Chronicles of Irindia Trailer 0001

Cover Reveal of The Chronicles of Irindia Book 1

COVER REVEAL

The Chronicles Of Irindia

Book One: The Gatherer

   David Sanchez wants nothing more to be some place else.  Anywhere is better than a farm in rural North Carolina where he is forced to move with his parents when his father takes a job as a manager of a new restaurant.  One day, he buys a curious carving at a local flea market from an equally curious old man.  That night after an argument with his mother, he makes that wish while holding the carving and he accidentally opens a doorway to a world more fantastic than anything he could have imagined. 

   David awakens in a land called Irindia where he’s greeted by a wizard named Suma.  Suma tells him that the only way back is through a gateway locked in the tower of the Empress Alassa but that the tower is under the control of a dark wizard named Lord Draga who seeks to control the gate himself.  In order for David to return home, he must defeat the powerful wizard and free the empress from her prison.  Only one known as the Gatherer, wielding The Stone of Arimeth, can only defeat the wizard. 

   Guided by Suma who begins David’s education in his use of magic and destiny and an ancient race of being called the Ancients, David begins his quest for the scattered pieces of the stone and the truth about who and what he is.  His first stop is the city of Kesibet and the society of wizards known as the Soh’Magi where he is to discover his true identity.

   Together with Suma, he crosses a land filled with fantastic creatures and great danger while Lord Draga builds an army to wipe out all resistance and secure the land for his dark master.  

WELCOME TO IRINDIA

The cover was based on an idea I had, not only for the original, which I have to admit was done so much better than I could have done, but on the various sketches I'd done before that were the impetus for the story itself.  It was this image that had propelled me into putting words behind the image and to begin creating this world that is Irindia.  I gave the original cover piece to an old friend and he turned what looked like a comic book cover into what you see here.

D. John Watson grew up in Mansfield Connecticut, near the main campus of UCONN.  Growing up asthmatic, he spent a lot of time reading and drawing.  He fell in love with the possibilities of fantasy and science fiction used those to fuel his art with an eye to becoming a professional illustrator.   His love of these genres drew him first to study art at another nearby university and then to turn those illustrations into writing. 

While researching a short story, he took a sample martial arts class and was soon on his way to accomplishing something that he never expected to do as a child, becoming a martial instructor.  He became an assistant instructor and eventually the rank of 2nd Dan. 

D. John was also a contributing columnist for All Authors Magazine and has published two short stories in All Authors Publishing House’s Concordant Vibrancy anthologies. 

D. John is married and lives with his wife and son in western Mass., where he works as a restaurant manager and is currently working on the next chapter in the Chronicles of Irindia series as well as other projects.

D. John Watson can be found at Facebook
On Twitter, or Goodreads

Original cover image by Jay van Schelt  More fantastic digital art by Mr. van Schelt can be found  at Deviant Art.

Irindia Bestiary

Just some of the creatures you'll discover in Irindia.

A leader drawn from our own legends

Despite the legend of the Gatherer and his anticipated arrival,  many of the rulers of Irindia  band together under the leadership of the Lady Akara Nene andf the flag of an ancient House.  Lady Nene is the ruler of her own territory and like all for the other lords and ladies of Irindia, she is bound in service to the imperial family, in this case, the besieged empress.  She calls together other lords and thousands of warriors for a campaign that she hopes will free her land of Draga and his arm.  And like any other leader, she is beset with a host of problems, from those who don't agree with her plans to personal histories that she can't seem to get away from.  As a warrior in a man's world, she must be harder and more fierce than the lords around her but she cannot defeat this army alone, she need allies and she looks to other races that inhabit the land, such as the Selcar and Centaur, eventually even the elves.
For someone like this, I needed to got into history and pull out some of the legendary women warriors of our own past.  I looked to Japan's Nanako Tekedo, Ireland's legendary Queen Medb

and even Hollywood's latest incarnation of Guinevere.  For Nene, honor is something she takes very seriously and she's bound to defend her land and her Empress as are those around her.  But she is also surrounded by powerful personalities like Gen Brahn, Lord Kensu and Lord Croix as well as her advisor, a wizard named Olma.
Her only hope in freeing her land from Lord Draga is to defeat the army that he has thrown at her before she heads north for the palace that he's taken for his master.  But against a powerful wizard, she will need more than her army but all of the magic she can bring to bear against Draga and his master.

