My grandfather, Bob Farlow, obviously had a tremendous hand in this. At one point, there were some denizens of Libysha known as the Keloonseb who were…well, as he put it, "terrifying beyond necessity." They, along with the bedroom fan at night, gave him nightmares (the Keloonseb have a tendency to wait until their prey is asleep and then drop on them from the ceiling, limbs splayed out). And over time, the story evolved, and the Keloonseb no longer fit quite as well as they once did. As the world developed, I realized that my grandfather was right that they were not necessary to advancing the story. Amelia had more than enough on her plate. So I shifted the Keloonseb to another world, patched up the world history and cultures to reflect the removal, and found that the story did in fact work better. When I told my grandfather this, he was quite pleased and nodded sagely while he cleaned his brushes in linseed oil. Then he suggested that perhaps I should add a few more nice animals to the series. Maybe a big dog. And did I know the symbolism of dogs at twilight in dreams and literature? (I added the very large cat to the story at this point in what may or may not have been directly related to the suggestion of adding a dog. I actually love both cats and dogs, regardless of size.)
Grandpa and I both shared a deep love of flying in dreams. He said they symbolized freedom of the mind and total expression of creativity. And they were fun. Whenever I write those scenes of flight, I think of him and the complete and inexpressible joy I experience whenever I have one of those dreams. Flight in a plane or on a glider doesn't quite compare to the idea of utter weightless freefalling and spiraling on the air currents. But, until someone invents sonic wings or something similar, I shall content myself with dreaming. I'm fairly sure that if there is flying in heaven, my grandfather has mastered it by now, and when I get there, I'm sure he'll show me how.
For Sarah Evans, my beautiful sister, and Alyssa Barton, a dear suitemate from college, and Danna Matsuki, one of my oldest friends, I added more to the romance of the story. The wedding/Ceremony of the Viskaro is actually in part a response to their suggestion for a ball and other romantic scenarios. I jotted all of the ideas down and saved them though the exact iteration didn't quite work with these characters (Naatos isn't quite the romantic declaration with flowers in hand on bended knee type). However, the ideas were so good I have worked them into other stories, which are soon to be published. Their sweet excitement made those scenes one of the easiest to write, and the one that I am most excited for them to see. The perpetually open buffet and open floor dancing was something we all agreed was a good idea for any romantic party though.
My brothers were their usual supportive selves. Elijah informed me that it would be good if Amelia just blew Naatos up, perhaps with some nitro glycerin and dynamite. Reuben had his own strategies and recommendations, most of which relied on some level of trickery and which I won't spoil here because I'll be using them elsewhere. Samuel, for his part, had grave thoughts to share regarding his response if anyone were to try to lock with him. (WroOth's conversation with Naatos is loosely based off that observation.) My brothers were also kind enough to help stand in as models for the fights.
This book, in particular, is one I owe a great deal of thanks to Dr. Allison. As I mentioned before, he was my favorite writing instructor. Of course, when he saw sections of this, it was still called Identity Revealed (back when I held some misguided hope that perhaps all 1350 pages could be published in a single volume and the sveti had some other name that I can't remember). But he picked up on some pacing issues within the confrontation between Shon and the sveti, and he suggested that I consider altering my typical narrative flow and go back and forth using scene breaks to show the action happening simultaneously. As delightful as the wedding/Ceremony of the Viskaro had been to plan and write, that final section when Amelia struggles to cut out her own elmis while Shon battles the ever-growing sveti had plagued me for quite some time. Dr. Allison also helped me smooth out some of the descriptors and movement of the Tue-Rah's restoration as I was not particularly gifted at writing mechanizations at that point (to be fair, it's still one of my weak points).
