Themes Upon Themes and a Journey of Initiation

Have you ever written a novel with an overarching thematic structure that progresses as the series does?

In the Orchestrylus Odyssey, Stanzielle Quintette is on a path of self-illumination and discovering an initiation of the soul.

Symphonists are awarded crowns throughout their years of service to a nation. There are a total of 23 crowns to get, but twenty-two levels of initiation. To get the last crown requires a level of self-determined intention and solving the mysteries of the soul, only found through the music of the spheres, known in this world as the Eterna, or Eterna Cancion in some parts of the world.

Each novel in the series will mirror a certain aspect of the Tree of Life, meaning there need to be over twenty books to explore each path to the main character’s enlightenment of the soul. Every path leads to a sphere of understanding who the Conductor is and what he had in mind when he created the spheres.

The series is based on the concept of the music of the spheres from ancient philosophy. The universe resounds with music, but in the case of Orchestrylus, there is an array of spheres that leads upward toward the winged sphere, Musika Eyn Soph, where the Conductor is said to reside.

Making it through all twenty-three crowns puts one on the same level as the secondary antagonists, the Nine Golden Masks.

Stanzielle’s journey is one of making it through the roads between the spheres, known as Kaleidoscopic Bands, where emanations of the Conductor guard the way between each sphere.

The reason there are twenty-three crowns and not twenty-two will be revealed in novel number 17.

We authors must plan things out ahead of time if we’re to make something memorable and have multiple subplots that weave throughout the books.

My series will have arcs for even the minor characters, making the world feel lived in and alive.

The grand story vision I have for this series is epic in scope, and I want it to resonate with the notion that we all must find that highest light in our lives.

The principal antagonist is a benevolent dictator who has a certain way of doing things, and his way might actually be the correct way. Exploring the dynamic between Diminished Seventh and the party is a core theme of the series.

I’ve been taking my time with The Voided Promises of Noble Songs because the complexity now required for my vision means I must write carefully, intentionally, and slowly.

I’ve also been practicing making better panels and using tones to make the panels feel more alive, but the learning curve for this is steep. Artistic expression in the visual realm is not my strength.

Still, I believe in these books and hope to share them with lots of people.

May that be the case in the years ahead.

I’m certainly happy writing them.