Brothers – And the dedication of Guardian
If you’ve read Exile, you know that one of the main themes in that book is the bonds between brothers. Andrew’s the eldest, and he looks out for the others…sometimes at great cost to himself.
That theme continues into book 2, with greater focus on his relationship with Alexander. Alex is ten years younger, sometimes impulsive, but he has a good heart. Alex and Andrew are close, and for those who don’t already know, their relationship mirrors the one I share with my own brother.
When I first wrote The Caein Legacy, I promised my brother I’d dedicate Guardian to him. What he didn’t know then (nor did I), was that I’d write the reason why into the author’s note. Certain aspects of Alexander were directly inspired by my brother… and Andrew was very much an extension of me (more so than any other character I’ve written to date.) So writing this series – and showcasing that sibling bond – was not only a very personal endeavor, but I loved working on it too.
This week I wanted to share the the author’s note from Guardian.
Guardian is ultimately a story of siblings, of the elder looking after and protecting the younger, even into adulthood. But more than that, it’s the story of the elder sibling watching their brother grow and find their own path. It mirrors much of my own experience.
Many of the interactions (and banter) between Andrew and Alexander were inspired by the relationship I share with my brother. While he may not have known it at the time, he was a major influence on that aspect of this book and the overarching series. The bond between siblings is often a strong one, and I certainly can’t escape my own, even while writing.
The entirety of this story is set in the Southlands, but a return to Novania will happen in book three. For now, I hope you enjoy what is truly Alexander’s journey, though it’s told through Andrew’s perspective.
Thank you and happy reading,
A.J. Calvin
I wanted to mention an interesting comment I received from one of my advance readers recently too. She said she liked the fact that Guardian was still written from Andrew’s perspective, as it showcased some of his struggles along the journey, though it could have been written from Alexander’s viewpoint instead.
In actuality, I toyed with the idea of writing Guardian from Alex’s viewpoint as I was finishing the initial draft of Exile, but decided against it. Books 3 and 4 would have gone back to Andrew’s perspective, and it didn’t make sense to switch to Alex for one book (or possibly more, since his journey in Guardian could have spanned at least a duology.) I love Alex’s character, but for the purposes of this series, all four books are told from Andrew’s perspective. It seemed better that way.
As for the rest of the series… You will see more of Andrew’s youngest brother, Thomas, later on. His relationship with Andrew is a bit different, primarily due to the larger age gap between them and the decisions that are made toward the end of Guardian. But I think readers will like Thomas once they finally have a chance to learn more about him.
Guardian is available for preorder and is scheduled for release on November 28. Preorder Guardian here.