And, wow, you wonderful readers. I am so thankful for the amazing people who have read these books, though I am especially grateful for those in my reader group and newsletter who have messaged me their thoughts and participated in all the games of pretend and imagination. I know I'll sound repetitive here, but, despite being a writer, I can't think of any other way to say that I appreciate you and your interaction so much. So much love and many thanks to Anna, Ivory, Tom, Freyja, Jillian, Krissy, Richard, Ben, Hannah, Sarah, Mary, Seisi, Stef, John, Mariann, Stephanie, Lucy, Janice, Jen, Rachel, Kristin, Leo, Gabriela, Katrin, Lyanna, Deana, Angela, Miriam, Marcus, Stephen, Lena, Artemis, Kat, Glen, Jerel, Latoy, Britt Britt, Courtney, Neveah, Sasha, Natalya, Trevor, Michelle, Andrea, Valerie, Danielle, Zac, Brianna, Tan, Pia, Katherine, Elizabeth, Olive, Cynthia, Beth, Raven, Ethan, Laura, Roberto, Chloe, Hugh, Dawn, Mariah, Brandon, Tim, Amy, Emily, Riley, Marissa, Amber, Rose, Patrice, Nicole, Jeremy, Indu, Picoult, Luke, Chris, Dani, Kara, Catherine, Yduhan, Kalley, David, Sam, Jean Paul, Asia, Rhiannon, Leslie, Mina, Manz, Jess, Ian, Patel, Oby, Lee, and Natalia.
We have had some really fun conversations in the reader group, and these people are always encouraging me to do better and do more while also being patient and supportive. How much better can it get?
It has been such a pleasure and a joy to work on this series, and completing this book has been both a celebration and a relief. I am deeply indebted to many incredible individuals, and I am so grateful to all of you for your support, enthusiasm, suggestions, and ideas.
Thank you for reading. Thank you for continuing this journey with me. I have so much more to share, and I hope you'll continue with me. Thank you again. Much love and joy to you, and may you be richly blessed.
Glossary
Here you can find all the definitions and descriptions you might want for a refresher on meanings. If you want to know how to pronounce these words and the names in this series, you can visit me at my website www.jmbutlerauthor.com, which has an audio guide.
Cities, Countries, People Groups, and Worlds
Ecekom - the primary world of the Vawtrians. Formerly the primary world of the Shivennans.
Eiram - the name for Earth and primary world to the Awdawms and Neyeb.
Istador - the former capital city of the Machat.
Libysha - the most powerful of the nations on Reltux.
Nalthume - sister nation to Libysha.
Polfradon - an old fortress built in the Igorl Age now used primarily to house old texts.
Talbokians - a group of loosely associated nomadic tribes who range throughout the more inhabitable regions of the Mallakish and Svelnon Mountains. They are generally Awdawms, though their men sometimes marry non Awdawm women. (Talbokian women who marry non Awdawms typically leave the tribal units.)
Reltux - the primary world of the Machat.
Reda - a small but growingly influential nation that is under Libysha’s protection.
Telhetum - the capital city of Libysha.
Races
Awdawms - the human race as we know it is generally referred to as the Awdawms, regardless of which world they are from. They can be found on all of the worlds, but their primary world is Eiram. However, the majority population on Reltux is also now Awdawm because Awdawms tend to travel significantly more than any other race except the Vawtrians.
Bealorns - the beast talking and beast taming race. They were originally from Ecekom, but they have scattered throughout the worlds with the heaviest concentration remaining on Ecekom.
Machat - the prophet race. They were originally from Reltux, and most have remained.
Neyeb - the mindreader race. It is believed that all were destroyed in the Neyeb Massacre before the Tue-Rah’s Fall. Their home world was Eiram, and though many traveled, they all returned home before the Massacre.
Tiablos - the illusionist and telekinetic race. They were originally from Ec
ekom and have maintained a heavy focus there, but they, like the Awdawms, have traveled a great deal.
Shivennans - the elemental race. They were originally from Ecekom, but many moved long before the Tue-Rah’s Fall to form a new world known as Paradiseo.
Unatos - the healer race. They were originally from Ecekom, but they destroyed themselves in attempts to aid opposing sides in a massive war.
Vawtrians - the shapeshifter race. They can be found on all of the worlds, but their primary world is Ecekom. They are the most abundant and aggressive of the races.
