Kalanna skelarx

Kalanna Skelarx is the main character of an action adventure trilogy written by Samantha Eklund. The books follow the interpersonal journey of a powerful Sensor, Kalanna, and her tumultuous relationships with the people closest to her. The plot largely deals with Kalanna's potential and actual abuses of power, and the consequences thereof. Kalanna Skelarx: Retribution is the first book of the series.

Synopsis

At the beginning of the series, Kalanna is only nineteen years old.However, this is already four years past official adulthood in the kingdom of Maleen. When the story begins, we learn that she has been accepted into the prestigious Academy in Yenoa, Maleen's capital city. She is escorted to the Academy by an official escort, and on their way they are attacked by a group of criminals, called Dead Blades. They are released unharmed, but only due to the fact that the leader intends to later hunt down Kalanna and sell her for a premium price.
Once in Yenoa, Kalanna meets legendary and gorgeous Rider (Maleen's version of a knight), Zastin. He is also Rider Chief Commander, which means that short of the king, he is the highest ranked individual in Maleen. They begin dating, and fall in love. Meanwhile, Kalanna learns much at the Academy, including that it is possible to manipulate the elements of the world by delving into the energy supply of plants, animals, and people (although using peoples' energy is taboo and forbidden). The school of abilities is called the Mystical Arts, and is hidden knowledge to most of Maleen. Only people who attend the Academy are entrusted with the information, since King Mordekai and Queen Nadanya fear the abuse of such powers. The individuals who practice the Mystical Arts are called Elemental Manipulators, or Elementors. Kalanna learns that she can easily do this, and her favorite instructor, Arledon, reveals to her that she is a Sensor; an Elementor with legendary and untold power.
When an old friend of Zastin's enters the story, we learn that Zastin has a shocking history. Krellik, his former friend, also takes a particular interest in Kalanna, which makes her uneasy. She decides to play a game of wits with him, and does not tell Zastin for fear of his objections. As Zastin and Kalanna seem to grow closer, Krellik drives a wedge between them, both subtly and outright. As Krellik tries to persuade Kalanna down a path of power and murder, it is revealed that Kalanna comes from a line of ancient evil beings. Although resistant to the fate of being inherently evil, Kalanna cannot deny that she feels the truth of it.

Themes

According to Eklund, there are many themes of the series; the foremost of which is evil. The second book, Restitution, will be darker than the first; it will freely explore the concept of evil and whether it is relative. Another theme of the series is conviction. Without a firm belief in either good or evil, we see Kalanna swaying back and forth between the two, based on the influences of her loved ones. The third main theme of the book is abuse of power. Is it truly abuse, or is it a right? Are those with power privileged above the rest of us? In Kalanna and Krellik's view, the answer is yes.

Development

Author Samantha Eklund originally thought of the idea for the series in September of 2011. After studying the plot of most books, plays, and movies, she noticed a common theme: no matter their past deeds or flaws, the hero of the story always overcame their demons and emerged triumphant over their own character by the end. She wanted the complete opposite; a good character that turns evil. With this in mind, she set about writing the Kalanna series, taking over a year to let the ideas fully develop and evolve. Initially she had intended to write it quickly, within a matter of months, but soon realized that a full and complex story would need time to grow.
Frequently she is asked where she got her character names; she is the creator of most of them. She loves to use names that have meaning to them, and are part of other stories. "Part of the fun of writing is embedding your works with subtle references to other works, to see if the audience catches the double meaning." Since she holds a B.A. in Religious Studies,
her subtle references are typically to religious texts and traditions, and are typically demonstrated through her name choices.
More information can be found at the book's website, www.KalannaSkelarx.com

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