answer is the setting for my first novel, The Redstone Rescue: The arid realm of Sataminva was once an empire, then a kingdom. Twenty years ago the king set out on a war of conquest and, to everyone's surprise, the enemy general not only won but executed the king and all of his army leadership instead of ransoming them back. In the capital the administrator left in charge of the day to day running of the country saw an opportunity and instead of seizing the throne decided to destroy it, starting a grand political experiment.

In the present Sataminva is governed at a national level by the Voices, a randomly chosen selection from the population supported by the Governmental Dead, a professional civil service declared legally dead when they take office. They're still feeling things out and everybody grumbles about it but life for ordinary people in Sataminva is far better than it ever has been.

Unfortunately the neighbouring kingdoms still believe that royal blood is magic and a realm without royalty is free real estate. Their initial forays failed due to Sataminvan cunning and audacity but they watch and wait. One of the things Sataminva does to protect itself is have the investigators of the Mirror Bureau seeking out potential trouble. It is two of these investigators who our story follows on a simple case that keeps growing more complex at every turn...

I am really proud of this book - the setting I'm describing here is kind of backgrounded to make for a fun and fast moving adventure story; I wanted it to be readable and entertaining and funny, something you can enjoy while the big ideas sit in the background.

You can find it here, and wherever you get your ebooks: