Welcome to my MTMC Tours stop for The LeNoir Legacy by Cristen J. Faulkenberry!
If you’re looking for an epic fantasy that delivers princesses wielding swords, dark plot twists, legends coming to life, and wickedly powerful dragons — this one will be for you! It gives Game of Throne vibes too, which was really enjoyable. The world building is just so vast and complex; I so love when epic fantasy really takes time to cultivate a brand new universe and fill it with fresh details of culture and clothing styles and geography. It’s impressive but also just makes everything feel so real with so much depth.
There are quite a few character POVs here, but I have to choose Princess Rosealyn and Captain Charles as my favourites 😭 Always love an unstoppable princess who wants to help her people and a loyal guard who will do anything to keep her safe. (Okay but not an easy feat as Rosealyn will literally sneak off to battle because she’s determined to save people.)
There is also magic 👀👌🏻 including the intimidating and complex LeNoir gift that Rosealyn is destined to inherit…but it will come at the cost of her father’s life and she can’t imagine their famine and war-torn kingdom surviving without its intrepid king.
A complex and vast fantasy world you’ll love sinking into and getting lost in this swirl of magic and darkness.
And head over to my instagram page for the INTL giveaway.
Title: The LeNoir Legacy
Author: Cristen J. Faulkenberry
Publication Date: March 11th, 2022
Genres: Epic Fantasy
Purchase a copy: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Blackwell’s | Book Depository | Indiebound
Add on Goodreads!
Princess Rosealyn LeNoir refuses to remain the sheltered heir. Studying and training in the comforts of the castle will not assist a country at war. When additional soldiers join her father at the border, she evades her personal guard, Captain Charles, to follow. Hoping to help her father discover those responsible for the blighted fields across their nation, Rosealyn finds herself thrust into a battle which leads to an unlikely answer.
For the past decade, Charles has adhered to an agreement which allowed him to leave his past behind. As Rosealyn continues to discover what is myth and what is reality, Charles worries the truths she learns will hurt more than they may help.
Between fantastical creatures, magic, the legendary Twin Blades, and the myth of the Lost Prince, Rosealyn fears that understanding the LeNoir Gift may cost more than her family’s legacy.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Cristen J. Faulkenberry is a fantasy author, avid reader, and high school English teacher. She’s spent many evenings with her nose stuck in a book, and almost as many at the computer. Cristen currently lives in Northwest Missouri with her husband and young son. Find her on Instagram or Facebook with the username @dragonheartbookworm. You can also check out her website where you can be the first to learn about her newest release. http://www.dragonnookpublishingllc.com. Website | Instagram
Hi Cristen! Thanks so much for chatting with me today 🤗 Tell us about your publishing journey and how The LeNoir Legacy went from first idea to finished novel on our shelves!
Oh goodness – The LeNoir Legacy has been on quite the journey! I first started writing in high school (about 14 years ago now!) because I was bored. I’d finished a book, was done with all of my assignments and, since I didn’t have another book, decided I’d write my own. This story started with Rosealyn because, at the time, strong female protagonists in fantasy were not common. Part of my goal with The LeNoir Legacy is to showcase that strong male and female protagonists can learn to work together. After starting the story with Rosealyn, I set it aside for a few years because… well, college is a lot. Halfway through college I took a creative writing seminar and that gave me the inspiration to pull back out the manuscript and realize that I had an idea, but it needed more. So on my weekend commutes, I did character interviews. For NaNoWriMo 2016, I wrote a complete multiple pov draft for The LeNoir Legacy. Then I started my Master’s program and had my son, so writing fell by the wayside. When the school I work for shut down in 2020, I figured it was the perfect time to return to this story. I thought it was ready to go and requested beta readers. Pretty quick I realized the story needed another major rewrite. So I did. The version you have in your hands is still the same idea and the same characters that began that one day in a high school classroom, but only one scene is even close to the original version I wrote down. (Chapter 14 for those that are curious – its only major edit was a change from first person pov to third person.)
It’s so surreal to have the finalized copy in my hands, and to see it in others! I’m grateful I took the time I did on this first novel as I learned a decent amount about the writing and publishing process throughout this journey. Thankfully, all of that learning made drafting book two of The LeNoir Legacy trilogy significantly smoother!
That’s such an incredible journey!! (I also started writing as a teen 😌👌🏻) Favourite thing about writing epic fantasy?
My favorite thing about writing epic fantasy has been crafting the magic system and some of the worldbuliding. I’m forever grateful to my CP who isn’t afraid to ask me ‘why’ on repeat while brainstorming!
Can you introduce us to some of your main POV characters?
Rosealyn and Charles are definitely my two main pov’s for The LeNoir Legacy. I really enjoyed weaving their arcs throughout book one! Aside from Rosealyn and Charles, you see a decent amount from King Phillippe’s pov. His pov actually took a bit to get just right, to find that balance between kind father and ruling king. Another main pov you’ll get in The LeNoir Legacy is Christopher, the youngest prince of Jearnia (rival country to Orda’an, which the LeNoir’s rule). In many ways, Christopher and Rosealyn are foils of each other.
Do you outline before you start writing? Do you know how your series will end already or do your characters change things up as you write?
I’m what is known as a plantser. I have a plan. Then I break the plan. Repeatedly. It honestly depends on what feels right for the characters within the scene. Discovery writing has been both amazing and frustrating as I worked on book 2 and as I’ve been working on book 3. So far, the story that did the least amount of discovery writing moments was the spin-off novel about Xannan and his twin brother Gailin (probably because it’s the origin story for the LeNoir line). As of right now, I have a few possibilities for how the trilogy will end. All of them have a bittersweet element.
Can we beg for a sneak peek about what you’re working on next? 👀👀👀
Of course! You’ll be happy to know that book 2 of The LeNoir Legacy Trilogy is ready for a September 2022 release, with the spin-off novel being prepared for a Spring 2023 release. I’m currently about 60% of the way through draft one of book 3 and my goal is to release the final installment in September 2023. After I’ve completed The LeNoir Legacy Trilogy, I plan to work on either retellings of classic literature with a fantasy twist or a story about a magical school from the teacher’s pov.
Oh so exciting!! And lastly, what are some of the best author moments you’ve had so far?
I’d say some of the best moments have all been in the beta reading process. My beta readers leave a lot of reader reaction feedback and I adore seeing what scenes elicit which emotions. Additionally, I’ve let several of my students read The LeNoir Legacy and talking with them about my story is amazing. I already love talking about literature with them so to see my students learn by reading a story I wrote? Amazing!
Thanks so much for chatting with me today about your amazing novel, Cristen! And good luck with those sequels!
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