Annie Douglass Lima has been on my blog multiple times, and it’s always a joy to read her work. The King of Malorn was no exception. It’s set in the Annals of Alasia series which I’ve featured in book lists and in excerpts and book reviews. In fact when I first heard about King of Malorn, I thought it was a typo and should be Prince of Malorn, my favorite of the series to that point. I don’t remember how it happened, but I was asked to beta read King of Malorn. I came away with a favorite character–Lasden, a soldier who has been a side character in several of the books. So, when I saw the opportunity to feature King of Malorn on release day, I wanted to interview Lasden. I wasn’t disappointed. Welcome to Malorn. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.

Interview with Lasden

Hi, Lasden, it’s so good to have you here with me. For the sake of my readers who can’t actually be here with us, could you describe where we are and why you’re here?

“Good afternoon, madam.” Lasden gestures to the barren rocky plain around us. “We’re in the area formerly known as Malorn’s Western Wilderness. Unfortunately, this area no longer belongs to the kingdom of Malorn. For reasons I don’t fully understand, King Korram recently handed the land over to the bandits who have been robbing and plundering in this area for generations. The residents had to relocate, and we soldiers were told at the time that no more troops would be deployed here. However, after King Korram’s unfortunate death last week, his High Council felt it was important to guard against the Alasians who might be tempted to cross through what we now call Bandit Territory and invade Malorn. Their king was visiting at the time, you see, and he was apparently killed as well. As you can imagine, they’ve been quite upset. Rumor has it that we might end up with a war on our hands.” Lasden glances at the cluster of soldiers sitting in the shade of some boulders not far away. “My platoon and I are on our way to the Telleck River that forms the border. But as long as we’re taking a break for lunch, I’m happy to answer your questions.”

Are you familiar with this area? Have you been here before?

“Yes, quite often. The bandits come out of hiding every few months and harass the farmers or travellers passing through, and then someone sends a message to the capital to let us know, and soldiers are deployed to drive them away. I always volunteer when there’s a choice.” He points to the low mountains to the west. “I’ve heard they have a network of hidden caves over there where they live when they aren’t raiding farms and robbing travelers, but we don’t pursue them that far. We teach them a lesson, and then those who survive flee back to their base and lie low for a few more months.” He shrugs. “Who knows? Maybe King Korram thought that giving them the land would keep them from harming our people anymore. I suppose we’ll see if it works, or if they end up crossing the Grenn River and causing trouble for our people there. In any case, I can’t imagine the bandits are happy that thousands of soldiers have been crossing and camping in the land they were told no one could enter again without their permission.” He casts me a worried glance. “We haven’t spotted any yet today, but if you’re traveling alone, you’ll want to be very careful.”

Can you describe yourself, so my readers could recognize you if they passed you in Malorn?

Lasden indicates the black and red uniform he’s wearing. “To recognize me, your readers should look first for my Malornian army uniform. If they’re anywhere near the Malornian-Alasian border, though, they’ll likely see quite a lot of soldiers, so they can narrow it down by checking for these white stripes on my sleeves that indicate my current rank, corporal. Beyond that, I’m of average height and build, as you can see, with dark hair that I keep short.”

You’ve had a rough time. Can you give my readers a bit of background about your activity in the Malornian army?

Lasden lowers his gaze and sighs. “To be honest, I was hoping you wouldn’t bring that up. But if I must, I’ll tell you what happened. My career in the military started off quite well. I worked hard and proved myself capable, and about five and a half years ago I attained the rank of lieutenant. Shortly after that, Regent Rampus invaded Alasia, and my company was among the first to be sent across the border. We were chosen to attack the palace where their royal family lived.” Lasden gazes into the distance, his eyes full of pain.  “It was a terrible mistake. I knew all along Rampus was wrong. Except for a few minor border quarrels decades back, the Alasians never did us any harm. But Rampus had his eye on the Malorn’s throne, and conquering Alasia was part of his plan to expand his power.” He sighs again. “I should have just refused to be part of it, but soldiers don’t do that. We follow orders, no matter what. So I did. And not a day has passed that I haven’t regretted it. I can’t forget the faces of those I killed, and I wish I had died, myself, before I lifted my blade against so many innocent people.” He clears his throat roughly.

What do you consider your greatest achievement?

Lasden brightens a little. “It came right after that. I made the right choice later on, at least. A few weeks into the occupation of Alasia, I was sent back to Malorn to recover from an injury sustained in a later skirmish. While I was there, I served as an aide to – well, to a high-ranking officer your readers probably wouldn’t know. I was attending him in a meeting with Regent Rampus and other officers, when I heard I was to return to Alasia to continue what we’d begun. I did what I should have done at the beginning, and told the regent to his face that what he was doing was wrong and I wouldn’t be a part of it any longer.” Lasden chuckles. “That took more courage than anything else I’ve ever had to do. I thought Rampus would kill me for it, and by the look on his face, he wanted to. But he found a better way to get back at me.” Lasden looks away again, shame on his face. “He demoted me all the way back down to private and forced me to return to Alasia anyway. He couldn’t force me to fight, though, which nearly got me killed more than once. But I never drew my sword against an Alasian again.”

What is your idea of perfect happiness?

