'Thirty-Three Tastes Of Poison' is my first foray into the ONC and an attempt to focus on shorter forms. I expect the story to be around 30 000 words, but I am keeping my options open for now. As always, the novella will feature dark themes and adult characters. While I don't focus on graphic sex and violence, I still touch upon topics and ideas that are more suitable for mature audiences.
When I chose a prompt for this year's ONC, my goal was to write a story featuring (partially) villainous but relatable characters with dark secrets that lead to unexpected and devastating twists. And, of course, I could not resist the temptation of including a secret love story. And murder. And mystery.
Since I love playing with different epochs and sources when crafting my worlds, Senrei is very loosely based on Tang China (with a lot of other settings thrown into the mix). At the same time, the Magor Domain is an alternative super-developed Medieval Hungary with magic beyond our comprehension (and some traits of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth added for bonus points).
The POVs in the story rotate, giving insight into each of the characters' minds. And since there's an element of mystery in play, I would describe the novella as dark fantasy suspense. Any comparisons? Hmmm, 'A Memory Called Empire' meets 'She who became the sun'. That should cover it.
'Thirty-Three Tastes Of Poison' shares the same universe with 'A Thousand Days Of Blinding Brilliance'. However, no prior knowledge of the world is necessary to follow the plot. The events in this novella take place roughly 500 years before Xin Rulan's rise to power and involve one of his very distant relatives. Also, the mysterious Magor are still alive and well at this time. Thus, two of the main characters are Magor, and I have an opportunity to throw in some Hungarian words.
My Main Prompt: 62. Hell is empty and all the devils are here. William Shakespeare.
My Secondary Prompt: 42. The Hero finally get an opportunity for revenge but it comes at the cost of something meaningful to them.
As always, I welcome all comments and suggestions and promise regular updates. Good luck and patience to all those participating in the ONC2023! Here's to more novels, novellas, and short stories the prompts will inspire! And while we're at it, I'm planning to create a list and collect all the most curious works.
Thank you for reading!
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Thirty-Three Tastes Of Poison
FantasyGeneral Min Lian has climbed the stairs of treason and reached the top: his opponents are crushed, dissent is all but gone, and his ascent is a matter of time. Soon enough, he will become the new Chairman and cleanse his beloved country of the despi...
