Author Archive

Happy Birthday Ren!

Alyc Helms

An important magical and plot element in our story has to do with when people were born (or, with Ren, the many ways she lies about when she was born), so we designed a whole branch of numinatria around the numerical calendrical significance of people’s birth dates. What you might call ‘astrology’, though a friend commented recently that it’s not actually astrology. While the planetary objects in our setting have associations with these calendrical numbers, it’s the numbers that matter. And now I hear Tanaquis sputtering, “Obviously! Planets don’t influence our lives. Numbers do! Far more rational!”

So, what’s up with these numbers? Well, numinatria is an esoteric magic system of numerology and sacred geometry. The numbers 0 through 10 and their corresponding shapes/planets/colors/etc. have magical associations and divine power through the Seterin godhead, the Lumen. Numinatrian ‘astrology’ is based on the Seterin calendar, which divides the 365 day year into ten months of 36 days each, and five intercalary days around the summer solstice (the Seterin New Year). These intercalary days split the month of Colbrilun, representing the division of Illi as both 0 and 10 and the break in the cycle that is death, the return to the Lumen, and rebirth.

Astrological charts, sometimes called trines, are composed of three parts: the Prime (based on the birth month and time of day), which represents the personality of the individual or state of the situation in question, the Alter (based on the birth date and placement in the month), which represents the life path or trajectory of the person or situation in question, and the Trisect (based on the birth year), which represents how the person or situation fits in the larger world context. Remnants of an old Vraszenian tradition similar to the “Monday’s Child” poem associates personality with the day of the week someone was born on. It has nothing to do with Seterin astrology, but many Nadežrans still put some faith in this system.

This all means that we’ve settled on birthdates for many of our main characters — there’s a scene in The Mask of Mirrors where they even share these dates (or, in the case of several characters, lie about them). For example, Ren’s (true!) birthday in the Seterin calendar is 29s Equilun 964. In our Gregorian calendar, that transposes to 31 December 1999.

That was not deliberate, but it seems… very fitting, doesn’t it?

Anyways, here’s Ren’s full birth chart and reading for the last day of the year, a fitting celebration for finishing the draft of the third (and final) book in the Rook & Rose trilogy!

Ren

  • Date
    • Gregorian Calendar: Dec. 31, 1999. For Realz.
    • Nadežran Calendar: 29s Equilun 964 (191)
  • Calculations
    • Prime: Quinat, influenced by Quarat
    • Alter: 2nd day, 4th iteration, Tuat (Quarat)
    • Trisect: Ninat, Sessat, Quarat
    • Moon Phases: Corillis, First Quarter (fading); Paumillis, Waxing Crescent (fading)
    • Charting Notes: Quad 3 sunwise spiral. Quinat on inner ew side, Quarat on outer sw side. Quarat inside Tuat in Quad 4. Ninat, Sessat, Quarat on outside.
  • Reading:
    • Ruled by Quinat – The Hand that Holds the World
      • Associations: Power, Healing, Excellence
      • Metal: iron
      • Gem: ruby
      • Color: red
      • Animal: horse
    • The individual
      • Quinat: This person is committed to excellence. They strive for it in all things and can become frustrated when their goals exceed their grasp. They have the capacity to heal the ills they see in the world, if they can look beyond their own ambitions.
      • Quarat (influence): This person appreciates the wealth that life has granted them, yet also knows that fate gives with one hand and takes with the other. Nothing in this life is permanent or guaranteed.
    • The path
      • Tuat: The path is an ever-looping one that leads us back to where we started, only to find that we are the ones who changed.
      • Quarat (influence):  The path leads to wealth and luck — both good and ill. It is best to share good fortune and let bad fortune pass quickly.
    • The world:
      • Year – Quarat: The world turns with the seasons; bounty is followed by privation, but eventually even bad luck will flip to good.
      • Decade – Sessat: The great events and great people that shatter and shape the world might be the chisel, but the small choices, insignificant individuals, and invisible social structures are the hammer that gives it strength.
      • Century – Ninat: This is the final truth of the world: People die, regimes fall, empires crumble. From the ashes springs new life.
    • Interesting Tidbits: Although Ren is ruled by Quinat, there is a lot of Quarat threaded through every aspect of her chart, indicating that she is someone who seeks wealth and bounty – though she won’t always keep it – and is very in tune with the movements and patterns of luck and fate.
    • Weekday: Andusny (Ižranyi/dreamweaver bird) – enlightened dreamer, deluded flake

