Sever Bronny - When a Young Warlock Faces a Forbidden Calling

Sever Bronny grew up on Dragonlance, probably spending way too much time playing role-playing games, particularly Rifts and AD&D. Then came the video games, including Legend of Zelda, Doom, and Diablo. Much of his youth could easily be considered “wasted” exploring virtual dungeons, but Nintendo was life in 1986 Toronto. Now he's a full-time author living in British Columbia, Canada. Buddha, his grumpy but rumpled-with-love cat, likes to keep watch from a customized Lego castle near his desk. (Update: said Lego castle has been dismantled. Don’t worry, she’ll live, all she really cares about is food. No, really, if it’s edible it wins her over.) The Arinthian Line is his first series, consisting of Arcane, Riven, Valor, Clash, and Legend. His second series is titled Fury of a Rising Dragon, and begins with Burden’s Edge. As our Author of the Day, he tells us all about this book.

Please give us a short introduction to what Burden's Edge is about.

Burden's Edge is about Augum Stone, a sixteen-year-old warlock who sees that his war-weakened kingdom is under threat. He gets the idea into his head that the best way to defend that kingdom is to resurrect an ancient extinct order of warlock-knights, known as Arcaners. These warlock-knights have a code of honor and unique spells--and Augum thinks they also have the ability to summon dragons, which could protect the kingdom. Together with his girlfriend Leera Jones and their best friend Bridget Burns, they go on a quest to resurrect the ancient Arcaner order.

What inspired you to write about a young man who chooses a forbidden calling?

I loved the idea of digging through ancient history and uncovering clues to a long-lost order and its traditions and powers, and then putting those clues together to find maps and quests that eventually lead to using some of those powers against a formidable foe. And that order of warlock-knights is indeed forbidden for a reason--its code of honor demands its adherents go after the corrupt, a core tenet the corrupt nobility cannot stand for. That is why the corrupt nobility has historically suppressed the order, even managing to destroy it altogether--until its resurrection by our hero, that is.

Tell us more about Augum Stone. What makes him so special?

What makes Augum Stone so special is his mix of sheer determination to learn and train; the rage he hides that his murderous father possessed, a rage that battles with feeling compassion for his enemies; the love he feels for his girlfriend; and the loyalty he feels to an ungrateful kingdom (warlocks are shunned and feared due to misguided superstitions).

Why did you decide to make your protagonist a sixteen-year-old?

It was the natural progression after writing a series (The Arinthian Line) telling the story of his rise to power from the ages of 14 to 15.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I used to be a musician, until that career died along with Myspace. Had half a million plays on there when social media did a 180 and migrated to Facebook. Taught me never to put all my eggs in one basket. But to truth be told, after sixteen years of making music, I was tired of that industry. I always wanted to write a book, so I delved into the craft like a first-year med student.

In which way is Burden's Edge a coming of age story?

In the sense that Augum is learning to become a leader and a man. At first, he does not realize the position he places himself in and has a hard time accepting his eventual role as commander of the order.

This is Book 1 of a series. Can it be read as a standalone? How do the other books in this series tie in with this one?

It can be read as a stand-alone, yes, but the adventure only heightens once you delve into book 2 onwards. The series is designed to be read sequentially. And for those who want to read Augum, Bridget and Leera's first epic adventure, they can also delve into The Arinthian Line, which starts with the book Arcane.

Do any of your characters ever take off on their own tangent, refusing to do what you had planned for them?

Yes, and it can be both thrilling and frustrating. They often say and do things I did not plan for, but I've been writing these characters for nine years now, and they've taken on their own personalities, and like to keep their future in their own hands. Unfortunately, that has lead to some of their deaths too.

Tell us more about the cover and how it came about.

The cover depicts Augum with a summoned lightning shield and casting the 1st-degree spell Shine. Depicted around his right forearm are seven lightning armbands which denote his mastery of the 7th degree (there are 20 degree total in the arcane craft).

Some readers say a part of this book has a bit of a Harry Potter feel to it. Are you a Harry Potter fan?

Yes, I think I read Harry Potter 4 to 5 times before I started writing, and was heavily inspired by Rowling's style. My work is thus most often compared to hers. I also drew inspiration from Lord of the Rings, Dragonlance, and Ender's Game.

The book is fast-paced, keeping readers at the edge of their seats. How did you pull this off?

I think keeping things moving pacing-wise was the key here. That and keeping people's attention in the moment. A lot of people describe my world as "immersive" too, and I think that's because I try to make that world as vivid as I can with little details and quirky characters.

Do you have any interesting writing habits? What is an average writing day like for you?

I write 2000-3000 words a day when I'm not editing my own work. I treat it like a regular day job; I get up, make coffee, stretch, read some motivational stuff, and get going. It's a muscle, like going to the gym--practice makes habit. I've now published 1.7 million words in six years with this habit.

What are you working on right now?

I just started researching the next series, which will be in the same world. I will reveal the topic in due course :)

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

You can find more of my work on Amazon here, and interact with me on my website here. I attached some additional images that show the complete series as well as my writing desk and its view.