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| Kim Falconer |
The Styling Characters premise is that a character’s depiction through “style”, whether clothing or arms, can provide insight into their personality, as well as their part of the story’s narrative arc, or their current mood and motivation.
All of which has inspired me to take a closer look at how I’ve styled characters in The Wall Of Night books. I intend looking at each book separately, starting with (yes, you’ve got it!) Book #1, The Heir of Night.
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For those who may be less familiar with the story, I’ll start with a brief outline of: –
The Wall of Night World and Opening Story Premise
The Heir of Night takes place on the Wall of Night that gives the
series its name. It’s not an actual wall, but a storm-blasted mountain
range that forms a physical and psychic barrier between the world of
Haarth and the all-destroying Swarm.
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The Wall is garrisoned by a warrior society called the Derai, which holds itself distinct from the rest of Haarth. At the time the story opens, the Derai are further divided by the legacy of a civil war that decimated their fighting and magical strength.
Fortunately, the Swarm has been dormant for some time, but there are signs it may be rousing again…
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| USA: current |
Styling Characters in The Heir of Night
Malian
Regulars here will already know (of course!) that the main character is Malian, the titular Heir of the warrior House of Night. She’s young when the story begins, with her character still being formed, but here’s what a reader gleans in the opening sequences:
Malian is adventurous and daring enough to scale the heights of a long-abandoned hall. Her clothes are not described in detail at that point, other than to mention that they’re “grubby”, but the activity implies practicality.
Soon afterward, she must dress for a feast, at which point her “grimy” and presumably comfortable, clothes must give way to “an elaborate black velvet dress” (black “because” Night, just in case you were wondering ;-) ) with a “gauze collar that stood up like butterfly wings on either side of Malian’s face” – and a train that Malian describes as “restrictive.” She goes along with it, though, because the formality is part of what it means to be Heir of Night.
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| USA: original cover |
What I hope I’ve managed to establish through the opening scenes is both Malian’s innate daring, but also that she is serious about her responsibilities and duties as Heir. The other nuance is that Malian’s preference is for less restrictive clothing, where it doesn’t matter if she gets dirty. All characteristics that underpin her personality through books #1 to #3.
Kalan
Kalan is al-most as important as Malian to The Wall of Night
series. When we first meet him in HEIR, he is an unwilling novice
priest. So unlike Malian, his garb is not a matter of choice, but “…the gray-blue robes of a temple novice, robes that were patched and far too short at wrist and ankle.”
What I hope the brief description conveys is that Kalan is at an age
when he is growing fast, but also a certain neglect that fits a larger
picture: both the role of novices in the temple hierarchy, but also the
status of priests in the larger warrior society.
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| UK/AU/NZ: current |
Haimyr the Golden
By contrast with Kalan’s drab apparel, the minstrel known as Haimyr the Golden lives his sobriquet. He not only has golden hair and eyes, but wears golden clothing with “sleeves flared wide … scalloped and edged and trailing almost to the floor” that cast “a fantastic shadow to either side.” The golden clothing is sewn with “tiny golden bells” so that he moves amid a constant shimmer of sound.
Clearly, Haimyr the Golden is not keeping a low profile, despite being
one of the few non-Derai living on the Wall of Night, amid a notoriously
xenophobic society. He is the Earl of Night’s minstrel, which implies privilege, but even so…Revealing, don’t you think?
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| UK/AU/NZ: original cover |
When To Style
Styling is like any other aspect of story, which is that the telling thereof should only convey detail that matters. As Kim references in her Styling Characters post, it can highlight the character’s "personality, background, and place in the world."
It can also highlight points-of-interest or difference for readers, such as between Malian’s inclination and her duty, or Haimyr’s flamboyance in a hostile environment. In the case of Kalan clearly outgrowing his novice uniform, styling suggests a picture (i.e. background) beyond immediate events.
Yet for active warriors like the Earl, his honor-guard captain, Asantir,
and rank-and-file warriors like Sarus and Garan, Kyr and Lira (to name
only a few), their armor is so uniform it only merits mention to
highlight events or a change in circumstance.
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| Artist's depiction of the Wall of Night. Credit: PJ Fitzpatrick |
For example, when readers first meet the Earl and Asantir, their clothing or armor is not mentioned. When the story rejoins them, some time later, both have been in battle. The Earl’s “black armor …[is]… hacked and dented and the pressure line from his helmet still livid across his forehead.” In Asantir’s case, readers can assume armor in similar condition from the circumstances, but the salient detail is that she has a “bloody wound” to her shoulder.
When a character is decidedly not uniform, however, styling plays
an important part in underlining difference. Haimyr gets a more
detailed treatment for that reason, and so, too, does Rowan Birchmoon of
the Winter People.
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| German cover |
Like Haimyr, Rowan Birchmoon is not Derai – but she is the Earl’s consort, which is significant given Derai society. She also hails from a very different region to Haimyr, with a significantly different culture. Styling can definitely assist the reader to grasp those differences, which is why it’s highlighted when Rowan enters the story:
Malian was struck again by how alien her father's consort, the Lady
Rowan Birchmoon, looked ... Pale brown hair hung down her back in a
long braid, with pieces of shell and small feathers plaited into it; her
long tunic and leggings of supple white leather were embroidered with
beasts and birds. There was usually a white hound running at her heels,
or a spotted, tuft-eared hunting cat pressed against her legs. Tonight,
Malian saw with a pang of envy, it was one of the feather-footed hounds.
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| Full, original cover art: USA |
And then, of course, there are the bad guys…They’re a shadowy force in The Heir of Night, with as many demons and monsters as more human-style antagonists. Even when the warriors are encountered directly, they may only be partially seen, whether because of circumstances or their sorcery (or both.) So when Kalan first glimpses a Swarm strikeforce (at night, in a poorly lit corridor) details are fragmentary (unlike Malian studying Rowan Birchmoon in a brightly lit hall):
“They were clad in black, but he could make out sword hilts and the keen, flame-shaped heads of spears … their helms were crowned with horn and talons like were-beasts, quite unlike anything used by the Derai.”
The bestial helmets reinforce their Swarm origins, while the partial detail is true to the circumstances but also intended to help build mystery and menace – although, as always, readers are the final arbiter as to whether or not an author’s styling has succeeded. :D
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Conclusion
I’ll be back soon with Styling Characters in The Gathering of the Lost. In the meantime, I hope I’ve successfully illustrated Kim’s view that costume and style are an important element of storytelling.
And of course I'll also be back on 1 July with the next post in the Band of Brothers' series --- I wouldn't miss it! :D
~*~
About the Author
Helen Lowe is an award-winning novelist, poet, and lover of story. With four books published to date, she is currently completing the final instalment in The Wall Of Night series.
Helen posts regularly on her “…on Anything, Really” blog, monthly on the Supernatural Underground, and tweets @helenl0we.
Note: This post also features on my "...on Anything, Really" blog today.
