Blurb:

Vincent was a traveler. He had visited most of the important cities and towns in the entire Empire. He had encountered men of greatness, men of cowardice and experience had taught him well how to differentiate among them, for the latter usually chose to wear the mask of the former. He had witnessed the alchemists, the mages, the dark magicians, the masters, the mind readers, the knights. He had been fortunate enough to appreciate the play of the gladiators from the pits and the lances in tourneys. Vincent had watched men fly, tame wildest creatures, walk on water. In fact, he was of the opinion, which most would agree was well founded, that he had seen enough for a single lifetime. But what Vincent the blacksmith saw next, created a memory so deep, that others seemed to fade.

An unbelievable incident occurred in the little town of Andlenore. But the consequences of that incident, were not limited to the town. The ripples spread like wildfire.

My Impression: I defy anyone to hate this book!

Interview:

Q. I'll ask you a direct question. Did game of thrones inspire you in any way? If not what's your inspiration to write the story based on medieval times?

A. The inspiration of writing The White Capes did not come from Game of Thrones. I can trace its inception, as far as I remember, to a single character, Edwin. I had an idea of what his personality would be like and so forth. Although the world does not revolve around him, I started making the TWC Universe after I had an idea of his character. But yes, Game of Thrones has taught me a lot, in terms of writing, character development and such. It remains an influence, with its rich world and realistic characters.

Q. Which part of the world/century do you imagine Andlenore to exist in?

A. I would say that would vaguely be the European, end of 'Late Middle Ages' just before Renaissance, in our world. Of course many differences remain for the TWC universe is different for instance medicine is a tad bit more developed than it was then. The major comparison that can be made is this, at that point of time, the Western community was almost at a standstill, and barely any new innovations were made, while the East (medieval India) flourished with scientific, artistic, philosophical and technological advancement. So in a way, the new Dawn (The appearance of the White God) is the trigger in TWC universe, it's their rebirth; it's their Renaissance. Many instances of this can be found throughout, from Andlenore, Artinopolis to Trinopolis, and the incident of alchemy.

Q. What do you mean by The White Capes? What does the name refer to?

A. The White Capes is an Order formed in honour of the White God by Wilbur Glidron. It is military in nature and function and its purpose varies from that of the Priests of the White God. While the Priests are entitled to the responsibility of guiding the masses towards the path of the White God, The White Capes share the responsibility of protecting all the followers of the faith. These guidelines were set by the Priest Bill of Andlenore taking appropriate advice from Wilbur who stands as the founder of the Order.

Q. What is the exact role of alchemy in the world of the white capes? Is it worth practicing?

A. Alchemy is a part of world physics in the universe. It is an ability which all humans posses to manipulate elements to a certain extent. In our world, alchemy is the precursor of Chemistry, a pseudoscience. As alchemy emerged in TWC universe, a lot of research was done on elements and compounds thus the name.

It is an ability like any other. It has various application as one might expect. It can be used in day to day life, and one can train oneself to use it for a specialized purpose. For instance, it can be used by artisans, by warriors in battle and by artists, to express themselves.

Q. How is White God any different?

A. In most books a God is someone whom common persons cannot directly interact with. God only communicates indirectly, through a Messiah or a group of people. Select few can feel his presence, rest of the people just have to have faith. Here, the being presents himself to the commoners directly, who they conclude can be no one but God. People can see him, touch him, they can witness his existence through their own eyes. They no longer have to 'believe' God exists, they 'know' He does.

Q. Your entire story is very complex? How difficult is to weigh and keep track of all your decisions?

A. When I started writing The White Capes, I knew the stat of the story, a few major events and the end. The little incidents in between were blank. They form up as I go on writing; I know what happens until the next five to ten chapter, major events and end. There isn't any physical record or map for keeping track of the decisions. I recall how one author compares the writing process to driving a car at night. You know what and where your destination is, you know the landmarks, but you can't see the road beyond what your headlights show you. So, it's is almost exactly like that.

Q. Does writing poems come instantly to you?

A. I write poems when I am in a state of reverie. They come in a flow, I don't try to set any rhyme or rhythm. For example, I found myself contemplating the actions of Edwin, and the verse wrote itself. Write when drunk edit when sober.

Q. How long did it take to plot your story?

A. I don't really have a mark on the time. Because random ideas about the plot come when I am inspired or so. Writing each chapter takes about two hours or more(raw, unedited) some can take over four.

Q. If you have to describe your story to someone who isn't familiar with middle age books, how would it be? (or) How would you convince one to read your story?

A. I do not think there is any such prerequisite for reading the White Capes about knowing medieval worlds or so. I have taken care to explain details about the world such that a person who hasn't come across middle age books can also read it.

Q. Did you do a lot of research to get familiarized with culture of the medieval times?

A. Truth be told, I didn't have to do much research (Except for recalling armor parts, I had forgotten the specific names, lol). That is because I have been reading medieval fantasy books since a young age. I used to read the Squire's Tales series as a kid. I immensely liked Ivanhoe and King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table. Then I have read some Arthurian fantasies as well, like The Crystal Cave. It is interesting to see different versions of the same tale with new and intriguing elements. Then of course, Game of Thrones. The whole series is fantastic.

Q. How do you personally feel while writing a violent scene?

A. That depends on what is driving the character to violence, not the violence itself. What motivation does the character find to resort to such means? For instance, when Edwin massacres the whole of the Thief Guild, I felt the anger he felt, for that was what drove him. How he recalled the incident that had occurred in his past. He had still not been able to rid himself of the feeling of vengeance against raiders.

