Here’s a little secret you might not know about authors: most of us dread being asked about themes in our books. It’s like asking us to tell you what our book is about. Nothing makes us freeze like hunted animals and immediately forget everything we’ve ever known about a book we’ve written than being asked about it. Readers, you see, are supposed to just magically become aware of a book once it’s published, thus sparing generally introverted authors the anxiety-inducing experience of having to talk about it to other people.
I mean, there is a reason authors take up writing rather than, say, becoming TV personalities or podcast hosts — one can take one’s time with written words. Responding to questions on the spot, though? No time for thinking or formulating the perfect sentence. (Which is just plain unacceptable.)
I don’t deliberately plan specific themes
The thing is, I never approach a new book by deliberately trying to put specific Big Themes into it. My purpose when I sit down at my laptop or with my notebook and pen, is to simply write a compelling story that makes people care so much about the characters and what they’re going through that they just HAVE to keep reading. That’s it.
And the themes that are in my books just naturally evolve as each story unfolds. They are a by-product, if you will, rather than a driving force. So when I get asked about themes, it really does freak me out because they aren’t things that are anywhere near top of mind when I think about my books.
BUT… Chalice of Caladriai is book 4, so I’ve now built up some experience, and this time I decided I would sit down and specifically think about this book and what themes might be in it before anyone actually asked me about them. (Look at me, planning ahead like an adult or something!)
The big List ‘O Themes
So here’s what I came up with — the big List ‘O Themes in book 4:
- Mental health. You learn more about the Sakuma siblings and family in this one (I really did enjoy writing the home scenes for these kids, and you get a chapter from Shea’s point of view for the first time in this one!), and it touches on being a kid with a parent with depression.
- Grief and loss. How people cope differently with these issues.
- Guilt. How do you make amends when you’ve made a really big mistake that hurt people you care about?
- Loyalty. How far would you be willing to go to save someone you love?
- Forgiveness. Working together for a greater goal, even when everyone’s mad at everyone else.
- Tyranny. What tyrants will do to stay in power, and the cost it extracts from those who aren’t.
- Climate change/the environment. This is the one where my little environmental thread from the previous books starts to take off.
- Secrets. Would you keep a big secret from the people you care about?
When I think about this book, I think of it as the “consequences” book and the “everyone is mad” book. There is a lot of simmering tension in this one, as the kids are all still trying to cope with the aftermath of the Big Battle from book 3 in their own ways. There is anger and resentfulness, and a lot of guilt, along with the determination to do something to help save Sasha. And with Jackson added to the mix for the first time, there’s a whole new dynamic to things that made this one really fun to write.
Oh, and those secrets? Buckle up for some consequences to those in book 5. 😏