The Liar’s Knot Release Day Chart

Alyc Helms

Today is the release day for THE LIAR’S KNOT, book 2 in the Rook & Rose trilogy. In Nadežra, it’s common to have an astrologer create an astrological numinat for auspicious days — births, marriages, deaths, etc. So I decided to make one for our book’s release day!

What? We created a working card deck oracle with the pattern deck. Of  course we also made a working astrological charting system!

Numinatrian astrological charts, sometimes called trines, are composed of three parts: the Prime (based on the birth month and time of day), which represents the personality of the individual or state of the situation in question, the Alter (based on the birth date and placement in the month), which represents the life path or trajectory of the person or situation in question, and the Trisect (based on the birth year), which represents how the person or situation fits in the larger world context. Remnants of an old Vraszenian tradition similar to the “Monday’s Child” poem associates personality with the day of the week someone was born on. It has nothing to do with Seterin astrology, but many Nadežrans still put some faith in this system.

In the Nadežran calendar, 7 December maps to 5 Equilun. Through no planning of our own, that means that THE LIAR’S KNOT releases on the minor holy day of Equilis Quinat (the fifth day of the fifth month. This is incredibly fitting for this book as Quinat is the numen associated with power, House Acrenix, the Cinquerat, and THE LIAR’S KNOT itself.

So here you go, the chart and reading for today’s very auspicious book launch day!

  • Date
    • Gregorian Calendar: 7 December 2021, daytime
    • Nadežran Calendar: 5s Equilun 986 (213)
  • Calculations
    • Prime: Quinat, influenced by Quarat
    • Alter: 5th day of the 1st iteration, Quinat (Uniat)
    • Trisect: Ninat, Noctat, Sessat
    • Moon Phases: Corillis waxing gibbous, Paumillis waning crescent
    • Charting Notes: Quad 3 sunwise spiral, Quarat on sunwise side, Quinat on earthwise side; Uniat inside Quinat in quad 1; Ninat, Noctat, Sessat on outside.
  • Reading: 
    • Ruled by Quinat – The Hand that Holds the World
      • Associations: Power, Healing, Excellence
      • Metal: iron
      • Gem: ruby
      • Color: red
      • Animal: horse
    • The individual
      • Quinat: This person is committed to excellence. They strive for it in all things and can become frustrated when their goals exceed their grasp. They have the capacity to heal the ills they see in the world, if they can look beyond their own ambitions. 
      • Quarat (influence): This person appreciates the wealth that life has granted them, yet also knows that fate gives with one hand and takes with the other. Nothing in this life is permanent or guaranteed. 
    • The path
      • Quinat: Why take one path when you can take five? Why travel alone when others will follow your lead? Let those others share your burdens, and don’t go so far and fast that you’ve exhausted yourself before you reach your goal. 
      • Uniat (influence): The path is not as important as where you stand right now. Take stock of yourself and your environs. Don’t be distracted by the dangers and rewards ahead, don’t dwell on fears and regrets for what you’ve left behind.
    • The world
      • Year – Sessat: The great events and great people that shatter and shape the world might be the chisel, but the small choices, insignificant individuals, and invisible social structures are the hammer that gives it strength.
      • Decade – Noctat: The world is a gift meant to be experienced and enjoyed; it is the birthright of every person. But we corrupt that right when we make others pay the price for the pleasure we take.
      • Century – Ninat: This is the final truth of the world: People die, regimes fall, empires crumble. From the ashes springs new life.
    • Interesting Takeaways
      • Weekday: Vilačny (Dvornik/fox) – charming bon-vivant, crafty huckster, “Vilačny beguiled with clever tongue.”
      • A waning Corillis and waxing Paumillis suggest that you often run across chances and opportunities, only for them to pass you by before you can take advantage of them.
      • 5 Equilun is the Seterin minor holy day of Equilis Quinat. People take this day to pray for personal improvement and healing. Promotions in the Charterhouse are often given on this day. 
      • Quinat is the numen associated with The Liar’s Knot, House Acrenix, and the Cinquerat.

