Interview by Carmen Ferreiro-Esteban
Today, Sabrina Benulis, author
of Archon (Harper Voyager, December 2011) has joined The Enchanted Inkpot to discuss her debut novel Archon.
Hi Sabrina,
Thank you so much for
agreeing to this interview. I found Archon to be a complex and fascinating take on
the Angels/Demons/Humans mythology. In this your first book on The Book of
Raziel trilogy, you raise many questions and I can’t wait to read the next
volumes to get the answers.
In the meantime, I
would love you to share with us some information about how the universe of
Archon came to be and also, maybe, some hints on what is to come.
Let’s start.
Apart
from the Bible and, I assume, Dante’s Inferno, what other sources did you use
as inspiration for the complex mythology and worlds you have created in Archon?
Thanks
so much for the opportunity to be interviewed, and I'm glad you found the book
so fascinating! Now to answer your first
question, there were many, many mythological sources and religious influences
for Archon. The mythology is primarily
Christian and Jewish, but there are also large influences from Islam and
Hinduism, as well as the ancient religions of the Babylonians, Egyptians, and
Greeks. For instance, the concept of the
Jinn was taken from Islam, while the idea of an angelic trinity of a Creator,
Preserver, and Destroyer was inspired by Hinduism's Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva
respectively. Also, I am very much
inspired by striking images and complex, darker fantasy. All of these elements combined resulted in
the world as it is presented in The Books of Raziel.
2.
In
the Middle Ages, Catholic Church scholars spent a lot of time and energy
discussing the sex of the angels. In Archon, you have answered that question in
a most unexpected way, by portraying angels as androgynous. Did you steal this
concept from some ancient interpretation I’m not aware of or are these sensual
androgynous beings your own creation?
Well, the answer lies half in
"reality" and half in my imagination.
In most world religions that believe in angels and demons, they are
considered to be sexless beings, albeit ones that will often take on a form that
is either male or female when they appear to humans (in most religions they are
interestingly always male). Technically,
then, you could say they might have an androgynous appearance. I kind of took that concept and developed it
for the novel, trying to get across the idea that these angels and demons are
most definitely flesh and blood creatures with their own desires and passions,
but that they are also very alien to humans (much as real angels and demons
would be) and thus have that otherworldly kind of sexuality to them. While most of the characters are solidly male
or female--like the demoness Naamah, or the Jinn Troy, who are both
females--the angels Israfel and Lucifel are in questionable territory as they
are part of a trinity that symbolizes certain aspects of the universe. In Gnostic Christianity, this theme of
androgyny is prominent, and it influenced me a good bit. I also really enjoy Japanese anime and manga,
which loves to play with the idea of gender and portrayals of beauty for both.
3.
In
the world you describe in Archon, the three main archangels are siblings and
lovers. Are we going to see more in the two upcoming books about their complex
hate/love relationship?
Oh yes!
In fact, the plot pretty much hinges on this intense conflict between
Israfel, Raziel, and Lucifel in the past and how their respective hatreds and
loves have put the universe in the perilous position that it is in. The Book of Raziel--which only the Archon can
open-- is sought after not only for its power, but the secrets within it. These secrets have much to do with these
three angels, and indeed their past is the entire reason why the Book has come
to exist in the first place and why it is necessary for the universe's salvation. Keep in mind that the history of these three
as it is presented in the novel is from another character's POV, and also that
there can be severe misunderstandings between people that lead to great
tragedies . . .
4.
Angels
have become very popular in books these days. How does Archon mythology compare
with that of other recent paranormal titles featuring angels?
It's fascinating to me how popular angel
novels have become, especially considering I first started writing what is now
The Books of Raziel trilogy about six years ago!! But if you want to compare Archon to what
else is available out there right now, I can honestly say that with Archon
you're getting a world that is complex and rich--and I'm just using this to
illustrate what I mean--like you would find in an epic fantasy. It is also much darker and, in a sense,
realistic. One of the themes throughout
the trilogy is the paradox of the beauty, and yet also the supreme danger, of
the supernatural for humans. I think a
lot of angel novels out there now, especially those for young adults, find a
little too much romance in what would realistically be a very scary and
potentially dangerous thing. That is why
I wanted to portray love in these books as it would truly be between a human
and an angel--illusive, uncertain--with the idea that infatuation is not love
and that real love usually grows through shared trials and hardships, as well
as forgiveness and understanding.
5.
