Authorpreneur Dashboard – Ashland Pym
The Serpent and the Swan
Science Fiction & Fantasy
She’s not quite human, but is she as dangerous as they believe? Cygna is the king’s fairy get, born with a swan wing in place of an arm. Something monstrous to hide away. But when a monster from the Underworld appears, they’re all too happy to sacrifice her life for theirs. The kingdom is withering into a wasteland and the Lindworm is making its march of destruction toward the castle. And at her coming of age, Cygna is forced from hiding and into the private war between king and queen. Born to unconventional parentage, she is stuck between two worlds and a threat to anyone who won’t suffer an inhuman girl’s ascent to power. She has been told that something monstrous lurks inside her so many times that even she is starting to believe it. To prove her worth and her loyalty, she must travel into other worlds and fairy courts to challenge the Lindworm. But she knows she’s been sent to her death to save a kingdom that doesn’t even want her.
Book Bubbles from The Serpent and the Swan
Machinations
Fear is a far more powerful motivator for the wicked step-mother character than just jealousy. The latter makes this popular fairytale character a one-dimensional evil. A more interesting villain is one we can understand. Fear for her own life - and that of her daughter Aila - does not justify Gyda's attempt to have Cygna killed, but it helps us to understand her. And because Torvald's hatred for his own wife has made her politically powerless, she has to rely on her ability to manipulate his own fear and anger to win her way.
The Wicked Step-Mother
The Wicked Step-Mother is probably the most famous fairy tale trope. Most are one-dimensional characters who are simply cruel. I was more interested in puzzling out why the step-mother is wicked. Gyda is a woman who feels trapped and powerless. She is also fiercely protective of her own daughter, Aila, whom she feels is threatened by Cygna. Yet for all her hatred of her step-daughter, Gyda does feel some pity for her and through that she is capable of brief moments of tenderness.
