We decided to take part in Stuck in Books Books That Need More Attention Giveaway Hope because we believe that there are so many books that definitely need more attention and today, we're going to feature one of our favourite series and that is The Ondine Quartet Series by Emma Raveling, so check out the details below for a bit more information.
Ondine (Ondine Quartet #0.5) by Emma Raveling
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“I shouldn’t get involved.”
Rebellious and headstrong, sixteen-year-old Kendra Irisavie doesn’t have much respect for authority. An ondine with the powerful gift of Virtue, she uses her tough attitude and Empath magic to navigate through high school and keep others away.
Because being an ondine also means keeping secrets.
Kendra and her mother are Rogue water elementals in the middle of an ancient war. They hide among humans, their survival constantly threatened by monstrous Aquidae demons.
Along with a rigorous training regimen to mold Kendra into a lethal fighter, her mother has instituted four rules to keep her safe.
Trust no one. Relationships are weaknesses. Emotional attachments are dangerous. Be responsible only for yourself.
But when Kendra witnesses a classmate in trouble, she intervenes and her decision to break the rules comes at a price.
Sometimes, humans could be more dangerous than demons.
Ondine is a short prequel novella for the young adult urban / paranormal fantasy series, the Ondine QuartetWhirl, book one in the Ondine Quartet series.
Whirl (Ondine Quartet #1) by Emma Raveling
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Outspoken and independent, Kendra Irisavie has always played by her own rules.
She's an ondine, a water elemental gifted with the powerful magic of Empath Virtue and trained to be a fighter. Pursued by Aquidae demons, she and her mother remain Rogue, hiding among humans to avoid becoming casualties in an ancient war.
Everything changes when violence erupts on Kendra's seventeenth birthday. A dark stranger appears, promising answers to her mysterious past and stirring unexpected feelings in her fiercely guarded heart.
But as Kendra uncovers the truth about her heritage and future, she realizes just how deep the lies and deception run.
Now, in the face of unthinkable odds, she will need all her wits, skills, and magic to fulfill an extraordinary prophecy.
The first in a sweeping urban fantasy series, Whirl is the beginning of a young woman's exhilarating journey for survival, love, and hope as she fights for her place in a world where she doesn't belong.
Interview with Emma Raveling.
How did you come up with the idea of Ondines. Personally I've never heard of them so i'm curious as to where you had heard of them from etc....
As someone who reads a great deal of European mythology, I’d seen ondines mentioned several times as a type of water elemental/water nymph, especially in the works of alchemy. But the inspiration for Whirl and the entire series was actually a piece of classical music. The French composer Maurice Ravel composed a work for solo piano called Gaspard de la Nuit. This music was based upon a series of poems by Aloysius Bertrand.
The first movement of Ravel’s work, entitled Ondine, is based upon the poem of the same name by Bertrand. I included this poem as the epigraph in Whirl. Based upon an old French myth, the poem tells the story of Ondine, a water nymph who sings to a mortal man, attempting to lure him to her. He rejects her love and pleas to join her in ruling the water world. Rejected, Ondine fades away, disappearing beneath the waves.
I heard a live performance of Ravel’s Ondine and a haunting image flashed into my mind of a teenage girl standing in the ocean. There was something so lonely about her. But her eyes were powerful - the eyes of a fighter or warrior. Intrigued, I started exploring that idea in my mind and the Ondine Quartet was born.
I do recommend readers of Whirl to listen to Ravel’s Ondine if they get a chance. It beautifully captures the dark, atmospheric, and romantic essence of Bertrand’s poem, and the intricate music immediately calls to mind the tragic image of Ondine.
Did you do a lot of research into the Ondines?
No. Other than studying the basic mythology behind selkies, I didn’t delve much into water elemental/ondine myths because I very much wanted to create my own original mythology for this series. Before I started writing Whirl, I spent a great deal of time creating the Ondine Quartet world, which included everything from the history of the society, magic and special powers, politics and government, the different races of water elementals, and societal and moral values.
I also researched French etymology and the Anglo-Norman historical connection. This was the basis behind many of the terms and names used in the book (race names, location names, character names, etc.), all of which were constructed out of specific meanings and particular word roots.
What was the most challenging thing for you when writing this book ?
There were two things that were quite challenging - writing requires a tremendous amount of time (writers never really stop working) and demands total concentration. I was often surprised at how physically and mentally exhausted I’d get, especially at the end of an intense writing session. Most people don’t realize that writing is not just about the time you spend in front of the computer getting the words out. Part of constructing a novel involves a great deal of thinking time away from the desk.
When I’m in the middle of writing a new work, I’m thinking about the stories and the characters all the time. Even when I’m not writing. Whatever I do during the day (cleaning the house, going out with my husband, cooking, watching a movie, etc.) the story is constantly on my mind. It does make me rather absent-minded. : )
Writing a novel takes everything out of me. Absolute concentration while writing, and full absorption in the story 24 hours a day as you try to work out what you need to write.
Who is your favourite character and why ?