Lasden frowns. “I don’t think that exists in this life. I doubt it will for me, anyway, because people still hold my choice against me. I haven’t had a commanding officer since the Invasion who didn’t look down on me, no matter how well I’ve tried to serve my kingdom since King Korram took the throne. That’s why, even after more than five years, not to mention all my years of experience before the Invasion, I’ve still only just been able to work my way back up to corporal.” He sighs. “I suppose happiness would involve finding some way to make up for what I did, though I can’t imagine what that could ever be. Peace and security in Malorn would be nice, too. As I mentioned, King Korram was killed in suspicious circumstances a week or so ago, and – call me disloyal if you like – it’s hard to believe that the new king, Heggen, has the kingdom’s best interests in mind any more than Rampus ever did. I’d also be happier if nobody knew or cared about my past. And if my father was proud of me for my accomplishments – or just for who I am.” He laughs bitterly. “As if that could ever happen.”

Do you have a most treasured possession?

“Not really. I travel a lot with the army, so there’s not much point in accumulating possessions.”

I’ve noticed that loyalty is important to you, but sometimes that doesn’t look like what people expect. What is loyalty to you, and who or what are you loyal to, and why?

“I believe doing what’s right is more important than following orders. So while I’m loyal to my kingdom, it will never again be at the expense of my conscience. I was loyal to King Korram, because from what I saw of his leadership, he did his best to always do right by Malorn and even by our neighbors in Alasia. I’m loyal to my commanding officers, but if they order me to do something I know is wrong again, I won’t follow orders. I just can’t.” He shrugs, resigned. “I realize that means I’m not a good soldier, but I believe being a good person is more important.”

Do you have a hero? If so, who and why?

“I always admired King Korram, even though he was younger than me. When he was just a boy and Regent Rampus wanted him dead, he trekked into the Impassable Mountains and managed to survive there for months. Somehow he convinced the Mountain Folk – a tribe of uneducated savages who were always raiding farms and villages in the foothills – not only to help him, but to accept him as one of them. Thanks to his mediation, the Mountain Folk almost never cause any trouble these days. And he actually managed to bring back an entire army of them to help him stand against Rampus and his men – and they succeeded.” Lasden shakes his head in wonder. “All this from a seventeen-year-old boy. He took the throne not long after that, and as young as he was, I daresay he ruled the kingdom at least as well as his father ever did, for the few years he was king.” He sighs. “I always wished I could meet him in person. It’s such a shame about his death. I have a feeling someone in the government was behind it, but who knows if we’ll ever find out for certain.”

Information about King of Malorn

Blurb

    Life as the king’s younger sister should be exciting.

   Not for Princess Kalendria. She’s sick of the dissent and of constantly having her family undermined by those who think they could rule Malorn better than King Korram.

   Hoping to lighten the mood in the palace, Kalendria plans a ball to celebrate her seventeenth birthday. It doesn’t hurt that their handsome Alasian ally King Jaymin has promised to attend, and she’s been waiting for him to notice her for as long as she can remember.

   But unfriendly forces have their own party plans. When Kalendria, Korram, and Jaymin barely survive an assassination attempt, their only recourse is to flee into the wilderness. Tracked by unknown assassins, they must figure out whom they can trust and who is behind the plot. Can Kalendria help her brother reclaim his throne – oh, and catch Jaymin’s attention while she’s at it – before they are all killed and war destroys both kingdoms?

About the Series

King of Malorn is book 5 in the Annals of Alasia. But don’t worry if you haven’t read the others; it will still make sense on its own. 

Each of the first four books can stand on its own as well. They each deal with events surrounding the same major political incident: the invasion of the kingdom of Alasia by the neighboring kingdom of Malorn (as Lasden refered to). This whole idea was foreign to me, but I really love it. It’s so fun to see different points of view. 

Book 1

Prince of Alasia begins on the night of the Invasion and describes what happens to twelve-year-old Prince Jaymin after he is forced to flee for his life. 

Book 2

In the Enemy’s Service features a girl as the protagonist and tells the story of those who were not able to escape from the Alasian palace when the enemy invaded. (And this is where Lasden does what he’s most proud of.)

Book 3

Prince of Malorn begins several months earlier and focuses on the Malornian perspective of the events leading up to the Invasion. (It shares the part of why Lasden looks up to King Korram.)

Book 4

The Nameless Soldier shows how a young Alasian soldier lives through the Invasion but then has to survive and make a name for himself in enemy-occupied Alasia. 

In each of the books, main characters from the others make brief appearances and interact with each other at the point where the timeframes and settings overlap. 

Annie Douglass Lima also has a short ebook of “interviews” that she conducted with the characters in the other three books. Annals of Alasia: The Collected Interviews is not available on Amazon, but she sends a free copy to anyone who signs up for her mailing list (to receive updates when she releases new books or occasionally offers them for free). I’m definitely heading there right now. Don’t know how I missed it before!

Where to find King of Malorn and the rest of the series

In honor of its release, King of Malorn is free today through Thursday the 11th. Quick go grab your copy! Books 1-3 are only $.99. That means you can pick up all five books for only $5.96! If I didn’t all ready have them, I’d go snatch them up.

About the Author

Annie Douglass Lima considers herself fortunate to have traveled in twenty different countries and lived in four of them. A fifth-grade teacher in her “other” life, she loves reading to her students and sparking their imaginations. Her books include science fiction, fantasy, YA action and adventure novels, a puppet script, anthologies of her students’ poetry, and Bible verse coloring and activity books. When she isn’t teaching or writing, Annie can often be found sipping spiced chai or pomegranate green tea in exotic locations, some of which exist in this world.