Reflecting on… Colin
This post is the result of a Fantasy Indies prompt from a couple weeks ago, where participants were asked to name their favorite book villains. I had a couple people mention Colin, which got me to thinking…
What is it about Colin that makes him such a good (and memorable) villain?
I went into writing his character with the hope that he’d be utterly unlikeable. He’s awful to Andrew, our main character in the series—and at first, it just seems like sibling rivalry taken to the extreme. But as Exile continues, it’s revealed that Colin is pretty horrible to everyone. And he only gets worse…
I will admit that certain elements of Colin’s personality were based on an ex of mine. If you’ve read Exile, you probably have some ideas as to why that person became an ex. That was a long time ago, he wasn’t aware I was a writer (and I doubt he would have encouraged it), and I write under a pseudonym, so I think there is very little chance he’ll ever read this and put the pieces together. There is also a very real possibility that even if he did, he wouldn’t believe he was the horrible ass that partially inspired Colin’s character.
But anyway, Colin has struck a chord with some readers, and based on the feedback, I succeeded in making him just as unlikeable as I originally aspired to. And writing him into the story as I did helped me process that long-ago relationship and finally move past it. (I’ve mentioned this before, but writing often helps me in this manner. It’s also why I write scenes featuring grief and loss as often as I do. Working through my emotions while writing fiction is therapeutic.)
But back to Colin. Here are a couple responses to that Fantasy Indies prompt that made me giggle:
From @TimWolffAuthor on Twitter/X: “I have a soft spot for the cartoonishly evil kings who have no business being king. Colin from @AJCalvin Exile stays on my mind. He reminds me of an older Joffrey.”
Side note: To have one of my characters compared to one of George R R Martin’s totally made my day.
From a thread by @JadeMcStar on Twitter/X after she also named Colin as a favorite: “He’s written so well. So well, that I’m rooting for whoever gets the honors of flatten him.”
Colin isn’t seen on page during books two (Guardian) and three (Harbinger), though his actions are certainly felt by Andrew and his other brothers. But Colin will make a return in the last book (Legend).
I was editing Legend a few weeks ago, and some of Colin’s dialogue still infuriates me. Yes, I wrote it, and yes, I’ve gone through that book multiple times, but certain phrases get under even my skin. Does that mean Colin is especially awful? Maybe. I don’t even like him, but he certainly serves his purpose well.
If you’d like to learn more about The Caein Legacy and it’s primary villain, there is plenty more info here: THE CAEIN LEGACY
Also, Harbinger is currently available for preorder and will release May 28, 2024! Preorder information here: HARBINGER