Pi (chart) Day!

Alyc Helms

Happy pi (π) day! Those of you who’ve watched one of our recent virtual events know that I’ve been making astrological charts based on one of the magic systems and the in-world calendar of The Mask of Mirrors. Because that system (numinatria) is so intrinsically tied to mathematics and sacred geometry, it seemed fitting to do a chart for pi day.
Numinatria is an esoteric magic system of numerology and sacred geometry. The numbers 0 through 10 and their corresponding shapes have magical associations and divine power through the Seterin godhead, the Lumen. Numinatrian astrology is based on the Seterin calendar, which divides the 365 day year into ten months of 36 days each, and five intercalary days around the summer solstice (the Seterin New Year). These intercalary days split the month of Colbrilun, representing the division of Illi as both 0 and 10 and the break in the cycle that is death, the return to the Lumen, and rebirth. Two centuries ago, Kaius Rex conquered Nadežra and imposed the Seterin calendar, setting the year of his conquest as year 1. The date at the start of The Mask of Mirrors is 1 Suilun 210. However, astrologers use the original Seterin year to chart horoscopes. The year at the start of the book, according to the Seterin calendar, is 983. Astrological charts, sometimes called trines, are composed of three parts: the Prime (based on the birth month and time of day), which represents the personality of the individual or state of the situation in question, the Alter (based on the birth date and placement in the month), which represents the life path or trajectory of the person or situation in question, and the Trisect (based on the birth year), which represents how the person or situation fits in the larger world context. Charts can be made for a variety of reasons beyond birth dates, from planning an auspicious day to hold an event, to figuring out whether two or more people, families, or institutions are compatible. Remnants of an old Vraszenian tradition similar to the “Monday’s Child” poem associates personality with the day of the week someone was born on. It has nothing to do with Seterin astrology, but many Nadežrans still put some faith in this system. Here’s the reading for Pi Day:
  • Date
    • Gregorian Calendar: March 14, 2021
    • Nadežran Calendar: 30s/e Pavnilun 985 (212)
  • Calculations
    • Prime: Sebat influenced by Sessat
    • Alter: 3rd day of 4th iteration, Tricat (Quarat)
    • Trisect: Ninat, Noctat, Quinat
    • Moon Phases: Corillis Waxing Crescent, Paumillis Last Quarter Fading
    • Charting Notes: Quad 3 sunwise spiral, Sebat on earthwise side, Sessat on sunwise side; Quarat inside Tricat in quad 4; Ninat, Noctat, Quinat on outside.
  • Reading:
    • Ruled by Sebat – Perfection-in-Imperfection
      • Associations: Creativity, Transformation, Renewal
      • Metal: Prismatium
      • Gem: glass prism
      • Color: rainbow (light spectrum)
      • Animal: peacock
    • The individual
      • Sebat – Today is a day to create — do art, craft stuff, make food, channel whatever is in your heart and mind and put it out in the world. It might be imperfect, but you have to make it first before you can make it better. Embrace perfection-in-imperfection.
      • Sessat (influence) – Appreciate friendship, camaraderie, cooperation, and collaboration. We are each one among many, and we can only reach greatness when we’re lifted by others.
    • The path
      • Tricat: All paths have a beginning, a middle, and an end, even if we can’t see those when we’re on them. Home and family are found in the people we meet along the way.
      • Quarat (influence): The path leads to wealth and luck — both good and ill. It is best to share good fortune and let bad fortune pass quickly.
    • The world
      • Year – Quinat: The world is shattered and shaped by great events and great people, like a chisel sculpting stone.
      • Decade – Noctat: The world is a gift meant to be experienced and enjoyed; it is the birthright of every person. But we corrupt that right when we make others pay the price for the pleasure we take.
      • Century – Ninat: This is the final truth of the world: People die, regimes fall, empires crumble. From the ashes springs new life.
    • Interesting Takeaways
      • This is 3.14 Pi day!
      • Seven numena from Tricat to Ninat (3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9) are represented with no repeats. Seven numena is the most that any chart can contain.
      • Sebat is the numen of perfection in imperfection because it is mathematically impossible to create a perfect heptagon. Pi is 22 (11 doubled) divided by 7.
      • Weekday: Ošidny (Anoshkin/owl) – astute observer, aloof cynic, “Ošidny kept his watch at night.”

