Introducing Tales in the Timber (project.tnt)

Hello!!!!! If we haven’t met I am Liska Boyce, aspiring YA fantasy novelist! I wanted to share a bit about my project here. The current working title for this book is Tales in the Timber (but SERIOUSLY subject to change). I am still in the planning phases, but here I’ll share what I’ve decided on for my characters! This story is about five brothers and a girl who gets exiled to their sentient inn (affectionately referred to as House).

Alright so I’m going to point out which is which from this pic and give you the highlights from each character!! This will be in age order for simplicities’ sake.

Dominic “Dom” Alastair (bottom left, long silver hair, black scruff)

He’s the grumpy, type A older brother who feels like he always has to clean up after his siblings. And he’s sick of it. He’s the protector of the family, the one who picks up his brothers when they scrape their knees (or fall off a really tall tree in Silas’ case!!) but he doesn’t feel like anyone does that for him. Dom has telepathy magic which comes in handy every so often.

Cassian Alastair (bottom middle, hunched over a notebook)

He’s the scientist of the family. Everything he does is in the name of research, and he is known for spouting facts at the WORST possible moments. He has memory magic, which allows him to remember even the tiniest details.

Silas Alastair (top left, brown curly hair, cream jacket)

He practically lives out-of-doors. House is set a ways into the Dark Forest, or the Alenemar’lair. He can always be found sitting in a tree branch high off the ground, chatting with the trees in their native language. His is the power of nature; the languages of the elements are his.

Lysander “Zander” Alastair (far right)

He is a bold, rebellious leader. He’s determined to work his way from the Lower Hollows (place of ruffians and scoundrels who are introverted) to Upper Larswore (place of ruffians and scoundrels who seem respectable because they are extroverted) to provide better opportunities for his brothers. He hate the Alenemar’lair and everything it represents (a bit of context: it separates Upper and Lower and represents the financial and social divides as well). He has fire magic.

Vincent “Vin” Alastair (middle left)

He is a grumpy, cynical youngest son. Like the prodigal son, Vin left home at a young age to seek his fortune. But the world is unkind to the Alastairs and alas Vin was no exception. He returned to House disillusioned with the world, only to find his parents had passed. House was left to him. The typical younger son who resisted responsibility is now chafing under the weight of it. Vin has animation magic.

Elyssa “Lyss” Morgan (middle right)

She has been banished/exiled twice, both times for incidents not her fault. Her faith is what sustains her, but she is also looking for a place to belong. Lyss is the sunshine to various other people’s *ahem, looks up one* grumpy. She has the power of storytelling.