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The Protagonist Speaks

Interviews with the characters of your favourite books

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Fantasy

Maggie Greenfield (of Smoke and Hellfire, by Kristen Brand)

Dear readers, tonight we print a video interview transcript with a young witch, who recently lost her best friend in mysterious circumstances. The two friends met while investigating a house that reeked of brimstone and radiated a sense of evil. She knew a demon is involved, but her new friend the exorcist seemed to be hiding something.

Oscar: You ready?

Maggie: I feel sick.

Oscar: Relax. I’ll edit the video before uploading it, so if you mess up, no worries—we can just do that part again.

Maggie: Right. Okay. [inhales deeply] I’m ready.

Oscar: Awesome. So tell us a little about yourself. Where did you grow up? What was it like there?

Maggie: Um, I’m really not here to talk about me…

Oscar: My subscribers like a little background. Just give us the basics.

Maggie: Okay, fine. I grew up in St. Augustine, Florida—in the same old Victorian house I live in now, actually. My grandmothers raised me. Grandma Gail was a flight attendant. Nana was—

Oscar: A witch!

Maggie: Yes, a witch. She sold herbal remedies and cast spells for clients—very secretively, because witchcraft faced even more prejudice back then.

Oscar: And she’s the one who taught you magic?

Maggie: She was my first teacher, yes. I remember her leaving crystals on the windowsill to recharge them by moonlight and lighting candles on her altar every evening. But Oscar, you know I—

Oscar: You’re here to talk about the case files, right. So let’s jump in. You’ve recently started publishing accounts of the paranormal cases you handled with exorcist Beatriz Romo Reyes. What inspired you to put them out there? Are you trying to educate people about the supernatural?

Maggie: No, I— Well, I guess that is a benefit. Since most people don’t believe in the supernatural, they miss the signs when their house is haunted or their friend is possessed. If they knew more about it, they could recognize the danger sooner and save themselves a lot of pain and trauma—and even their own lives sometimes. But no, that’s not really why I’m publishing the cases.

I’m doing it for Bea. She’s… She was never famous—she wouldn’t have wanted to be.

Oscar: Ha! Can you imagine? She would’ve totally punched the paparazzi and gotten sued.

Maggie: Yeah… But she helped so many people, put her life on the line countless times, and that… that deserves to be known. I want people to read about her and—I don’t know—appreciate her sacrifices, I guess.

Oscar: A worthy goal. So you worked with Bea for years on a ton of different cases. What was the scariest thing in your adventures?

Maggie: Are you kidding? You know what kind of stuff we dealt with. The ghosts who tried to murder me, the literal portal to hell, anything involving the Fair Folk— How do you expect me to pick just one thing?

Continue reading “Maggie Greenfield (of Smoke and Hellfire, by Kristen Brand)” →
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Sybil Wyntres (of Wrought In Flesh, by Corinne Price)

Dear readers, tonight is a young woman who grew up without magic, and is now a Warden for the Portcullis. She means to make her life mean something, and is her to speak about when her past resurfaced to shine a light on the corruption that runs far deeper than the monsters below the Nether Peaks.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in Trelusk. It was quiet, a lot quieter than Hazel Gryph. Being a small town, since I was born without magic, I felt a lot more singled out. I at least had Quinn to keep me company, but it was hard being surrounded by mages—raised by a powerful one—and not even being able to cast simple air spells. It was rough. Thankfully my father taught me to fight with my fists and that was enough to keep the worst of the bullies at bay. That was until… it doesn’t matter.

What do you do now?

I serve my country as a warden of the Portcullis, stationed in the capital of Hazel Gryph. It wasn’t until my magic fully manifested that I was even able to apply for the ranks. I’ve had a lot of people assume I joined because my father was a decorated warden, but that just isn’t true. When Quinn… died, I needed to make my life worth something. As much as the oligarchy of the Portcullis isn’t necessarily the most benevolent group, I’m here to protect the people, and will do what I can to uphold their laws.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

I’m sure you’ve heard about it. It’s in all the papers. Warden Wyntres apprehends a sarcomancer serial killer utilizing their magic to rend flesh from bone. There isn’t much else to say. It was horrible. What he’d done to that woman… I’m just glad I was able to save her, even if I couldn’t save the other twenty victims. I don’t think that makes me a hero, and it certainly doesn’t make me feel proud of the promotion.