Book Week Launch Events

Alyc Helms

We have two exciting events coming up for next week’s publication of The Mask of Mirrors.

First, Mysterious Galaxy is hosting a virtual book launch on Tuesday, Jan. 19 at 7pm PT. It’s a joint event with Christopher Paolini, author of To Sleep in a Sea of Stars, where we’ll chat about our books and writing and try not to dwell too much on the state of the world but instead focus on our hopes for the new year.

Then, on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 6pm PT, our publisher, Orbit Books, is hosting a livechat and Q&A with us and Andrea Stewart, author of The Bone Shard Daughter, where we’ll… chat about our books and writing and try not to dwell… you get the idea!

It’s free to register for the events, so come join us for the launch of our new adventure!

The Clothes Make the Con Artist

Alyc Helms

The Mask of Mirrors is a book shot through with textile metaphors, from slang terms like ‘knots’ for the gangs and ‘cuffs’ for the nobility; to the pattern deck and its suits of the spinning, woven, and cut threads; to the interweaving of multiple PoVs to create a dense cloak of intrigue. We didn’t consciously… Continue reading The Clothes Make the Con Artist

This post originally appeared on Alyc Helms’s website.

The Clothing Makes the Con Artist

Alyc Helms

The Mask of Mirrors is a book shot through with textile metaphors, from slang terms like ‘knots’ for the gangs and ‘cuffs’ for the nobility; to the pattern deck and its suits of the spinning, woven, and cut threads; to the interweaving of multiple PoVs to create a dense cloak of intrigue. We didn’t consciously start out with that model in mind, but once we started crafting the world, the textile metaphors only got stronger.

However, one thread that isn’t metaphorical at all is the importance of clothing and fashion, something we knew from the beginning would be central to Ren’s ability to sell her con. There aren’t many human cultural universals out there, but the importance of clothing and fashion in determining whether a person is in-group or out-group might be one of the closest things to a constant that we’ve got. And Ren has her sister, Tess, who might not be able to weave lies with her words, but she can damn well tailor them into her clothing designs.

Something so intrinsic to the main plot couldn’t be handwaved (not that we wanted to!) We had to figure out a complex language of fashion in the same way we’d done with the magic, social, political, and economic systems. We’re fairly well-suited to this kind of work: Alyc has a hobbyist background in costuming for theater and historical re-creation, and although Marie likes to downplay it, she’s no slouch in the sewing department either.

For Nadežra, we knew we needed two ‘looks’ – one for the indigenous Vraszenians and one for the descendants of the colonizers from Seste Ligante (who follow the fashion changes from their parent countries). We also wanted a hybrid look for common Nadežrans – people who might have a mixed Ligante/Vraszenian heritage, but don’t have cultural ties to either group.

