In which I answer all your burning questions…
Of course, I don’t know what your questions are, as no one has asked me any, but since I’m going to keep talking to myself on the Internet, I may as well write something that might be useful in the future. Assuming someone eventually wants to pick up my book and does actually have questions.
Whatever. Shut up, Richard.
1. Is this a traditional high fantasy book, (i.e., in the tradition of George RR Martin, Brandon Sanderson, etc)?
In a lot of ways, yes. I have a well-developed world and magic system, a heroic quest, and a Medieval-ish setting. And it’s a million pages long (I’m kidding. It’s actually on the short side for fantasy). I deviate from “traditional” fantasy in a few ways, though:
I lean into modern speech. My characters speak the way you and I do, with a few exceptions. Why did I do this? Well, there’s something about hearing / reading familiar expressions that connects the reader to the characters. In my experience, reading period dialogue creates a wall between the audience and characters, making the character’s emotions less impactful. Having Tikran yell “What the fuck!” makes him much more human and relatable to the reader than if he were to say something like “By the cursed blood of the gods!” It also doesn’t yank you out of the story the way the latter does. That said, I’m not ridiculous about it—my characters don’t sound like the teens currently playing video games in my living room (“SHE’S GOT MAD RIZZ”). I avoid anachronisms and make sure the dialogue suits the individual character.
You don’t need a map. Or a family tree. Or an index of characters. Granted, I made a map that may or may not be included in the book, but it certainly isn’t necessary to enjoy the story. It’s just kind of a cool extra. And you won’t find yourself wondering, “Who is this character again?” (Or so I hope). I also tried to keep the names simple and distinct, although I have considered a pronunciation guide… Fuck it, pronounce their names the way you want!
I don’t have monsters or mythical beasts. Ok, I take that back, I have monsters, but they’re all human. As for mythical creatures, well… not in this book in the series. But who knows??
All in all, I tried to make my story rich in it’s world-building while not losing its “approachability” to readers who aren’t exactly into Tolkien.
2. What inspired you to write this book?
I’m a HUGE history nerd. I’m also a former archaeology student who spent a lot of time in my university years alone in the Antiquities section of museums at 6 in the morning fixing displays, wondering if THIS was how I died, because the creepy statues were certain to come alive AT ANY MOMENT…
I’m also Syrian-American. The Medieval Middle East has always fascinated me; so much was happening between the 5th and 15th centuries in that region, from the Crusades, to the Golden Age of Islam, to the Mongol conquests. The Mamluk Empire, in particular, has always captivated me, in no small part because I am descended of one of the last Mamluk sultans of Egypt. (That’s not a joke. My grandmother held the title of “princess.” Not that it did me any good, other than giving me great ideas for stories). I loosely based the Manzakars on the Mamluks, who were slave-soldiers from the Central Asian steppe.
3. Does Manzakar have epic battles?
100%. Complete with training montages. I tried to make my action scenes engaging and not so technical I’ll lose you if you don’t understand the terminology. I’m also fairly succinct and don’t drag things out, so things happen quickly. But if battles are your jam, then I don’t disappoint either. I did my research and had some expert help (nod to Bridget the Mounted Archer and Forgemaster, my official Commander-in-Chief).
4. Is there romance in Manzakar?
Yes, there are romantic subplots. Although if you’re looking for a heteronormative, traditional view on romance, you’re going to be disappointed. I kind of make it a point to subvert those ideas throughout the book. That’s not to say, however, that the romances aren’t heartwarming and satisfying, because they very much are, in my humble opinion. The relationships (romantic and otherwise) are central to the story.
5. Are you saying you have queer characters?
Yes! Several of them! An entire society in the Manzakar world is pansexual, and my main characters are originally from that society. So it follows…
6. Who exactly is your target audience?
You. No, seriously. I didn’t write this with a “target audience” in mind. I wanted to write something that could be enjoyed by most everyone, regardless of gender, race, whether you’re a hardcore fantasy fan, prefer romantasy, or haven’t read much fantasy in general, etc. (Although, as I will discuss in the next question, Manzakar is very much meant for adults and possibly older teens).
7. Are there any content warnings?
As I said before, it’s an adult book. It contains:
- Violence
- Scenes of torture
- Implied rape
- Implied child abuse
- Sexual situations (On this particular spice scale, I’d give it a 3 out of 5 peppers):
8. Wait… You actually wrote detailed sex scenes?
I mean, define “detailed.” (Actually, don’t. Please.) In any case, it was agonizing. I would spend DAYS obsessing over word choice, writing and deleting, rinsing and repeating. I’ve always been the “fade to black” kind of writer, but the dynamics between the characters, as well as the characters’ individual arcs, seemed to call for a bit more. I think I managed to create scenes that didn’t feel gratuitous and, hopefully, don’t leave the reader wondering if I’ve ever been in a romantic relationship or even know how the human body works. AHEM.
9. Alrighty then. Let’s talk about something else. Where did you get the name “Manzakar”?
Great question, me! But actually, the answer is kinda dumb. I was reading through Middle Eastern history in the Middle Ages and came across the Battle of Manzikert, in which the Seljuk Empire defeated the Byzantine Empire (basically, the Muslims defeated the Christians, causing the Christians to launch the Crusades). Anyway, I looked at the name “Manzikert” and thought, “It’s almost epic. It starts off strong, then goes derpy near the end. I can fix that.”
And I did.
10. So what’s with the bird and the cage?
I guess you’ll just have to find out, eh?
If I missed anything, please feel free to send me your questions! Otherwise I’ll just keep answering my own! YAY!