Foreign Words and General Concepts
Almonyek Vawtrian – a Vawtrian who can become any living creature whether based in the land, air, or water while retaining original abilities and benefits of original Vawtrian subtype. The only type of Vawtrian who can transform into another sentient being with consistent reliability.
Ayamin – the royal guard and only remaining military force under King Theol's rule.
Bakai – a special psychic stone honed to create an immediate bond between two individuals and a conduit of connection into their souls; one person in the pair being struck is sufficient to create the bond so long as the preparation is sufficient.
Belo dances - dances for fun based on skill and strength.
Bilkaz - someone who doesn’t know when to stop or who takes things too far.
Blood curse – also known as Sevro's Pact; a curse that allows a race to start again but at a price. It is given to a gifted female of the race and allows her children to be of her race rather than her husband's race while also potentially allowing a fusion of the husband's race. The female weds a male of another race to create this new race. If the female kills, however, she will have to repay all the blood and pain used in the creation of this act.
Bruins – Kodiak and larger-sized bears who have been bred and domesticated through Bealorn-taught techniques; the symbol of Libyshan royalty.
Central Races – the Central Races include the three races who were charged with the protection of the Tue-Rah because they stood by Elonumato during the Rebellion of Te with the coming of Full Death. These races included the Vawtrians, Machat, and Neyeb.
Central Worlds – the Central Worlds include the three strongest Tue-Rahs that provide energy and sustenance to the other Tue-Rahs of the worlds. These worlds include Eiram, Ecekom, and Reltux.
Crudon – a Libyshan mythological monster. Its body is primarily that of a large bear and a hyena with quills along its back as well as in some cases its stomach. They have yellow eyes. Generally brown-furred and skeletal in appearance.
Delaf - a sweet but lightly spiced wine used in wedding ceremonies; taking the deaf is a slang term for a couple getting married.
Dolmaths – to be revealed later.
Elmis – darkened patches of skin on a Neyeb's wrist, ankles, lower back, forehead, and backs of knees that allow mindreading and extra sensory perceptions.
Elmitho – a side effect of mindshifting that creates unintended illnesses within the mind of the person whose mind was shifted; only affects those under the age of nineteen usually, sometimes as old as twenty-two, depending on brain development.
Feshtashoon – have sex; copulate
Fen blossoms – a fragrant plant with magenta blossoms; smells like cinnamon and nutmeg; the leaves are dried and ground into a spice.
Fen Guan – a traditional Vawtrian dish of roasted snake with fen spice.
Guaras – crocodile-sized creatures that resemble salamanders with lock jaws; they can only be wounded at three key points.
Heln – a unit of electrical measurement.
Hook-fanged spider- a wolf-sized spider with triple-hinged jaws and a penchant for terrifying its victims.
Ikyas – a beast of burden that we train specifically to carry children and the elderly.
Keyr Vawtrians – a Vawtrian who is particularly gifted in becoming any living creature that can fly; has added strength in speed and eyesight and is generally lighter boned and leaner in build.
Kilamatt – enthusiastic making out.
Kolagro – a device required to open the Chamber of the Tue-Rah in each of the primary temples where the Tue-Rah is located.
Kriot – an initially powdered liquid for disinfecting and stopping the spread of poison or venom that can be turned into a liquid and combined with other medications.
Li – a liquid medicine that works slower for disinfecting but reduces pain and shock.
Lihra – a Libyshan exclamation of surprise.
Lithnok – the earring a Vawtrian wears on the left ear that demonstrates the Vawtrian type and skill level.
Locking – a bonding ritual whereby a Vawtrian awakens his or her sexual urges and connects to his or her spouse.
Malevin – a combination of several dried herbs and flowers that assists in the creation of delayed incantations.
Mawnores – large kangaroo-like creatures with golden wings and pouches large enough to carry a grown man
Melspa Vawtrian – a Vawtrian who is particularly gifted in becoming living creature that lives primarily in the water. Has added flexibility and endurance as well as max oxygen capacity.
