The Raven Has Landed: The Fire Within Stars from EC Hibbs is Finally Here!

PREORDER: https://mybook.to/thefirewithinstars SIGNED PAPERBACKS: https://echibbs.weebly.com/the-fire-within-stars.html THY GODFATHER AWAITS THEE: A BREAKDOWN OF THE NIGHT FAITH Within the Nightland Quartet, the early United Kingdom includes a shadowy forest inspired by classic gothic literature and the fairy tales of the Brothers Grimm. It is a place of poisonous roses, lurking wyverns, and the worship of death itself. But there is more here than meets the eye. So, what is the Night Faith? In short, it is the traditional belief system of many Nightlanders, with its followers known as Deathers. At the time of the story, in the 1830s, the Night Faith has managed to staunchly hold its place despite the annexation with Britain, and Christianity is still classed as a minority faith in Nightland. The Night Faith is observed most prominently by the Wolfhart family and their followers: the house which has ruled Nightland for a thousand years, and which descends from the story that lies at the core of their beliefs. GODFATHER DEATH AND ESSENCES Godfather Death is the central figure whom Deathers worship. He is not viewed so much as a creator, more like a guiding hand, keeping balance between life and death, man and nature. He is comparable to the Grim Reaper in some respects, and is often represented by a raven, including on the Nightland flag. A notable detail about him is his ability to see the souls, or essences, of people, which are shown as ethereal birds. It is said that Godfather Death took the First King of Nightland as a godson, and bestowed upon him the ability to use the Godfather’s sight, so that he might perceive all life equally. However, according to the story, this blessing was slighted by the young king, resulting in the sight being passed down through every generation to a handful of individuals within the royal family. Essences are seen as sacred to the Godfather, and touching them without consent is the greatest taboo in Nightland, forbidden even in matters of life and death. THE SACRED FORESTS Practically all of Nightland’s terrain is covered with dense forests, the trees hundreds of feet high, and the canopy so thick that even days are dark.The forest itself is seen as a living graveyard, with the dead typically buried at the base of a tree. Many trunks bear death marks: lifelike face carvings of those nearby. Part of a Deather’s funeral rite includes the recitation of a rhyme (inspired by a similar song in the fairy tale The Juniper Tree): “Thy mother, she birthed thee. Thy Godfather awaits thee. Thy brothers and sisters gather all thy bones and bury them beneath the trees. What a beautiful bird thou art.” It is highly taboo to cut the hardwood trees for any reason. As a result, any hardwoods in Nightland are imported from across the border. However, the huge amount of wood required to build a ship means that Nightland trees must be used, and accounts for many Deathers’ disgust of seafarers. THE HONOURABLE BATTLE-BORN For centuries, Nightland has been renowned for its military prowess among men and women. One’s first battle is seen as a rite of passage, referred to as being battle-born, while those who die in battle at any point are battle-torn. These are both seen as honours, and all warriors are viewed with great respect. Due to their acceptance of death as part of their faith, Nightlanders enter battle with a mentality of being already dead. This allows them to not only keep their emotions in check, but also to remember that they have everything to live for with victory. Creating the Night Faith was an interesting task for me: finding a way to express genuine beauty and reverence for the most terrifying of concepts. It comes down to taking control of what you can in the face of the ultimate uncontrollable force; in surrendering, one becomes free. The theme of freedom is a keystone of the Nightland Quartet. Aside from the literal freedom from servitude and expectations, it’s the freedom to love who you want, express yourself truly, release those who have wronged you, and live life to the fullest on your own terms. For as much as the Night Faith causes contention between characters in the series, what it stands for unites them all.