For centuries , seven country in the sky have solved their political disputes with duels between blade - magicians called Warders … but not for much retentive . The Mertikan Empire has dreams of conquest , yet the other kingdoms wo n’t deliver their freedom — they’re all filled with people with their own scheme , desires , and struggle for power … for you to listen to .
This is Born to the Blade , a new fantasy series come to Serial Box , makes of all right ( and often nerdy ) serialise fable audiodramas . We’vetalked about thembefore on io9 , but BttB is something raw for the publisher . It was fantasy and superhero writer Michael R. Underwood who came to Serial Box with the mind , who quickly came on board . compose a book and write an audioscript are two very different thing , but Underwood had an reward in that “ Description does n’t really come naturally to me as a writer . I do n’t tend toward succulent , elaborate scope - tailor descriptions in my writing — I’m naturally focus on action and dialogue . ”
But Born to the Blade has a full-grown advantage , in that its episodes are being write by a TV - elan writer ’s room lie of Marie Brennan , Malka Older , and Cassandra Khaw . “ [ The squad ] each play their own experience and view and interests , include a hatful of experience traveling the world and in studying a kitchen stove of chronicle and cultures , ” said Underwood . “ We spent a heap of time on our team Slack brainstorming detail about the world , from political structures to social Thomas More , vesture , hairstyle , and so on . … so that we could express the grain of the humankind throughout without need long divagation . ”
Essentially , they ’re form sure their domain - construction is n’t any less concluded or complex , regardless of the medium . In display case it seems intimidating to jump in , we involve Underwood to explicate more about the serial ’s three main characters and the storylines it will follow :
The main players of Born to the Blade are all affect with the Warder ’s Circle , an organization in the neutral city of Twaa - Fei that facilitates statecraft between the major Carry Nation of the sky . Each nation is present by dueller - diplomats called Warders . When Warders can not solve a conflict with diplomatic negotiations , they turn to ritual duels of blade and craft to nail down the issue .
Oda no Michiko is an insightful and loyal girl of the nation of Kakute , recently colonize by the Mertikan Empire . Michiko grew up under Mertikan law and believes hard in the Empire ’s version of meritocracy , where anyone can become anything if they exercise firmly enough and prove themselves . Michiko adopt this opportunity for her to shew herself and her people as being every bit as worthy as those born into the master island of the empire . But as Michiko reveal a secret about her people ’s account , she faces a crisis of identity that she ’ll have to sail , especially as her power and influence grow as the newest warder of Kakute .
Kris Denn is a whiz young bladecrafter from Rumika , a antecedently isolated Carry Amelia Moore Nation that is now stepping into the world . Kris travel to the indifferent city of Twaa - Fei to challenge for a seat on the Warder ’s Circle . Kris is constantly test to learn about the world , but not all welcome Kris or other Rumikans . Each res publica in the sky yield a birthright , and the Rumikan birthright is the power to change their physical material body between male - coded and female - coded . Some Rumikans habituate this power to express their fluid relationship to gender , many people in other country are suspicious of Rumikans because of this ability , and so part of Kris ’ desire to enter the earth leg is to combat these bias and realise outstanding acceptance a - sky for their citizenry .
Ojo Kante is the senior warder of Quloo , a mighty merchant nation at a instant of crisis . Ojo is a seasoned Warder who fuck protocol like the back of his hand , with alliance and competition that date back for more than a decade . He ’ll involve every whoremaster and every favour to pull through his multitude , because Quloo is sinking . Once the foremost nation of the sky thanks to their rich veins of aerstone , the material that tolerate ship to fly , Quloo has overmined its natural resource and is slowly drifting toward the mist ( a layer of cloud mile below the islands and home to fearsome monstrosity ) . Ojo is eager to make alliances and secure new lines of aerstone to salvage Quloo without go out the country vulnerable to the Mertikan Empire , the fresh ascensive power to their Second Earl of Guilford .
In you ’re odd as to what the net result sound like , io9 is well-chosen to exhibit an single audio extract from Born to the Blade . Here ’s a portion of Chapter Six ( narrated by Xe Sands ) , in which “ Ojo hurriedly make plans to seek to keep a possible political ally safe before give way to a meeting . His rival Lavinia , the aged warder of the imperium of Mertika , calls the Warder ’s Circle into session to demand the other warders ’ aid in recapturing the Golden Lord of Kakute , the deposed rule of a Mertikan settlement . ”
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