The Great Little Abel Price
ABEL PRICE
Sage advisor, courageous warrior and awkward romantic.
When I first wrote Abel into the storyline, I had no idea of the essential role that he would eventually play in the unfolding narrative. His initial introduction when he pokes his head into Tabitha’s shanty to announce the pending arrival of her mother is certainly muted at best.
As Jonathan continued to struggle with his own guilt and self-doubt, however, it became increasingly clear that someone was going to have to believe in him in a way that he had never believed in himself before. In Abel, Jonathan ends up getting all that and more.
Abel is a warrior, for sure, but, more than that, he’s a world-class thinker. He’s the quiet kid in high school who’s always just slightly outside of the circle of fads and favor, but he’s constantly watching: Watching, learning and pondering the endless intricacies of human behavior. When Abel finds what he thinks is a kindred spirit in Jonathan, it’s as if all those years of observation suddenly culminate in one whopper of an epiphany on the nature of man, government and freedom itself. It’s a slow build, to be sure, but in the end, one that’s even a little too hot for Jonathan to handle at times!
Like the “great little James Madison” of the American founding, Abel draws upon his quiet eloquence, keen intelligence and his dream of a unified American Republic to help steer Jonathan down the narrow path to success as the prophesied Deliverer. Adopted and home schooled by Tabitha since he was first orphaned as a child, time will tell if Abel’s flawless diction and dreamy idealism will be enough to help him survive Demetrius LaFayette and the brutal revolution that he suddenly finds himself a key player in.
MUJAN SAKOUNG: NEVER HAD A FRIEND LIKE ME
GETTING INTO THE HEAD OF EVERYONE'S BEST FRIEND
Mujan’s integral role in the story can perhaps best be summed up by the words he shares with Jonathan around the glowing embers of the campfire:
“When I think of growing up without you or being without you now, it’s like all of the light just kind of drains from my existence. Weird, huh?”
Although on the surface he’s the quirky class clown stealing just about every scene, Mujan really embodies the kind of unconditional loyalty that most of us long for in a friendship. His complex relationship with Jonathan is at the very core of the story. Although neither of the friends seems to be able to put their finger on exactly why they’re so interdependent upon one another, their mutual dependency is inescapable nonetheless. Their evolving relationship is sure to play a major role in upcoming volumes of The Emberlight Chronicles.
Behind the constant quips and cockiness, Mujan’s mission in life is to be the fierce protector of the people he cares about most in his mixed up world, foremost of whom are Jonathan and his kid brother, Muwung. As that world continues to unravel, however, the limits of Mujan’s loyalty to Jonathan and his ideals will be pushed to the limits until, at the end of the day, he has to ask: How much is this friendship really worth?
Never one to mince words, Mujan offers his opinions on Jonathan's love life freely and often.
SALVADOR Jaramillo: AN UNLIKELY HERO
Brilliant, awkward, germaphobic. These certainly aren’t the typical words to describe your average hero. But, then again, Salvador Jaramillo isn’t your average guy.
Salvador was originally intended to be one of those background characters that just kind of tags along for the ride in your typical young adult-skewing adventure story. You know the type; they seem expendable from the moment they’re introduced and you’re not going to be at all surprised if they disappear from the story at the end of the next chapter. Or, will it be the chapter after that?
That’s how Salvador began, but it’s certainly not how he ended. The more that Salvador’s character unfolded in Blood State, the more that I was beginning to appreciate his quirky sense of loyalty and his constant (and usually unsuccessful) struggle to put others before himself. And, it wasn’t just me that was getting attached to Salvador. As more and more fans read Blood State, Sal was quickly becoming everyone’s favorite Latino Romantic, even though he was largely oblivious to everything but finding another pair of his famous latex gloves. By the time we were getting ready to roll out Blood Wars, I knew that Salvador was going to have to play a larger role in our continuing saga.
While Salvador bounces back and forth between his hatred of the disease-infested Colonies, his desire for self-aggrandizement and his growing resentment toward Jonathan, fans also begin to see some other, more admirable, qualities begin to grow as well. We all know that the mind is a powerful thing. Will we feed our selfish dark side at the expense of others, or will we learn the art of self-sacrifice and become a ray of light to those who need hope most?
Salvador is like each of us. The struggle against self is real. The role that he ultimately plays in the struggle for liberty is very much up for grabs.
