Great news! This summer, there will be a new Star Wars show called Forces of Destiny. This show will provide tie-ins to various events that have occurred throughout the Star Wars Canon Timeline. The only downside is that each episode will only be three minutes long. Here is a preview depicting Rey and BB-8. Apparently, this episode takes place between when Rey found BB-8 and when she met Finn. The very thought of getting more Star Wars fills me with indescribable joy!
Easily one of the most suspenseful moments a person can possibly face is fighting to the death for the entertainment of others. Because I will be drawing inspiration from certain elements of the Roman Empire, I am thinking of including gladiatorial fights in the near future. In this scenario, the characters will face a special kind of despair as they struggle to survive. These fights will serve as one of the many obstacles the characters will overcome in their quest.
Another weapon I intend to include in my fantasy book is a type of sword I discovered recently called the Katzbalger. The Katzbalger was introduced during the Renaissance and used by German mercenaries to keep the peace of the Holy Roman Empire. They were also used by pikemen, archers, and crossbowmen as a last resort when enemy soldiers got too close. The Katzbalger can be identified by the rounded tip and S-shaped crossguard.
I decided to pay a little homage to the Bronze Age in my fantasy book by introducing the usage of bronze weapons. While most armies in my fantasy book will wield iron and steel weapons, there will be groups who rely on bronze weapons. In addition to weapons, I am thinking of including a wide range of bronze items such as pottery, armor, and embroidery.
In the trailer for The Last Jedi, Luke Skywalker mentioned that there was something bigger happening in the Force than just light and dark. I have been pounding this question against my head for a while and I have yet to receive a definitive answer. Here is what I think so far. The light and dark sides of the Force are two ends of a spectrum. While the light and dark sides are VERY familiar territory for Star Wars fans, the area in the middle is largely unexplored territory. Even in the Legends continuity, the middle of the Force was very mysterious and gave us only brief glimpses of its nature and power. In the new Canon, we got our first wielder of the middle of the Force: the Bendu, who was an embodiment the balance between light and dark. I think Luke Skywalker may have found something in the First Jedi Temple that will enable him and Rey to access the light and dark in perfect balance. This may also shed light on why Luke said the Jedi had to end because Luke may believe that accessing the light side alone is not enough to defeat Supreme Leader Snoke. With this in mind, I think The Last Jedi will give us a clearer picture of what the middle of the Force is like. I hope I will receive an answer this December.
I had an interesting idea for my fantasy book. What if the main character gained a companion who became his personal scribe, chronicler, and propagandist? I got the idea from William Shakespeare, who was the Tudor Dynasty’s foremost propagandist. What if this companion follows the main character wherever he goes and writes and tells poems, tales, and songs of the main character’s exploits? This character would be no warrior, but he will aid the main character’s cause by spreading his story by word of mouth just as William Shakespeare illuminated the Tudors’ supposed legitimacy to the English throne through his plays. I will tinker with this further and keep you updated on any further developments.
I found this concept art of Kylo Ren and Supreme Leader Snoke’s appearance in The Last Jedi. Based on this picture, it is clear that Supreme Leader Snoke likes to dress in more rich and regal garb compared to Emperor Palpatine such as red and gold robes and a ring that may have a black kyber crystal. Kylo Ren’s new look makes him look more like his grandfather, Darth Vader. He is wearing a full cape instead of his short tattered cloak. I look forward to seeing these two lords of darkness in all their sinister glory when The Last Jedi comes out.
I am undergoing more training as a writer with my favorite author, Christopher Paolini. Our most recent lesson revolved around the following:
Me: “When it comes to medieval battle tactics, where did you get your inspiration from?”
Paolini: “The Face of Battle,” by John Keegan; “On Combat,” by Dave Grossman; “The Book of the Five Rings,” by Musashi; “The Art of War,” by Sun-Tzu; “Beowulf”; and of course, lots, and lots of fantasy novels.”
This training session gave me more potential sources to seek out for my fantasy book. I cannot tell you how blissful it is to be trained by your role model. It’s like being trained by Clark Gable or Alan Arkin. I will keep you updated on any further developments.
I uncovered something extraordinary in my medieval research that happened recently. After five hundred years, the remains of Richard III, the last Plantagenet king to rule England, was discovered under a parking lot. The skeleton’s identity was confirmed through carbon dating and DNA tests with a descendant of Anne of York, Richard’s sister. While Richard III may not have been a hunchback, he still had scoliosis. Apparently, the Tudors and William Shakespeare exaggerated Richard’s spinal issue to portray him as a hunchback. As for the cause of death, it became clear that Richard’s crowned helmet fell off his head during the Battle of Bosworth Field. Due to this, Richard received a number of head injuries such as an axe grazing his scalp, a dagger puncturing his skull, and a sword slicing the back of his head to the point in which his brains spilled out. Also, evidence pointed to Richard receiving a stab wound in his pelvis, but it may have been postmortem to add insult to injury. Still, the fact that it took all of those head injuries to bring Richard down means that Richard died a badass! He died the way he wanted: as a warrior king with his sword in hand. This made Richard III the last English king to die in battle. Fortunately, Richard III got a funeral fit for a king five centuries after his death and it was beautiful. During his funeral, I learned that one of my favorite actors, Benedict Cumberbatch, is Richard III’s second cousin 16 times removed. That makes my favorite actor Plantagenet royalty! Despite Richard III’s death and the fact that the Plantagenets lost their royal status, they still endure to this day. They are Richard III’s legacy because he lives in them.
After several days of back-breaking work, I have finally finished fixing the flaws and plot holes in what I have written in my fantasy book so far. Now I can proceed to write the story out. It took a lot of time and effort to reach this point, but it was well worth it to make the fantasy book a higher quality story. I will keep you updated on any further developments.
Grady P Brown - Author 