One of the silhouettes was dictated by the image we already had in mind for the Rook. That character was so closely tied to his conceptual forebears — Zorro, the Scarlet Pimpernel, the Dread Pirate Roberts, Ezio — that we had to dress him in a tailored coat resembling a justacorps or frock coat, and high leather boots so the coat could swing around the tops of the boots when he swashes and duels.

Look, we are simple people. We delight in simple pleasures. And one of them can best be summed up in a stanza from Alfred Noyes’ “The Highwayman”:

“He’d a French cocked-hat on his forehead, a bunch of lace at his chin,
A coat of the claret velvet, and breeches of brown doe-skin;
They fitted with never a wrinkle: his boots were up to the thigh!
And he rode with a jewelled twinkle,
   His pistol butts a-twinkle,
His rapier hilt a-twinkle, under the jewelled sky.”

The Rook’s costume is a bit of an echo of a bygone era (his coat is of a longer, looser, more functional cut than current Liganti fashion trends), but in order to not make it seem like someone’s grandpa was running around on rooftops, we decided to take advantage of the old adage about fashion recurring in cycles. That let us have that same swishy skirted coat/waistcoat style for our contemporary Liganti look, with one of the main differences being colors (the current fashion is for pale neutrals and pastels) and preferred textiles (brocades, velvet, and satin-woven cottons and silks thanks to advances in technology and trade).

Little details like this might seem unimportant, but having them means we can figure out ways to use them — and use the fashion — to further the story. For example, pastels can be difficult to maintain, which means there are a lot of stained pieces at remnant stalls that Tess can pick up for cheap… which is one reason that trendsetter Renata begins setting a fashion for brighter, bolder colors and a more streamlined, tailored look. Dyeing is easier than bleaching, and tailoring means you can creatively use smaller pieces and less fabric!

With Vraszenians, it all came down to the textile metaphors we mentioned. They are central to Vraszenian culture, to the point where lineages are tracked by embroidery, hair braiding is an art, and knotwork charms abound. Thus the panel coat became the core of that silhouette – a simple design that allows Vraszenians to display their love of and appreciation for embroidery, blackwork, needlepoint, and other fabric manipulations in that vein.

Because fashion is so important, we want readers to experience it as more than a parade of descriptions of colors and clothing pieces. We explore the sensual elements of clothing like draping, layering effects, embroidery, and the ‘hand’ of the fabric. We want readers to feel the pile of the velvet under their fingers, hear the whisper of a lace overlay as it slides past the satin underneath, move with the weight and drape of the skirts of the Rook’s coat as he fights a duel. We want the clothes to feel lived in; we want our readers to want to live in them.

Lumen knows we do!

The Origins of a Scar

Alyc Helms

Yesterday I finally had the surgery for my hyperparathyroidism, which was diagnosed back in October, but then an ankle injury derailed me for the entire winter (and then, y’know… there was this pandemic thing that cropped up).

One of the nice things about this particular surgery is that you know almost immediately if it was effective. My PTH level pre-surgery was 260 pg/ml (normal range is 15-75). My intraoperative level (right after they took out that problem parathyroid gland) was 29 pg/ml. So that’s very good, and hopefully I will start to see a relief of symptoms immediately as well. Since some of the symptoms of hyperparathyroidism are depression, anxiety, and fatigue… I’m REALLY hoping that happens.

I have a tendency to write haiku when I’m coming off anesthesia. It’s… a thing. The first thing I remember as I was coming back around was someone saying ‘blah blah blah Inconceivable blah blah.’ I remember trying really hard to say ‘You keep using that word, I do not think it means what you think it means.’ But I still had my oxygen mask on at that point, and I don’t think my mouth was working like it should.

However, it definitely informed my recovery haiku:

Recovery haiku #1, 10am (Surgery ended around 9:30am)

Like Westley, alive.
Still feeling mostly dead, though.
Inconceivable?

Recovery haiku #2, 10:15am

First thought waking up
Was a quote from Princess Bride.
Guess that I’m still me.

In any event, I am recovering (well enough that Marie and I have started drafting Chapter 14 today), and I will end up with a wicked-looking scar from this.