Although I love all my characters, the main character, Kendra, has a special place in my heart. From the beginning, I knew the series was going to be told in first person through the eyes of my heroine as she embarked on this extraordinary adventure. Therefore, I knew that the voice of my protagonist was one of the most important elements of the narrative.
Kendra has never failed to surprise me, and she continues to do so even as I write the next step in her journey. She’s complex, difficult, and possesses both a fierceness and vulnerability that make her a challenge to write. Her exterior toughness and confidence mask a tremendous loneliness that is fascinating for me to explore.
Who is your favourite love interest and why ?
Aah! This is a difficult question to answer. I love Julian and Tristan equally for very different reasons. Both connect with Kendra in unique ways and both men appeal to very different sides of her. The one thing I can say is this - in my own humble opinion, I think the choice a YA heroine makes in love interests is essentially a choice of what kind of adult she wants to be.
Kendra is seventeen. Her journey is not just one of magic and danger, but also one of difficult choices. She must come to terms with responsibilities, life, emotions, and beliefs as she makes the transition to adulthood. Love, in all its forms, is an important part of that journey. It is infinitely complex and not an idea or word I toss around easily in my writing.
Have you put any traits of yourself or people you may know into any of the characters ?
No, not consciously. But I do think writers tend to take bits and pieces of things they’ve perceived or experienced with people and these little pieces unconsciously filters into their work. So certain aspects of my characters were probably influenced by things I’ve seen in my life.
Kendra’s personality is very, very different from mine. But I do relate to her rebelliousness and I definitely went through a defiant, difficult stage as a teenager. At the same time, I don’t think that feeling is unique to me. Teenagers, in some form or another, push rules and boundaries as they begin to question things about their lives. It’s just part of what it means to grow up.
What do you want people to take from the series (eg any message or feeling)?
Books have a wonderful way of revealing something about ourselves. Our reactions to a story - whether we’re moved, excited, saddened, thrilled, discomfited, saddened - are all part of that magical interaction between our experiences, perceptions, and subconscious and what we find and understand in the text.
Whatever message or feelings readers take away from the story is unique to that reader and I wouldn’t want to weaken the impact of that with my own personal reactions.
But I do hope people feel as though reading this series was an experience. Books have a unique way of nestling inside your heart and skin and becoming a part of who you are. I hope their journey alongside Kendra and her friends stays with them in some way.
And if they decide to return to the world of Haverleau and elementals in a future re-read, I hope they’ll feel as if they’re revisiting old friends. Maybe they’ll also rediscover something new about themselves again.
That would be my dream. :)
How do you feel now the series is coming to an end?
It’s an odd combination of excitement and bittersweetness. I’m thrilled to finally share the end of Kendra’s story and bringing my first series to a close is a big deal. There’s a real sense of pride and accomplishment.
But at the same time, there’s a bittersweet quality to it. I’ve lived with Kendra, these characters, and this world for four years now. Ending her story also means ending my journey with her story. There’s a part of me that doesn’t quite want to let go. :)
What have you learnt as an author throughout the process?
What a fantastic question! Trusting my instincts and the way my mind and creative process works is probably the most valuable lesson I learned.
Writing, as a profession, is by its nature very odd. It’s such an isolated act because so much of it is about thinking. It’s about being locked inside of your own head, weaving together arcs and backstories and thematic ideas for all the imaginary people running around in your mind.
And then writers further isolate themselves by locking ourselves up in our little caves and focusing long hours in front of a screen, trying to get all that “thinking” out onto a blank page. Sometimes the story flows easily; other times it feels as though you’re clawing each word out of your brain and every sentence is a fight you have to win.
Finding and listening to my instinctual voice and trusting it to guide me through the development of a story is a challenge and continues to be a journey that requires the flexibility to change and grow. Just when I think I understand something, a new awareness will shock me into the realization that I know nothing. With each book, I discover something new about myself and about my writing process.
What's next from you?
Next up is Lost Blood, the first book in my new mature young adult urban fantasy series, Chancer. Set in a dark world of monsters and magic, it’s an urban fantasy / supernatural series with romantic elements featuring two very different protagonists.
I’m also working on Hidden Current, the prequel novella to Steel Magic, my new urban fantasy series for adults.
I hope to have both out in 2015 once the Ondine Quartet is complete.
Want to purchase one or more of the books in this series? They are currently on sale!
Then click this link right ->
http://emmaraveling.com/about/press-kit/
Want to enter Emma Raveling's Kindle Fire HD giveaway?
Then click on the super sale picture to your left to enter. Good luck and don't forget to show Emma Raveling your support of this awesome series.
And don't forget to pre-order Breaker;
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AUTHOR BIO
Emma Raveling writes a wide variety of fiction for teens and adults. She is the author of the young adult urban / contemporary fantasy series, the Ondine Quartet, and Lost Blood, the first installment of the forthcoming young adult urban fantasy series, Chancer. She’s also working on the first book in her new Steel Magic series for adults.
An avid traveler hopelessly addicted to diet coke and coffee, she currently resides in Honolulu, Hawaii with her husband and German shepherd.
Posted by Melanie
