Kindred (The Akasha Series #2) by Indie Gantz
Kindred
(The Akasha Series #2)
by Indie Gantz
Genre: YA Scifi
Fantasy
Release Date: February
2019
Summary:
In Kindred we find the Damuzi twins settling into their new home with Kori Lark’s family. Desperate to keep the dangerous truth of their identity a secret, Charlie and Tirigan educate themselves on everything that was kept from them, while delving deeper into their mother’s past.
In the future, Tirigan is dealing with the complicated emotions that overwhelm him after the events of Passage. In an attempt to control the situation, Tirigan turns inward and cuts himself off from those who need him most.
By the time Charlie and Tirigan’s timeline’s merge, a burning mystery is solved, and more than one relationship begins to unravel.
Friendship. Trust. Dependency. Lies.
The Damuzi twin’s story continues.
Add
Passage (The Akasha Series #1) on Goodreads
“Hating oneself is something I am unfamiliar with personally, but aware of on a physiological level. The human brain is a nest of potential abnormalities and complications; full of tiny particles that dictate how one will feel about any given circumstance. Neurotransmitters that control your mood, your responses, your life. It is possible to overwrite the body’s natural chemical responses through alternative methods of emotional processing, but few choose to explore such avenues. Apparently, it is far easier and more satisfying to wallow in one’s own depression. Humans are exceedingly tedious.
To hear Calor emotionally succumb to that which is not out of his control does not soften me to him. It aggravates me further. If he is unhappy with who he is, why not change? Laziness. Fear. Incompetence. The brain is malleable; it is capable of taking orders. Simple chemistry. Mathematics. Problem, solution. Why must everyone be so emotional? Human error. So easily controlled? Slaves to their emotions. Don’t they see how vulnerable it makes them? Maybe that’s the point.
My argument with myself pushes me back to my original problem. I’ve been floundering, trying to sleep, trying to understand why I can’t sleep, and the solution is obvious.
I’m emotionally compromised.
These people, our circumstances, my growing attachment, it’s all making it difficult for me to separate my feelings as I’ve always done. I’m no longer just interpreting and processing in-formation. I care. I have a vested interest. Charlie’s decision to kill those Téssera wasn’t just shortsighted; it was heartbreaking. Avias and Calor’s relationship isn’t just distracting; it aches with irritation.
I refuse to fall victim to the very issues that plague those who are now going out of their way to comfort the brooding blonde boy. Charlie asks him to tell her what's wrong. Oleander puts his arm around Calor’s shoulders. Calor makes a sound that I can compare only to that of an infant feline. It’s grating. I turn over in a sweeping motion that I’m sure looks rather dramatic from Charlie’s perspective. As expected, my sister presses at my mind. I open it to her just enough to communicate.
What?
What’s with you?
The weeping drunk hasn’t filled your emotional outreach quota for the evening?
My emotional outreach—? Man, sometimes I really regret teaching you sarcasm.
Cheers.
Seriously, what’s wrong? You’re all huffy and—
Huffy? Do you think that made it into the original Oxford dictionary? I feel her irritation rising. It satisfies me.
Avias’ sass is really rubbing off on you, Tir. Why don’t you do us both a favor and just go to sleep.
I was in the process of doing just that when I was interrupted by what I can only assume is some sort of dying animal.
Close mind.”
Building a
World for Your Characters to Play In
When it
comes to Science-Fiction and Fantasy, readers expect a certain level of
world-building. When we open the pages of some epic adventure that promises
sword fights, magic, or alien expeditions, we expect the world the characters
interact in to reflect those plotlines. Writers need to write a world their
characters can truly live in, but they also need to create new aspects of their
character’s world that will intrigue readers.
An author
can make big differences, like changing the laws of nature, setting the story
on another planet or dimension, or altering our world history so that certain
events never took place. When doing so, they need to make sure that when they
pull that thread, whatever it is, they follow it all the way through so it is
recognized as different and unique to our current world. For example, in Man in
the High Castle by Philip K Dick, The Axis powers won the second world war, and
the changes to America were stark as a result. The writer pulled this
historical thread, and took care to
think about each individual change pulling that thread would make.