It’s
my understanding Archon is the first book in a trilogy. Did you plan it this
way from the beginning? Did you have the story arch for the trilogy already in
mind when you started writing Archon?
The Books of Raziel trilogy was originally
all one large book, and now that it has been split into three it has gone
through a good deal of revision and development. So in a sense, yes, I did plan it that
way! I do know the overall plot of what
happens in each novel, it's the details in between that are difficult. Archon is essentially an introductory book,
which is why there are a good bit of characters. I had the large task of introducing a
sizeable cast while also explaining both the overarching plot of all three
books and moving Archon's own particular plot along. It's a lot more difficult than people think
and it can be hard to strike that perfect balance between getting to know some
key characters and moving the story along.
6.
Could
you give us any hints of what is to come for the characters we met in Archon?
The idea in Archon is that people aren't
always who we first judge or expect them to be.
For instance, it certainly seems that Israfel is a villain, but as his
tragic past begins to unfold in the second book, your opinion might begin to change. Troy too comes off as rather harsh, but
remember she is an alien creature and a hunter who has learned to survive in a
very harsh and severe world. Her new and
somewhat forced relationship with Angela becomes fascinating. Also, Angela's relationships with Sophia,
Israfel, and Kim expand immensely.
Although Angela has tried to distance herself emotionally from people in
the past, she will not be able to deny the particular feelings and attachments
she is growing to all three. Sophia is a
friend, and Kim actually seemed to understand her. Also, Angela's bitterness at what she now
sees as a meaningless infatuation with Israfel causes immense tension in their
growing relationship and shows just how vulnerable this angel can be.
7.
In
Archon, the POV changes continuously throughout the novel, sometimes in the
same page so that we are in the mind of all the characters at one point of another.
What was your reason to do this?
It actually surprised me a little how
jarring some people found that aspect of the novel, as I have read many epic
fantasies that have a million more POVs than mine! But in truth, I had to do it because the
entire story could not be told properly or effectively from only, let's say,
two points of view. It all came down to
necessity really. I never put a
character in the book that isn't important, or present their thoughts if it
isn't necessary. This will probably
become more apparent as the trilogy progresses.
8.
Did
you want the readers to identify with a particular character(s)? What about
you? Do you have a favorite character(s)?
I think most people will tend to identify
with Angela, but this will not happen initially, as in the first book Angela is
still a very damaged and hurt personality.
In the second book she becomes much softer and begins to evolve
immensely. My favorite characters are a
three-way tie between Angela, Israfel, and Troy. I've merely scraped the surface with all
three of them. Troy especially, since I
only had time to merely introduce her in the first novel.
9.
Archon
takes place on Luz, a Vatican owned University city built on a small island off
the coast of America. A city you describe as overbuilt and falling apart. Were
you thinking of any particular place when you created Luz?
When it came down to the imagery, not
really. I just began to picture an
isolated spot of land that was the very essence of gothic. In many ways, Luz is a fantasy city. In all reality its architecture is completely
impossible I think! However, it was important to me that Luz also had a very
otherworldly isolated feel to it. That was why I didn't go on and on about
where it was in relation to what continent and so forth anymore than I needed
to. To me it just felt important that it
was there and it felt like another world, and it was isolated enough that you
could imagine angels touching down and mingling with people. The ruin and decay
were byproducts of isolation, primitive technology, and weather. The rain and the storms that seem to give off
that claustrophobic feeling are caused by the looming presence of the
Archon--or at least that's what the Vatican thinks. I wanted everything to have a very medieval,
restrictive feeling. This needed to be a
place where spirits were commonplace and candles outnumbered lamps.
The name Luz comes from a Jewish legend about an isolated mythical
city that could only be accessed after passing beneath a great tree. This tree was further guarded by an
angel. From there, you can probably see
the connection between my version of Luz and the legend.
10. Archon is a dark, gothic, fantasy that is
being marketed as YA. Did you write it with a YA audience in mind?
When I first wrote Archon, I actually did not
have a particular market in mind. Angela
was eighteen because she was, if that makes any sense. It was all about what worked for the story. Technically, Archon can be read by anyone
about 16 and older. I wouldn't go
younger than that.
Thank you very much.
You're very much welcome! It was a lot of fun, and thanks for the
opportunity to discuss my novel!
The idea that goblins used to be human, and that they used to be children, has always stuck with me. I'm pretty sure that I first absorbed this piece of goblin lore from George MacDonald's