Black’s world is an amalgam of European cultures,
prominently French, German, and British. This is because in Black’s world, the
metro – named York – is the hub of a territory that spans the geographic
regions those cultures and countries (as well as others) inhabited, once upon a
time. On the streets, the Nightwalkers, street dealers, and the rest of the humans,
speak a patois that’s a mix of all three and many others besides. It took a
good bit of research and careful planning to give each culture and dialect some
form of prominent representation – and role – in the story.
I decided on monikers that would translate easily, short
names with equally simple meanings – or, as with Jhez, none at all. Among the
humans of the street, York’s ruling vampire has a different sort of nickname –Le Gross, which has a variety of
translated meanings depending on the mood and/or native language of the speaker.
As many as there are languages in the patois. And every one of them is
applicable to the vampire’s character, depending on perspective.
In “Blacker Than Black,” names are important – as labels of
the roles each individual is playing. Because every last character upon the
page is playing a role, be they vampire or human, lyche or streetdealer or Nightwalker. The world is a blend of
cultural influences, coexisting alongside each other. It’s a world where humans
have stopped fighting each other over what sets them apart, and joined forces
to survive as one against a greater threat.
Thanks for stopping by, don’t forget to leave a comment with
your email address to enter the drawings. For a taste of Black, check out the
extended excerpt on Riptide’s site (here) and then
follow along to Top2Bottom Reviews (http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com)
for an exclusive follow-up!
Tomorrow, I’ll be at Ren Thompson’s (http://renthompsonishere.blogspot.com)
with another excerpt!
For more info on Rhi’s writings:
Email address: RhiAnon.Etzweiler@gmail.com
Website: http://www.RhiAnonEtzweiler.com
Twitter: @musefodder
Facebook Profile: here
Goodreads Profile: here
Amazon Author Page: here
Google+ Profile: here
Get “Dark Edge of Honor” here
1 comment:
*rubs hands together* On my way over to get the next excerpt! Woooo. Wonderful blog hop going on here!
sionedkla@gmail.com
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