Author Guest Post with Z. Lindsey: The River Against the Sea

Some heroes have swords. Essimore Darkenchyl has a pen. But it’s a magic pen.

Welcome to one of the December 11th stops on the blog tour for The River Against the Sea by Z. Lindsey with Goddess Fish Promotions. Be sure to follow the rest of the tour for spotlights, reviews, more author guest posts, and a giveaway! More on that at the end of this post.

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Author Guest Post

A Villain with Rhythm: Designing Dynamic Fantasy Antagonists

Before writing my debut fantasy novel, I asked lots of friends who their favorite villain was and why. A villain’s story, although typically not told in the novel itself, needs to be as dynamic and compelling as the hero’s.

I got lots of interesting answers to my question. My wife, for example, loves villains who are the way they are because of tragedy. These are characters that, in another world, could have been heroes. Medusa was her go-to example, but she also loves Spinel from Steven Universe.

But the most unexpected answer was from a friend who cited Yzma and Kronk from The Emperor’s New Groove. When I asked her what she liked in a villain, the first words out of her mouth were “someone who can dance.”

My debut fantasy novel is about Essimore Darkenchyl, a young devilish bureaucrat who wants nothing to do with adventure but finds it anyway. It can be a stand-alone work, but it’s also the first part of a trilogy. Essie will have to outwit pirates, fight ancient monsters, and eat disgusting food–and she’ll have to face a complex and rich villain.

My wife’s favorite “could have been a hero” trope appears in the second book in this series. But in honor of my Groove-loving friend, for the debut, I couldn’t help but design a villain with rhythm. The villain is a king named Mar Ketwan. He lives on an island chain where the government is divided into two factions. They call themselves the War Faction and the Peace Faction. But a better way of considering them would be to say the War Faction deals with international trade and the Peace Faction deals with internal affairs.

Mar Ketwan exemplifies the complexity of the differences in the factions. On one hand, he is a warrior. He’s tough, quite muscular, and handsome in a hard way (as the hero Essie accidentally admits). He believes that the Peace Faction is corrupt and weak, and to some extent he’s right.

But he also knows he would never be a good leader if he was only a tough guy. He appreciates the rituals his people have created, and loves a good ceremonial dance. He’s also a big fan of mango puff pastries. Although he’s not afraid to kill his enemies, he’s not the kind of villain who would stab one of his own allies to make a point.

It’s hard to imagine an alternate world where Mar Ketwan could have been a hero, because he makes a despicable alliance with an ancient evil to become ruler. But at his heart, he wants to better his people; he’s just doing it in the wrong way.

Most importantly for my friend and her love of The Emperor’s New Groove, he’s a damn good dancer.

To make a great villain, I try to spend at least as much time on them as any secondary protagonist. The villain of the second work in the series got almost as much attention as the main character.

It’s even useful to create an outline of the story from their perspective. They need their own beats, their own setbacks and losses, their own climax. This will keep them dynamic.

Before you start your next book, ask people–especially people who represent your intended audience–who their favorite villain is and why. You’ll get some fascinating answers, and you might learn something about your friends.

About the Book

The River Against the Sea
by Z. Lindsey

Publishing 18 December 2023

Genre: New Adult Fantasy
Page Count: 322
Add it to your Goodreads TBR!

Some heroes have swords. Essimore Darkenchyl has a pen. But it’s a magic pen.

Some wizards have spellbooks. Essie has Gossen’s Guide to Shipping Law. But it’s a current edition.

Some sailors have… experience. Essie has a new diploma and a year-long contract, and her people have won wars with less.

And that’s good, because between stolen weapons, a coup, and a strange disease creeping in around her and the crew, she might need to win a war.

In a world that blends traditional fantasy with the Age of Exploration, Essie knows a pen is mightier than a sword, especially since hers sometimes shoots lightning.

But what she thinks is a routine political dispute turns out to be something much, much more, and she may have finally met the one problem she can’t talk her way out of.

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Excerpt

“My cousin believes they’ll attack on One Wyrm.”

“One . . . Wyrm?” Essie asked as she tried to adjust the ropes around her.

Bunts scoffed.

“Didn’t you read your briefing?”

Essie felt the blood rush to her cheeks.

“I read about the calendar, but it was confusing. It was like math, but it had this religious undercurrent going on. Did not like.”

The captain squinted at her and raised his lip in distaste.

“Bunts, tell our bureaucrat what One Wyrm is.”

“Heh,” Bunts said. He cleared his throat, then shrugged.

The captain squinted at him, too.

“One Wyrm is New Year’s Day.”

“New Year’s Day, of course,” Bunts said. “Those jerks.”

“And what do you want me to do about it?”

“Nothing,” the captain said. “Report that the cargo got handed over and let us go on our way.”

“And if I don’t agree, you’ll throw me off the ship,” she said.

Bunts snorted.

“Seriously?”

The captain scratched his chin.

“To be honest, I was just hoping you’d agree. If you don’t . . .” The captain puffed up his cheeks and stared at the ceiling in thought. “I guess we’ll lock you in the brig until the weapons are safely delivered and we’re back at sea. That’ll give me a good lead on any Agency cutters.”

She tried to adjust herself in her chair, but couldn’t do much, so she frowned. Slowly she turned to Bunts and gave him her best puppy-dog eyes.

“Can’t you undo these bonds?”

Bunts shook his head.

“Nuh-uh. I’m told you’re stronger than you look. And that you eat people’s hearts.”

Essie frowned.

“Not raw.”

About the Author

Zac Lindsey is an anthropologist and a linguist who focuses on the Maya people of Quintana Roo. Since childhood, he’s had a not-so-secret love of weird, silly, and well-structured fantasy. When other people’s parents were reading them picture books, his mom was reading him Terry Brooks. He typically writes hopeful and character-driven fantasy.

Today, he lives in Quintana Roo, Mexico with his wife, daughter, and various stray cats.

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Giveaway Alert!

Z. Lindsey will be awarding a $20 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

Disclaimer: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.