Q. Few people who are reading your story like it immensely. Then why do you think your book is not receiving the attention it deserves?

A. Why is it not receiving attention that I do not know. But I will keep trying my best to improve my work so that there is no excuse from my side of the things. Rest depends on Wattpad.

Q. What was the most challenging part of writing The White Capes?

A. The Prologue, hands down, was the most difficult to write. It has undergone two major revisions already. As the Prologue is the first thing a reader sees, it decides whether he will pick up your book or not. And in The White Capes this was made more complex as it starts with a seven year old, which put limitations on how much depth of the world I could show. But as the series picked on it has been an altogether fun experience!

Q. Who is your most/least favorite character in your story? And why?

A. Sir Triston Griffiron is my favorite character among the ones who have been introduced in the White Capes universe as of yet. He has a growth mindset and his greatest power is his not anything supernatural, instead it is his ability to learn. While most people take this for granted, some don't even consider it an ability, Sir Triston hones the same for his beliefs are such.

This may sound weird assuming he is a fictitious character I made up, but Sir Triston is a man I look up to.

My least favorite is The Giant, for he has one dimensional beliefs and redundant notions. Moreover, he is one of the only characters who can actually be called a 'villain', for the other characters, the line hero/villain line fades, or you can say it barely exists.

Q. Is The White Capes your first story?

A. No, this isn't my first story. My previous work was post World War 2, horror, paranormal novel, The Warwoods Diary, about an army soldier who participated in both the wars, who retires in a secluded village and writes the singular incident that occurs there. It is on a hiatus as of now. (Not published on Wattpad or anywhere else) The subject matter was too intense and I found myself in depression just after completing the forth chapter, so I stopped. I will resume the project after completing TWC. There was another short story I published here, Clockwork, before I started TWC project.

Q. Are there going to be sequels?

A. I have the plot for both a prequel and a sequel. I might write them depending on how TWC fares. Much of the prequel will be set in medieval India. Edwin spent most of his childhood there.

Q. What makes a great fantasy story?

A. I don't think there is a set guideline for the same, and if there exists one, I am yet to learn about it. In other genres you can say things like 'realistic characters, solid plotline'. In fantasy that barrier fades for you can make absurd unrealistic characters and still make a great fantasy book, you can make perfect characters who defy reality and it becomes a Fairy Tale which is again a major sub genre within Fantasy. So I would say, rather than think about what the genre requires think about what your story requires and how is it willing to be told, don't restrict yourself to genre. Instead of letting genre make your story, let the story define its genre.

Q. What is the book that most influenced your life? And why?

A. There are many books that influenced my life. In fact I believe, A man is a sum of his experiences and books are experiences of people condensed. Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens had a huge impact on me. Also, Frankenstein by Mary Shelley is one of the best novels I yet have read. I would also like to mention Angels and Demons by Dan Brown.

Q. Why are you on Wattpad?

A. Wattpad is a good platform to publish our works. I am here to learn and improve my writing. There are some fantastic people here, who have helped me do the same.

Q. What is the best book you read in Wattpad recently/ and why?

A. I can't narrow it down to one. Among the books I have read recently(and am reading) I liked,

Mixed Tears by JessiYork. It's a quirky horror story with various singular events occurring throughout. I really like the writing style of the author.

Gleeman's Tales by MatthewTravagline . This one is a fantasy novel set in a post apocalyptic, medieval world. The characters are really well drawn and the story flows very organically.

Q. What are the things you don't like about Wattpad?

A. Undiscovered Lists (which have books that are highly discovered lol) and glitchy UI.

Q. What is the best comment you received lately?

A. "WOW... This is very thought provoking. Especially that last line. Umm just simply compliments are not enough to fully describe what I feel. I can dissect every line in this poem and ponder over it for hours... Keep poming! I love this!" - jeeboombaa

One of the most motivating comments I got was for my poem, The First Day of Birth. Every writer has this wish that the material they provide give the reader something to think and dream about, that is evokes an emotion or expression in some way. This comment made me think that I had achieved that with this poem that further motivates me to write more! 

Q. What books are you currently reading? What are the other books you are planning to read? (On and off Wattpad)

A. Books that I am currently reading:

Gleeman's Tales - MatthewTravagline

Mixed Tears - JessiYork

The Backfired Plan - sweetimagica

What's Your Demon? - butterballporkbun

Sudden Retreat - skullower

Different Seasons -Stephan King.

Books I am planning to read(The list is long so I will only add the ones I plan to read next):

Hayden Mackay series - jyothi89

Ten and Levan - HayleyMonroe

Rat - EinatSegal

Purgatory- Jeffrey Archer

Q. What would you advice an aspiring writer? (One aspiring writer to another)

A. My advice is quite simple, start writing. Just start! Is your story interesting? Do you have a good vocabulary? Do you have a unique voice? I don't know, nor do you; not unless you start writing. And what's more when your story wants to be told these things just fade in the distance. Do not let these questions bother you. I have a few friends who have these fascinating plots but they never get to the writing process. It pains me to see that the world will never be acquainted to their stories, because they did not start writing.

Second is simple as well, read! Read all you can, read books not only by professionals but also by novitiate writers, help them and let them help you in return, keep learning. And I say read books by novitiate authors because they make mistakes. And you get to learn from these mistakes, they get to do the same from yours, you learn faster and so do they, its mutually beneficial. Most professional authors are beyond the point of making such mistakes in their published books.

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Thank you trueathenian for the interesting answers. :)

Seriously, can't wait for the prequel that is going to be set in medieval India. I am sure your readers are going to have a blast.