What did you first think when you were attacked in the Arcaneum?

I was terrified. We are taught in our training how terrible and volatile bloodweavers can be, I just wasn’t expecting it to be so… eclipsing. I couldn’t move, could barely speak. To have your blood controlled, your body no longer your own, is something I don’t wish on any person. Like a parasite invading your veins and stripping you of your autonomy. I’m fortunate to be alive.

Continue reading “Sybil Wyntres (of Wrought In Flesh, by Corinne Price)” →
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Isabelle “Izzy” Ashford (of Izzy’s Dilemma, by Robert Pais)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a young girl from a distant planet, where eye color determines everything. She is here to speak about friendship, courage, and her own history that she never expected.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in the small town of Covington. Covington is a wealthy community where everyone except me has Topaz colored eyes. On my home planet of Mirron, the only thing that determines a person’s social standing is the color of their eyes. There are four different colors. Topaz are on top. Emerald and Sapphire are in the middle. Pearl is at the bottom. I’m Pearl, and I’m the only one in my class and in the entire town, for that matter.

Did you have any favorite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

My most cherished memories are the times when my dog Charley and I were hanging out on the deck in the backyard with my parents. When we got too hot, all of us, including Charley, would go swimming in our pool. We would fool around in the water, and after a while my dad would light the grill and make the best hamburgers and hot dogs in the whole world.

What do you do now?

Now I’m in seventh grade at the Covington Middle School, and even though I’m the only Pearl in the entire school, I was elected President of our class. After school, I take the bus home and do my homework. When I’m finished with my homework, Charley and I get to watch television together in the family room.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

My latest adventure jumps ahead to my high school graduation. Erica Matthews and I will both be freshmen at Green Hill College in September of this year. The two of us, along with my boyfriend, Michael Davis, founded a Reform organization called The Prism Project when we were in tenth grade. The goal of our organization is the elimination of the color system on Mirron in favor of a meritocracy. My latest adventure is in partnership with Erica to establish an on-campus division of The Prism Project at Green Hill. We need to recruit members and raise money to get the organization off the ground on our college campus. Doing so is a great adventure with lots of challenges to overcome along the way.

Continue reading “Isabelle “Izzy” Ashford (of Izzy’s Dilemma, by Robert Pais)” →
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Maelogan (of A Song of Milk and Fire, by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a live, fire-breathing dragon. He’s here to tell us about learning to fly and searching for treasure hoards, about meeting a prince in search of a princess, and about finding his heart’s desire in the most unexpected way.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in Wales. It’s a good life for a dragon. Lots of sheep, and people there are used to my kind. If you keep moving around and don’t take more than one sheep from each farm, they don’t get too upset. You can even pick up the odd job for farmers, burning off stubble after the harvest. They usually give you a sheep for that. It does rain a lot there, though. And I really, really hate rain.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

We don’t go in for toys much. I spent my infancy learning to hunt, like my siblings. There’s nothing so fun as swooping out of the sky to snatch up your prey. I like to buzz them a few times first, get them all terrified and rushing about in a panic. That gives the meat an extra spicy flavor.

One of my favourite memories is my first experience of flight. I couldn’t wait to fly, but Mother kept saying I was too young for it. But I jumped off the cliff anyway, and Mother was wrong! I was able to glide, well a bit, enough to land without hurting myself. Much. Anyway, that’s how I knew mothers don’t know everything.

What do you do now?

