by S. Mina
Table of Contents:
Titles
Genre
Target Readership
Purpose
Format
About the Writing Process
Concept Art
Additional Resources
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Titles:
The First War (Prequel) - 210 pages
Fire & Ice - 350 pages
Red Revolution - 350 pages
Crystal's End - 730 pages
The Beginning - 560 pages
Child of War, Son of Nations - 715 pages
The Spectrum Anthology - In Progress
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Genre:
The novels of the Fire & Ice series are a cross between military science fiction and fantasy. However, the only particularly 'sci-fi' aspect is that the stories take place in the future. There are no spaceships, aliens, alternate universes, distant galaxies, or so forth. I limited the setting to one planet (Second Earth), and the plot revolves around the interactions of select nations within the Northeastern Hemisphere (Nuria, Ichthyosis, Conflagrablaze and Oriya). The tales reflect upon issues and events that touch our lives today, just dressed in a bit of the garnish of science fiction that automatically comes with the setting of a future world. But beneath the fancy technology and discourses on combat tactics, you will come to realize that this is not so much a story of war as it is a story about the people affected by war—the soldiers, torn families, terrorist victims, parents and spouses of the ones in the line of fire, and so forth. What classifies this series as partially 'fantasy' is the role of the 'supernatural.' Though, in comparison to series like Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings, this fantasy is very light: There is no black magic, raising spirits from the dead, wands, sorcerers, seances, or so forth.
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Target Readership:
The Fire & Ice series would probably appeal the most to young adults simply because a young adult is the author. In order to let my ideas flow freely, I am not censoring myself at this phase; I am yet to decide what to (or if I should) delete. The bottom line is: War is not pretty, and I will not attempt to sugar-coat it. My goal is not to horrify you for the sake of making your stomach turn, but to make a point. I only write something intense if it serves a distinct purpose. As a wise friend of mine told me in the fall of 2005: "The more people are exposed to the truths of war, the sooner we can make it all stop."
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Purpose:
Political commentary--though it has become a major focus in my work--was not my original intent. I just wanted to write of how war affects a variety of individuals in different ways. My work is very character-driven. I did not create Second Earth and then populate it. I constructed numerous characters and then built a world around them. But, while reading, please keep in mind that the author is not the character, which means that I do not necessarily condone or support the behaviors, thoughts, or political viewpoints the characters express. Oftentimes, you must read to the very end (of the book, or of the entire series) to understand the point that is being made. The discourse on isolationism, a very prominent theme in this series, is an example of this: Throughout the first two books, 'I' may come off as a staunch isolationist or a narrow-minded hater of all things Republican. But, keep reading and you will see my real point. However, I would like to state this up front to avoid any further questions: I neither affiliate nor agree with either of the US political parties. I am not saying I am politically apathetic--quite the contrary: I am very fascinated by politics and have always loved studying it, writing about it, and keeping up with current events. However, I do not agree with either of the dominant political parties and therefore, my books are not to be classified as propaganda/support for either one of them, no matter what I have my characters say.
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Format:
The series consists of seven books (six novels and one anthology). The prequel and the primary quintet are written in first person limited, with the point-of-view alternating between several different characters from chapter to chapter. The anthology includes short stories, poetry, essays, articles, artwork and interviews, written in a variety of POVs, including first person, third-person omniscient and third-person limited.
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About the Writing Process:
I conjured the character of Scarlet July (the first protagonist) and wrote Chapter 1 when I was sixteen, but did not think about writing a full book or series until March 2005, when I was seventeen. I completed the first draft of Fire & Ice in a month (with niether outlines nor a distinct idea for a conclusion), and had no intention of taking the project any further. Yet, as the days passed, ideas for a sequel started sprouting in my mind, and the next thing I knew, I was writing Red Revolution (which, despite the title, has nothing to do with the USSR or Socialism/Communism). By the beginning of May, the first draft of Red Revolution was completed. It has taken from May 2005 until March 2006 to complete the third installment, Crystal’s End. The fourth book, The Beginning has taken from March 2006 to June 2006 to complete. The fifth, Child of War, Son of Nations was completed by January 2007. I began the prequel, The First War, in April 2007 and finished it by mid-May.
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Concept Art:
By the Author ("RedViolin")
By all of the following:
"Ingie"
"Snow Fox"
"Briar Rose90"
"CrystalFlute"
"ChocolateCello"
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Additional Resources:
View a Map of the Northeastern Hemisphere of Second Earth
View the National Flags of four select nations of Second Earth
View the Combat & Ceremonial Uniforms of the Ichthyothian Military
Download the Fire & Ice Desktop Wallpaper
Which Fire & Ice character are you? Take the Quiz to find out
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Life: 11/05/09 | Posted By: RedViolin | 0 comments
