Why couldn’t she fight off her attackers?
Because that question takes the responsibility for the assault and places it on a survivor who’s already wishing they could go back in time and do things differently. If they were only strong/smart/quick/vicious/determined enough, they could have protected themselves, right?
Wrong. Really, really wrong.
There are times when, no matter how strong you are, no matter how smart you are, no matter how capable you are, the things arrayed against you are stronger than you are. They are terrifying, and perhaps because of that, a great deal of our fiction is about people overcoming things that only seem stronger than they are. “If you just believe in your strength,” we tell ourselves, “you can do anything.”
Except when you can’t.
Sometimes you can’t fight back effectively, no matter how hard you try and no matter how much you’ve prepared to do so. And there’s no shame in that. It doesn’t mean you’re weak or stupid or you deserved what you got. It means you’re human just like the rest of us.
I don’t mean to suggest that my early readers (or anyone else) meant to blame Ryse for what happened to her. But I wanted to talk about that question—Why couldn’t she fight off her attackers?—and how quickly we jump to ask it, and how vicious it can be when you apply it outside of a fictional context.
And to let you know that that’s why Ryse didn’t win that fight. Because sometimes people don’t, even when they’re strong and capable, and even when it matters most. And their stories still deserve to be told.
Thanks for walking through this darkness. Cara’s right. Things will get better. I promise.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I owe enormous debts of gratitude to a whole lot of people for this book.
Once again, I’m indebted to Rose Fox and Michael Valsted for their editing prowess. As always, I owe more than I can express to my wife, whose fingerprints are all over the book in all the best ways, and who supports me in chasing a dream. My sisters and parents have been enormous sources of support and feedback throughout my career, and with this book especially. The men and women of the Working Title writing group have offered me support, camaraderie, and knowledge in a place I expected to find none of the above. Rose and Joe Streif were great early readers. Ryan Haywood and Ashley Parks are two of my biggest fans.
To all the readers who interact with me on Twitter and Wattpad and Facebook: thank you as well. You help me keep going when I’m at my lowest.
And since I promised it in the last book, I owe thanks to a number of people who helped me become a writer. Most notably:
All the English teachers I had as a kid, but especially Kurt Hostetter, who made me believe that a writing hobby I didn’t even know I had could be something greater.
The players in the Flashpoint sim universe on AOL in the late 1990s and early 2000s, with special thanks to Nack, Walker, and Mike, wherever they are now, who were my first (unintentional) writing tutors.
All the people who read the early, early drafts of Soulwoven, back when I was a teenager with no clue how to write a novel, and who gave me feedback and encouragement during those years.
Everyone else. You are legion. Thank you.
Jeff Seymour
11/6/14
To get the latest information on sales, contests, and new releases, join Jeff’s mailing list!
Other books by Jeff Seymour
Dark Epic Fantasy
Short Stories
Three Dances
What Lies in Darkness
Author, writer, and editor Jeff Seymour has been creating speculative fiction since he was a teenager. He is the author of the magical realist short story collection Three Dances and the dark epic fantasy novel Soulwoven, which has netted him over a million reads and 14,000 followers online. Jeff has also edited sci-fi and fantasy on a freelance basis for clients including Harlequin’s digital-first imprint Carina Press and the Nelson Literary Agency Digital Liaison Platform. In his free time, he blogs about his writing and editing, pretends he knows anything about raising an energetic kitten, and dreams.
Follow him on Twitter @realjeffseymour
Like him on Facebook at Facebook.com/realjeffseymour
Join his mailing list at jeff-seymour.com/mailinglist
Table of Contents
MAP
PROLOGUE I
PROLOGUE II
PROLOGUE III
ONE
TWO
THREE
FOUR
FIVE
SIX
SEVEN
EIGHT
NINE
TEN
TWELVE
THIRTEEN
INTERLUDE ONE
FOURTEEN
FIFTEEN
SIXTEEN
SEVENTEEN
EIGHTEEN
NINETEEN
INTERLUDE TWO
TWENTY
TWENTY-ONE
TWENTY-TWO
TWENTY-THREE
TWENTY-FOUR
TWENTY-FIVE
TWENTY-SIX
TWENTY-SEVEN
TWENTY-EIGHT
TWENTY-NINE
INTERLUDE THREE
THIRTY
THIRTY-TWO
THIRTY-THREE
THIRTY-FOUR
THIRTY-FIVE
THIRTY-SIX
THIRTY-SEVEN
THIRTY-EIGHT
THIRTY-NINE
FORTY
FORTY-ONE
FORTY-TWO
FORTY-THREE
INTERLUDE FOUR
EPILOGUE
CONTEST
AUTHOR’S NOTE
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS