darkSpyro

Hey all!

So, I am writing a novel. It's a pretty dark one too; the major themes are betrayal, consequences of one's actions, aftermath of deaths, etc. The story involves multiple deaths--most of them murders--as well as one character slowly descending into madness.

The storyline focuses on a fantasy world in which there are two dominant species: the Qatmunalians (a gryphon-like species with much less focus on the bird aspect and more on the lion part, with a bit of a bat influence thrown in), and the much more plentiful Alfah (tiger-like, bipedal, and warrior-esque). The novel focuses on the Qatmunalians. The Kingdom of Qatmunal operates under a government surrounding a seven-member council with a king or queen at the head. The main POV's are the Royal Translator and her apprentice. The very stripped-down gist of the story is that the sister of the Translator is murdered by some Alfan warriors, she goes on a killing spree, there's a major betrayal within the government of Qatmunal, and a lot of characters die.

Anyhow, I do have a major question. I love both of these species that I have created, but I feel like a story centered around animals with human emotions, thoughts, and abilities can be a little off-putting for some. What are your personal opinions on this? The story could of course work with, say, different nations of humans. I'd just much rather use these fictional species, quite frankly because I find humans to be boring. Also, I don't really think this will ever be published, so it's probably not even a big deal.

Thank you in advance!

That's a cool idea for a story, and could definitely lead to some heavy handed, and thus, interesting stuff.

Now there's one thing to realize, is that you'll never have a book that pleases everyone. Ever, it's literally impossible. That being said I would suggest you use the fictional species, especially if you're very attached to them. Sure some people dislike the concept of non-human main characters, but a lot of people like the idea a lot. There's a ton of books, classic and new, that are from the point of view of non-humans, and a lot of them are praised for their ingenuity.

Thanks for the input! Glad you think the story could be interesting.

you will have to easy everyone into these concepts otherwise they will become confused. And remember your world can be as crazy and wacky and strange as you want but your main character must be relatable to the reader otherwise it will fail.

Sounds cool.

You had me at dark tones and character deaths until the non-human character part, then you just lost me. Sorry, just not my personal cup of tea.