Well, I’m a dragon. I do what dragons do, mainly. Just recently, though, I’ve taken up with some humans. Now we’re all going on a journey together. Not quite sure how I got roped into this carrying people on my back lark. And baskets! Stupid humans. I just hope no other dragon ever finds out about it.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

I was minding my own business, searching for a treasure hoard, as you do. And I heard some men talking about a ransom being offered for a prince. That’s what started it all. I thought I’d collect the ransom and that would start me off collecting my own treasure hoard. It wasn’t as easy as it sounded though. Humans are tricky, you can’t trust them.

Continue reading “Maelogan (of A Song of Milk and Fire, by Tabitha Ormiston-Smith)” →
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Helen Rosenthal (of Back in Time for Tea, a short story in The Artificial Elephant anthology by Eric J. Hull)

Dear readers, tonight we print an in-world encounter between two characters from this literary speculative fiction collection.

Helen sits alone at a small table by the window of the busy coffee shop, her silver hair short and neatly cut, reading glasses perched on the bridge of her nose as she holds the paperback open with one hand. She sips her latte and turns the page. Her back is to the wall; by long habit she has chosen a spot with a full view of everyone in the room, and all the exits.

A stern, powerfully built woman with an ex-military bearing enters the café, scans the tables, and cautiously approaches Helen, who smiles, places a bookmark in her paperback, and greets her.

Oh, I’m so happy you got in touch, dear. I’m sure you have all sorts of questions. Won’t you sit down?

