Joyce Reynolds-Ward, a prolific author with over 32 books to her name, has carved a niche for herself in the world of speculative fiction. Her works often explore themes of high-stakes conflictdigital sapience and personal agency frequently set against the backdrop of the Pacific Northwest. Among her notable creations is the Vision of Alliance a high fantasy novel that continues the story of her first fantasy series, Goddess’s Honor.
Reynolds-Ward’s journey as a writer has been marked by numerous accolades, including being a Self-Published Fantasy Blog-Off Semifinalist a Writers of the Future SemiFinalist and an Anthology Builder Finalist. She is an active member of the Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers Association and co-chairs SFWA’s Independent Author Committee. Her dedication to her craft and her unique storytelling approach have made her a standout figure in the fantasy genre.
From Standalone to Series: The Evolution of Vision of Alliance
The concept for Vision of Alliance emerged as a continuation of Reynolds-Ward’s first fantasy series, Goddess’s Honor. While the original series tied up many loose ends, one thread remained that begged for further exploration. The novel follows the journey of Witmara who successfully became Empress of Daran, and Rekare who transformed into a Goddess. The Divine Confederation was defeated in the lands of Varen, though it still lurks as a threat.
It took Reynolds-Ward six years and a detour through a different set of books before she found her way into what she calls the Goddess’s Vision trilogy. The challenge of getting into Witmara’s point of view was a significant hurdle, as certain powerful women in her world often resist opening up as characters. However, focusing on secondary characters like Betsona who are thrust into positions of power, proved to be a more manageable approach.
Reynolds-Ward’s struggle with writing from a male point of view was another obstacle she overcame by writing Gabriel Martiniere in her Martiniere Multiverse books. This experience made it easier to develop characters like Heinmyets. Her preference for series over standalones stems from her ability to find side stories or extensions of the original work, a pattern that began with her first series, The Netwalk Sequence.
The Influences Behind Reynolds-Ward’s High Fantasy World
Reynolds-Ward’s writing has been influenced by a diverse range of authors and historical figures. Tolkien was an early influence, along with E. R. Eddison whose complex political schemes and fantastical beings left a lasting impact. Ursula K. Le Guin and John Steinbeck also played significant roles in shaping her storytelling approach, particularly Steinbeck’s sense of place.
Historical figures, such as Elizabeth I have also inspired Reynolds-Ward. The careful management of dynastic schemes and the skillful navigation of political dangers by Elizabeth I resonated deeply with her. More recent influences include authors like Kate ElliottAlma AlexanderCharles de LintGlen CookN.K. Jemisin and Nnedi Okorafor as well as historical romance writers Beverly Jenkins and Courtney Milan.
Worldbuilding in the Pacific Northwest
Reynolds-Ward’s decision to create a high fantasy world based on the Pacific Northwest rather than a medieval European setting was driven by her desire to explore a landscape that resonated with her personally. Living in the Pacific Northwest and having no recent connections to Europe, she found the region to be a rich source for epic fantasy. Her worldbuilding process involved extensive reading of histories, including Native perspectives, to create a secondary world shaped by the geography and peoples of the Pacific Northwest.
While she drew inspiration from North American history, such as the overwhelming disease that wiped out many native peoples, the subsequent events in her world are unique. Reynolds-Ward deliberately avoided appropriating concepts from Native American cosmology while being informed about aspects of Native daily life. The Goddess’s Honor books are set in the different nations of the land of Varen, with Vision of Alliance taking place in Daran, the empire that sought to conquer Varen.
Character Development and Female Leadership
Betsona a disabled female character, emerged late in the Goddess’s Honor series as a secretive ally to Witmara’s mother Katerin. Betsona’s disability, caused by a magical accident orchestrated by Chatain, the despotic emperor, shapes her aspirations and relationships. She reaches out to Katerin, Rekare, and Witmara as potential allies in her campaign against Chatain. Betsona’s relationship with Heinmyets, the aging former Leader of the Two Nations of Keldara and Clenda, is a significant aspect of her character development.
Witmara the character who defeats the emperor at the start of the story, is somewhat of a fated Chosen One. Her challenge as the Chosen One is not achieving the throne of Daran but winning the support of Daran’s magic and repairing the damage caused by a long-standing curse. Reynolds-Ward’s decision to feature female leadership was driven by her desire to create a world where power can be shared equally between the sexes. She also wanted to depict different types of relationships besides standard cis-het, reflecting her evolution as a second-wave feminist.
Themes and Future Developments
Themes of leadershipmagic and slavery are central to Vision of Alliance. Reynolds-Ward explores the struggles of a reforming leader and the complexities of abolishing slavery. The novel also delves into the role of the land itself in leadership and the potential for the Gods to be hard on those they love. These themes developed organically over the course of the writing process, reflecting Reynolds-Ward’s desire to move past the notion of ‘happily ever after’ and depict the real struggles of leadership.
The Goddess’s Vision trilogy will consist of three books: Vision of AllianceVision of Chaos and Vision of Order. Vision of Alliance is already out, with Vision of Chaos expected in the spring of. Meanwhile, Reynolds-Ward is working on a neoWestern multiverse time travel novel with horror elements, loosely called Vortex Worlds which will be somewhat subversive toward Pacific Northwest history.
