The Age of Sail and a Novel to Come

There seems to be three eras that fantasy tales stick close to: the Medieval era, the classic fantasy stage; the futuristic era, creating the genre of sci-fi; and the modern era, favoured by superhero movies and comics.

But my favourite historical era is the Age of Sail (e.g. the Age of Exploration), and I think it makes a perfect match to the fantasy genre. This is the time when the Americas were being explored; when a route to India was sought by the East India Companies; when pirates plagued the seas; when a quest for the Southern Continent led to the discovery of Australia and Antarctica; and when rumours and accounts of sea monsters abounded.

Travel and fantastical beasts, quests and riches, greed and warfare… yes, core elements that make the Medieval era so loved are there, sans helpless princesses acting as damsels in distress (which maybe we can survive without anyways).

There are two stories that come to mind when I think of creators using well the Age of Sail for a fantasy tale. George Bryan Polivka captures the era in his novel Blaggard’s Moon, inserting imaginary creatures and locations into a world that feels strongly of the culture and ethical struggles of that age. And the games Torchlight and Torchlight 2 break from traditional fantasy role-playing games in introducing weapons like the pistol and rifle: more Age of Sail than Medieval, for sure; and the games take place on a recently-discovered continent (as explained in Torchlight 2 and on the game’s website).

The Age of Sail was an era of change, which I believe is the reason it’s not as popular as the Middle Ages for fantasy story-telling. If one never strays from the Medieval era, the characters can change, but the world will be mostly the same generation after generation. That creates a sense of stability, perhaps of timelessness and romanticism.

However, in reality, the world alters, and those of us in the modern era face changes and challenges constantly. The Age of Sail captures this. Discovery of new continents means new cultures: how do we react to these natives? The invention of gunpowder changes warfare: is it more important to retain the romance and customs of the traditional swordfight, or to use technology to give our side a distinct advantage? And of course, the sailing ship opens up both great opportunity and great risk: we can cross oceans to find glory, riches, and fame, but will we succumb to pirates, storms, disease, and monsters along the way?

The Age of Sail is ripe with opportunity for cross-cultural interactions, and the character development and growth that result. As someone who has traveled cross-culturally on multiple occasions, I appreciate the lessons and stretches that come with such adventures.

That’s why I’m proud to introduce my next book, Tales of the Diversity: The Quest. This is a world I’ve pondered, developed, and loved for several years: an Age of Sail fantasy adventure full of unique cultures, creatures, and locations inspired by my own journeys.

Tracy Krauss, an award-winning and best-selling author of Christian fiction, did me the honour of reading the rough draft, and had this to say: “With sparkling prose and deep characterization, Karlissa J has emerged as a fresh yet formidable voice in the YA fantasy genre.” I believe this book is the best I’ve written to date, and I’m excited to share this story with you!

Tales of the Diversity: The Quest will likely be coming out early next year. There will be sneak peaks and updates to satisfy you until then!