So of course, I needed to come up with explanations for the scar that were more interesting than “Parathyroid surgery. No, not thyroid. Parathyroid. They have nothing to do with each other, except that the parathyroid glands hang out around (and sometimes inside?!) the thyroid gland. Anyways, one of mine lost its chill, so it had to go.”

alyc untamed scar
Origin #4: Jin Guangyao is having WAY too much fun here. And I don’t seem all that concerned. (5-minute photomanip courtesy of Georgina Kamsika)

With that in mind, here is Alyc’s Scar Origin Stories, an Incomplete List:

  1. Cut myself shaving — with Occam’s Razor.
  2. Let’s just say, I do NOT recommend “The Pit & the Pendulum: The Live Action Experience” at Universal Studios.
  3. Time Machine. Whitechapel. You do the math.
  4. Got held hostage by a bad guy with gujin string. BUT, it finally goaded me to confess to my soulmate after fifteen years of dancing around each other, so it all worked out.
  5. Archaeology is a lot more dangerous than the movies would have you believe.
  6. Untitled goose attack.
  7. Pet tiger. She’s got glamour claw tips now, so it probably won’t happen again.
  8. It’s the zipper on my alien suit. This is why you shouldn’t buy off-the-rack.
  9. When the sign says, “You must be this height or lower to ride this ride,” they are NOT joking.
  10. Paper cut. Don’t ask.
  11. I played Harlan Thrombey in a community theater production of Knives Out. I’m a method actor. 
  12. I pissed off the Queen of Hearts. Barely made it out of Wonderland with my life.
  13. I attended the tale of Sweeny Todd a little TOO well.
  14. I was Ned Stark in a previous life.
  15. I was Catelyn Stark in a previous life.
  16. I was Marie Antoinette in a previous life.
  17. I was Princess Sidana of Meara in a previous life (that one’s a deep cut. Heh.)
  18. I was [insert beheaded/neck slashed character] in a previous life.
  19. I was the final girl in a real life slasher movie.
  20. CIA chip implant. Don’t believe me? THAT’S JUST WHAT THE DEEP STATE WANTS!
  21. Botched my dodge roll.
  22. I’m actually a living Pez dispenser.
  23. I used to be an adventurer, but then I took an arrow to the neck.
  24. When Gimli said, “And my AXE!” I did not expect this was what he meant.
  25. Laser security grid at the Umbrella Corporation.
  26. Corporate team building exercise gone awry. Can’t say more because of the NDA.
  27. Let’s just say my publisher takes book promotion preparation VERY SERIOUSLY.
  28. The Flying Spaghetti Monster touched me with their noodly appendage. Turns out, they’re sharp.
  29. Night of a hundred-thousand ninja. I was a hedge. There was an overzealous gardner. It was a whole thing.
  30. You know, you indulge in your curiosity about auto-erotic asphyxiation ONE TIME…
  31. Never juggle razorwire on a dare. Or at all, really.
  32. Took a bottle to the neck in a Froghole riot.
  33. Sword of Damocles EPIC FAIL.
  34. Marie likes to work out all our combats using live steel. I have short arms.
  35. It’s my Eazy-Peel™ Crease.
  36. Assassin. I gave him a bad day.
  37. Assassin boyfriend. I gave him a good day… I HAVE A TYPE, OKAY?! (I miss that game).
  38. I took the 90s Reach Toothbrush commercial at its word and got a flip-top head.
  39. I got tired of men telling me I should smile more.
  40. I was the original muse for Washington Irving’s woman with the diamond band, Alexandre Dumas’ woman with the velvet necklace, Ann McGovern’s woman with the velvet ribbon, and Alvin Schwartz’s Jenny with the green ribbon… WHY ARE AUTHORS SO OBSESSED WITH BEHEADED WOMEN?!
  41. Fuck it. I’m a dullahan.

This post originally appeared on Alyc Helms’s website.