Yes, this is an homage of the Crown of Baekje.
So I’m writing a new fantasy series called The Lover’s Opalus. Right now, it’s in three parts, but I can already tell that I’ll want to write beyond the borders of those three parts. The first in the series is The Empire. Though it starts in the middle of the story (everything I write does in some way), it does a good job of setting up the atmosphere, and setting you off on a complicated trajectory. You don’t know where it’s going but the pretty hot romance makes you want to follow the path anyway. Here’s the blurb, don’t hold me to it, it may change by the time the series is published:
The Lover’s Opalus: When is an Empire not an Empire? When it rules the West, the North, and the East, but the Death White Border to the South must never be breached…
The Empress, all darkness and allure, has betrayed the Emperor. Raeche doesn’t know what the cruel and calculating warrior will do when the baby growing in her belly is born and Lanus will know it is not his. Only… when her child is born, blonde and green-eyed with milky skin, the girl is the spitting image of the Emperor. Raeche is shocked… and intrigued. The game is afoot. The Emperor’s trickery becomes unique seduction as the keys to the true Empire are unlocked in this first book in the series.
So here’s the interesting part. The Empress is a small, dark-skinned beauty from a land where everyone is short and dark-skinned, with dark eyes and hair. The Emperor is from the North (unoriginal, but really there are only four directions) and he is tall and blonde and pale with green eyes. Now there’s no over or undertone regarding race, no conflict in this Empire based on coloring, soooo do I consider it I/R? It’s not in my constructed world, but in the world of the reader… you… it is.
So what do I call it? Interested in your opinion.
On another note, I think I will publish under my full name Grayson Reyes-Cole. Executive decision that going forward, that name will be for my fantasy and Grayson Cole will be for my contemporary romance. Yes, yes?
–Grayson
Hey Grayson,
First off, the series sounds fabulous
Since you asked for opinions, I personally would not like to see an I/R label attached to this fantasy series. To make this kind of distinction within the realm of fantasy doesn’t seem necessary, IMO.
Also, Yes and Yes on the fantasy/contemporary romance names.
Cheers,
Rita.
Rita, you are awesome. I swear every time I hear from you, you make me smile. I agree with you about the I/R label. Honestly, it didn’t occur to me until long after I’d mapped out the whole epic. But I always want to know what other think. I appreciate your take on the names as well.
–GRC