When a peaceful life is shattered by chaos, how will a charming, witty small-town girl rise to the challenge? Welcome back to another blog counting down to the release of Sovereign Soul: Embers of Orden! Today, we’ll delve into the evolving journey of Caryl Cerone.
Spoiler Alert: Be advised that reading further might spoil details in Sovereign Soul: Akin Minds, and provides teasers for Embers of Orden. If you haven’t read the book yet, check it out here!
Caryl was featured in the very first scene of Akin Minds as the vivacious bartender of the Fallen Unicorn in Bytold, a quaint settlement in Harohto and the first place Ryoku visits. Known for her pumpkin-orange hair, captivating looks, and adventurous spirit, Caryl quickly became a fan favorite. Popular among the village boys and travelers alike, she exudes a charm that’s hard to resist.
In Akin Minds, Caryl’s role was initially to provide an outsider’s perspective on Ryoku Dragontalen. She stands out with her locks of orange hair, keen interest in adventurers, and her ability to captivate with both her looks and wit. Despite her flirtatious and adventurous nature, Caryl harbors a deep-seated fear of hitting rock bottom, always striving to maintain her appearance and composure. Besides adventurers, she doesn’t appear to have a specific or easy-to-grasp type, showing interest in characters ranging from Ryoku to Will and Alex. Presumed to be in her early twenties, she’s used to the peaceful life of the village and has scarcely seen a bigger city, let alone any battle or strife.
However, in Embers of Orden, Caryl’s world is about to be irrevocably changed. The relative peace of Harohto is shattered, thrusting Caryl into a conflict that will test her limits to evolve from a mere damsel in distress into a defender of her people.
“I clutched my skirts, frantically pushing my dirty orange hair from my face as I forced my feet to move. The skirmish and the bloodshed closed in behind me. Screams and derisive catcalls rose above the chaos. Tears stained the layers of dirt on my face and my legs felt aflame, but I could not stop.” – Caryl Cerone’s POV, Embers of Orden Act 4, Scene 1.
Caryl’s journey in Embers of Orden is one of transformation. She;s the daughter of Lindsor, a respected elder in Bytold, and sister to Alese who lives in Lynnport. Working at the Fallen Unicorn Inn, she’s used to dealing with the village’s riffraff, but now she must face real danger and learn to defend herself.
The relative locale of Bytold is experienced early on in Akin Minds. It’s a small settlement nestled between the ancient Old Forest and the relatively urbanized Bytold Woods, and at least a three-day trip from the Capital. The Border Range mountains protect its east side, and west leads to the cliffs overlooking the sea. Bytold, like much of Harohto’s north continent, is quite high above sea level.
In Embers of Orden, we’ll experience more of Harohto, traveling to Lynnport and the unique Deep Grottos, a forest that dips below sea level and the trees grow off of one another, giving the illusion of truly being ‘deep in the forest,’ and venturing into the perilous Atmos Woods.
The world of Harohto has underwent a lot of worldbuilding development. Readers will get to see it come to shine in Embers of Orden through multiple perspectives and experience the unfolding tragedy and strife. I enjoyed writing about this world and expanding on an initially underdeveloped, two-dimensional realm from early drafts of Akin Minds. Caryl was also initially a fleeting character, useful in the beginning of Akin Minds for introducing Ryoku Dragontalen from the outside perspective of an adventurous girl, and evolved into a developed character with her own role in the story.
Meeting Caryl as she struggles to survive in a changed world, how will we see her role evolve? What traumas must she endure to rise above it all? What transpires in Harohto that flips her life upside down? Harohto’s story is filled with adventure, despair, heartache, and the struggle to rise above inadequacy.
What intrigues you most about Caryl’s transformation? Let us know in the comments, and join the discussion as we count down to release day this Winter 2024!
Sovereign Soul 