Characters Who Lead With Kindness

I grew up on classical literature, be it gothic, fantasy or regency novels – even crime (I love Agatha Christie, and I will argue that Poirot is mostly a comedy series any day. I mean; the satire is fairly obvious.)

Among my favorite authors are Robin McKinley, Tolkien, Austen and J.V. Jones – not exactly a provocative list, I know, but they share a trait I struggle to find in modern stories (at least fantasy, Sci-fi and Crime):

They write with restraint in violence and gore, and they fill their worlds with characters defined by loyalty, compassion, and heart.

So I set out to write a book in that same mind; characters who fight for what they believe is right, but who are also loving, nurturing and supportive of their loved ones. Maybe I have an Aragorn-trope going on, (though I’d argue every leading man in Tolkien’s world is about healthy masculinity) but I don’t care.
Who says literature shouldn’t be about ideals?

I want women and men who know how to lead with fairness and kindness, who stay true to their principles even when tested – or at least try to, as far as they can.
Because to me, a world where everyone betrays each other at every turn, is not only bleak but unrealistic. I long for stories that inspire and comfort, not ones that leave me with fresh trauma and a broken heart.

And I wanted grown-up characters. Not just teenagers. Not endless “Help, I can’t manage a healthy relationship with anyone!” drama. But heroines and heroes who communicate, who try to work as a team, who carry the sense of community that makes a world feel alive.

(And yes — I am team closed-door until the day I die. I read everywhere, and explicit scenes only make it awkward. Fade-to-black romance lets me keep the intimacy without disrupting the story’s heart.)

That is why I wrote Princess Vengel Tein: an epic fantasy with heart — a story of politics and duty, but also of loyalty and most importantly;  kindness.