I was talking to Mason as she beta-read All Just Glass, and we got to talking about why there were so few Vidas alive these days, and their history with Midnight and the fall of Midnight and the politics... and it occurred to me:
Forests - deals with the last of the Light witches, whether it's explicitly stated or not
Demon - sets up New Mayhem and the modern power-structure of Silver's line
Shattered - deals with the last of the Vida witches
Predator - deals with Midnight and Bruja
Persistence - deals more with shapeshifters, and heavy-hitters like Pandora, Shevaun and Adjila (who were involved in founding the Bruja guilds, and the fall of the original Midnight)
Token - introduces the human sorcerers and human power
Glass - more about the Vida line, the Arun and Marinitch lines, fall-out and politics
Poison - Bruja & SingleEarth
Each book is meant to be stand-alone, and I never thought of the "Den of Shadows Series" as a series leading to any kind of "finale" book (even if it were, I imagine I'd go back to write more, so any kind of finale would be anti-climatic)... but the conversation with Mace made me realize how much of the series is a setting of pieces, and posturing.
You see, in modern day Nyeusigrube, there is in fact a huge political power-struggle going on. Before the 1600s or so, there were no large organizations in Nyeusigrube. But then there was Liadan, and then Midnight. Vieton and Bruja were founded as a response to Midnight. After Midnight fell and Vieton dissolved, there was New Mayhem and then in the late-1800s/early-1900s there came SingleEarth. Midnight laws and culture led to the establishment of circuits, and establishments like Tizoc Theron (the location, obviously named for the person) and Blue-X and Market… and then the new Midnight, the power that started it all.
Jaguar founded it, Jeshickah stepped forward to take over, and then at the end of Midnight Predator… well, you know. Midnight isn’t mentioned in Forests, Demon, Shattered, Persistence, Token, Glass or Poison, but I assure you its influence is felt on each of those stories.
I make no promises and I don't know how it could possibly go, but I’m wondering if maybe it's time to tackle a book about what has to happen next.
Go me!! Ahem, I mean...you tackle that book!
ReplyDeleteHmm. Interesting. I wasn't quite sure where you were going with this at first. I await more ideas. :)
ReplyDeleteI love sudden realizations like that, despite the possible headaches that accompanying them. I'm excited about this. The world you have created has such potential and so much momentum. With that many personalities, there seems like endless energy. I don't think there could be a finale. Progress sounds great though.
ReplyDeleteYou've spent a lot of time establishing this world, the world of the Den of Shadows; sometimes, rocking and changing those things which we build up can be the best things for us and for them.
ReplyDeleteI know it might kill some people you have loved for over a decade and longer, but it could be absolutely glorious for those who survive. The pain, the pleasure, the triumphs, and failures.
Those are stories worth telling, I think. ^_^