Melshkas – intentional marks left from kissing, usually in a specific pattern
Moolkas – similar to nunchaku but made from multiple chains of metal bound together on one end but possible to detach and use as a multi-positioned whip
Nalenth – one of the individuals chosen to restore the Tue-Rah; each primary Tue-Rah on the Central Worlds has one Nalenth.
Neyeb betrothal necklace – a necklace whose pendant is made from psychic stones; the stones are then prepared specifically to create a bond between the two members of the arranged marriage that will trigger upon the marriage date and facilitate a deeper and easier bond.
Nulaam – the state of someone who has been betrothed to a Neyeb in a formal evaluation ceremony conducted by the Council of Elders but is not yet married to that Neyeb because the waiting period has not yet passed.
Olnas – a pale pink, blue, or purple flower that smells like a combination of lilac and lavender.
Orna leather – a psychically conductive form of leather that is light and functional and favored by the Neyeb in particular for shoes and slippers.
Paras – the rulers and overseers of the Tue-Rah elected for an age. Their purpose is to protect the Tue-Rah and those who tend it as well as those selected from the Central Races to tend to the Tue-Rah; they prevent the Tue-Rah from being misused, ensure wars do not exceed permitted bounds, and advise leaders of the worlds below them.
Pinchat – a deeply offensive slur.
Psychic stones – small stones that are sensitive to imprinting when subjected to certain procedures by those with telepathic, prophetic, foreseeing, illusionist, and other similar abilities.
Seyal Vawtrian – a Vawtrian who is particularly gifted in becoming any living creature that primarily lives on land. Has added strength and weight. Often the broadest in size and tend to be the fastest healers.
Sikalt – someone who creates a problem and then leaves without dealing with it or someone who avoids a problem they are making worse.
Skelro – a large winged ram-like creature used for transportation of people and supplies.
Spertha – a nine-foot-tall creature from Libyshan mythology. Tentacles on the head and back as well as six outer arms and legs with spine-tipped feathers and three yellow eyes and a voice that strikes terror in the heart.
Talts – thick reed weapons for delivering darts similar to blowguns but with poison or sedative soaked sides to coat the feathered darts as they pass.
Tel Avor - an honored position within the wedding; the individual who oversees the wedding and ensures all goes well.
Tomarangs – bladed weapons with hinges that allow them to be turned into hatchets or boomerangs.
Tra – a blue perpetual renewing energy source from Ecekom.
Trolnan – a Vawtrian training practice that involves vario
us challenges and may sometimes include live non-Vawtrian opponents.
Tue-Rah – an interdimensional portal that connects the worlds through time and space. Every world has one primary Tue-Rah and a number of smaller sub Tue-Rahs. It is alive in one sense and capable of making its own decisions, but it can be somewhat directed through the temples and certain devices.
Viskaro/viskare – a Vawtrian term for the spouse of a Vawtrian. It is used after the locking has completed or when an arrangement has been made, and essentially means "most beloved of all beings."
Viskaro dance - a dance only for couples in a Vawtrian celebration. Generally not based on skill or style, only intimacy and closeness.
Waste – a Vawtrian term for destroying an individual at the cellular level and turning that individual into dust.
World Tamers – those who go to uninhabited worlds and build homes and structures there to tame the world and prepare for others who wish to come and live there.
About the Author
J. M. Butler is an adventurer, author, and attorney who never outgrew her love for telling stories and playing in imaginary worlds. She is the author of the epic fantasy romance series Tue-Rah Chronicles including Identity Revealed, Enemy Known, and Princess Reviled along with independent novellas Locked, Cursed, and Alone, set in the same world. She has also written numerous fantasy tales such as Mermaid Bride, Little Scapegoat, Through the Paintings Dimly, Why Yes, Bluebeard, I’d Love To, and more. For the most part, she writes speculative fiction with a heavy focus on multicultural high fantasy and suspenseful adventures. She lives with her husband and law partner, James Fry, in rural Indiana where they are quite happy with their three cats.
For more books or updates:
Enemy Known Page 57