What is a Praetorian?

When I first started writing the Praetorian Rising Series, I wanted to formulate the ideal of a bad ass assassin. Similar to the Bourne Identity, a Praetorian is a genetically engineered soldier. The genetic alterations don’t only create a supreme human but also someone that doesn’t age. Despite looking forever young, these soldiers have decades of experience under their belt.

I wanted to get away from the idea of ‘teenagers taking down a kingdom’ trope. I really the like the idea of showing the age of a character and using that as a character point. It brings depth to the already diverse characters with years of emotional trauma and struggle forming them into who they are now.

CAMILLE SCIPIO

Waking in a small village of Aspera, Camille Scipio has no memory of who she is or where she came from. She does have some strange abilities she has only yet begun to discover. Camille Scipio is a Praetorian Guard, a genetically engineered assassin created by the High King of Aspera. After having escaped the clutches of the High King’s grasp, Camille is on the run. While trying to discover who she is and what she is capable of, Camille must also try to take down a monarch set on capturing her to use her abilities against the kingdom she was made to protect. Camille must uncover the secrets of her past to understand not only who she is but what she is fighting for.

A note from the Author

The beginning of the Praetorian Rising Series came from a single scene that ends up happening at the end of the second book. No kidding, I had a dream about this girl fighting for her life against a tyrannical High King with a body guard type character, and a love interest type character at her sides. I had no idea what world I would be creating and what characters would steam from this single scene I ended up writing, but to this day the scene was beginning of everything.

Camille is an incredibly interesting character to me because she is so physically strong and emotionally naive. Having woken up in a village without her memories, she believes herself to be only seventeen years old. Thanks to her Praetorian ability of not being able to age, she is much older than her young complexion would showcase. Despite being a Praetorian Guard, she is still a woman with many flaws. I wanted to create a character that was likeable but also relatable. She might be tough but she doesn’t always succeed. There is a lot of struggle and up hill battles she must overcome.

Vesyon Vestra

Captain of the Rogue Rebellion, Vesyon is willing to do whatever it takes to bring down the monarch that stole everything from him. After losing the love of his life, Vesyon swears to protect her daughter with his life. After rescuing Camille from the High King’s prison, Vesyon sets off on a path to reforming the crippled Rogue Army with Camille at his side.

Emotions are twisted and Vesyon struggles walking the line of duty, honor, and desire. He knows what he is meant to do and yet every minute he must force down the darkest needs of his heart.

Note from the Author

Vesyon is such a fantastic character always walking the moral line of what he wants and what he should do. Honor and duty play a huge role in this characters make up but he also is incredibly weak to his emotional desires. I would say Vesyon is an anti-hero character, morally gray in all the best and sexiest ways. He is trying hard to do what is right, but in working towards a goal, he often keeps information to himself knowing his desires don’t always line up with expectations.

Theo Shaehy

It’s been eight long years since he last saw Camille Scipio. They’d been life long friends living in White Wall together. They’d become Praetorians together. They suffered through the oppressive control of the High King and they managed to escape having joined the Rogue Rebellion. Theo is a fugitive on the run but he is ready for the fight headed their way.

He didn’t expect to see Camille ever again, but one day they cross paths and joy fills him even as dread consumes him; she had no idea who he is. Every memory of theirs seems long gone as he looks into the eyes of a woman without any recollection of him. Theo is determined to rebuild what they once shared no matter what it takes. Love is worth any price and Theo will go to the ends of the realm to see love in Camille Scipio’s eyes again.

Note from the Author

I’m such a sucker for love triangles and epic love stories. I fell in love with Theo’s character because he isn’t just loyal he is willing to fight no matter the cost knowing it might not even work out. I wanted to build a character and a love story that was real despite being in a fantasy world. Love is hard and it takes work. Mistakes are made and people miscommunicate. All of these elements create a beautiful relationship in my mind. I wanted to create an epic love tale proving that at all odds, love will prevail.