DRAGON DESIGN

As mentioned in a previous post, I will be featuring an illustration in my next fantasy book that depicts my own version of a dragon. The dragon in question will have two wings and two legs like the image above. However, the look of the head, neck, and tail will be different.

The face of the dragon will resemble this image, which will give it a beastly yet eerily intelligent look to it. I also like the goatee-shaped spike sprouted from the tip of its chin. Plus, the scaly lips reminds me of Draco from Dragonheart.

The dragon’s horns will resemble the image above along with the mane running down the back of its neck. I like the curvature of the horns and the mane will give the dragon a similar look to a horse’s mane. This will be fitting since my protagonist’s family is a family of dragon riders.

The dragon’s tail will resemble the image above, but the tip of the tail will be different.

The tip of the tail will resemble the image above, which will be similar in shape to the fluke of a dolphin or whale.

Overall, these images are like pieces to a puzzle that the illustrator will use to create the dragon illustration. They provide a rough and basic idea of what my dragon will look like.

THIRD FANTASY BOOK COMPLETE!

I am pleased to report that I have finally finished the first volume of my new fantasy series. Before tonight, I thought I had a quarter of the story left to do, but once I had the sections organized in their proper places, I realized I progressed further in the story than I thought. Now, I am getting in contact with an illustrator and my editor will follow. After going through so many different drafts and ideas, I am amazed I was able to finish this book at all. I look forward to sharing this epic story with you when it comes out later this year. I will keep you updated on any further developments.

A STANDING ARMY

In addition to having a feudal system where kings, barons, and knights would supply their armies to the emperor, my fantasy world’s empire will also have its own standing army. Like the French gendarmes, this standing army will not only be extensions of the emperor’s military strength but also a law enforcement organization that maintains order throughout the empire. As a whole, the imperial army in my fantasy series will be partially inspired by the Roman legions, but will be equipped with armor and weapons that are on the same level as the 13th to 14th century. The infantry will be partially based on the Greek hoplites like the Spartans, specifically their phalanx formation. The phalanx formation was a mobile and impregnable wall of shields and spears. It is what allowed 300 Spartans to hold their own against thousands of Persians in the Battle of Thermopalyae.

DRAGON MECHANICS

Two of dragons’ most famous abilities is their capabilities to fly and breathe fire. When it comes to explaining how these magnificent creatures can do these things, I will be combining realism and magic instead doing one or the other. I will also explain dragons’ unique connection to both my protagonist’s family and the magic of the world.

DRAGON SHAPE

The dragons of my new fantasy series will have the same basic wyvern body shape as this image of the Hungarian Horntail from Harry Potter. However, the shape of the head, neck, and tail on my dragons will be different. Traditionally, dragons would have four legs and two wings while the wyvern body shape consists of two wings and two legs. I like the wyvern body shape because it seems more physically plausible than the traditional shape. That is why I will be going with the wyvern body shape with my dragons.

A TENSE FAMILY REUNION

I have decided that the main character of my new fantasy series will be in a situation where he meets his bastard half-siblings. In The War of the Gilded Beasts, it was revealed that the father of my protagonist was an insatiable womanizer and it was hinted that he sired illegitimate children. However, the fate of those illegitimate children was never revealed. I have decided to reveal what became of those bastards in future volumes of my new fantasy series. I will be drawing inspiration from Edgar and Edmund from Shakespeare’s King Lear as well as the Great Bastards from Game of Thrones. My protagonist’s relationship with his half-siblings will be understandably tense, but I won’t say if it will stay that way.

NEW WORLD BUILDING

I have just realized that I am in the process of establishing a deeper sense of worldbuilding with my current fantasy books than I did with my previous ones. If the two-part series of The Magnus Dynasty Saga is the bare bones of my fantasy world, I am about to put flesh and blood on it with my new sequel series. It has been an enriching experience so far, which makes me savor the writing process even more.

A SAVAGE DUEL

For the second volume of my new fantasy series, I am planning to include an intense and brutal duel between two characters. I will be drawing inspiration from a Scandinavian custom known as “holmgang”. Holmgang was the Viking equivalent of trial by combat and was the most common way to settle disputes.

PREHISTORIC PLANET SNEAK PEEK

Here is a sneak peek for the upcoming dinosaur documentary series, Prehistoric Planet. It features a young T. Rex hunting sea turtles and sporting feathers.

PREHISTORIC PLANET

It looks like David Attenborough is at it again with a new dinosaur documentary series: Prehistoric Planet!