Reader Question Day #35 – all about DEMONSOULED

Since the release of SOUL OF SORCERY is imminent, it seems only proper to have a Reader Question Day that is (mostly) about DEMONSOULED.

Manwe asks:

1) Many authors like to give the physical description of a character as soon as the reader meets them. You do this sometimes, but not all the time. In particular, I’m talking about the main protagonist of the Demonsouled series, perhaps it slipped my mind, but I do no recall him ever getting an extensive physical description, sure there are bits here and there, but I don’t remember the whole thing. I can remember what other characters look like (like Gerald or Romaria, for instance), but Mazael has always been a bit fuzzy to me. And given that they are ebooks, it’s not easy to flip around a find it. If it is not too much trouble, can you enlighten me on the matter?

At the start of the series, Mazael’s in his mid-thirties, and he’d be just about forty in SOUL OF SORCERY. Gray eyes, and brown hair and beard that he usually keeps close-cropped (so it doesn’t provide an opponent a handle during a fight).

Mazael’s a big dude, well over six feet tall, and looks like someone accustomed to frequent violence. If by some fluke of space-time Mazael wound up in the modern world, most people would cross the street to avoid him, even in the middle of the day. That said, like many violent men, he has his own sort of dark charisma – it explains how he’s able to get people to follow him so easily (sometimes whether he wants them to or not).

2) And speaking of Mazael…I have been talking to some friends of mine about the books, but before I blab too much, I want to make sure I get things right. I have been wrong about name pronunciations before, particularly when all I have done is read them, and never actually heard them spoken. And seeing as how I don’t want to look foolish, how exactly do you yourself pronounce the name ‘Mazael’? I have my own ideas, but I’m not really sure I’m right. The last three letters keep throwing me off. Like take Romaria for example, it could be either ‘Ro-maria’ or ‘Rom-aria’? See what I mean? 🙂

My general rule for pronunciation is that people can pronounce things however they like. That said, I usually pronounce Mazael as “Mah-Zah-El”, and Romaria as “Ro-Maria.”

3) I have asked before about the possibility of a guide book, but you didn’t seem interested in doing any. That is understandable, but I still think it would be worthwhile, your Demonsouled universe (not to mention “Ghost”) is rich with history, it would be very interesting to read some more back story on it! At the very least, a Dramatis personae in the front of every book (take the Star Wars books for example) would be helpful, there are just sooo many lords (some having similar sounding names) that it becomes hard to keep track of them all, let alone not get them confused.

I’m planning to do omnibus editions of the 1st three DEMONSOULED and 1st three GHOSTS books at some point, so something like that might wind up in the mix. Sort of a bonus for the omnibus books.

4) I have expressed my like of the Demonsouled saga before, let me just say again that it is very good! One of the better S&S series I have read, no kidding. It’s a shame that the original never sold well enough in print, it would have been cool to see what happened with the series had it became a hit. Some reviewer on Amazon said she would liked to have seen someone make a movie or show of it, personally I’d rather have a game adaptation! Now that would be sweet! Let’s indulge in some wishful thinking here, if the DS saga ever were adapted into a video game, what kind would you prefer it as? Now I know RPG would top that list, but I mean even more specific, like would you rather see it be and open world-rpg (ala Skyrim) or perhaps a party based crpg (ala Dragon Age, Baldur’s Gate, etc), or both (I mean hey, why not!?)

Thanks!

Ideally, I’d prefer something along the lines of Skyrim – a big open world with a plot that you can start whenever you like, and dip in and out of as the mood takes you. But that would be really hard to do – there’s a reason it took Betheseda five years to develop Skyrim. So I think a more linear RPG in the mode of the original DRAGON AGE or MASS EFFECT might be more feasible.

5) Last but not least: of secondary characters in the DS universe, do you have any favorites?

I do like Sir Tanam Crowley, since he’s so cheerfully grim. Also Lord Robert Highgate, since he’s a long-winded jerk who’s nonetheless quite competent (his wife Tymaen might have a different opinion, though).

6.) Actually this is where you could help me out Jon, maybe you have heard of createspace before? Are their books good quality? I mean they won’t fall apart on you after one read, right?

I haven’t heard anything bad about Creatspace in terms of book quality, though I suspect very small books (like, under 60 pages) and very large books might have structural problems. I have been investigating Createspace more, since I’ve been contemplating doing print editions of any books that sell over 5,000 copies, but I haven’t had time to do it seriously yet.

JS asks:

I am just curious how “Worlds to Conquer” fits into the Tower of Endless Worlds series. Or if they are related in any way?

WORLDS TO CONQUER was the original version of the first book of the THE TOWER OF ENDLESS WORLDS series. I got the rights back from the publisher earlier this year, edited and revised WORLDS TO CONQUER extensively, and then released it as THE TOWER OF ENDLESS WORLDS, along with its three unpublished sequels.

A fuller account of the process can be found here.

Jason asks:

I came across your books on the Smashwords website. I was going to start with Demonsouled after I finish the last book in David Dalglish’s Half Orc Series. I wanted to make sure that there is no other linked series that I should start before this one. Also, are there any linked series that I should read after the Demonsouled series.

DEMONSOULED is self-contained. So far, there are five books in the series:

#1 DEMONSOULED

#2 SOUL OF TYRANTS

#3 SOUL OF SERPENTS

#4 SOUL OF DRAGONS

#5 SOUL OF SORCERY

That’s all the DEMONSOULED books so far. They don’t crossover with THE GHOSTS or any of my other series.

-JM