Caledon Book #1
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| About the Book |
Book Title: Caledon
Series: Caledon (Book One)
Author: Virginia Crow
Publication Date: 22nd January 2019
Publisher: Crowvus
Page Length: 180 (A4 size) – the book is approx. 80,000 words
Genre: Historical Fantasy
"Go out and tell all those you meet, Caledon has risen. Caledon will be protected and defended. And to you who would cause her harm, be prepared. A new fight has come."
After the destruction of the Jacobite forces at Culloden, Scotland is divided, vulnerable and leaderless, with survivors from both sides seeking to make sense of the battles they have fought against their fellow Scots.
James Og flees Drumossie, seeking the protection of his uncle's house in Sutherland. It is here that James learns that the Northern Highlands hold a secret power only he can wield: Caledon. When Ensign John Mackay begins hunting Og's family, James realises he must harness this power to defeat the enemies of Scotland.
But, as the ageless Caledon awakes, so too does an ancient evil. When it allies with Mackay, the small Clan of Caledon faces enemies at every turn, discovering that even those closest to them may seek to destroy them.
Finding Caledon and his Mythological Eile within History
The first character from the Caledon series to come to life was the waterfall. My own personal experience had led to that one! But next came the job of finding the Caledon themself. I knew I wanted a small number of characters to form the Clan of Caledon because they had to substitute as one another’s family (although there are also family ties included amongst them), but there had to be enough so there were different roles within the group. So, since I’m from a family of six, which was remarked on as a large family but seemed totally normal to me, I selected that number for the clan.
Now to find the hero…
I knew I didn’t want any of my characters to be invincible or overtly benevolent. They had to be flawed, or to carry a certain amount of repentance and guilt. James Og began to take shape. His name was particularly important. I wanted a member of a clan – and one who felt definite loyalty towards them – but I didn’t want him to have any claim on the role of chieftain. So James is a Mackenzie, but only through a sidewards step. And he is running away… away from the battle, but also away from himself. The reader’s first meeting with James has him scrambling on all fours to reach the home of his uncle. He is an all-round pitiful figure. He identifies himself as a coward and ultimately it is his cowardice which leads him on to becoming something far more: Caledon.
The Jacobite retreat from Derby was wholly self-inflicted. There is no evidence to suggest that, had they continued to London, they would have been anything but victorious. But the movement imploded and, with bickering factions, Culloden turned into an absolute failure. Given that this was James Og’s starting point, there is little wonder he ran away.
But – as has happened throughout history – fate steps in and sets things on a different course. As a member of the annihilated Mackenzie clan who had been slaughter or drowned at Littleferry on the eve of Culloden, James journeys into Sutherland. A good number of Jacobite soldiers escaped the battlefield, the majority of them being tracked down and executed or imprisoned over the years which followed. And this is where James Og’s story picks up.
Now the history of the character was in place. I had rooted him in his background, and given him all the flaws I suspect I would have shared in had I been there. Now I had to raise him to the role of Caledon. Writing historical fantasy has challenges. It’s not like alternative history where you can set anyone anywhere – although that is equally difficult – I wanted my historical fantasy to fit around the history which exists. I went to great lengths to keep the sequence of events the same, and researched the minutia of trials, accounts, and journals. I wanted it to stay accurate. By taking the storyline north, the gaps in the history opened up. There are shockingly few accounts made of Sutherland at that time, so I decided the majority of the storyline would remain there. After all, that was where I had first spawned the idea of Caledon. Here, superstition and folklore continued to dominate the viewpoints of people.
This was perfect! I had a character, a setting, a mystical waterfall, a superstitious people. Now James needed some proof to show people that he was Caledon. A quick look at Scottish mythology will always bring up one creature above all the others: The Loch Ness Monster. No one would argue with that! The idea of the Eile began to take shape. The Eile (the Gaelic word for “other”) are the embodiment of each clansmen’s role, six clansmen: six Eile: nobility is the stag; stealth is the pine marten; strength is the wolf; wisdom if the raven; zeal is the wildcat. And then there’s the sixth Eile, the one which sets itself apart from the others. This is the Eile of Power and – you guessed it! – is the Loch Ness Monster.
So, Caledon came to life: a man with a bitter past, a tumultuous present, and a hopeful future – and a man whose adventure was worth sharing with the world!
Buy Links:
Universal Link: https://books2read.com/Caledon
Amazon UK:
Amazon US:
Amazon AU:
Amazon CA:
About the Author
Virginia grew up in Orkney, using the breath-taking scenery to fuel her imagination and the writing fire within her. Her favourite genres to write are fantasy and historical fiction, sometimes mixing the two together. She enjoys swashbuckling stories such as The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas and is still waiting for a screen adaption that lives up to the book!
When she's not writing, Virginia is usually to be found teaching music. She believes wholeheartedly in the power of music, especially as a tool of inspiration. She also helps out with the John o' Groats Book Festival which is celebrating its 4th year.
She now lives in the far-flung corner of Scotland. A doting spaniel-owner to Orlando and Jess, Virginia soaks up in inspiration from the landscape as she ventures out with her canine companions.
She loves cheese, music, and films, but hates mushrooms.
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note: Helen has not yet read this title - it is on her TBR list!
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Thank you for hosting Virginia Crow today, Helen. Such a fascinating post. xx
ReplyDeleteMy pleasure
DeleteThank you so much for hosting me and my book on your lovely blog! I hope your readers enjoy this post.
ReplyDelete🏴📚🏴