The woman narrows her eyes and sits across from Helen, spine stiff. A waiter takes her order – coffee, black. She has a thick Russian accent.

~~~

Who are you? Your group is government, NGO? Private, maybe?

Helen Rosenthal, pleased to make your acquaintance. We had so little time to chat when me met last time.

Little chat time because you tased me with tricky knitting device! And stole from boss. Former boss.

Oh, yes, well, you did have a Glock pointed at me, dear. And I’m sorry if our little operation cost you your security position with your… unpleasant former employer. He’s still in federal custody, isn’t he?

Yes, sure. Unimportant now. Business card from you had no details. But you said maybe job. Merc?

Not exactly, no. We’re indeed private, as you surmised. We take on security-related engagements for a variety of groups. Corporate, private, occasionally government when they need something with plausible deniability. And you showed excellent instincts, we’re always looking for new faces, but it’s a far cry from mercenary work. Our assignments usually require subtlety and eschew more pedestrian wetwork.

Subtlety. Hah. You broke into safe and stole money.

Oh, the cash was a spur of the moment decision. I ended up giving that to the nice young man who ran the front desk at that hotel. He didn’t know it, but all the trouble I put him through proved essential to gaining access to the penthouse suite where you and I met. The actual target of that episode was the thumb drive in that safe, which contained enough incriminating evidence to put your horrible boss away for a very long time.

Continue reading “Helen Rosenthal (of Back in Time for Tea, a short story in The Artificial Elephant anthology by Eric J. Hull)” →
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Athena (of The Orichalcum Crown, by J. J. N. Whitley)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a young princess, talking about exile, dragons, and lost family members.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

I grew up in the palace. Father was often too busy being the emperor, and Mother too busy not caring. That left the servants with the job of keeping me respectable. I was easier to discipline before my powers. More polite, dignified. Once I realized nothing could hurt me, I wanted to let loose.

The kiddos weren’t around yet, so I had to make my own fun. Mostly exploring the palace, learning history or sparring with Klaus. 

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

I was more a teenager at the time, but Old Man Python made a mechanical bike. He had me test out the prototype. Since I’m harder to hurt, it was safer to use me than someone else. He let me keep it after the tests.

As for memories, there’s a lot. 

Hate to admit one of them involves my father. He helped me control my powers when they manifested. There’s an aura around my body that doesn’t let anything in. Great for a bar fight, terrible when I’m trying to drink. I couldn’t let anything in the first few days. Then he sat with me, promised me his hand wouldn’t hurt me, and I was able to let him through.

A lot with my sisters.

One of the best days of my life was when Olive joined the family. Rambunctious little scamp but looking after her gave me purpose. Olive needed to wind down, and the little ruby needed to relax. Seeing Olive smile the first time she painted. Kidnapping Makoto to take her running through the flowers.

Hate to play favorites with the kiddos, but nothing beats the first time I held Lucielle. I’d been an older sister a couple times but never from the start. Meant a lot to me.

What do you do now?

Still trying to figure that out to be honest. Best part of being an exiled princess is not having to deal with the pageantry of politics. The worst part is everything else. 

Did a lot of traveling and liked most of what I saw but hard to stick around in places that don’t like my family name.

Heard my family was in danger and made my way back home. So, my duty now is to keep my sisters safe. Mostly, that means being suspicious of every one else and punching when necessary.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

I was minding my own business when my uncle found me. He’s one of Mother’s earliest creations. History says he used to be a dragon, but you wouldn’t guess by looking at him now. 

Uncle’s the kind of person who doesn’t take much seriously, but when he speaks you listen. He warned me someone was plotting to assassinate my father at the annual ball.

And if he’s in danger, there’s no telling what might happen to my sisters. So, it’s up to me to warn them of the danger and to stop any plans already in motion. Like I said, being suspicious and punching when necessary.

Continue reading “Athena (of The Orichalcum Crown, by J. J. N. Whitley)” →
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Sonja Vinzler (of Kepstadur Keep, by R. G. Sartain)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a woman trying to find a way to bring her brother back from the dead. Though educated in magic, it is still an uncharted territory. She is here to talk about haunted places and the undead, as well as family ties.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Jrendavar is great — a little grey, so I’m told, but you get used to that after a while. A peaceful country for the most part, at least in the West where I’m from. The nearest city is Helslidir, though these days, our vineyard might be better known. Snow’s Grove Vineyard. My grandparents were the first to discover magic to grow grapes where grapes really didn’t want to be grown. 

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

If I’m honest, it’s hard to remember too far back. There was a time where my siblings and I would bind hay into little stick-figure people. None of them lasted long enough to become favorites. We spent a lot of time with our imaginations, my brother, sister, and I. They were both talented with perception magic early on — illusions and hallucinations and whatnot. So maybe “imagination” isn’t quite the right word.

What do you do now?

Oh, well… Well, I’m a bookkeeper, actually. Or I was. Once I get back home, I will be again, probably. Numbers just work in my head. I keep up with figures for most of the businesses that work with the vineyard. I am nervous to find out who’s been tracking everything in my absence. Surely someone has…

