Eric Klein Author

Interview Jay S. Willis

Home »  Feature Friday Futures »  Interview Jay S. Willis

 

 

 

 

For this week’s Feature Friday Futures we are joined by Jay S. Willis here to tell us about his The Sphere Saga.

  1. Dream of the Sphere: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Sphere Saga Book 1)
  2. Dawn of the Sphere: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Sphere Saga Book 2)
  3. War of the Sphere: An Epic Fantasy Novel (The Sphere Saga Book 3)

 

 

 

Can you describe your world or setting?

Legacia is a small world geographically comprised of one massive continent. The existence and evolution of Legacia stems from Magic.

How did you build this concept, what research did you do?

The Sphere Saga is heavily influenced by The Wheel of Time, The Mistborn books, and far too many other stories that have impacted me through my life. Magic plays a role in all my writing but The Sphere Saga revolves around the Magic System which drives all facets of life on this world. Planning Legacia stemmed from an amalgamation of my love of reading Fantasy throughout my life and from my college education. My undergraduate degree in History and Political Science with a heavy emphasis on Medieval Europe and my Juris Doctor degree from Law School provided me with an extensive array of knowledge. I college I completed Independent Studies on The History of Magic and The History of The Spanish Inquisition and I had an abiding interest in mythology and religion. Legacia developed as the culmination of my real world education, years of enjoying Fantasy and speculative fiction, and many years of playing Dungeons & Dragons.

Why did you choose this setting?

The Sphere Saga began with a piece of digital artwork called Sunset Mood that featured a beautiful massive golden sphere in the middle of a city. It captivated me and I couldn’t stop pondering why the Sphere was there and what purpose it served. The story sprouted from there.

At its core, the Sphere Saga examines the implications of The Conflagration in the world of Legacia which resulted from a clash between The Three, Axamar Sulvastra, Lornai val’Adoral, and Vrom Krazstar. The best of friends, the worst of enemies, The Three, the most brilliant and powerful mages in history, nearly destroyed Legacia, and after the near-apocalyptic event humanity decided to eschew Magic and prevent such a catastrophe from recurring. Over the course of three-thousand years of attempting to suppress Magic, the society forged by the survivors becomes a rigid theocracy stifled by fear. The denizens of the city of Kaharna have unwittingly locked themselves away into a pattern of stagnation trapped in their dependence upon the Sphere to keep Magic contained and untouchable. Ultimately, in Legacia Magic is Life and the people find their very existence in peril unless they find a way to restore Magic in their world.

What’s unique about your world?

The Magic System.

How do you explain the science or magic in your world?

One mantra that surfaces amongst the Kingdom of Varnyr in ancient Legacia is “Magic is Life”, which in the simplest terms explains the Magic in that world. To explain the true depth of that statement is a massive Spoiler I’d rather not reveal completely. Let’s just say not everything has been discovered or revealed yet and readers need to keep reading to learn the truth meaning of “Magic is Life.” Throughout the Sphere Saga the people experience and suffer the repercussions of attempting to banish Magic from their world and their very existence is threatened as consequence. In more granular terms, those who are Adept are able to sense, tap into, utilize, and manipulate the three fundamental forces that comprise Magic in their world. Ancient mages studied and understood the principles and practical use of Magic in almost scientific terms without truly comprehending the far-reaching elemental basis of Magic in their world. The three fundamental forces are Positive Flux, Neutral (also called Arcane) Flux, and Negative Flux. Practitioners of Magic combine the three types of Flux in different ways to achieve different results and their individual strength and limitations are controlled by their own physical stamina and endurance as well as the depth of their knowledge and creativity.

What was the most surprising thing you found out while researching/writing your latest book?

The impact of Magic upon economics. LE Modesitt, Jr. talks about this and is a master at integrating realistic economics into settings where Magic plays a role.

How do you handle the food in your world?

I use descriptive language for food to increase immersion but most of my food tends to have very real world analogs.

Do you have a recipe that you could share, maybe one that our readers could try, based on the food in your world?

I wish I had a recipe to share and I would love to focus more on food but it hasn’t served the story enough to warrant more in-depth descriptions so far. Although I will say the Honey Mead at The Silent Woman tavern in the city of Kaharna is like drinking liquid sunshine.

What was the most mundane item that you used that really has cool tech or magic behind it?

The air cooling system developed by the characters in Dream of the Sphere. It is Fantasy air conditioning based upon real world scientific principles but the refrigerant is literally concentrated Magic in a physical manifestation.

What did you include that you wish was real today?

Magic devices which allow teleportation between them across vast distances.

Anything else you would like to share with our readers?

I am a Contributor on a new non-fiction book that was released in May called Putting the Fact in Fantasy. I have articles about the real world history of magic, the history of the Spanish Inquisition, and the use of Prophets and Religion in Fantasy included. Putting the Fact in Fantasy was edited by Dan Koboldt and is available on Amazon.

I’m currently outlining the second trilogy in my Sphere Saga and all my books can be found on Amazon. I’m online at the following links: