Misericorde- A Dark Fantasy Dystopian Romance
Posted: Sat Apr 25, 2020 5:07 pm
Miséricorde
Book One of The Mercy Series
It is the year 2446. The first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden. The first Horsemen, Pestilence, War and Famine, have shifted world-wide cultures and governments from technologically advanced civilizations to dictatorships that are ruled with an iron-fist. Social structures have returned to what they were during the Middle Ages and commoners have very few rights. Liberty is a distant memory.
Before the final Horseman, Death, is released to ride, the Archangel of Mercy makes a bold plea. Tzadkiel cannot believe that mankind has forgotten what it means to be merciful. He asks to be allowed to search for even just one human who remembers. 100 years are granted, but at the end of that time the Archangel will be required to release the final Horseman. Releasing Death will conflict with everything the Archangel represents and be the hardest thing he has ever done, but he must agree. The Horseman must ride.
Tzadkiel takes human form and comes to earth. He finds that humanity is ruled by greed, hatred and fear. Compassion and kindness are considered a detriment, but he does not give up hope. After 96 years his long search leads him to New France where he encounters Levesque, a cynical military captain who hates the world he lives in. He blames God and any who serve Him for the calamities the world has suffered. When Levesque learns who Tzadkiel is, he takes revenge by imprisoning him and subjecting him to torture that would kill a human.
Tzadkiel, however, is not fully human. His life-force comes from the energy of the sun and can regenerate his body in hours. It is not entirely a blessing. After suffering Levesque’s torture for nearly a year, a young servant named Lourdes finds him. Through an act of selfless mercy she reveals her true nature and Tzadkiel knows she is the one he seeks, but somehow they must escape Levesque and the ruthless dictatorship he serves.
Time is running out. He has waited nearly 100 years, but the Horseman Death is growing impatient. He wants to ride. Tzadkiel has located the priceless treasure he sacrificed so much to find, but now he must find some way of protecting her from the calamity the Final Horseman has unleashed.
***
How do you feel your writing style differs from your previous work? What considerations should readers have while reading?
While Dark Fey was very much a Young Adult Fantasy, The Mercy Series has taken a slightly darker turn, landing somewhere between a PG-13 and an R-rating. I veered away from the poetic writing style I used in Dark Fey, making this series more conversational in its tone with darker, moderately graphic content. It tells the story of a harsh new reality that exists on Earth with characters that are equally harsh.
What inspired you to go in this direction as an author?
I began this tale with the intent of writing a multi-dimensional story. I hoped to share the story through the perspectives of several characters, rather than just one, and to provide the backstory not so much through expository prefaces or chapters, but as the plot progressed. I sought to challenge myself to create something dark that could still be tender and emotive, with which readers could connect on many levels.
Does this book have a hidden message?
It isn’t really all that well hidden. The story speaks about the courage to be kind in the face of cruelty. To be compassionate without motive. To show thankfulness through kindness and appreciate blessings through generosity.
Book One of The Mercy Series
It is the year 2446. The first three Horsemen of Revelation’s Apocalypse have ridden. The first Horsemen, Pestilence, War and Famine, have shifted world-wide cultures and governments from technologically advanced civilizations to dictatorships that are ruled with an iron-fist. Social structures have returned to what they were during the Middle Ages and commoners have very few rights. Liberty is a distant memory.
Before the final Horseman, Death, is released to ride, the Archangel of Mercy makes a bold plea. Tzadkiel cannot believe that mankind has forgotten what it means to be merciful. He asks to be allowed to search for even just one human who remembers. 100 years are granted, but at the end of that time the Archangel will be required to release the final Horseman. Releasing Death will conflict with everything the Archangel represents and be the hardest thing he has ever done, but he must agree. The Horseman must ride.
Tzadkiel takes human form and comes to earth. He finds that humanity is ruled by greed, hatred and fear. Compassion and kindness are considered a detriment, but he does not give up hope. After 96 years his long search leads him to New France where he encounters Levesque, a cynical military captain who hates the world he lives in. He blames God and any who serve Him for the calamities the world has suffered. When Levesque learns who Tzadkiel is, he takes revenge by imprisoning him and subjecting him to torture that would kill a human.
Tzadkiel, however, is not fully human. His life-force comes from the energy of the sun and can regenerate his body in hours. It is not entirely a blessing. After suffering Levesque’s torture for nearly a year, a young servant named Lourdes finds him. Through an act of selfless mercy she reveals her true nature and Tzadkiel knows she is the one he seeks, but somehow they must escape Levesque and the ruthless dictatorship he serves.
Time is running out. He has waited nearly 100 years, but the Horseman Death is growing impatient. He wants to ride. Tzadkiel has located the priceless treasure he sacrificed so much to find, but now he must find some way of protecting her from the calamity the Final Horseman has unleashed.
***
How do you feel your writing style differs from your previous work? What considerations should readers have while reading?
While Dark Fey was very much a Young Adult Fantasy, The Mercy Series has taken a slightly darker turn, landing somewhere between a PG-13 and an R-rating. I veered away from the poetic writing style I used in Dark Fey, making this series more conversational in its tone with darker, moderately graphic content. It tells the story of a harsh new reality that exists on Earth with characters that are equally harsh.
What inspired you to go in this direction as an author?
I began this tale with the intent of writing a multi-dimensional story. I hoped to share the story through the perspectives of several characters, rather than just one, and to provide the backstory not so much through expository prefaces or chapters, but as the plot progressed. I sought to challenge myself to create something dark that could still be tender and emotive, with which readers could connect on many levels.
Does this book have a hidden message?
It isn’t really all that well hidden. The story speaks about the courage to be kind in the face of cruelty. To be compassionate without motive. To show thankfulness through kindness and appreciate blessings through generosity.