EXCERPT FROM THE GATHERER, THE CHRONICLES OF IRINDIA: BOOK ONE

A massive shape greeted him as he emerged from the entrance. It was a great, hulking, predatory beast. Out of reflex Draga reached to touch its mind. Wyvern were the most dangerous creatures in the air, a fitting mount for one such as Draga. He found its conscience easily and bent its will to his own.  The creature lowered itself for him to climb and Draga used one of its heavily muscled forelimbs to lift himself onto its back. The beast gave a cry and launched into the air with the thunderous beating of great wings.

Draga left the forest then looked down on the city of Caribeth. It was a sprawling city at the mouth of the river that gave it its name. For as long as he could remember it had been his home, but no more. He had another now. There was no need for this one.

In order for him to truly be free Draga had to erase everything that had been part of his old life. Draga raised his arms then closed his eyes. He saw the images of his plan for the city and the commands came to him without effort.

First he heard a whistle, then a boom as the fiery rock struck and exploded with the force of a meteor. He could hear the screams. These were followed by another whistling sound. This time he felt the passing of the stone, as well as its heat as it descended on the city. Another followed that one, and then another.

Finally he saw the results of his anger and was satisfied.  Raging fires besieged the city and the spot where his father’s house had been was a deep crater that was littered with burning debris.  Any who survived the assault did so out of luck. Sama was gone; his entire past was erased. It was now time to take what was his. He had been denied his entire life, treated as second best, not worth the time to be noticed for his true gifts. However another had noticed and given him his due.

An image came to him; it was the vision of a white tower sitting in the center of a maze of gardens and pools.  There was the Gate of Irindia. A gateway that would allow him to go anywhere in Irindia he wanted. However, it was controlled by powerful magic, which could only be freed with the blessing of Empress Alassa.

You will build an army unlike anything that has ever been seen, and you will sweep aside all that oppose you, the voice had told him as he had left the chamber.  You will take this region, and then Irindia itself, for your own, the voice promised.

The voice had kept its promises. There was no reason to think that it wouldn’t continue. I will have everything I want, Draga told himself.

The voice was cold in its agreement. Yes, you will.

One of the things that I had to figure out was how to get some of my characters  across great distances quickly when simply trekking on foot would be too impracticable.  For Draga, I chose a wyvern, the smaller but no less deadly cousin of the dragon.

Wyvern are the most deadly things in the air and their only natural enemy are storm birds, lightening infused birds based on the mythological roc and the thunder bird.

Originally I had thought about using dragons but those presented too many problems in the story line so I went with the wyvern.  It has most of the same characteristics of its larger cousin except the ability to breath fire.  One of David's first truely dangerous encounters after he becomes the Gatherer is when the ship he is on is attacked by one and he's nearly eaten.  Only Suma's skill is able to save him but they are an ever present threat in the skies over Irindia.  And a threat that they will have to deal with more than once.

AND WHAT STORY WOULD BE COMPLETE WITHOUT THE DAMSEL?

When I started writing, I knew that my hero would have to struggle to find his way home and that  my villain would have to work just as hard to get what he wanted,  This came in the form of a gateway that both needs to do what they want and like all valuable possessions, it needs a guardian.   I might have used a dragon or some nearly impassable barrier but I wanted one that was believable. My guardian comes in the form of Empress Alassa, the young ruler of Irindia.  This gateway cannot be gained by trickery or force, it must be given up freely, hence Lord Draga's problem.  Draga has gone to the trouble of arranging her ascension to the throne and she is forced to endure his manipulation of her dreams and his threat against her brother but she cannot give it to his demands.  

 

She starts her reign by refusing Draga's demands for surrender and her city is destroyed by an army of unnatural warriors she cannot defeat.  She is held captive, threatened and forced to watch as her subjects are destroyed or transformed in grotesque servants of the man who holds her.  She's promised release by a mythic warrior but not told when, only asked to be strong and patient. 
Damsels are an important theme in literature as well as movies and television.  We can all name hundreds, Princess Leia, Sarah Connor, Olive Oyle, they have many of the same qualities.  They all have a strength that gets them through no matter how dire the danger.  They are the sole survivors in slasher movies and have adorned the covers of pulp fiction magazines and books and in many respects, Alassa is like many in that she must be stronger than she thinks she can be.  At the same time, her only safety lies in the fact that neither Draga or any of his agents, nor even the master Draga serves can act against her on his command.  
However, if someone else does without his consent or influence, the gateway is free for him to claim.