Progeny of Gods: Vertuém Destiny (Book 1)
by Geoffrey Storm
Greyson is a green-eyed misfit. Teased all through his childhood for being some sort of demon, the only kid without brown eyes. Now 19, Greyson travels to the Kingdom of Viæden, an ancient and secluded realm where trees grow to be seven miles tall. And there, he discovers his eyes mean that he is a vertui: something more than human, destined to play a major role in the fate of the world. But will it be for good? Or evil?
The truth is never black and white. And on his first day as a Royal Guard, Greyson accidentally releases the kingdom’s most dreaded memory: Stiqula, a monster sealed away by a goddess long ago. Born again, Stiqula strikes a deal with an evil god to end the world, and in return be reunited with his love. But is their reunion worth the world’s destruction? And will Greyson discover his true destiny in time to stop him?
An Interview with Geoffrey Storm, Author of PROGENY OF GODS
Q. Tell us about your new book.
A. Progeny of Gods is the story of a boy, who was teased all through his childhood for being the only person with green eyes, raised by to conflicting ideologies from either of his parents. When he turns 19, he ventures off into the real world, to the Kingdom of Viæden, a place where trees grow so large they are cities in themselves, and a place his mom used to tell stories about each night before bed. Greyson believes it is a magical place, but soon discovers that in the time since his mom’s stories, it has developed into a modern civilization, with very real issues. And also some supernatural ones.
Q. What genre is it?
A. That’s an interesting question… The short answer is Young Adult Fantasy. But I’d feel more comfortable calling it New Adult Fantasy (though minus all the sexual themes) because my main character is 19, and is dealing with slightly heavier problems on top of the coming-of-age story. And, actually, instead of just Fantasy, it really is equal parts Fantasy and Sci-fi. Some would call it Science Fantasy. Others would call it Sword and Planet. But while the story and setting are all of the above, the narrator’s voice is very casual and modern, and almost reads like a contemporary, haha. That might sound like there’s a lot going on, but I assure you, it just works.
Q. What kind of readers will it appeal to?
A. Anyone who likes the aforementioned genres. Though I don’t think anyone under 14 should probably be reading it, as it does have some curse words and a bit of blood. Also, the plot is quite detailed. It can be read through casually (there’s plenty of action to keep the casual reader interested) but I think a more mature reader would get more out of it, perhaps identifying with the characters more, and seeing how deep the plot and world is actually woven.
Q. Complete this sentence. If you like ___________, you’ll like my book.
A. I’m supposed to equate my book to other books, but I’ve struggled for years to do so… because there’s really nothing like it. So lately I’ve been equating it to my inspirations for writing it: Star Wars meets Kingdom Hearts, set on a planet with seven-mile trees.
Q. Tell us a bit more about your main characters.
A. I love these guys. See I started writing this thing when I was 11, so I know them all VERY well, haha. I grew up with them all, so they really feel like family. Greyson (like me) grew up getting two very different viewpoints of the world from his mom and dad. One telling him of light and the lore of old, the other insisting that the world is dark and needs protecting from. This leaves him a bit confused when he begins his own journey and heads off into the world on his own… Well he’s not really on his own. He’s got Tay. He’ll always have Tay. They’re best friends, but not exactly alike. Really they’re almost opposites. Greyson is selfless and thoughtful, Tay is selfish and extroverted, but he has an unshakable loyalty to his best friend. Along their journey they meet Sam, a strong, incredibly intelligent women, who becomes an invaluable asset to them (and Greyson in particular ;). And then we have Stiqula (Sti-Q-la). Sometimes I think he’s the whole reason I started writing this book. See, I’ve got a soft spot for villains. I think they’re the most interesting characters. And Stiqula is as deep and developed and complicated as they come. The reader really starts to feel for him by the end (no spoilers!).
Q. How much of your—or the person you wish you were—is in your main character?
A. I love how this question is phrased. Greyson is EXACTLY the person I wish I was. They all are, really. Greyson is everything brave and sensitive, Tay is as quick and funny as I wish I could be. Sam is as smart as I’d ever need to be. And Stiqula… well he’s everything I don’t want to be.
Q. Have you written any other books that we should read next?
A. This is my first novel. But it is part of a very long series, so look out for the next one sometime next year!
Q. Tell us a bit about yourself.
A. Like I said, I’ve been working on this thing since I was 11, so safe to say it’s a very big part of who I am, and shaped me into a person who absolutely loves to help others write and edit their own work to become commercially competitive. And since I’ve never had to silence the pure imagination of childhood, it feels like I’m constantly in a dream-world, always seeing epic battles in the sky overhead, or dark things lurking in the woods at night (but not in a crazy way, haha).
Website link: My website is a hub for everything I do: http://geoffreystorm.com But if you’re just looking for some advice on writing, or interested in hearing my thoughts on other popular YA novels, or just want to see me do some silly, book-related challenges, I’d highly recommend checking out my YouTube (or more specifically BookTube) channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/stiqula
Q. Twitter and Facebook links:
A. I’m @Stiqula on twitter (link on website), but I’m not a huge fan of Facebook anymore.
Q. Where can we buy your books?
A. My book will be available on Amazon, July 9th, in paperback, ebook, and audiobook. And the ebook will be FREE for for the first 5 days!!!
Q. How easily do new storylines come to you? If we give you four random words: Man, Woman, Mexico, Future—can you give us a brief storyline?
A. Mark Lilton is an amateur astronomer. And one night, while gazing at the sky through his home-made telescope, he noticed something very odd. Saturn’s rings had suddenly disappeared! Terrified this could be an omen of worse things to come, he travels to Mexico to get a better look at Saturn, during a very rare event called the twilight eclipse. But there, he meets the incomparable Sally Rein, a fellow astronomer who has come to this small Mexican town for very same reason. Together the two must discover what horrible fate has befallen Saturn’s rings, and what it means for the fate of Earth!
Q. What’s next?
A. For me? My next project will be to work on the second book for Progeny of Gods, and also a graphic novel prequel (to be released in the next few months) that tells the origin story of a few of my more minor characters (as well as a few you’ll meet in later books). So excited for it!!
Q. Is there any other question you’d love for us to ask you?
A. I think we covered everything important! I had a great time answering, and I hope you enjoyed learning a bit more about me and my story!