Writers can
also make small changes, things that throw readers off just because they’ve
never realized that particular aspect of our world affected them so much. For
example, I chose to have my protagonists call their parents by their first
names. It made sense in the world I built, but I got more questions and curious
comments regarding that small change than my choice to have the protagonists be
alien hybrids with magical powers. Even a small change can surprise a reader,
and its little surprises like that, the kind that challenges them, that keeps
your audience reading.
It’s
tempting to want to change everything, but I’d discourage creation for
creation’s sake. (I just channeled Umbridge there, didn’t I?) What I mean, is
that if you’re going to be changing the species, the world, the mechanisms of
physics, languages, and cultures- you need to be sure readers can still find
something they can relate to in your story. Creating new worlds is as much
about highlighting their difference to ours, as it is about making readers feel
like they’re escaping to a world that just might be possible. Don’t
alienate your readers by creating a world so unrecognizable they can’t see
themselves in it.
World
building can be daunting, but if you pay attention to the details of our real
world, and then elevate or transform them to fit your narrative, your audience
will beg for more.
Chapter Seven: Tirigan
A Human Response
“Hating oneself is something I am unfamiliar with personally, but aware of on a physiological level. The human brain is a nest of potential abnormalities and complications; full of tiny particles that dictate how one will feel about any given circumstance. Neurotransmitters that control your mood, your responses, your life. It is possible to overwrite the body’s natural chemical responses through alternative methods of emotional processing, but few choose to explore such avenues. Apparently, it is far easier and more satisfying to wallow in one’s own depression. Humans are exceedingly tedious.
To hear Calor emotionally succumb to that which is not out of his control does not soften me to him. It aggravates me further. If he is unhappy with who he is, why not change? Laziness. Fear. Incompetence. The brain is malleable; it is capable of taking orders. Simple chemistry. Mathematics. Problem, solution. Why must everyone be so emotional? Human error. So easily controlled? Slaves to their emotions. Don’t they see how vulnerable it makes them? Maybe that’s the point.
My argument with myself pushes me back to my original problem. I’ve been floundering, trying to sleep, trying to understand why I can’t sleep, and the solution is obvious.
I’m emotionally compromised.
These people, our circumstances, my growing attachment, it’s all making it difficult for me to separate my feelings as I’ve always done. I’m no longer just interpreting and processing in-formation. I care. I have a vested interest. Charlie’s decision to kill those Téssera wasn’t just shortsighted; it was heartbreaking. Avias and Calor’s relationship isn’t just distracting; it aches with irritation.
I refuse to fall victim to the very issues that plague those who are now going out of their way to comfort the brooding blonde boy. Charlie asks him to tell her what's wrong. Oleander puts his arm around Calor’s shoulders. Calor makes a sound that I can compare only to that of an infant feline. It’s grating. I turn over in a sweeping motion that I’m sure looks rather dramatic from Charlie’s perspective. As expected, my sister presses at my mind. I open it to her just enough to communicate.
What?
What’s with you?
The weeping drunk hasn’t filled your emotional outreach quota for the evening?
My emotional outreach—? Man, sometimes I really regret teaching you sarcasm.
Cheers.
Seriously, what’s wrong? You’re all huffy and—
Huffy? Do you think that made it into the original Oxford dictionary? I feel her irritation rising. It satisfies me.
Avias’ sass is really rubbing off on you, Tir. Why don’t you do us both a favor and just go to sleep.
I was in the process of doing just that when I was interrupted by what I can only assume is some sort of dying animal.
Close mind.”
About the Author
Indie
Gantz grew up in Northern Virginia and received her Psychology degree at George
Mason University. Despite her passion and curiosity for the human mind, Indie
left her chosen field of study to finally give voice to the many imagined minds
she has created.
Indie lives with her family in North Carolina. She spends her days drinking tea and clacking keys.
Indie lives with her family in North Carolina. She spends her days drinking tea and clacking keys.
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