"The clock was always ticking, whether he looked at it or not. Counting down to the moment he would meet his fated soulmate."
"His only hope was to miss his mark. Sure, he would be stuck with the stupid timer on his hand. But he could live life the way he wanted to. Without compromise."
Taking Flight, chapter one
Taking Flight
type of work: fiction novel
genre: speculative fiction, LGBTQ+ romance, magical realism, coming of age, contemporary fiction, dark fiction
audience: YA (young adult)
setting: contemporary (2000s to 2010s), fictional town in Canada, modern high school setting
themes:
LGBTQ+ characters and relationships, first love & first relationship, discovering your sexuality/gender, coming out
freedom (free will, free choice) vs. fate (predetermined future)
soulmates (soulmark, birthmark, soulbond, magical properties)
growing up & self-discovery, friendships & trust
dealing with bullying, trauma, grief and loss
art & music (references to real and made-up art & music)
fantasy religions & spirituality
trigger warnings:
bullying and violence (incl. physical and sexual assault), sexual abuse (off-screen/implicit), homophobia, blackmail, gangs
swearing (incl. name-calling, homophobic/transphobic language)
death/loss, unprocessed grief, loss of a loved one in the past
bad parenting (neglect, alcoholic parent, toxic parents, dysfunctional families)
portrayal of mental illness and trauma (PTSD/C-PTSD, panic attacks, anxiety, trust issues, depressive episodes, attempted suicide)
consentual romantic and non-explicit sexual relationships between minors (incl. LGBTQ+ relationships)
mentions of mental illness and addiction (eating disorders, alcoholism, suicidal thoughts, emotional manipulation, gaslighting, past trauma and abuse)
religion/religiosity being portrayed in a negative light
Summary
Fifteen-year-old Nicolas is a lone wolf. Prefers drawing, games and rock music to the crap his peers are into. Like sports teams, cliques and obsessing about soulmates. But moving to Viera City, the fated meeting with his soulmate fast approaching, Nico's life is about to change. Whether or not he wants it to.
Nico’s determination to rebel against fate is put to the test, as he struggles to come to terms with fate's mark, his newfound sexuality and falling for his online friend and his classmate at the same time. All while having to deal with bullies at his new high school and a troubled home life. Against all odds Nico slowly learns to open up to his friends and finally discovers who his soulmate is. Only to realize that unveiling their secrets has dire consequences.

















