Today GraveTells is spotlighting one of the categories I have a book/series nominated for, and I got to pick a champion to tell others why my Araneae Nation series is worth the read. I chose Sheila from Dark Faerie Tales, and this is what she had to say:
The world of Araneae is a mesmerizing web of deadly grace and harsh beauty intertwined into a landscape fit for its inhabitant’s spider-like qualities. The Veil is the defining barrier between the harsh Northern lands, unfit for farming, and the sultry Southern climes that reap the rewards of more fertile plains. The various Matriarchal Clans of each region have allegiances through marriage but no overall ruler, instead relying on treaties and bonding for a larger and more stable power base. Each individual clan uses the talents particular to them in order to specialize their work and barter for what they cannot provide for themselves. This arrangement is as delicate as the silk that each Araneaean can produce from their fingertips. The interdependency may allow for prosperity but leaves each clan open to vulnerabilities.
Araneaeans are as complex and diversified as the land itself. Each individual is not necessarily reflective of their clan. The higher up on the food chain, the less freedom of choice is available; their duty to the clan overriding any personal preferences. But when there is a true match, they may choose to bind their soul’s thread together so that when one dies so the other may follow. The people are both romantic and morbid at the same time, mirroring the unforgiving landscape around them.
Araneae may make some wary, but it is a quiet hunter. It creeps within one’s mind without provocation, anchoring down and then winding its way around your heart. When you do leave, the remnants of its presence are felt like the strands of webbing blowing gently in the wind. All of these facets of Araneae make it by far the most original story universe I have read in years.
To check out the spotlight in its entirety, swing by GraveTells.
Voting starts December 21st!
Hailey writes about questionable applications of otherwise perfectly good magic, the transformative power of love, the family you choose for yourself, and blowing stuff up. Not necessarily all at once. That could get messy.
