FOW: The Dragon Riders

 

“Do you really think the Drakes of Drakewell are named for ducks?”

The Drake Chronicles are named for the actual, animal drakes, obviously, cold-drakes, fire-drakes, and, in Fortunes of War, the mysterious new purple drakes allied with the Sels, but also for the Drake family as well. With the duke, his playboy brother, and the shining, strong young heir cut down in the war, it's up to the two daughters and bastard cousin to carry on the family traditions - and save their duchy and kingdom along the way, if they can. 

I said it in a previous post, and it's still true that Ollie's my favorite character in the whole saga - which is saying something considering my attachment to Revna, and Ragnar, and Náli. But top honors belong to His Lordship Oliver Drake, King's Consort, VIP in Aeretoll whose attendance is required at a whole host of dull meetings. 

Though I'll be the first one to discourage anyone from thinking of a single character or couple as the "main character," the series is, at its core, Ollie's story. He has to share the stage with lots of others, because that's my jam, but he's our first POV character for a reason. I always carefully choose which character introduces the audience to a new world, and in this instance, that needed to be Oliver. He is, by nature, skeptical, a little neurotic, and a smartass. If it hadn't been for his childhood illness, and his forced time spent in bed and in the library, rather than out terrorizing the countryside, he would have certainly thrown himself into learning how to be a deceptively strong and quick fighter like Náli. Though he couldn't inherit, he could still serve as a military officer and do his family proud on the battlefield. He was a bastard, yes, and well aware of the fact, but he wasn't broody about it like Jon Snow, nor did any of his relatives hate him, shame him, or ostracize him. Think instead of British history, and Queen Maude's bastard half-brothers, loved and valued and serving faithfully at her side. That's not to say that Oliver didn't feel a little sorry for himself. He did, at times: traces of bitterness that peek through especially in the early scenes of the story, when he doubts his ability to attract the notice of a king thanks to his parentage and infirmity. 

At this point in the story, Oliver thinks he has things well in hand...but he absolutely doesn't, and he has a helluva lot to learn in the books to come. 

Amelia was unquestionably a brat growing up. Mind you, I would have hated all the balls and dances and parties, too, in her stead, but she was a tomboy who didn't fit in with the society ladies; a familiar refrain in these sorts of stories, yes. But she's very quickly learned, amidst personal tragedy and a heap of new stresses, that there's a big difference between playing tomboy soldier on her horse during peace times, and becoming an actual warrior. She has a strong affinity for animals of all kinds, and is a talented rider, and braver than is sometimes wise - but she's not unafraid. And she's also not an expert swordswoman. I wanted to be sure that both she and others recognize not only the fact that she needs to brush up on her skills, but that it's impractical for her, even armored and armed, to fight hand-to-hand with hulking, armored Sel soldiers bred specifically for war. A bit of realism peeking through the fantasy. She can best serve her army from Alpha's back, commanding her five fire-drakes in battle. 

Awash in a sea of testosterone - there's a lovely visual - I was excited to give Amelia a lady friend, finally, in this book! I enjoyed bringing Leda to life. She was ostracized from society as well, but for different reasons than Amelia. Getting to know Leda gives Amelia a little more perspective on the prejudices of society, and the pitfalls and rewards of living your own life amidst its judgement. 

If you've read my work outside of the Drakes, then you will have seen certain patterns emerge, and one of those is that I love to play with flashbacks - both as outright, whole scenes, and as narrative tools to style a moment that's currently unfolding - to highlight a character's whole journey. I like writing about childhood and adolescence as a way of informing the present and future. I don't see it as characters changing, but as growing into the parts of themselves that lay dormant or seemed to swallow them like a shirt three sizes too large. With Tessa, we're watching her "grow into herself" in the present-day action of the story. She will always be a genuinely sweet girl, who cares deeply for her family and those close to her; she will always want to help and prove "useful." But we're beginning to see the steel in her spine, by FOW, her mother and sister coming through in her firmness with Erik; we see some of Oliver's sass when she's dealing with Náli and all his brat tendencies. She's becoming her own woman, learning to stand on her own, and that's what makes Rune her perfect mate: young, a little uncertain of himself, still, he's not going to squash her spirit, but will encourage it, instead. He's a besotted fool, and his unwavering love and support will only serve to make Tessa stronger and more independent. 

I didn't focus on them much as a couple in this book, because they're in a really solid place right now - but that doesn't mean there won't be some growing pains in the future. As they grow, so too must their marriage, and that means a little drama is inevitable. 

There's so many other characters I adore, but at the end of the day, these are the Drake Chronicles, and I love my little dragon riders best.