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Sure, yes… What is there to say about Kepstadur? It was pretty cold for the summer months, even here. Beautiful, but cold. And definitely haunted. There were times I couldn’t hear my own thoughts, the voices were so loud. It was hard to know the real from the fake — and losing that certainty in yourself is pretty jarring. I knew the magic there would be strong, but the revenants… that first attack still rattled me. 

Continue reading “Sonja Vinzler (of Kepstadur Keep, by R. G. Sartain)” →
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Alicia Stormwell (of The Witch’s Bestiary, by Evangeline Hunter)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a vet specialising in magical creatures turned reluctant hero. She is here to talk about vampires, werewolves, and manticore poop management.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

New York City, baby. Born and raised. I’ve been yelled at in ten languages before my morning coffee and once saw a cyclops try to parallel park in Midtown. My mom ditched me when I was a kid—vanished into a cloud of magical smoke or an MLM pyramid scheme, hard to say. I was raised by her sister, Aunt Lydia, who is basically what would happen if Aunt Mame ran a cursed antique shop in SoHo and could hex your ex with a glance. She taught me how to make potions, run a business, and never trust anyone who says “trust me.”

Now, I run a nonprofit called The Bestiary, which rescues magical creatures and gives them a second chance. And thanks to a permanently irritated dimensional witch, my nonprofit is now physically attached to my apartment. The good news: my commute is excellent. The bad news: sometimes a kelpie wanders into the kitchen and eats my cereal.

Did you have any favorite toys as a child?

Most kids have teddy bears or glitter wands. I had a lock-picking kit. Aunt Lydia gave it to me when I was seven. She said, “Sweetheart, your magic’s about as reliable as a goblin accountant, so you’ll need backup.” I also did martial arts, fencing, and the occasional magical beast wrangling camp. You know. Normal childhood.

What do you do now?

Technically, I’m the founder and director of The Bestiary, a rescue and rehab center for legendary beasts. Realistically, I clean up unicorn poop, negotiate with territorial manticores, and rescue abused phoenixes from underground fighting rings.

And okay, fine, sometimes I moonlight as a freelance magical crime consultant. If you call breaking into smuggler hideouts “consulting.”

Also: we accept donations. Like, right now. Seriously. I have a Venmo.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Oh, just your average Tuesday. A vampire detective, very broody, very cheekbones, shows up and hires me to help investigate a dead witch and a suspiciously attractive wolf. My bank account says yes before my brain catches up. Turns out, the wolf isn’t just magical. He’s a werewolf. And not just any werewolf: Kyle. Tall, brooding, and somehow always shirtless. Suspicious, right?

Except… he’s innocent. I can feel it. Which means someone else is framing him—and if I don’t clear his name, the real killer might make me their next ritual sacrifice.

Continue reading “Alicia Stormwell (of The Witch’s Bestiary, by Evangeline Hunter)” →
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Jasper Ashford (of Little Hamlin Chronicles, by Sarah Ashworth)

Dear readers, tonight with us is a high-school student, juggling school, life, and magical training. He’s here to tell us about supernatural occurrences, a shipwrecked redhead, and a mysterious song.

Tell us a little about where you grew up. What was it like there?

Well, it all depends on how far back you want to go. If its my early childhood then I grew up in an orphanage in a not so glamorous part of town. The place itself wasn’t too bad, the staff taking care of us were pretty decent. It’s just there wasn’t always enough to go around so kids were basically fighting for scraps, couldn’t really afford to be weak there. Fun times.

In my later childhood until now I was adopted by a pretty sweet lady who took me to her home on a small island. It was nice, she’s not wealthy by any means but she lives a comfortable life and it was just nice to have my own bedroom. Though I scared her when I was hording food in my room when I first moved there. It took a bit of time but I became secure enough to not do that anymore.

Did you have any favourite toys as a child? Any cherished memories?

There was one time at the orphanage when me and Eric decided to steal the cookies in the kitchen. It was a rare treat for us and we wanted them. OK, I say we decided it was more I woke Eric up in the middle of the night and wouldn’t let him go back to sleep so he went along with me to get it over with. His words, not mine. We had a blast though and got to enjoy the chocolaty goodness of the cookies.

Another fond memory was when I found my magic spark. I tried to pickpocket a woman and she saw me do it. I remember backing away and holding my hands out in front of me and poof I fired a pink cloud in her face and ran. She eventually caught me but didn’t turn me in. Instead, she adopted me because in her words I reminded her of a younger version of her and she saw my potential with magic.

I had stuffed dragon which I keep in my closet and cuddle it every now and again. Hey! Dragons are cool OK!

What do you do now?

Right now, I’m just a high school student who’s juggling school, my magic training, finding interesting things to write about in the school paper. Also going on some strange adventures which sometimes involve getting into trouble but I think it breaks up the monotony a little bit. Wouldn’t you agree? Sure, I fall asleep in Mr. Hughes’ class a lot but the adventures are worth it.

What can you tell us about your latest adventure?

Well, it all began with my friend Eric being kidnapped, can’t leave that guy for five minutes without something happening to him. I thought he’d abandoned me again and I was angry as we had only just managed to patch things up after all the craziness from before. It was only when I found evidence that he didn’t leave of his own free will that I started to look for him. I reluctantly teamed up with Mel who had hurt and betrayed me before and we ended up going to the mainland to search for him and bring him home.

Continue reading “Jasper Ashford (of Little Hamlin Chronicles, by Sarah Ashworth)” →
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