Trysmoon Book 1: Favorite Chapters

Writing the Trysmoon Saga was a very visual experience for me. I see these places in my head to the degree that if Trysmoon were ever made into a movie (I dream big), I could sit down with the director and tell him or her shot for shot how to film the book (and then they’d tell me to shut up and go type something).

Of course, while I enjoy all the scenes to one degree or another, there are specific chapters in each book that I love, the ones I would read and reread, not just because I was editing, but because I liked to read them. So for each book I would like to present a chapter I love -- plus a runner up -- and explain what I find so compelling about them. Today I'll begin with Book 1.

SPOILERS BELOW! DON’T PROCEED IF YOU HAVEN’T READ THE BOOK!

YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED.

Favorite Scenes: Trysmoon Book 1: Ascension

Chapter 18: The Wedge

I love this scene for a variety of reasons. First, it’s where we really learn to hate Chertanne’s guts and feel sympathy for the Chalaine, something that is critical to the story. Yes, it plays out like the typical “fight for her honor” scenario, but the stakes are so high and Chertanne such a jerk that I can’t help but love it when his designs get frustrated.

It is in this scene that Gen’s torturous journey through Shadan Khairn’s hell pays off, and pays off big. It’s here that the Chalaine begins to see herself and her prophetic duty as two separate things. And, of course, it’s here that the lonely First Mother of Rhugoth sees a man that just might be her equal.

The chapter is called The Wedge because Gen’s refusal to bow to Chertanne’s wishes drives the Chalaine and Chertanne apart. From there it only gets worse as the Chalaine begins her close association with Gen during his Protectorship. I express Gen’s effect on her symbolically through the Chalaine staining the sleeve of her white dress with Gen’s blood when she heals him. It’s a stain that, metaphorically speaking, never comes out. Even though I wrote the scene -- or maybe because I wrote it -- I still thrill at the Chalaine’s deliverance every time I read it.

Runner-up Chapter 16: Ascension

This was such a delicious chapter to write. We all love contests and underdogs, and when the underdog is our impoverished hero, all the better. It’s told from Fenna Fairedale’s perspective so that we, as readers, can savor knowing the secret of Gen’s origin and abilities when everyone else is in the dark.

I find this chapter satisfying because is the first time that we get to see what Gen can really do with what Shadan Khairn has taught him, and it’s where his titular ascension into fame and notoriety officially begins. As with The Wedge, we have another jerk that needs a little comeuppance, and, for me, visualizing Kimdan getting his hindquarters handed to him by Gen is a delight.

Well esteemed readers, that’s Book 1. Stay tuned for Book 2. Drop me a line with your comments or your favorite chapters. Thanks again for reading!