Features:
- island nations floating in the sky
- renaissance-era land-based nations who dislike or are actively aggressive towards them because of that one time they tried to conquer everything
- airships (of course) and sky pirates (part-time—they do legitimate trading too)
- hidden history and ancient antagonists
- a Failure Knight, a Princess Protagonist, Swords and Guns, and Venturous Smugglers
History
Echoes of the Fifth Isle is the series name for Princess Renegade, NaNoWriMo’s 2022 project. I’m not sure if I’d call it a “romantasy”; then again, some character motivations wouldn’t be there if I were to eliminate the romance subplot. Hmm…
I’m gonna label it “adult sky pirate epic fantasy loosely inspired by Final Fantasy and the Venetian Republic.” I modeled a large chunk of how Illa Fermyri functions from the peak of La Serenissima, including the Signoria and Quarentia. But there’s no Doge-like ruler for Fermyri, ironically. And instead of going all-in on sacking “Constantinople,” a few make an effort to save it.
The plot has stayed basically the same throughout, though I changed the name of Book I from The Sky Pirate of Fermyri to The Albatross of Fermyri. It fit better. Also, I changed Tempest’s name back to Fletcher, which it was in the old outlines. I honestly can’t remember exactly why I changed it in the first place…
Book I Blurb
Riordan Cassley has spent the last decade in service to Cavan Stoneweir, the man who orchestrated the downfall of the kingdom he was born to serve. All that’s kept him alive—aside from one eye on the assassins wanting to seize his place in the Coiled King’s sanguine court—is the final promise he made to the princess whose blood still stains his soul:
Remember this, and live, Riordan. Do what you must to survive.
As another dynasty is burned to the ground and Stoneweir turns his ageless eyes towards the West, Riordan seizes one last chance to redeem himself. Outmaneuvering his won soldiers with Parlan’s youngest heirs in tow, he flees into the wilderness, hoping to keep them from the man’s grasp—only to stumble upon an airship of fabled sky pirates and their pitiless captain, Fletcher Hadley.
Striking a bargain with the woman, Riordan and his charges are spirited away to the city of Iona upon the mercantile heart of the Sky Isles, Fermyri. But even a land floating among the clouds is not far enough to escape the machinations of the Coiled King, as he finds himself at the center of a blossoming trade war between House Hadley and its bitter rivals House Bellamie after their agents fail to kill him and seize the bounty on his head…
Playlists!
Songs with Lyrics
Orchestration Only (mostly)
Riordan, Riordan
Riordan, Riordan
save the Queen, Riordan
your father’s hate has sealed her fate
save the Queen, Riordan
Riordan, Riordan
guard the King, Riordan
your father’s blade betrayer made,
guard the King, Riordan
Riordan, Riordan
take my hand, Riordan
the Serpent’s here, the fire nears
oh take my hand, Riordan
Riordan, Riordan
close my eyes, Riordan
dead and done, your only one
please close my eyes, Riordan
Riordan, Riordan,
where’s your shield, Riordan
your own heart you tore apart
where’s your shield, Riordan